Laural Winter

Stumptown Comics Fest

I have been meaning to post this post.  I am in withdrawal from the fun I had during the Stumptown Comics Fest weekend.  Here are the highlights.

Stumptown Comics Fest weekend started on Thursday afternoon  April 24th at the Central Library. Jason Shiga, Aron Steinke, and Elijah Brubaker from Sparkplug comics read at the Central Library.  It was an AWESOME reading!  So fun, interesting and engaging.  Jason read from Book Hunter.  Aron read from Super Crazy Cat Dance. Super Crazy is about two girls, many many cats and their adventures together. Elijah read from Reich.  Reich is a comic about the sex researcher Wilhelm Reich. They are all quite talented.  Keep an eye out for their comics! Keep an eye on Sparkplug Comics!

Thursday night I went to Ogle Gallery for the Librarians "Get" Graphic party.  Bowler Hat Comics and Baker's Mark Literary Agency sponsored a party for publishers, authors, artists, and library staff from Multnomah County Library. Why do we go together? Well, Bowler Hat puts it concisely "Even as other book sales decline, annual sales of graphic novels continue to grow. This is in no small part due to the support of the national library systems, and Portland-area publishers, in particular, have benefited from this connection." It was such a great party!  Great conversations, speakers, lovely food, and an all around good time was had by all.  Bowler Hat Comics is another one to keep an eye on!

Friday was Jeremy and Alison's party at Guapo Comics and Books.  Peter and I are so lucky!  Guapo is about 12 blocks from our house on 64th and Foster.  Jeremy and Alison are so helpful and nice.  Also there is a nice seating area with couches, chairs and tables for espresso from the espresso bar in the shop and for reading your new purchases from their extensive comics, minicomics, and zines collection. Support your local comics shop, please.

Saturday I staffed the library's outreach booth at the Stumptown Comics Festival at the Doubletree Hotel.  Thus you have another picture of me with the Giant Library Card.  People love the library. It was a lovefest.  Really it is a moodbooster.  I love outreach.  We answer general library questions and hear how people love our graphic novel collection, our used bookstore, or the library in general.  And they love the library card.  More pictures of the giant library card and people can be found here.

Reading, smiling

I found this to- do list? this note? On the sidewalk in the Hollywood District today.  It made me smile.  It made me pick it up.  It made me think I am such a librarian to get a thrill out of finding something like this and have positive feelings about people reading and needing books or information from their libraries.  Question is have you read a Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L'Engle? It is a great science fiction novel. It is one of the most intelligent science fiction novels for children. Give it try!

Stumptown comics Fest and book review Bookhunter

Bookhunter by Jason Shiga

I love this book! It is about library police who hunt down book thieves for the California Library Systems in the 1970s. Specifically, book thieves of Oakland Public Library are hunted. Library staff and patrons: if you have ever been frustrated by damaged or stolen books this is your cathartic release. My husband and I have jokingly discussed the need for a literacy program with the slogan READ OR DIE! Shiga plays on this theme. Check it out!

Also if you are in Portland this weekend there is the Stumptown Comics Fest at the Lloyd Center Double Tree Hotel. Be there!

Cherry Quartz necklace

I finished this necklace a little while ago. I have said it before wire wrapping is like knitting for me.  I am totally relaxed when I am wire wrapping.  I usually have a wire wrapping piece going most of the time.  Right now I am working with orange, maroon, and red beads with gold wire for another wire wrapped necklace.  I thought this watermelon colored stone would be great for Spring.  I bought some of the beads at one of my favorite bead shops Dava Bead and Trade.  What do you do for relaxation?

Tuesday Haikus- guest author

We have weather that changes every few minutes.  We know spring is coming.  Some of us can get grouchy when we have 78 degree day then a 40 something degree day the next.  I am not too grouchy about it.  I think it is kinda funny.  Guest author and friend Kari Hauge has some opinions about spring that is apparent in her haikus.

Snow, then hail, now rain.
Forget this lion/lamb stuff:
I demand my spring!!!

Cold rain is dripping.

I huddle in my parka.

Oh you brave tulips!

Peter at 21st Avenue Bikes

My husband, Peter, works as a mechanic in Sales and Service at 21st Avenue Bikes. Meaning he will sell you bikes or bike equipment or fix your bikes.  Well, yesterday I did an image search on Google for Peter and found this photo. ( Yes, I stalk my husband on the web).   This photo was new to me.  Cute, Huh?  I think so.  It's from an article about the new shop in the blog BikePortland.org.  If you didn't know it bicycling in Portland Oregon is huge.  We have bike lanes and paths all over the city.  See link. And we tend to get awards for how our city government handles this form of transportation. And today friends it is 68 degrees.  I rode to work today and I will ride home.  It is fantastic!

Tuesday Poem -Spoon

This was the first poem that I wrote that really resonated with me.  I would practice reading it out loud most of the time before readings.  When I first wrote it I read it aloud about ten times.  I was so thrilled!  Sixteen years later I recognize its importance but time does heal.  I don't feel as intimate with the poem. It was published twice by the Feminist Broadcast Quarterly.  I would like to thank editor Mimi Yahn for that pleasure!

Spoon Fed Our Daily Dose of Violence

You may wonder but may not care about my primal deep weep.

Or my cautious unspeaking nature.

Sure the words can be spelled or spilled upon the page but when real things are said I stutter.

I feel people shy and not so afraid of death.

I am ever-ready and prepared to roll with the punches.

Everytime I was struck part of me died.

Everytime I was a witness part of me shied.

So I wound myself tight into a tiny fetal ball for safety's sake.

I was fed death on my yo-yo string.

It was death in my playdoh.

Death is the soap my parents used on their large capably violent hands.

Death was always a welcome dinner guest in our house.

I used to whisper "take me away" to that star I was wishing on.

And when I cried I felt the pain wash my veins like a drug or a slug. 

As I have come to this life I know I would try anything.

Anything not so close to death.

The anything I will try is living and an unwinding of my fetal position.

Wednesday Poem- Yesterday part II

Here's the photo of me reading at the Show!  It was 1993 at the Hastings Community Center.  Here see the flyer.    Just in case you can't read the bottom it says overthrow cockrock.  You know how photocopying doesn't work sometimes. Cub played after me.  They are great band and nice people.  Are they cutecore?  I can't remember. Do you remember?  Anyway my first poem was Spoonfed Our Daily Dose of Violence from my first poetry chapbook.  Kevin Sampsell of Future Tense fame helped me make my first two chapbooks. Thanks Kevin!  It means a lot. Chapbooks help keep poetry organized.  I might do another for the Pilcrow Litfest in May.

Here's the cover. It is ancient from 1993. It is rumpled.  But it has come in very handy and got me a lot of readings.  And yes darlings those are rub on letters and cut out pictures!  Thanks for going down memory lane with me.  It is one of my most perfect and important days.

Wednesday Poem-Yesterday

Talking about Weight Watchers makes me think about this poem I wrote a while ago.  When I was younger, my late teens, I would get upset and not eat all my regular meals.  Also I got a Women’s Studies certificate from Portland State University.  In my Women’s Studies classes eating disorders were discussed.  I wrote this poem in reaction to these two factors and our culture in general.  A special thanks to Coral Short of the zine Riot Grrrl Vancouver for publishing my poetry and having me read at one of their shows. 

At the show I remember I was scared to read.  It was one of the biggest crowds I had ever performed for-still is.  Some poets have read in between bands playing I hadn't before. 

So imagine this-first I meet a woman at a show at the Clinton St. Theater where I read.  Her name is Coral Short and she buys one of my chapbooks.  She asks if I would come up to Vancouver BC to read?  I say yes. I go to Vancouver BC with my friend Suzanne. We meet up with Coral at a community center.  There are about 150 people there in the audience.  Tickle Trunk, a band, plays. I go up on stage after being introduced.  The audience is sitting on the floor.  I read Spoon Fed Our Daily Dose of Violence.  They scream and applaud. It felt like a roar that many people applauding.  It was amazing!  I read for about 20 minutes.  I have about 30 copies of two of my chapbook titles and I sell all of them.  Kids come up and talk to me afterwards.  I’ll post the picture from the show tomorrow.  This reading is one of my perfect days.  My wedding day is another. 

Here's the poem:

Yesterday I Remembered What It was to Feel Full

Hunger kicks in and I deny it’s call.

It’s another fear, fear of fat, fear of so-called ugliness.

So I hear instead the media’s call to be bone thin,

to make up,

to thin down,

to diet,

to starve,

to poke pills,

to teeter on heels and to know no matter how close to a fashion plate

I am that that plate is empty and time will always beat that

so-called beauty.

What's funny? Recipes

(Photo courtesy of Public Domain Pictures).

After being sick for a few days it is humorous what can seem funny.  Well, a friend of my showed me this website about Weight Watchers recipe cards from circa 1974.  And they have the greatest snarky comments.  This would be my fave website of the day.