PoetiCal is a publication that can only be viewed through a Calendar app like Apple Calendar or Google Calendar. You subscribe to the publication the same way you would add any new calendar to your calendar app. For instance, you can open your Apple Calendar app, click File > Add New Calendar Subscription, and paste this URL into the box: https://poetical.day/cal.
Then, each day that an entry is set for publication, it'll appear in your calendar, right next to your work meetings, or reminders to drop your dog at the salon.
In November, I received copies of two books by writer and walker Craig Mod. I've been a fan of his for many years, but these are the first of his books I've purchased. Shipping from Japan to Canada, on top of the cost of the books, was what had always stopped me in the past, but I do my best to support artists directly when I can so decided now was the time.
Kissy by Kissa and Things Become Other Things, hand-wrapped in specialty paper
If you're not familiar with Mod, he's mostly known for his work in the book world. He also has a wonderful podcast on bookmaking called On Margins, though he might have killed that as it's been a long time since he's put out an episode. It's well worth listening to if you're into creating things.
Since Craig is a walker and a writer, these books are about walking.
Craig's books are gorgeous. Cloth-bound with debossed covers. The paper is lovely to touch and the photos and essays are wonderful:
Covers of Kissa by KissaSpread from Kissa by KissaPhoto spread from Kissa by Kissa
Things Become Other Things is Craig's latest book. He describes it as "a 30 day walk in Japan. A memoir. Fishermen, foul-mouthed kids, and terrible miserable wonderful coffee."
Things Become Other Things by Craig Mod
You can purchase the fifth edition of Kissa by Kissahere. The first edition of TBOT is here. Both titles are cheaper for members of Craig's Special Projects. Those memberships are how Craig makes his living.
If you'd like a better overview of Craig's work, you can find it here.
Custom shipping box
Anecdote Alert
These books are the kinds of things I used to bring in for customers of my shop, Volver — beautiful items that I personally own and can recommend — before I stopped carrying non-records. This was an effort to spread awareness and get better prices for my customers by eliminating the cost of shipping.
I did this most successfully, book-wise, with Wendy Erskine's Dance Move, a brilliant collection of short stories which still hasn't been published in Canada. I can't recall how many copies I brought in (20 or so), but they all sold out and still no other shop in the city took it upon themselves to import copies.
I have no idea if Craig would be into this (offering me bulk, wholesale pricing), but I'd consider approaching him if enough Bell Ringers wanted me to try.
Screenwriter David Koepp has a website where you can read drafts of his scripts. Box office-wise, he's one of the most successful screenwriters of all time. Though I'm a hit and miss (mostly miss) on much of his work, I do quite like Panic Room and The Trigger Effect (which he also directed).
EnsĹŤ is a writing tool that helps you enter a state of flow.
Basically, you write, and EnsĹŤ only allows you to see the most recent lines you've typed. The previous words become invisible so you're not tempted go back and make changes. The Backspace button on your keyboard works, but the arrows don't. So, if you are tempted to go back, you're deleting, not moving the cursor to make changes.
Done writing? Hit the download button in the top left of the screen and a txt file of what you've written drops into your documents folder. Easy-peasy.
It's free on the web, or there's a pay-for-it app. The only thing missing is a Dark Mode.
The New Yorker has the latest piece by Nobel winner, Annie Ernaux. I've read just about everything she's written that's been put into English and this piece is on par with her best. If you like this, you will like her books and understand why she was awarded the Prize in 2022.
The HTML Review is an annual journal of literature made to exist on the web. Spring, 2024, means the third issue has been posted. It's broken into three sections: Poetry, Possibilities, and Expeditions.
In Appendix-B of his book, A Swim in a Pond in the Rain, George Saunders asks us to write a 200-word story using only 50 unique words, constraints which Saunders suggests typically encourage an escalation of tension. Of course, someone's gone and coded a site to help you do just that, The George Saunders Escalation Exercise.
The GSEE reminds me of David Milch's process for defeating writer's block:
Write for no less than 20 minutes and no more than 50 minutes.
Write no description, only dialogue, using the descriptors Voice One and Voice Two.
Take what you wrote, put it in an envelope, and seal it. Never look at it again.
Do this every day at the same time until you're no longer blocked.
Believe it or not, this works.
(David Milch is a TV writer, which is why he's focusing on dialogue.)
Anecdote Alert
I believe Milch to be one of the greatest writers of all time. I've loved his work for many years. He's one of my heroes in art and heroes in life. I think Deadwood is as good as any Shakespeare, Picasso, or Dylan.
Years ago, after reading Mark Singer's terrific 2005 New Yorker profile, The Misfit, I reached out to Singer to ask if he still had the transcripts mentioned in the piece. He wrote back quickly to say he didn't.
About a year later I received an email from David Milch's assistant. The email simply said, "I hear you're looking for these." PDFs of the transcripts were attached. Just over 100 pages.
I've owned davidmilch.com for years and one day will make a site about him. I'll be sure to put those PDFs on them.
The Kelly Writers House is a 13-room house on the University of Pennsylvania campus that serves as a center for writers of all kinds from Penn and the Philadelphia region at large.
