Poet is a Verb: Re-Structure

After leaving my old job on Friday, I felt like I needed to reorganize. I was feeling cluttered and disorganized, both physically and mentally. One place it was showing was my writing desk. So, as a way to honor my writing practice, I restructured my writing space.

What does this have to do with writing? I was feeling that my writing desk was a good metaphor for my writing life lately.

When I would come home from work, I would pile random crap on top of my desk. Junk mail and work files mingled with drafts of poems and my journals. Papers were precariously balanced on top of each other, until I couldn't find anything.

This was how I approached my writing. I would think of poems to write, then set them aside. I would bury them beneath thoughts of work and the responsibilities from my job that carried over to my home life. I would lose the impetus and the inspiration to write, because it was drowning beneath all of my other responsibilities.

As I was cleaning today, I was throwing away everything that had to do with that old life. All of my old lesson plans, notes from students, and graded papers got shoveled into a bag and dumped into the recycling bin. Then, I found filing systems for the non-writing things that I needed: condo association board documents, loose recipes I wanted to try, tax forms, and of course a lot of random crap. (You never know when you may need post-it notes, for instance, which is why I have 6 pads in various shapes and colors.) I segregated all of these things to the right side of my desk.

Then, I organized my art supplies and writing tools. I found several copies of my manuscript that have my editing notes written upon it, drafts of poems that I had been meaning to revise, and several half started journals. These things got segregated to the left side of my desk. Lastly, I got a nifty tiered filing system, so that I can organize my book reviewing notes and the drafts of poems in need of revision. These remain on my desk, where I can see them every day.

Now, my writing space is free and uncluttered and I feel a little bit lighter. All of my writing tools, at least the physical ones, are easy to locate and accessible. Plus, I've given myself a little peace of my mind and a clean space of my own.



* * *

My new job gives me every other Monday off, which allows me to have a day entirely to myself. I plan to devote a part of each of these Mondays to my writing practice, so that I can put in some time towards creation. I will be cataloguing my efforts here, as a renewed attempt at my Poet=Verb feature.

Po Bronson Made Me Do It

Way back in May, I began reading Po Bronson's book, What Should I Do With My Life?. I've really enjoyed it, but found that it was bathtub reading, in between all the other books I was reading. I finally finished it today, in the bathtub, of course.

While reading this book on and off all summer, I knew I needed to do something different with my life. Don't get me wrong -- I enjoy my job, but it's draining. It's a lot of grading, a lot of conflict management, and a lot of extra hours. Hours I should be spending on my writing. So, I slowly began to look around, to see if there was anything better out there. Luckily, I think I found it.

I am happy to report that at the beginning of this week, I was able to put in my notice at my current job, to accept another position at another school. Instead of teaching and administrating, as I do at my current job, I will be coordinating. In fact, I will be coordinating a new office at a local college (15 minute bus ride from home, rather than a 30 minute commute) that will serve 5 master's degree programs. I get to work an alternative schedule, get be closer to home, and get to be hourly, instead of salaried.

The best part -- I can take classes for free at this school. Their art department has website design, book arts, and photography.

I start my new position at the end of the month and I can't wait!

Jessica Fox-Wilson, Poet, Educator, Writer...and Book Reviewer?

I've been trying to figure out ways to practice my writing more and get a jump start on my writing career. About a month and a half ago, I remembered that a friend of mine is the editor of a neighborhood monthly newspaper and he was looking for a book reviewer. I thought to myself, I can do that. So, I emailed him and lo and behold, I now have a regular book review column in a monthly newspaper.

My first column appeared in this month's Uptown Neighborhood News. (My column is on page 11 of this pdf file.) In this column, I reviewed a pretty amazing book called Getting Off: Pornography and the End of Masculinity, by professor and academic Robert Jensen. I picked this book because the author will be reading at Magers & Quinn, a local bookstore in our neighborhood. I'm lucky that I happened upon this book, though, because I really liked it.

Since this is a monthly column, I'll be posting the pdfs each month, once they come out.

My Online Résumé is Up & Available

After working on this dang thing for a month, I am finally finished with my online résumé. Of course, I will continue to develop it as time goes on, but for now it is ready for public consumption.

Feel free to take a gander at http://jessicafoxwilson.blogspot.com.

Thanks!