Mitt Romney would send over his manservant to inform us (politely) that our smoke was intruding into the Romney family home and to ask (politely) that we cease and desist. When that failed, he would change his position to state that the smoke was indiscernible in the Romney home and to encourage us to continue.

Newt Gingrich would record the event with photos and written notes, document local wind conditions, determine whether we had a burn permit (we did), and plan to hand over the dossier to his lawyer in the morning so he could sue our pants off. Then he would satisfy his inexplicable and urgent desire for barbeque by raiding his refrigerator.

Rick Santorum would peek out from behind his curtains, conclude that we were Satanists, and spend the next several years conducting a whisper campaign against us. At least we’re one man and one woman Satanists.

Ron Paul would have been conflicted between his expectation of peaceful enjoyment of his home and his libertarian principles best summed up as “they don’t need no stinking badges.” After a sleepless night, he would finally realize that, in the real world, libertarianism is an unsustainable political philosophy.

Rick Perry would pop a brewski and come over to join us, quaffing beer and great lungfuls of smoke, all the while commenting how bracing and manly a good brush fire is.

Michele Bachmann would pray away the gray.

We concluded that Mitt Romney would be the best neighbor, though unpredictable and so rich that he could squash us like a bug whenever he wanted to. Ron Paul would be the most interesting. And the easiest one to smack around. Rick Perry would be just plain annoying. Santorum and Bachmann would both serve as rich veins of humor, though capable of unleashing great evil in the name of their god if we pissed them off too much. The number one worst neighbor by far would be Newt Gingrich. The only way to placate him would be to bring him a little barbeque.

Subject:Tidal Echoes: Opportunity for Publication

Hello!

My name is Jacqueline Boucher, and I’m contacting you on behalf of Tidal Echoes, Southeast Alaska’s literary and arts journal. We’re constantly looking to diversify the viewpoints that are shown in the journal, and would love to have work from your community this year! I’ve attached a copy of our submission guidelines, as well as our poster. If you feel as though your community would have any interest in taking part, please feel free to print and display them. Also, if you feel as though there is another place in your community that would be visible to passing writers and artists, please feel free to write me back and let me know how I might contact them. Finally, if you receive any questions about submissions, please feel free to direct people to contacting me at tidalechoes@uas.alaska.edu, or at this address.

Thank you so much for your continued help and support. I can’t wait to hear from you!

Best Wishes,
Jacque

Do we continue ? Are there suggestions on how to keep the blog going with more enthusiasm?

The challenge is to write something that combines cruelty and love.

Check the comments for what I came up with – and I’m hoping to see others!

For everyone else, I’ll share one of the exercises that is quite timely! Write a valentine. Ah! But the catch is to write a Valentine to something unexpected and include as many of the following aspects as you can:  sound, color, tecture/taste, always/never, something admirable.

Geographies of the Land and of the Heart: Writing in Alaska
Thursday Feb 10 @ 7 pm
A reception and reading with acclaimed Alaskan author and new Alaska Writer Laureate Peggy Shumaker.

Writing Workshop
Saturday, Feb 12  10am-1pm
A writing workshop for adults & teens with Alaska’s Writer Laureate Peggy Shumaker. Call the library at 772-3349 to sign up.

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The search is on for the 2011 Petersburg Writer Laureate! Information & application.

For some reason this did not post when first sent out!

As I was looking at my facepage I saw many short, sweet, poetic entries from local friends. Those brief thoughts and observations have a place here. Posts do not need to be full, complete, or finely polished works. It may be a place to plant the first seeds of a work with just a phrase.

air heavy with cold
smoke struggles from the chimney

Give a gift of words – share them here.

Creative Travel Journalists Wanted by the Traveling Boy Website: http://www.travelingboy.com/newsletter/press-nov9.html

Could be an interesting challenge!

chris