upon skin
mending pain
resilient
radiant
Copyright @ Stacie Eirich October 1, 2022
*Author Note* Renewal is a tri-dodeca poem of 3 stanzas, 4 lines, 3 syllables per line.
As October rushes in, I've decided to embark upon a new creative journey....in podcasting! This is something that I've thought about doing for a long time, and the encouragement of my writer friends and library coworkers has spurred me forward.
Poetry for Peace, a podcast that finds the light in verses, will debut on October 19th, with episodes each Wednesday and Saturday. The trailer for Season 1 is up! Find it on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, Google Podcasts, and more.
📝 In this month's writing news, I'm pleased to have new poems out in two print publications:
Last Leaves Magazine, Issue 5: Growth, Fall 2022.
https://www.lastleavesmag.com/last-leaves-issues
The Journey, Volume 6: Changes (Paddler Press).
https://paddlerpress.ca/issues-trip-log/
📝 I'll also have a digital flash fiction piece published in 101 Words on October 29.
📝If you have young readers at home, I have a new short children's story online at Buzgaga.
https://www.buzgaga.com/post/forest-of-wonder-dreams
🎵 In music news, the latest choral release: Zadok the Priest, from The Stay at Home Choir debuted on September 23rd, 2022. A collaboration with Choralspace Festival Chorus and Orchestra, this project included hybrid rehearsals with conductor Simon Carrington, and was filmed in the Grand Hall of the Philharmonie Berlin. It was a unique experience to be a part of, and I'm very proud of our efforts. Our performance is dedicated to the memory of Queen Elizabeth II.
🎵 In the hours following Her Majesty's passing, The Stay at Home Choir also released O Salutaris Hostia, variation on 'Nimrod' by Edward Elgar. A track from our Album Project I, it was a poignant balm for those around the world who loved her.
📘 The book club's pick for October is: Disappearing Earth by Julia Philips. Here’s my written review:
Disappearing Earth is the debut novel from author Julia Philips. Set in the Russian peninsula of Kamchatka, it begins with the abduction of two young girls. Each chapter then introduces new characters that live in this remote area; their lives have all been affected in some peripheral way by the young girls abduction and the changing social and economic conditions in Kamchatka. Across a timeframe of a year, the novel moves through the months following the abduction and police investigation that follows.
While the writing style is detailed and atmospheric, the chapters felt compartmentalized. When checking the copyright page of the print edition, I noticed that a number of the chapters have been published in journals previously, as stand-alone pieces with different titles in literary journals. With so many characters and life stories introduced that had only small connections to the original storyline of the abducted girls, my experience of listening to the audiobook felt disjointed.
Alternating between reading the text and listening, it was possible to piece together who the characters were in relation to one another and in reference to the larger story, but this seemed like work I was only willing to do in order to lead a book club discussing it. As a casual reader, it’s likely I would’ve put the book down before finishing.
I did finish the book, but it was at the close of the novel that I was most disappointed. The novel does return to the original storyline of the girls abduction, but what we are given with its ending is puzzling still. And while the harsh beauty of this remote area of Russia is described throughout, and its stories feel like a realistic picture of life in the area, I didn’t enjoy the novel as a whole. The puzzle left unfinished, its pieces knit together by a thin thread at beginning and end, Disappearing Earth will disappear from my memory like swiftly melted snow.
Thank you for visiting my monthly blog; it's readers and listeners like you who inspire me! Have an ostentatious October, and stop by again in November for some more creative inspirations.
You can find my blog posts at my Website: www.stacieeirich.com where I'll be sharing a monthly poem, short prose or song.
I'm also writing a seasonal Newsletter✍ for readers & listeners; look for the sign-up at my website.
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