I'd Like To Thank The Academy...

...but I can't. It was RachelW who gave me this award. Thank you, Rachel! There are rules. Um...can someone please open a window, I feel stifled, suddenly. The rules are...is it hot in here? The rules are, post seven bits of trivia about yourself. Then pass it on to seven people.

1. I keep a book journal. I started it in November of 1987 and can look up every book I have read since then. It's kind of fun to look and see how my tastes have changed, or not changed. The only blank section is "X". No X authors in 22 years. I read the most books in 1988 (41) when I had injured my knee and was off work for quite a while. The least was 13 in 2002. I had other fish to fry.

2. When I was maybe twelve years old, I was taken along on a visit to an aunt and uncle and ended up in their basement by myself (can I go watch television? Pleeeeeease?) watching a vampire movie. All these female vampires were trying to catch this investigator and he kept running around this haunted mansion trying to fend them off. They kept inviting him to become one of them, but he was upright and moral, yawn, zzzz. I kept thinking, if it was me, I couldn't run TO them fast enough. Become a lady vamp, be gorgeous, live forever, offend the bluenoses. There's something better than this? I think part of me left Duckburg forever, that afternoon.

3. One Christmas, I asked for a doll house. I didn't get it. I never got it. I'm bitter, right now still. Next life, I am so all about Barbie's freaking Dream House.

4. I had a dream once, before I started writing poetry again, in which I was walking around the grounds of some university. From a long distance ahead of me, I saw someone running in my direction. He turned out to be a medieval knight, with a black beard, armor and chain mail. He wasn't wearing a helmet, but he had all the rest of it. It was late summer, and he was running in all this heavy stuff and as he got closer, I could see two things. One was that he was working hard to keep running. Whatever he was intent upon doing, it had to be important! Secondly, his left hand, on which he wore a mailed glove, was on fire. He held it out to his side as he came closer, intent on his mission. I stepped off the path to let him pass, but he slowed down and faced me. "I have a message," he said. "Who is your message for?" I asked, amazed at this fiery knight before me. "The message is for you," he answered and pressed my hand to his flaming one, holding my hand fast with his right. What I felt was a wild combination of burning, electricity, pain, ecstasy, and a million more emotions too difficult to explain. I never forgot that knight with the flaming hand. Especially when I began writing poetry again... in the late summer...of 2006.

5. I have an angel. Her name is Lorelei. She is beautiful, lively, and a trip. I adore her. At this very moment, she is saying, "Hey Annie Shakespeare, 'bout time you wrote about me!" and is snapping her fingers and posing. I don't see and hear her in physical space, but in inner space. Sometimes I forget to tune in to her. She is showing me white lotus flowers. I don't know what that means, but she says that someone who will be reading this will understand.

6. I write my poems in a single sitting, longhand, in spiral notebooks. Usually, I begin with a single idea, or point I want to make, and a line or stanza (not necessarily the first one) in mind. Next I visualize the framework I will use for my poem, rather like a crossword puzzle that hasn't been filled in yet, that gives me the basic starts, stops, and cadence. Then I write like mad, just to get something down on paper while inspiration is present. After that I go over it and over it, changing whatever needs changing, but once I am done, that's it, I'm done. The only time I will ever go back to a poem to alter it, is if it didn't turn out. Then I may steal a phrase or section that DID work, for a new poem. I very rarely sit down to write and find that I can't, though. At least 90% of the time, I end up with a new poem I am happy with. Oh, and....when I am writing, I won't stop to eat, pee, answer the phone, or run out of the house if it is on fire. I'm locked in.

7. Cheeseburgers are nature's perfect food. I know, not very dainty, am I? If anyone is going to California, please mail me an In & Out Burger. I'll gladly pay you Tuesday....

The fab seven:

Twin, a.k.a Riot Kitty. I love my Twin!

Vesper, because she is a brilliant writer!

Scarlet, the Chica who IS Miami!

Gabriella Moonlight, because she is so creative about living.

Kay, because she writes such cool poems!

Cloudia, because she is the Queen of clickable photos!

Mama Zen, because. What? I need a reason? ;-)

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