“The Good Life” by Aubrey Elliot

Posted by Aubrey_Elliot on May 15, 2012 None comments

“The Good Life”

by Aubrey Elliot

There was a heaviness on my chest.  I didn’t want to open my eyes, so I rolled over instead.  I heard my cat “thud” on the floor beside me.  He wasn’t happy.  I knew he would be coming back to lay on my head in revenge.  I turned over again and hid beneath my pillow.  Plop.  I could feel his little kitty paws digging into the fluff just above my eyes.  He was in full assault mode and nothing would appease him.  I sat straight up, flinging him to my feet.  The room began to spin.  I reached over to wake Ellen up, but found only covers.  I lay back down.  The cat moseyed back onto my chest.

I closed my eyes to think.  I was trying to figure out why I felt so bad.  With a little work, I was able to determine that it was Saturday.  I risked opening my eyes a bit to look out the window.  It was late Saturday morning.  That meant that something had happened the night before.  Friday night.  Ah, that was it.  Friday night had happened.  Ellen had come home unexpectedly which meant that our neighbors had come around too.  Ellen was like their magnet.  Where she was, they gathered.  Beth came over after her husband had gotten home.  It was his job to watch their son a couple of evenings a week to give Beth a break.  Eric, one of the gay boys next store, had stopped by for a chat.  Hmmm, Glenda might even have stopped by later, but for most of the night it was just Ellen, Beth, and me.

There was wine, scotch, beer, and pizza, lots of pizza.  Pizza while you’re drinking is almost always better than sex, especially, because when you drink, sex is usually unsatisfying, while pizza never fails to please, especially Saint Louis pizza.  Imo’s.  Imo’s, and Imo’s is a monument to all that is gooey, crunchy, and delicious.  It comes piping hot, thin-crusted, smothered in sweet sauce, and topped in great quantities with provolone cheese.  It is an acquired taste, but once you have a taste for it, there’s nothing better. Continue reading ““The Good Life” by Aubrey Elliot” »

Feast of Friends – River Styx Art and Literary Feast at Duff’s

Posted by lisamiller on May 12, 2012 None comments

Feast of Friends – River Styx Art and Literary Feast at Duff’s

by Matt Freeman

Matt Freeman

Thanks to my wonderful and generous friend Lorenzo, a fine poetess from the West Country, I was able to attend the River Styx Art and Literary Feast at Duff’s last Monday and hobnob with the great literati of St Louis. Upon my nearly white shirt I showed up with the evening’s conversation piece: an incongruous gold medal for first place in a film contest which was my dear compensation for teaching a poetry workshop at the VA. The crowd was lively.

As appetizers were served everyone milled about with their drinks; I had the fortune to be served a diet cola by the omnipresent D while talking to two very talented writers from UMSL. Young Z replenished the table and I was happy to hear he’s doing well and moving into a new place. He was assisted by A—who knows as much about literature as anyone in the room and is never anything but honest. I made a little plate to put upon the table which Lorenzo had secured when suddenly dinner was announced. How fast time flies when conducting intercourse with such interesting characters.

Table by table we followed into the back room to partake of the buffet: homemade pizza, excellent salad, gumbo and tasty rolls. I literally bumped elbows with new and old friends from the Poetry Center and we all commented faithfully upon the fare, which had been prepared under the direction of Duff’s longtime chef who is noted well for having worked for many years with the Grateful Dead. It was difficult to eat too fast as the conversation flowed every which way around the room. While I was rather full, I must admit that I surreptitiously hung back in the corner and ate three servings of dessert.

Continue reading “Feast of Friends – River Styx Art and Literary Feast at Duff’s” »

Julie’s Summer Reading List

Posted by lisamiller on May 10, 2012 None comments

Julie’s Summer Reading List

by Julie Failla Earhart

Paris in Love: A Memoir by Eloisa James. This nonfiction title recounts the year the author and her family spent in Paris. Written in brief essays and short vignettes, this easy-to-read book captures life in City of Lights. From the hardships the children have in their new school to the fabulous food to the obscure museums, once you’ve finished, you’ll feel as if you where living next door.

The Homecoming of Samuel Lake by Jenny Wingfield. Screenwriter Wingfield delivers a touching first novel that has been critically acclaimed as worthy of Erskine Caldwell and Flannery O’Connor.  It’s 1956 in southern Arkansas.  On the first Sunday of June, the Moses clan gathers for its annual reunion. Methodist preacher Samuel Lake; his wife, Willadee; and their three children return to Moses homestead.  When tragedy strikes at the family’s heart, the stage is set for a page turner.

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World Book Night in “The Lou”

Posted by lisamiller on May 9, 2012 None comments

World Book Night in “The Lou”

by Jaime Kelley

ReadMob

St. Louis’ first ReadMOB, on April 23, 2012, was a smashing success – in a rather quiet way.  The St. Louis Independent Bookstore Alliance had sounded the call for people to join in honor of World Book Night.  They organized a mob event – along the lines of a flash mob – focused on reading.  A couple hundred of us gathered on the stairs beneath The Arch at lunchtime.  The crowd was populated by people of all kinds:  from pre-schoolers with picture books to octogenarians, school groups (both public and private), passers-by, corporate folks on their lunch break, academics, and me!

At first, of course, there was a lot of milling about, friendly chatter, and a general hum of excitement.  When we were given the signal, though, a sense of calm focus came over us as we all casually walked to our places (marked with chalk on the steps), sat down, and began reading.  A hush grew over the crowd, and I could feel the passion and the energy that floated on the breeze.  The air was crisp, the sky blue and clear, and the wind gentle.  It was a beautiful day to read outside, and wonderful to read outside in the midst of a mob.

Jaime Kelley

(View the video that was created by the organizers of the event – the St. Louis Independent Bookstore Alliance:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y6Dy13yvyJc.)

The US World Book Night (WBN) was also a splendid success.  Although the count of books distributed was less than originally intended, due to the overwhelming response of people who applied to be givers and the difficulty in responding logistically, over 500,000 free books were given out throughout the US.  According to Aimee Levitt of the RFT, St. Louis had one of the highest number of givers per-capita in the country!

We at Walrus had applied to give Maya Angelou’s I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings to three non-profit organizations in St. Louis that provide free services for women in abusive relationships: Woman’s Place, ALIVE, and Safe Connections.  All three of our recipients were delighted and grateful to have been chosen by us.  Angelou’s novel I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings recounts her own life story and struggles with abuse, injustice, and oppression.  Each of our recipients agreed that Angelou’s novel would be a wonderful gift to the clients they serve who are rediscovering their own self-worth, dignity, and freedom to love and be loved.

And, for the love of books, if you are interested in becoming a World Book Night Giver for 2013, sign up early!  Go to the USA side of the WBN website, once you’re there sign up for their newsletter to get first word when the giver applications come out this fall.  www.us.worldbooknight.org.

New Fiction – “A Little Snow Above and Below” by Aubrey Elliot

Posted by Aubrey_Elliot on May 8, 2012 None comments

From a work in progress called Halfway There – My Lesbian Life at Middle Age.   I’d love your feedback on the story.

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“A Little Snow Above and Below”

I like my bathroom time.  In my bathroom, I can read, think, relax, and basically close out the world with the simple words “I’m going to the bathroom.”  To pretty much everyone I know, except for my sister, these words mean keep out.  I like it that way.  It’s important to have, as Virginia Woolf once wrote, a room of one’s own.  Although, I’m sure she didn’t have the bathroom in mind.  That doesn’t matter.  It’s my space, and I’m keeping it.

One morning while I was enjoying my private bathroom time, getting older stopped being a foreign concept, something that was happening to other people.  It came home.  It became real.  It came in the form of a gray pubic hair which stood out proudly from among the normal black ones I was so used to seeing when I looked down there.

“Oh my god.”  I couldn’t think.  I couldn’t react.  I could only stare at it.  What was it doing there?  Should I pluck it out?  Would seven grow back in its place?  Could I dye it?  What would it look like when all of them were white?  Maybe it would go bald like my grandmother’s?  “Oh my god.”

Continue reading “New Fiction – “A Little Snow Above and Below” by Aubrey Elliot” »

May Writing Contests

Posted by lisamiller on May 7, 2012 None comments

Writing Contests for May

International Publication Opportunities and Contests:

Domestic Publication Opportunities and Contests:

Continue reading “May Writing Contests” »

The Literary Arts Section of the St. Louis Artists’ Guild Presented a Poetry Reading

Posted by lisamiller on May 2, 2012 None comments

The Literary Arts Section of the St. Louis Artists’ Guild Presented a Poetry Reading

by Diana Davis, Walrus Contributor

Tuesday, April 17 was a lovely day and a wonderful evening as well, as I spent it among the poets of the Literary Arts Section of the St. Louis Artists’ Guild.  The poets presented Still I Rise, a poetry reading at Oak Knoll Park in the Goldman Mansion.  Set amidst flowers and foliage this was a perfect venue for the evening.  Inside the stately mansion, poets and listeners gathered in a parlor to hear the words of modern and vintage poets. Cindy Fehmel, coordinator of the St. Louis Literary Arts section of the St. Louis Artists’ Guild, greeted us warmly and invited Gail Marshall to begin the readings for the evening.

Gail Marshall read Maya Angelou’s Still I Rise with rugged determination as she spoke the words of a black woman who refused to bow to tragedies and heartaches, but instead chose to rise above her sorrows, to stand proudly, head held high. Marshall also read Alone, a poem about lying in bed ruminating about what is needed to gain a restful soul which ends with the realization that “nobody can make it out here all alone.” Later in the program, Marshall read After the Closing, written by John N. Morris in which Morris captures the bitter-sweet thoughts of a woman closing the door to her home for the final time after its sale – after the items that she has decided to keep have been sent on, after the items she has decided to leave as a legacy have been distributed.   Continue reading “The Literary Arts Section of the St. Louis Artists’ Guild Presented a Poetry Reading” »

Treated Royally to Poetry at The Royale

Posted by lisamiller on May 1, 2012 3 comments

Treated Royally to Poetry at The Royale

by Jaime Kelley, Walrus Contributor

Here’s one for you:

What does an invitation, a photographer’s darkroom, a satin bowerbird’s affinity for blue, pieces of a prism, creepy not-so-super heroes, summer camps, street name muses, and barkeeper laments have in common?

Nothing.  Except that they are all the stuff that poems are made of… Continue reading “Treated Royally to Poetry at The Royale” »

Book Review: Painted Dresses by Patricia Hickman

Posted by lisamiller on April 23, 2012 None comments

Book Review:  Painted Dresses by Patricia Hickman

by Julie Failla Earhart

I recently reviewed Patricia Hickman’s eighth novel, The Pirate Queen, remarking that I couldn’t wait to read her other works. Thanks to the Saint Louis Public Library, I was able to follow through on this intent with her seventh novel, Painted Dresses.

Gaylen Syler-Boatwright has come back to her hometown to bury her father and settle his estate. She can’t afford to stay too long as her marriage to her pilot husband is on the verge of annihilation. In addition, she dreads the one thing that she anticipates inheriting:  her sister, Delia.  Delia isn’t mentally or physically handicapped, but she does need watching over because of her lack of boundaries. She acts and says whatever she feels like without any ounce of responsibility.

After Delia shoots a boyfriend’s wife, Gaylen packs her off to a deceased aunt’s remote mountain cottage.  There they find an odd collection of painted dresses:  dresses dipped in paint, designs painted on them, then framed without glass.  However, the dresses aren’t any old dresses; they each have a family story.  The sisters pack up the dresses and head out to return them to family members, while staying ahead of the law.

The plot was interesting. For such a seasoned novelist, I found the arc dipping and curving as much as the roads Gaylen and Delia traveled. Sometimes it was fun and entertaining; other times, it was boring with nothing new to look at.  Compared to The Pirate Queen, this novel is a huge disappointment due to its lack of any real tension.  I never felt that Delia was incapable. Shemay have been spoiled rotten, but could take care of herself.  Though the painted dresses were a unique addition, it was Gaylen’s actions that ultimately made the story difficult to fall for.

Inside of Flood Stage

Posted by lisamiller on April 22, 2012 None comments

Flood Stage has been in print for a few years now.  It continues to have a strong following among St. Louis poets and poetry lovers.  We were so proud to work with Matt Freeman and 55 of the best St. Louis poets – poets who continue to thrill the St. Louis community with their work.

Flood Stage is a unique collection.  There are no other books like it out there.  We were and are proud that this work so exemplifies the Walrus mission to bring together the writing and reading community.
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