My difficulties last week, and Joe's quick response, reminded me that I owe a big thank you to the folks who have shown me the weblogging way. These bloggers have all directly influenced Watermark, by showing me what is possible:
First, Erin ( a favorite poet), who showed me that a more-than-poetry blog can be done, and done well.
From her, I followed links to and through:
Ivy, one of the first poets to link to me, and still one of my favorites
A New Broom, who, when I found her, was writing (and posting) a new poem every day.
scribblingwoman, who finds and shares wonderful books, links, images, and ideas
Trish Wilson, where I discovered Friday Cat Blogging
Eeksy Peeksy, who crafts wonderful haibun-like descriptions of small moments
Whiskey River, the font of wisdom
frizzyLogic, writer, thinker, photographer
Artichoke Heart, or A Pillow Book, or Woman Who Loves Insects – poems, cats (the lovely Bean Bean), and audio
onionboy, writing, drawing, and writing prompts
(Next, soon, ENCOURAGEMENT & SUPPORT)
I don't even know what haibun is. (Well, now I do, but I had to look it up.) I live on Planet X. A thousand thanks.
Posted by: eeksypeeksy | 21 July 2004 at 09:13 AM
Many thanks from me as well. Maybe not a thousand. That must be a haibun-like thing. Which, by the way, I tried to look up, but couldn't find. What does it mean?
Posted by: whiskey | 22 July 2004 at 08:25 AM
"Paul Conneally, Haibun Director of the World Haiku Club and Review, defines [haibun] as: Prose that has many of the characteristics associated with haiku - present tense (and shifts of tense though predominant voice 'present'), imagistic, shortened or interesting syntax, joining words such as 'and' limited maybe, a sense of 'being there', descriptions of places people met and above all "brevity."
From What Is Haibun? A haibun usually has a haiku associated with it as well. I recommend Basho's Narrow Road to the Interior; I like the Sam Hamill translation -- a nice little book one can carry in a pocket.
Posted by: SB | 22 July 2004 at 08:47 AM
Ah yes. I think that is an apt description of eeksypeeksys style, which I find rapturously inspirational too.
Posted by: whiskey | 22 July 2004 at 09:13 AM
Thanks, Sharon. You, of course, are a gem.
Posted by: Ivy | 23 July 2004 at 08:21 AM
and thanks from me too... i'm honoured, and gratified... it is exactly what i would love to have said about me.
Posted by: qB | 25 July 2004 at 10:42 AM
I too want to thank you for your kind words, past and present. I have only been poblogging under my current nom de plume for about five months, and the experience has been the richer for the good people I have virtually met. I think it's funny you'd say I am among those who influenced you, when the reverse is just as true!
(Oh, but I should probably mention that the personal pronoun you employ in referring to me is, well, not exactly accurate...)
best,
Nicholas
ps. Those daily poems petered out, unfortunately. April really is the cruelest month.
Posted by: downing | 25 July 2004 at 10:29 PM
Heh. One of the things I love about the web -- I really can't tell, and so my own assumptions are betrayed.
What was amazing about the poem-every-day was how good they were --
Nice to meet you, Nicholas.
Posted by: SB | 25 July 2004 at 10:40 PM
Late to the table: but thanks for the kind words. As always!
Posted by: mjones | 31 July 2004 at 05:32 AM