Sandra Kay, Writeous Mom and The Tri-Valley Gypsy Poet
How do we love Sandra, let us count the ways….
1) She is a prolific blog writer of epic proportions—funny, genuine, irreverent, heart-rending…She’s a definite bookmark on our homepage!
2) Let me say again—genuine! I love Sandra because she says what she thinks and she thinks what she says. She is unafraid to peel off the layers of social convention and reveal her naked self—even if that self is feeling a little bloated after indulging in cheesecake for breakfast!
3) Despite her debilitating fear of public speaking, she has courageously appeared on In a Word multiple times, and she has always been a thoughtful, eloquent, extremely well-prepared guest.
4) Nine years ago, she was my writing teacher, when, after a lifetime away from writing, I decided to dip my toe in the turbulent waters of writing again. She taught me to “show, not tell!” Her warmth and encouragement were just the gentle push I needed to get me swimming again.
5) She is a survivor of the fiercest, most splendid kind. She is an inspiration in so many ways.
6) She always makes me laugh. Her take on Robert Frost's The Road Not Taken and her version (which is a part of a larger poem, in her wonderful, handcrafted book of poems, Beautiful Fish):
two roads diverged in a wood, and i ---
i took the one well paved. -now am a cliche'
should have went the other way
who put that flippin' fork in the road anyway?!?
Be sure to sign up for Sandra's blogging workshop at the Pleasanton Poetry and Prose Festival!
1 comment:
this feels like a birthday present, being featured here
"THANK YOU!"
allow me to respond:
1) thank you! huge honor to be a bookmark!
2) thank you again! -i write because i can't sing, and i'm genuine because i can't act
-workin' with what God did, and -didn't- give me.
3) i'm forever in your debt.. and deeply grateful to both of you for taking a chance on me. each invite back help build my confidence
and a stimulating challenge to organize my thoughts around books and authors i love
i'm not exaggerating to describe you two as my spiritual therapists
that you helped me talk again the same way a physical therapist helps an injured person walk again
giving me opportunities.. making me feel comfortable.. having patience and faith.. providing positive reinforcers along the way
you are awesome, wonderful hosts! and treasured friends!
4) and that was my first time as a writing instructor.. great memories! -such a particularly fun, talented group of people
plus.. the very charismatic and entertaining ray orrock (a toast to him in the heavens above)
5) i'm so glad to be alive today.. to be alive and 43 years old. with all this distance and life between then and now. to experience, to know, that the paralyzing hell i for so long thought inescapable; is escapable.
that i can look directly into the hollow, traumatized eyes of any rape survivor -of which there are way too many- and their family and friends
and say with complete confidence, utter conviction, and absolute honesty "everything will be okay. the suffering is temporary..
with time and love.. come healing"
and thank you to advances in medicine, neuroscience, psychology; greater knowledge about post traumatic stress disorder
this healing takes place much quicker today than it did twenty years ago
now our efforts should be geared towards PREVENTION.
6) you always get my sense of humor write away.. i so appreciate that!
and lastly..
THANKS for spreading the word about the PLEASANTON POETRY, PROSE & ART FESTIVAL!
and my MUST LOVE BLOGS workshop
-should be an exciting year!
MUCH LOVE TO YOU BOTH
and continued success with your writing, in a word show and new blog! ~s.
WriteousMom & tri valley gypsy poet
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