A guiding voice...

14 July 2024: Chen Chen is such an important voice for me.

let me move with softness over toughness, gentleness over harshness, openness over assumption, rest over constant production, care over cynicism.

AND let me not use any of the above to be naive or to avoid the necessary risks of speaking out, speaking firmly, speaking clearly.

— 兔兒神 (@chenchenwrites) July 14, 2024

"The Galloping Thing"

23 June 2021: I am not sure how Chen Chen keeps writing these poems that knock me out, but I'll happily live in the world where he does that. 

Today I found myself kind of wowed by the progress I made on a writing project--how that gallop just started. As the poet notes, that feeling is like playing and it like praying. 

"The School of Nights & Hyphens"

9 February 2019: An A+ day all around--got some work done in the morning, celebrated Hannah's b-day (a bit early) in the afternoon, walked with Amy after that, then off to dinner and a movie with her, Hannah, and Cory. Back home settled in with the boys and Veronica. Not bad, Saturday, not bad at all.

And also, there's this poem, which just makes me happy. Sigh-worthy, even. (Linked to another Chen Chen poem in this post...)

Wrapping up GWST...

29 November 2018: I taught my last solo-section of the Gender and Women's Studies class today, wrapping up by looking at some poems by contemporary LGBTQ+ writers. The students especially loved talking about "Dear Gaybashers," which is a fun, proud, and silly (in a good way) response to a ridiculous act of hate. Selected lines from our discussion:

"I mean, they are RAW hot dogs, which is so much worse."
"I just think...floppy."
"No. I get that part. That's just about dildos. It's this part I don't get..."

Ha!

We read these poems, too.

What fun it has been to work with these students on my third of the class this semester! They are bright, creative, open, and just an all-around good group. And when they talk about these kinds of topics, they give me such hope.