Tag Archive for poem

My Aha Moment and a dramatic reading of "Sardines"

A few weeks back, I recorded my aha moment. How does one record an aha moment? Funny you should ask, because I didn't know either until the aha moment team asked me to come in and do a little video session with them for their national campaign. The "they" in all this is Mutual of Omaha, and "my aha moment" is an ad campaign they've been running for the past couple of years. It's a clever way to do promotions--a team of videographers tours the country and invites locals to come into their Airstream and share the aha moments that have set them down whatever path they are pursuing, whether charity work or a career.

Borrowed from the "my aha moment" Facebook page.

You can peruse all the videos and commericals they've produced at their website. I participated at their Raleigh, NC, stop and shared about my writing and the moment when I realized I was a writer for real...at the tender age of 9 (maybe 10). Watch my aha moment below!

http://youtu.be/2pS2AxvwWFo

I think it turned out pretty well! But what didn't make it onto the reel was my dramatic reading of the poem I composed that day in Monterey. I can still picture the light blue paper I was finally able to jot it down on once we returned to the hotel in the evening, but alas, I no longer have the sheet of paper. I do still have the poem, however. And here I am, reading it in all it's fourth-grade glory.

Now I hadn't read that poem in years, and I surprisingly realized that (1) I was writing curveball horror twists in the 4th grade! Genre fiction is definitely for me; (2)  I was already concerned about sustainable food! I honed right in on how overfishing had destroyed Cannery Row's sardine trade, no doubt having heard it from a tour guide or read it in the tourbook on the way to Monterey; and (3) I managed to capture a sense of place for Cannery Row, which is something I always try to do in my travel posts. It's hilarious to me that my writing interests have not shifted much since that time.

I hope you enjoyed my aha moment and "Sardines." I may make a series out of reading my elementary-school short stories and poems. Any guess as to what's going on with this picture?

becca whale story

If you answered the cover page for a short story that involves a haunted house under water, then you'd be right! And yes, that's a giant blue whale with rainbows and clouds on its skin. Oh yes, it's a winner, my friends. Think Lightspeed would be interested?

Winter Tales: The Readings

About a month ago, I took part in Winter Tales, a reading of holiday-themed works by local authors that was hosted by the Orange County Public Library in Hillsborough. Poems, essays, stories, and songs were all shared that evening, and now we have video of each reading! I'm embedding them all here so you can enjoy the event as we did.

First, because this is my blog, I'm sharing my reading of a personal essay, "Treasures in Cardboard Boxes." It's a reflection on losing a mixtape of Christmas carols and on growing up a little different from your family.

http://youtu.be/RASxC6VbDnw

Next is "Winter Sonnet," a poem by James Maxey, the organizer of the event. It is a quick, sweet listen about celebrating winter with his wife.

http://youtu.be/0n8d_4kxufM

Also from James is a personal essay, "Christmas Dismemberment," about receiving presents you don't really want as a child.

http://youtu.be/JyMesp5iZxM

The evening began with a reading of a drabble, a 100-word short stories, by Mur Lafferty, the first of which was "Zuzu's Bell" about Lucifer on his birthday.

http://youtu.be/FvO5Xr4mYWY

Mur's second reading was "750,000 of Your Friends Like This," a futuristic, cynical, yet fun take on the Christmas Carol revisions in the future. Sorry it's a bit lower quality than the rest of the excerpts.

http://youtu.be/rXQn3qydFhU?t=4m47s

Alex Granados gave less of a reading and more of a storytelling, sharing an adventure with in-laws called "Death By Big Screen TV." It's a great portrayal of his father-in-law and his can-do-anything attitude.

http://youtu.be/DWLtPhQDqq4

Last, but not least, are two songs from Gray Rinehart. The first was inspired by his time in Greenland and is titled "Winter Simplifies the World."

http://youtu.be/NcuFopdrE3Y

The second song is light-hearted and FILK, meaning it's a play on science fiction or fantasy works. This is "Tauntauns to Glory," a fun tribute to the majestic tauntauns of Star Wars.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B6RS-YAgk2U&feature=share&list=PLQpBV0kAm077EazC-jrPE5iaGkhIn_-5j

And thus concludes these Winter Tales. Hopefully, they brightened yours, wherever it may be.