Enjoy Banned Books!

Since it is Banned Book Week, I started my morning with an out-loud recitation of Ginsberg's Howl, one of my favorite poems of all time - banned or not banned, controversial or not, modern or ancient - and then settled in to another read of Faulkner's As I Lay Dying.  It's time for a reading break, so I decided I best jump online and update the blog as to what I'm doing.  [Yes, once again, I have dedicated myself to updating this site to make it a habit!  We'll see how long it lasts this time...]

I took a look through my bookshelves yesterday and started a stack of banned and challenged books that I own.  It was an impressive stack.  Then, I started to peruse the list posted by the ALA on their site and noted that there were some I had read in the past, but did not own.  So acting as if I do not own enough books already, I'm taking my break to get outside and make a trip to Half Price Books and see what I can find on the list that I don't already own.  They're having a half price sale on their smaller paperbacks, so I'll be glad to drop a bit of change in their coffers for the cause today.  My goal is to read as many banned books as I can this week.  Of course, I will throw in a bunch of poets; it's just may nature!

Before I get off here and out to the newly fall air, I'll just mention that today, on YouTube, I first came across footage from the International Poetry Incarnation at the Royal Albert Hall in London on 11 June 1965 and I am enamored of the event.  It is my new research project and I will definitely write more about it [and it's influence on me] over the next few weeks.  But for this week, I promise to keep you posted on my banned books progress...for today, mark down Howl & Other Poems and As I Lay Dying.  Stay tuned!

Ramblin past the GRE

I don't know why I have the urge to ramble about the GRE, but I feel like I just need to get this story out of me and on here.  Last Friday, I gave in to my fear and took the GRE again - after a 12 year hiatus.  I don't even remember my scores from 1989; I just remember that I took it with a number 2 pencil in hand and filled in the dots...leaving streaks and remnants of pencil lead on my hands and across the page.  This time, I sat in a stark cubicle directing the mouse over my answers.  I still kept pencil in hand and used every inch of scratch paper given to me.  I guess that's just the type of writer I am:  no matter when or how things come to me, I do best when I have pen or pencil in hand and take it to paper.  I have to have the physical interaction before I start typing anything into some program or electronic media.

I finally made the decision that I want to pursue my MFA next year, but I haven't decided on whether to go low residency or full residency.  I'll leave that decision to another day (but I'll need to decide withint the next few months).  In looking at the schools that interested me, I saw that some on both paths required the GRE General Test and I just decided I needed to do it - get it out of the way sooner rather than later.  I spent the weeks leading up to it refreshing my vocabulary, writing notes on flash cards, brushing up on those high school math formulas, and writing a few essays based on the testing pool from the ETS site.  I think my preparations paid off.  At the end of the test, the screen displayed my estimated verbal and quantitative scores based on the old system (630 - 730 on verbal, 690 - 790 on quantitative).  They couldn't (or wouldn't) estimate the analytical scores, and that's okay.  I'll find out in November what I actually scored on the new scale.  Fingers crossed!

But now, I need to work on my Statement of Purpose for applications and all I can do is write poetry.  For some reason, the creative keeps flowing and I can't turn it off.  So, I'm going to ride this wave for the next few days and circle back to it.  Maybe this is a better time to edit my manuscript.  Now that I've got this little note out of my system, I can get back to writing.  Later!

Some times food is the inspiration...

When I decide to write, some times (actually, many times) food provides the inspiration.  Today, when I made one of my off-the-cuff summer salads in preparation for the week, I had the urge to get back to my blogging.  So, I thought I would share my recipe for my summer bulgur salad that you see in the picture.  It is both simple and tasty, as well as versatile.  I eat it as a light lunch or use it as a side with some baked fish for dinner.  Today, it's what's for lunch!

Any way, on with the recipe.  I start by warming some EVOO in a pot.  While it's warming, I chopped up a few green onions and mini sweet peppers (red, orange, and yellow).  When the EVOO reaches a good temp, I toast off a bit of garlic, cumin, celery seed, red pepper flakes.  Then , add the chopped green onions and sweet peppers.  As you can already tell, I'm not one for measurements.  My mother taught me to cook and still, to this day, I've never known her to measure, really, except when baking - which is much more precise.  But even then, it can be an adventure.  Well, on with the recipe...

After I warmed up the spices, peppers, and onions, I add in some chicken stock/fat saved from the chicken thighs I had baked off last week.  Add water and bring to a boil.  Then, add the bulgur.  For you measure freaks out there, you will need about 1 1/2 times the amount of water as you do bulgur.  Let everything return to a boil.  Cover and remove from the heat.  While letting it stand and absorb all the wonderful spices and chicken broth, I rough chop a cucumber and several cherry tomatoes and mix them together with juice of half a lemon and half a lime, as well as some fresh cilantro.  I let this mixture chill a bit while the bulgur is absorbing and cooling a bit.

When all is marinated and cooled, I combine the bulgur mixture with that of the cucumbers/tomatoes.  I also toss is a bit more cilantro and squeeze the other half of lime & lemon to dress it.  Then, toss until well incorporated.  You can keep it in the fridge and eat cold or warm it up a bit - either works for me.  You can also add some chicken or salmon if you want or need the protein.  Hope you enjoy this little bit o' summer from me. If you try it, let me know what you think in the comments below.