I took yesterday off, which is completely contrary to my Siege in the Room plans, but was worth it for many reasons, four foremost among them, first and foremost being that I got to spend time with my wonderful, brilliant, and generally fabulous friends. The second and third reasons involve the sights of Tallassee, Alabama. I have to admit that there really isn’t a lot in Tallassee, Alabama, but what there is is pretty amazing. Observe sight number one, and reason-that-the-Siegeless-day-was-worth-it number two:
This thing is huge! And covered in tiny lights!
Yes, barbecue (which I’m still tempted to spell “bar-b-que”) (and which continues to foil my attempts at vegetarianism). And not just good Alabama barbecue, which is reason enough for celebration, but good Alabama barbecue in a restaurant which features a giant scrap metal pig. Amazing. But then there was sight number two, and reason-that-the-Siegeless-day-was-worth-it number three:
The sign speaks for itself. I do love it when my gifts and fashions are unique distinctions.
I have no photograph for the fourth reason, sadly, but the moon last night? Amazing. Huge and oddly red.
Today, more recharging, and research — I’m working on a paper about the inversion of domestic imagery in Plath’s poetry — and reviewing — it really is time I got to work on my long-overdue review of Beth Ann Fennelly’s Unmentionables. My mind, in the meantime, keeps reeling back to the witch project — how to build something like this? How to put the poems together?
Emma Bolden is the author of How To Recognize A Lady, a chapbook of poems published as part of Edge by Edge, the third in Toadlily Press' Quartet Series, and The Mariner's Wife, a chapbook published by Finishing Line Press. Her third chapbook, The Sad Epistles, is forthcoming from Dancing Girl Press. She was the recipient of a Tennessee Williams Scholarship to the Sewanee Writers' Conference and was named a Finalist for a Ruth Lilly Fellowship by the Poetry Foundation/Poetry magazine. Her work has been published or is forthcoming in such journals as Prairie Schooner, the Indiana Review, Feminist Studies, The Journal, Redivider, The Greensboro Review, and Verse. Her manuscript was a semi-finalist for the Perugia Press Prize. She is a Visiting Assistant Professor of English at Georgetown College, where she also serves as the poetry editor of the Georgetown Review.
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July 22, 2008 at 1:37 pm
jessiecarty
I just read thru all your updates! You have been a busy, busy lady
And conincidentally I finished a poetry book this morning which meant I had to add a poetry book to my pile and since I am in no way obsessive, since my last book was by a poet of the male persuasion my new book had to be from my pile of the female bent–=and there sat “The Mariner’s Wife” so for the next few weeks it will be part of my early morning reading where I read at least two poems and think about them. Like poetic meditation or something.
There is something refreshing about the cleaning out of a place and I think the peace comes dropping slow is the closest (and one of my favorites)
Good luck with finishing.
oh-and the bbq…on my drive from charlotte, nc to chesapeake, va bbq was requested. specific eastern nc style bbq. and we ate it with gusto !!!
July 25, 2008 at 3:44 pm
Ross
I would so eat at Johnny G’s.