A Writer’s 10 Reasons to Give Thanks

On this Thanksgiving holiday, 10 reasons to give thanks for this particular writer:

1) For two parents and two grandparents who showed me the love of books and story at the earliest age, and ignited my love for the written word.

2) For Tom Robertson, freshman English teacher at Carlsbad (CA) High School in 1973-74, who replaced a boring study of poetry with six weeks of rock music lyrics from the Beatles, Simon & Garfunkel, Cream, Pink Floyd, Jefferson Airplane, David Bowie, T. Rex, The Kinks and others … and ignited my love for poetry.

3) For NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month), which has me up at 3 in the morning writing my next novel, “Open Mic Night at Boccaccio’s.”

4) For the students at Ananda College of Living Wisdom, so passionate about their writing that they have stoked the creative spark of an old teacher… and for the faculty, an incredible mixture of minds and souls with whom conversation is not merely a stream of words, but a learning experience … may we shepherd souls towards their highest potential for many years to come. Thank you for welcoming me into the family.

5) For independent booksellers and fellow lovers of the PRINTED PAGE … may we remain together until eternity, e-books or not.

6) For my friends at the Southern California Writers Conference, in particular directors Michael Steven Gregory and Wes Albers … thanks for bringing me in, and thanks for continually believing in new writers.

7) For Richard Jaffe, Holly Youmans, Marsha Aizumi, Steve Victorson, Kevin Hines, Christian Monroe Holliday Douglas, Timothy Dean Martin, Debbie Haas, Perry Martin and Isaac Lomeli, whose books I have edited and worked on this year, whose stories and experiences are matched only by their wisdom — wisdom and stories that the reading world will get to see in the next 12 to 18 months. Congrats to all of you on your wonderful work.

8) For my bosses at the Blade-Tribune newspaper, many years ago, who saw some teenage talent and gave me assignments in every section of the newspaper. The versatility continues to manifest: In 2011, I have written blogs, poems, essays, fiction, magazine articles, online courses, prescriptive writing, travelogue, narrative non-fiction, video scripts, book jacket copy, websites, promotional material, photo essays and, beginning this holiday weekend, collaboration on a motion picture script. Thank you, Bill Missett and Steve Scholfield, for letting me roam in the newsroom.

9) For my friendships with Gary Snyder, my favorite poet for over 30 years, and Taylor Mali, one of the finest spoken word performers on Earth … thank you for the times we’ve shared, the talks we’ve had, the poems we’ve read, and most of all, the way both of you continue to teach young people how to convey their passions in words and how to love learning.

10) For my love, Martha, to whom the deepest writings of my heart & soul are addressed … thank you for stoking this writer’s fire, for sharing those long-ago high school classes in freshman English and senior Creative Writing, and for putting up with the wee-hour writing sessions.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you. Curl up near a fireplace or under a blanket with a book (or, in Southern California this weekend, on a beach chair), and let your favorite author take you into another world while the masses crash and collide on Black Friday.

Taylor Mali’s Way of Making a Living

There are many ways to make a living as a writer – and many combinations of projects that can be cobbled together to pay the bills. My book The Write Time: 366 Exercises to Fulfill Your Writing Life is a by-product of the writer’s lifestyle; among other things, the exercises help all writers expand their potential productivity and value in the marketplace.

My daily routine combines original writing of narrative and poetry, book editing, consulting with authors on editorial and marketing matters, collaborating with other authors, developing new projects, setting up workshops to teach, following up on possible leads, writing book proposals, checking emails from writers, editors and agents, and – with all that extra “spare” time – trying to stay up on reading.

That schedule is easy compared to making a living as a poet. Which is why the rest of today’s blog is dedicated to one of my friends, Taylor Mali, one of the top slam poets and spoken word artists in the world.

Taylor left his job as a middle school teacher in New York City to make a living as a poet. Think about that for a second: making a living as a poet? In America? Well, Taylor has pulled it off, and for good reason – he’s a brilliant poet, and a phenomenal live performer. I just saw him three weeks ago at The Ugly Mug in Orange, CA, and he was as hilarious and poignant as ever.

Taylor’s interweaving of the written word, entertainment, the art of teaching (and I mean art – he was and still is a GREAT teacher), humor and intensity make him unforgettable. At any given Mali event, fully one-quarter of the audience consists of teachers. Just 2 weeks ago at The Write Time Teens ‘N Twenties Conference in Bloomington, IN, creative writing teacher and novelist Missy Feller of Bosse High School in Evansville did a brilliant cover performance of Taylor’s famous poem, “What Teachers Make.” It is a hit with educators and poetry fans worldwide. If you have a “hit” as a poet, a poem people always want to hear … again, you stand among the few.

Now Taylor has a new collection out, The Last Time As We Are. It is brilliant, right down to the last poem – one that will leave anyone speechless who has ever experienced an elder family member in failing health.

Recently, I conducted a wide-open conversation with Taylor, entitled “Easy on the Ears: An Interview with Taylor Mali,” for a sharp new literary magazine, The Hummingbird Review. I invite you to read more about this wonderful man, teacher and poet, one who I believe will someday become the Poet Laureate of the United States.