Sandra Gail Lambert

Everglades Artist in Residence Program

During my most recent Everglades stay, since I'm an American, I found a little time to shop.  In-between the t-shirts and field guides, below the postcards, I discovered a book of poetry by Roger Mitchell.  In 2002 he had been one of the artists invited to spend a month in the Park.  A requirement of the residency is that you leave something behind.  His gift was this collection of poems accompanied by the sketches of Frank Duval, another artist in residence.  Here's the beginning of his poem about kayaking on Florida Bay.

"At low tide.  There might be an inch between me/and the peninsula's marly run-off./I couldn't be any closer to the earth/if I tried, here where it is land one hour/and sea the next.  Birds blow by in clouds, . . " 

Then on our way out of the park we stopped at the Anhinga Trail where Eileen Powell, the current Artist in Residence, was encouraging visitors to collaborate in the construction of a ceramic tile wall.  Way cool.    

Here, here's a fine example of our government money at work.  And it's another reason for me to keep writing. Forget the fame, the fortune, the  groupies - someday, perhaps, I'll have built a resume good enough to get chosen as an Everglades Artist in Residence.        

 

Another Essay - Done.

Well, not done, done.  It doesn't have a title, one paragraph transition is so problematic that I'm thinking perhaps the whole section about gagging has to come out, I use the word "perhaps" way too many times, some of the sentences are overwrought, and I'm thinking perhaps (g) the tone jerks around too much.  But it has a beginning, middle, and what I right now think is a perfect end.  I got to have that surge of joyful completion as I smacked out the letters of the final word. (Which was "that."  You had to be there.)   

Cinema Verde Environmental Film and Arts Festival

The Third Annual Cinema Verde is happening.  Check out this chock-full schedule of events.  Once again, it's a good thing to live in Gainesville.

Thoughts While Essay Writing This Morning

"Why am I writing about my arm hurting?  It doesn't fit in anywhere."  "Is it okay to swear in an essay?"  "This part has to go - it'll make readers cringe in embarrassment for me."  "It might not even be true."  "I'll write it and then plan on deleting."  "Boring and stupid, boring and stupid, boring and stupid."  This won't ever come together into anything, ever."  "Maybe I'll make tuna fish for lunch."  "Ohhhhhh, that's a nice little transition."  "And what if I flip these paragraphs?"  "And then this cringy part would slip right in here." "Damn."  "I should walk the dog now."             

Lesbian, queer, dyke - all that.

Sometimes, something makes you look at your website with "fresh eyes."  I did that today and, yikes, I had a panic that it wasn't lesbian enough.  It's great that these days we don't have to proclaim "lesbian here, right here" all over the place just to keep the world from closeting us, but maybe I've become too casual.  And it doesn't help that I'm single and so don't have all those homey couple pictures to post.  And that as of late I'm not the type to write much about sexcapades.  (Although I appreciate those who do.  Ummm, maybe I should think about that.)  

So, here you go.  A little bit of "lesbian visibility."  And the image above is by Tamara de Lempicka.  Ellis Avery has written a grand novel about, sort of, this artist's life called The Last Nude. 

I Love a Syllabus

I've spent the morning immersed and thrilled by lists of class descriptions.  This summer I turn sixty, and a friend told me this means I can audit University classes for free.  (She's got hers all picked out.)  I don't think they'll let me into any of the MFA workshops, but still there is undergraduate Fiction Writing.  And all those other classes that will only improve my writing - Surveys in American Women's Literature!  Asian-American Studies!  The Folktale!  A whole term studying Zora Neale Hurston!  Or Chaucer!  Caribbean Literature! 

I can't wait until the Fall list of courses is released ( in March).  I can't wait to be holding a syllabus.  Really, it's exciting the way they have everything itemized and scheduled class by class  And list required readings.  And suggested readings.  And order you to write papers.  As someone who teaches herself things, it's comforting to leave the driving to someone else.   

Tales of the New World by Sabina Murray

How do you have a collection of "page-turning" short stories chock-full of mystery, murder, and mayhem that are also deep explorations of philosophy, history, and politics?  Oh, and often the words come one after another in those smooth strands of enchantment reminiscent of a prose poem. 

Really, how did Sabina Murray do this in her Tales of the New World?  I'm re-reading sections to figure that out.  If you see the collection somewhere, just pick it up and turn to the Balboa story.  It's short.  You can read it through right there.  It will mess up your mind - in that good way.  

I always like to say how I heard about a book - its provenance, sort of.  On her Facebook status Susan Stinson just outright ordered us to read Tales of the New World.  I found that our fabulous library had a copy.  And that was that. Although I might go buy a copy so I'm able to loan it out myself.