Notices by dogtrax (dogtrax@mastodon.social), page 14

I found the old box
of tapes, from another
lifetime ago:

Remember when we
scribbled notes on small
surfaces to go with odd
songs recorded
into a collection, curating
our hopes for connection
-- song by song by song --
our hearts wide open, nearly
dangling like frayed wires
in the world of headphones
before earbuds,

eyes closed, listening,
wondering about the story
below the mix.

#smallpoems

“The mix tape is list of quotations, a poetic form in fact: the cento is a poem made up of lines pulled from other poems. The new poet collects and remixes.”

-- Matias Viegener, from Mix Tape (The Art of Cassette Culture), edited by Thurston Moore, page 35

#smallquotes
#amreading

@GeoffreyGevalt @katebowles @lauraritchie @Tdorey I know teaching is not a numbers game (despite what those in power might say as they crunch data points) but the number of young writers you have reached with YWP is something to celebrate, Geoff. Opportunity changes lives, and your project has provided opportunity for many (and will continue to do so, I am sure). Stay connected, won't you? Congrats on where your path has taken you, and the lives impacted, and where the path will still take you.

It was like driving straight into an image at an art gallery. A few miles ahead of me, hanging over the mountains, were some of the darkest storm clouds I have seen, with gray sheets of rain visible. I was in sun but not for long. Five bolts of lightning appeared, blasting across the horizon. One zig-zag of power after another, with such visible clarity, I had to remind myself to keep my eyes on the road. And then the rain hit, the radio drowned out by the force of water falling. #smallstories

“Show up with stories. Your whole life prepares you for the big moments, so go in confidently knowing you have years of experience to your name.”

-- from Am I There Yet? (The Loop-de-Loop, Zigzagging Journey to Adulthood) by Mari Andrew, page 167

#smallquotes

"I'm on two teams," T. says as we walk. "But I get frustrated."
T. is a middle school student at our writing/history camp. He's a competitive swimmer.
"Because you want to do better?" I ask.
"No," T says, after a pause. "I'm the only black swimmer on my teams. It's lonely."
Themes of our camp have been racial segregation, civil rights and social justice issues. It's on his mind.
"You're a role model," I finally say, "paving the way for other young black swimmers."
He nods.
#smallstories

The plaintive calls
of a dog
in the night
disrupts dreams

#smallpoems

The window at morning
framed like a painting,
the red sky reflecting
back the sun's light.

Behind the frame,
my neighbors sleep
as I quietly wander through
this unexpected art gallery.

#smallpoems

“He drove alongside the Mississippi. Shadow had never seen the Nile, but there was a blinding sun burning on the wide brown river which made him think of the Nile as it was long ago, flowing like an artery through the papyrus marshes.”

-- from American Gods (graphic novel version), by Neil Gaiman, P. Craig Russell and Scott Hampton (no page numbers)

#smallquotes

At first, you wonder if you are seeing things. You're cruising the highway in your driving zone. Standing in the middle of two lanes ahead is a deer. It looks confused. You don't have much time to react. You slow down, steering your machine towards the far lane. Your heart breaks for the confused look in the deer's eyes as you pass by. You glance in the rear mirror now, the deer behind you, and you notice the creature is heading back to the woods. You breathe a sigh of relief. #smallstories

Nick Sousanis' Unflattening (which, if you have not read, you should .. it's a stunning graphic novel exploration) inspires a piece of music by composer Philip Sheppard.
https://philipsheppard.bandcamp.com/track/unflattening

Sheppard writes: "... the drawn image is as important as, if not more so than, the written word. There’s a parallel with music. For me, the music starts flowing when words fail me, and I think Nick draws in the way that I’d like to be able to compose." - https://philipsheppard.com/project/fall-from-earth/

#MusicCollab

@write_as Thanks for at least thinking about it .. appreciate the response

@wentale good points ... dynamics change as groups change ... people’s entry into group work (for grade vs for exploration) alters the way people interact, too, I guess. We are most fond of ‘follow your interest’ collaborations, aren’t we? But sometimes, our path takes us into the other direction.