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A New Year - Responsibilities and Achievements

1/8/2014

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One of the things known to hosts of successful blogs is that you must be consistent. I clearly have shirked that responsibility, and thus realize that I am not a successful host. But I intend to change that. Call it a resolution (a sure-fired way to ensure it will be broken).  Good intentions abound.

Since last we visited much has transpired.  I have had several more works accepted for publication—2013 closed out with eight pieces having found homes. Two more were completed, submitted, and await responses. I’ve already finished a new story, and today I messed with a silly piece called Customer Complaint, and worked on a story that I haven’t been able to get to congeal—it’ll happen.

On January 2, my creative non-fiction piece Stitching the Womb went live over at Hippocampus Magazine and generated an unexpected response. To date it has been shared on FB 229 times (and only two of those were me), it was tweeted four times, it’s even been pinned to Pinterest! The energy and emotional engagement of that piece has led me to an idea, more to come on that.

I have a piece, Writing for God, that I knew might not sit too well with some folks. But we must write what we are inspired to write, and I’m abandoning certain fears. I swallowed an even bigger fear when I submitted it to a  spot I’ve long admired, Literary Orphans, and they accepted the piece--
which is live as of today. 


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Fall Behind, or Time Passes More Quickly with Age

9/20/2013

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Here we are well into Fall. The amplified pace of the season has begun, and I feel it each day. I was watching an episode of Morgan Freeman’s Through the Wormhole about time, and they claim that as you get older perceptual time passes palpably more quickly. I am experiencing that sensation.

I’ve got three pieces of new work submitted here and there, and at the moment I’m editing a novella. Next week I’m hoping the creative juices will flow—I need to create new work from the ground up. I always have myriad, insistent ideas until I sit down at the laptop and prime my fingertips to keys.

Meanwhile, I had two of my pieces go “live.” Dead Dog Red was published in the Spring/Summer issue of River Poets Journal. If you follow this link, you just need to upload the issue and “turn” to pgs 28-29 where my piece resides.

Today my creative non-fiction piece, Secret Agent Man, is up at The Writing Disorder. This piece was originally written for a class at least eight years ago. It languished and I pulled it up again earlier this year, spiffed it up and sent it out. The Writing Disorder features strong work—I’m proud to be housed in their stable!


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A Frog and His Throat

8/27/2013

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All summer long there has been a toad or frog that has escaped my dogs, and various other preying jaws. Around mid-day it starts chortling out this hypnotizing song, wah-ah-ah-ah, wah-ah-ah-ah, almost like an old man gargling or testing out his raspy throat before a speech. He changes pitch, sometimes softer, other times with more insistence. I think he's patiently, steadily seeking mates. His routine soothes my angst, I'll miss him when he's gone.
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Late August Prose

8/20/2013

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104 oppressive degrees, air still, space throbs. A bird skitters here and there. Dogs on their sides like chalk drawings. Not enough water, too many memories. Can't write. Can barely read. Too many options, time rages by.


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My Daily Debt of Gratitude - Marylhurst University

7/15/2013

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I never thought I'd attain my undergraduate degree, but I did, some years ago--at age 43! My alma mater is the sublime Marylhurst University, in Lake Oswego, OR (just outside of Portland). I am forever indebted to this intimate, beautiful liberal arts campus formed by Catholic nuns at the end of the 19th century. There I received a top-notch education from engaged, supportive but exacting professors, and enjoyed the sort of personal attention you can receive in classes that were most often comprised of 15-25 students! I am still in contact with several of my professors (and classmates), several who have since published their own books, as well as numerous scholarly works.

From the Marylhurst website you can learn this about their unique history: "Marylhurst University was founded in 1893 by the Sisters of the Holy Names of Jesus and Mary. We are Oregon's oldest Catholic university, and were the first liberal arts college for women established in the Northwest. 

Our founding Sisters believed in educating the whole person through a rigorous liberal arts curriculum. Their mission of serving underserved students continues to inspire us today, as we welcome men and women of all faiths and backgrounds ..."

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What's Happening in My World ...

7/5/2013

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A few things have happened when I wasn't really paying attention! Nearly a month has flown by since my last post. Big no no in the world of cultivating an audience and so-called “brand.” I'm not cut out for this self-promotion.

I wrote two new short stories and have sent them out to literary journals. Each has already taken a rejection/hit, but I like these works and hope they’ll find a home. My Creative Non-Fiction piece, Secret Agent Man, was accepted for Fall publication over at The Writing Disorder (I’ll surely link it when it goes live). I’m a big fan of the work in that journal, as it exemplifies a certain west coast vibe which I feel is distinctive and warrants notice. Check out some works there, particularly Sophie Monatte's heartbreaking Thanatophobia.

There is a thriving world of FREE creative literary journals out there. You want a quick fix of a story or essay or poem? Google Literary Journals and see which names beckon to you. I like Drunk Monkeys, Monkey Bicycle (not sure what it is with monkeys and literature), The Writing Disorder Post Road, Bluestem, Tin House, Glimmer Train and Boulevard--oh, and The Story Shack off the top of my head.



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Of Short Story Construct and Hotel Gentrification

6/13/2013

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Today Tin House linked over to Open Culture for a list of 8 suggestions for constructing a short story by Kurt Vonnegut. They are concise and helpful for every writer to bear in mind, or at least to try to only break one or two at at time:

  1. Use the time of a total stranger in such a way that he or she will not feel the time was wasted.
  2. Give the reader at least one character he or she can root for.
  3. Every character should want something, even if it is only a glass of water.
  4. Every sentence must do one of two things–reveal character or advance the action.
  5. Start as close to the end as possible.
  6. Be a sadist. No matter how sweet and innocent your leading characters, make awful things happen to them–in order that the reader may see what they are made of.
  7. Write to please just one person. If you open a window and make love to the world, so to speak, your story will get pneumonia.
  8. Give your readers as much information as possible as soon as possible. To heck with suspense. Readers should have such complete understanding of what is going on, where and why, that they could finish the story themselves, should cockroaches eat the last few pages.


While each has strong merit, I'm paying particular attention to #8, since I chopped such a beginning from a recent CNF that has been getting rejections. Maybe I'll add the old beginning back and try another few places before I give up on it entirely. I am also going to have #4 tattooed to the inside of my wrist--happily my most recently completed story passed this test. Finally, we all pretty much know that I'm already committed to #6.

In other news, what does this image have to do with anything?

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Meanwhile in Theory ... (Judith Butler, Socrates and a cat)

5/24/2013

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If you've ever delved into feminist theory, you are aware of Judith Butler. She is one of my intellectual heroes and in my opinion one of the great thinkers of our time. I am more attuned to her notions on the socio-political, such as her thoughts on precarious life, terrorism and sovereignty. Although I understand her ontology regarding gender performativity and false heteronormative binaries (see graphic below), I still feel there is gender biology at work to some (perhaps miniscule) degree that tends to inform our identity. Still, the thinker Butler rocks, and what ontology isn't rendered clearer when interrogated by cats?

This is the first part of the Socratic dialogue:
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Stop the World ...

5/8/2013

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I want to get off!

Dear World:

Please excuse Pamela from life today. She is--pardon the cliché--sick as a dog. Actually, if she were a dog she’d be healthy (a cold, wet nose), haha.

Any available cavity in her head is plugged and pulsing (see diagram below), and her throat is lined with cactus needles. She’s not hearing very well, and take it from me, she’s cranky. She feels sticky and inflamed and wholly unpresentable. As an aside she sliced off a section of her fingernail (luckily it was within the half-moon range) yesterday while chopping a tomato, which enhances her general dishevelment.




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The Feline Existential ...

5/1/2013

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It was my intention to write a blog post of my own today, but a writer friend of mine posted this on her author wall, and it was simply TOO BRILLIANT to leave un-shared. Really cats are almost an unfair advantage in a writer's life ... and this one, Henri, is a priceless muse. I shall add his book to my Goodreads list!
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    Pamela Langley

    In the past decade I have written memoirs for a nun, tutored children from Somalia, edited a college literary magazine, interned at Literary Arts in Portland,  published a few stories, graduated from University with highest honors, given a speech to a packed house at the Schnitz, remodeled a fixer-upper, written grants for programs that helped, extended my emotional /intellectual horizons, made an intra-state move, started a business, regained my groove, placed my finger back on the pulse, joined Facebook, Pinterest and LinkedIn, bought a smartphone,  traveled, raised puppies, and most importantly--honed my writing skills. I bare myself here on The Paper Garden and hope some moments will resonate with you.

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