June 22, 2006

So happy and grateful to be in those numbers! Last week and weekend I was a part of the site crew for Pete Seeger's Clearwater Festival, painting dogs on signs to alert people not to pet the seeing eye dogs, painting rivers and sunsets on River Discovery signs and being in heaven. Oh, would I be happy living again in a cooperative, being with positive people, using my skills to help something so worthy as Pete Seeger's efforts to clean up the Hudson. Michelle Shocked played, Holly Near and Pete Seeger slung a sledge hammer over his shoulder, hitting an anvil with it for the percussion as he sang a work song. What an inspiration. What a joy to be a part. How I long to spend my days, all my days, like that. And so that is my dream.

June 11, 2006

Last night I attended Daniel Berrigan's 85th birthday celebration. Amy Goodman was the Emcee, along with Carmen Trotta of the Catholic Worker. Pete Seeger sang and the Witness Against Torture Delegation that had gone to Guantanamo as part of the Campaign to Shut Down Guantanomo all stood up and collectively spoke, referring to Daniel Berrigan's Poem: Some stood up once and sat down/ Some walked a mile and walked away/ Some stood and stood and stood. Some walked and walked and walked. Why? Because of the children, the heart and the bread. (not quoted here exactly). Leslie Cagan of United for Peace and Justice spoke, Ramsey Clark, bless his soul, read a poem that Dan Berrigan had written for the great Mitch Snyder (homeless activist: may he never be forgotten!). Howard Zinn spoke and Natalie Merchant sang, but to me the best part was when the children of the Saint Patrick's Four performed Irish Step dancing. We all clapped and clapped and supported the smiling and joyful children of the Saint Patrick's Four, dancing arms entwined in a circle, so light on their feet while their parents are in jail for protesting at a recruitment center. Brought tears to my eyes: the sacrifice, courage and bravery! Oh, and Ben of Ben and Jerry's came and brought ice cream for all.

And me? I am glad to be a part, grateful that at no point did I stop on this journey, though I may have been snagged a time or two and had to fight to get loose. Still, I say, I'm a contender, glad to be in these numbers.

June 2, 2006

Visited the Care Center in Mt Holyoke, Massachusetts and spoke to the teen mom GED students about fighting for equal rights to education, and about the process of going to college. I asked how many of the teen moms wanted their own children to go to college and all hands were raised! Then we went around the room, and, even though it was a huge group, all the women spoke about what they would like their major to be in college. It is interesting how the things we liked to do as children often give us a clue about what we might want to major in in college. If I like to sing or listen to music, perhaps I might major in music. I myself loved to draw and so my undergraduate degree in is art. I also was one of those kids writing books about lost mangy dogs who find homes and save people or incorrigible horses that win the race and get free and so my graduate degree is in Creative Writing. And that has made all the difference!
I received notice that I was a finalist for the Ohio State University Short Fiction Prize.

April 22, 2006

I have been awarded the Juniper Prize which means that next Spring, 2007, the University of Massachusetts Press will publish my collection of short stories, All Things Are Labor. Upcoming classes: May 15, 2006 from 8-9:30 I will be offering a free class in Memoir Wrting at the Open Center, 83 Spring Street in New York City. Then, for the next 6 weeks, the class will continue (except Memorial Day). Also, this summer I will be teaching a Painting workshop June 30-July 4 weekend at the Applachain Mountain Club cabin in Atlantique, Fire Island. Also at the Fire Isalnd cabin I will be teaching Memoir Writing From July 24-28. See my links page here for links to both the Open Center and AMC or go to home and click on the classes announcement.
I will be, along with Enid Mastrianni of the Upstate Welfare Warriors, at the NOW conference this summer in Albany , July 22-24, 2006 to present my life work and the research available on this website about equal access to college for mothers, which Enid Mastrianni and I have worked on for so many years.

January 29, 2006

The Saint Patrick's Four were sentenced, most getting from 4-6 months. They all gave stirring speeches and spoke quite eloquently on the media with their children, families and the community of supporters at their side. Theresa said that she could not have taken her brave actions without the support of the community over many years and those words are strong. For all of us who have labored for years, fighting the good fight in isolation and suffering through the inevitable bouts of depression, doubt and opprobrium, we should take note of these words. As activists we are often marginalized, treated with disdain. Teresa reminds us to reach out for support so that we can be most valuable to our cause, to our missions and to our purpose on earth. It is a hard row to hoe, especially alone.

Gratitude!

January 10, 2006: Saw one of my favorite movies: Entertaining Angels about Dorothy Day! Rent it today. Martin Sheen plays Peter Marin, who started the Catholic Worker with Dorothy Day. Heard that Fantasia Barrino has a song Baby MaMa on her album. My all time favorite girl mom song is still Madonna's Papa Don't Preach.

So much to be grateful for!

December 31, 2005: My friend has written 10 reasons she is glad to be alive every night since the mid-80's when she was diagnosed with cancer. I am so grateful for so many blessings and joys, including all my comrades in the struggle for peace and justice! I have an article at http://www.mothersmovement.org about my life work for equal access to education for teen moms! It is a great website to check out! May this be your best year ever! Tonight I go to hear Nellie McKay http://www.nelliemckay.com who will be doing the music for the Kennedy Marshall production of the film of The Amazing True Story of a Teenage Single Mom. Her album is supposed to come out January 2 with a song that she wrote for the movie, but she is fighting with Columbia, so we will see. Vamos a ver.  go back to blog