HOME

unnamedcropped-bud.jpgcropped-1477829_10152076445982472_727471328_n.jpgcropped-69495_10200388385650749_1199773541_n.jpg After the reading, a smaller group of about ten of us headed to a local watering hole in Brooklyn, and sat at outdoor picnic tables. I had a blast (reminiscing, mostly) with Cindy List, Valentin Ortolaza, Michael Thompson, Andrea Falkenstein, Gessy Alvarez (and her sister), Jamez Chang, Bud Smith, Rae (Spout) Buleri, Julie, Robb Todd and Emily, and Russell Dillon. What a cool mix of writers and artists: Andrea Cindy List and me, June 13, 2014   On Thursday, my pal David and I went to Jones Beach for the 1,000,000th time. It never gets old. Nor do we: cropped-tn.jpg IMG_0012 On Friday, we left for Omega Institute, where we made a detour for lunch and Bee Cake! Intoxicated by sugar: photo-15photo-16 Friday evening until Sunday I took a course called Spirit and Craft of Poetry with Richard Blanco. He is the fifth inaugural poet, Obama selected him for his 2012 inauguration where he read his poem, “For All of Us, One Today.” Richard Blancophoto-13   Richard is smart, insightful, sensitive, funny. He lead us mostly through workshop, each of the 25 poets chose one poem, and received feedback. The bulk of the weekend was taken up by this exercise. My pal, Michael Gillan Maxwell was there, and another writer Gloria who we’d both met at Omega in 2010 (another workshop, another time). We discussed some craft tools like Imagery and Figurative Language, Show Don’t Tell, Rhythm and Iambic Pentameter, and were guided to two writing exercises at night: Why I Write (prompted by Natalie Goldberg’s Writing Down the Bones) and also My Obsessions. Both were very effective. And we read some excellent poems like “A Blessing,” by James Wright, “My Papa’s Waltz” by Theodore Roethke, and “One Art” by Elizabeth Bishop. My favorite moments of the workshop came at the very end. We witnessed Richard reading three of his monumental pieces: “Betting on America,” “Looking for the Gulf Motel,” and “For All of Us, One Today.” The return to the city was swift and fun. I was off to LaGuardia, David off to a life-altering surgery (he’s healing magnificently!) Then, home again, home again, jiggety jig: IMG_0007our-driveway-in-summer-2003.jpg What does HOME mean to you?]]>

Addicts & Basements at 2paragraphs

Amy King, Bud Smith, and Robert Vaughan Reading at Unnameable Books I’ve been inviting everyone I know (and their illegitimate cousins and poolboys), and imagine how honored I was when one Facebook invite responded with a possibility for Addicts & Basements to gain more exposure! Joseph Mackin runs a site called 2 paragraphs, and defines it as “Short. Smart. Shareable.” Basically, articles are compressed, wetting one’s thirst for the current sound-bite of news, culture, etc. If curious, please check out my Addicts & Basements publication at the site here: Addicts & Basements — by Robert Vaughan I hope to see you in NYC! Until then go get some vitamin D!  ]]>