Monday Musings

I hope that I become accustomed to these three hour back to back classes, because if I don’t, it could be a long eight weeks. Tuesdays and Thursdays aren’t too bad because I have a break in the middle, but those six straight hours on Monday and Wednesday are killer. I’ve incorporated group activities and in-class work so I’m not constantly talking or answering questions, but even so, it is exhausting. Of course part of the problem is when you teach everything four times, it also starts to get boring.

I will admit that I’m jealous of poets who are taking it easy this summer or who are working simpler, less demanding jobs while they’re on breaks from their PhD or MFA programs. However, whenever I start to feel really tired I think that this is reality. This is how life is and while I’d like to take the summer off from teaching, it isn’t realistic and it won’t be anytime soon. Also, I am able to write and read and learn and continue on despite my crazy teaching schedule. And really, life is never going to get less hectic and while I loved my time as a student, it’s an artificial environment. It doesn’t last. Sooner or later you’re going to have to learn how to be a poet in the real world, so here’s to keeping on keeping on.
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I know people have a variety of feelings about Dave Eggers and McSweeney’s, but the most recent issue includes excerpts from actual writing workshops. These are some of my favorites:

“It’s your story, your voice, your choices, and I don’t want to question them, but why these words?”
“You talk about pregnant raindrops and chaos and auditory canals and ‘the passing of time’ as ‘an orifice,’ when you could really just be talking about humidity and ears.”
“This character seems more like a retired librarian than a former terrorist.”