After I got home from the Master Workshop at the Tucson Festival of Books I was exhausted. What in the world. Maybe the pandemic, by making us homebound for so long, has done this because the gardener was exhausted, too, and he didn’t even go to the sessions. But he did drive around a lot. While I was at the workshop, he went on household errands!
The sessions were fabulous, and the nonfiction workshop was a real treat. We had a stellar group of writers.
One of my favorite parts of the time was the poetry session by Felicia Zamora about hybridities. I’m so inspired to try some new and more experimental forms of poetry.
I woke up with a complicated migraine on Friday which might have been triggered from the lights in the conference rooms and/or the dehydration I experienced in Tucson. For some reason it feels much drier there than in Phoenix. This is the exact reason I can’t drive long distances and had to ask the gardener to take me to the workshop. I can’t risk having one of these monsters when I have to drive a long distance.
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Have you heard that you can help individual Ukrainians by purchasing goods through their Etsy shops? This way they can get some $ coming in whether they are still in Ukraine or are refugees elsewhere. Some of them can still ship regular goods, but most are selling digital items. Lots of graphics and artwork, especially about Ukraine and #standwithukraine. The items are not expensive. There is a Facebook group devoted to this subject, and you can also communicate on there with Ukrainians (almost all women, though not entirely) and hear their stories and give them verbal support. They are so grateful even when you buy a $2 item. Many of them are giving some or all of the money to their army.
If you don’t have Facebook you can search Etsy for Ukrainian shops.
I’m not saying this is the only way to help Ukraine, but it is a very personal way and means a great deal to a few individuals. It’s also a very small amount of money for each purchase, so if you accidentally send to an imposter (word is that it’s pretty reliable) it’s not a lot of money. Be sure when you message back and forth that you don’t use specific words like stand and support because Paypal is being a real jerk.
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I have a review of Jess L. Parker’s brand new debut poetry collection, Star Things, in the current issue of the phenomenal Rain Taxi Review of Books. This will give you an idea.
What a great magazine to subscribe to. Here’s what it looks like.
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Anybody else register for the AWP conference? I signed up for the virtual format, and I am dismayed how few sessions there are. I keep wondering if I am reading the schedule incorrectly. I must be?
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Make it the best week you know how!
Great suggestion to support Ukranians.
A lot more doable than renting an Airbnb. And divvies the $ up a bit.
I will check out that Facebook group. Thanks!
I just approved you!
Thanks!
I wondered how you were doing at your workshop. It sounds like you learned oodles. I’d read about helping Ukraine by buying on Etsy and by booking Airbnb rentals knowing you’ll probably never be able to visit there– but helping real people anyhow.
Helping real people yes. And they give updates from wherever they are in the FB group or sometimes in Etsy messages.
I did learn oodles! It was a lot of fun, too :).
Excellent post, Luanne. Pretty also has migraines so I’m familiar with their debilitating effects. Good idea to keep the gardener with you!
Also, thank you so much for the Etsy info. I will definitely follow up – it’s so overwhelming, but I can cope with smaller options to help.
Take care, stay well, keep the faith.
It’s very overwhelming. The etsy feels like I can do a little something to help a few people. Then I don’t have to think all day long, “The world is falling apart!” :/
Tell T I sympathize! One of the characteristics of the type of migraines I get is severe sudden vertigo and one side of the face can swell which includes the eye, so if I am driving it can really be a problem hahaha. He wasn’t thrilled to go with me, but was a pretty good sport.
You’ve been busy! I hope you’re feeling better. I think it’s the exhaustion of the world. . .that’s interesting about the Ukraine Etsy thing.
Exhaustion of the world. Yes and from the world and about the world. I’m just beat by it all.
😘
Hello there
Glad you enjoyed yourelf.
I did! I’m so glad I went. Have a good week, John.
You as well.
Thank you!
😊
I agree with you about Paypal. I hope you’re feeling better, Luanne.
I do feel better. Thanks, Jill! Oh, now I wonder what Paypal has done to you. I was so unhappy to see how mean they were being to the Ukrainian Etsy shops. I wrote #standwithukraine in a message to one and they gave my money back to me and took it from her! But I was mad at them even before. I bought a book for $23.19 through Paypal from poet Caroline Goodwin. Paypal someone sent the money to another Caroline with a totally different last name, a COMPLETELY different email address, and one I had never heard of. They will not give me back my money. Now how could I be the one to make that mistake?
I’ve had two migraines in my life and I never want another one. Great that you were able to enjoy the sessions, but too bad you paid for it afterwards.
Exactly. Precisely. Yup. I paid for it.
I think the concentration required for such workshops can leave one exhausted after the exhilarating event
That is probably a lot of it!
Welcome back, Luanne! I’m sorry to hear you ended up with a migraine. 🙁 I suffered with them for years. Here’s hoping you never have to endure another one.
I’m glad the workhshop was worthwhile. I don’t think I’ve ever seen the word “hybridities” before. I quite like it.
Ugh, I am so glad if you no longer get them! Yeah, they are such a misery. I had regular migraines while I was teaching, triggered by those flickering fluorescents. Then instead of going away they switched to the complicated version and also with aura.
That hybridities session was so invigorating!
I’m so that to hear that the hybridities session was invigorating!
Welcome back! So glad you had a great time at the festival. I’ve been checking out knitting patterns from Ukraine on Etsy and bought a few today. So much of the digital art is amazing. It seems like such little bits of money, I hope it still helps.
I think anything at all helps more than doing nothing, you know? Some of these people are giving up their “trade secrets” to get some money now. Any they are all in different circumstances, depending on where they are located. But I can imagine that anyone in or a refugee from Ukraine is in variations of extreme circumstances.
The thing about helping through Etsy is the individual connection, too. I was touched when Vicky, the woman with the knitting patterns, contacted me. Other Etsy sellers have done that, too, of course (good business practice to always thank your customers), but, under the circumstances, I didn’t expect Vicky to do anything.
I’m exhausted just reading what you have been up to. So glad you found the workshop worthwhile convincing your man to drive you there 🙂
Haha, so maybe I was right to be exhausted!!! So glad he didn’t mind taking me!
Hey girl, glad I caught up with this (a month late)! I’m visiting the Etsy shop/Ukraine right now!
BTW exhaustion/headache following workshop is totally understandable, since we are hyper-focusing on what’s being spoken/shown. Can be stress-inducing. It’s happened to me too.
How is your workshop coming along?!
Ah! Well the last session was last Wednesday! It was a fast six weeks! I now have a pretty good draft of a ‘pitch’ for a doc’y TV series. I just have to polish it and approach producers and/or broadcasters with it. As it happens, I do know several. 😊
Woohoo!!!! You go!!!!!!