Strange Places

happy holidays and a welcome to 2009

Posted by Daniela Elza on Dec 24 2008

SEASON GREETINGS to all. We have been having such snow in Vancouver that has not been seen here for decades. A bit taxing to drive in, but a lot more fun to walk, sled, build igloos, snowmen, forts, etc.. We are taking turns shoveling and keeping the walkways snow free, but the moment you stop it piles back up. It has been snowing all night and all day.

This year has been a lot of work, but also very rewarding. A quick summary here of my activities. I went back to school thanks to my wonderful advisor Heesoon Bai who just was not giving up on me, and was holding on by what I can only describe as mind/heart strings. She made, and is still making, space for me to do what I believe in and to continue with my tireless experimentation within the philosophical-poetic spaces.

I have been writing and submitting my work: what I do when I am not doing anything else. What can one show for their work when they dwell in the thought and writing sphere of human activity? Well, publications, of course. I have written a lot and send out a lot, but in the end when someone asks me what I have been doing, telling them that does not seem to cut it. It is like Wistawa Szymborska says in her Writing a Résumé poem:

Of all your loves, mention only the marriage;
of all your children, only those who were born.

I have had work accepted for publication, or published this year in:

• four anthologies (Van Gogh’s Ear 6, Rocksalt Anthology, A Verse Map of Vancouver, Mutanabbi Street Starts Here)
• two books (Fields of Green, Poetic Inquiry: Vibrant Voices in the Social Sciences)
• two academic/peer reviewed journals (Journal of Environmental Philosophy, Educational Insights)
• won two contests (Annual Byron’s Quill Award for Poetry, Pandora’s Collective Poetry Contest)
• was longlisted in a couple of others (CV2 2-day-poem contest, and Burnaby Writers’ Society “Green Theme” contest)

Still waiting to hear back from about 11 more submissions. And trying to get a few more out before the end of the year.

So with some luck I will be seeing almost 30 poems out there in the various publications. I consider that pretty good, although I have no ways of gauging what is considered a good year for a poet.

Family-wise, it has been a great year. Everyone seems to be happily shoveling away the sidewalks of their interests, creativity, imagination and what they are passionate about. If anything needs to be desired it is more time, I suppose. The kids are very happy at their school. And if they are happy, we are happy.

May 2009 be a peaceful, healthy, happy and spirit-ful year for all. I suspect happiness is not something we have to pursue, many times it is right here staring us straight in the face, like a hungry puppy. We may just need to notice it, and feed it.