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Early Order Period Ending Soon

Now in presale, out May 20.

My first poetry publication is almost here. The House Inside My Head will be out May 20, 2022 from Finishing Line Press. 

 

Now - it's in presale. So buy it. Please! It's easy. Just go here: https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/the-house-inside-my-head-by-chris-arvidson/

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Slow Down

I keep telling myself to slow the F down. Especially this time of year. It's all I can do, tell myself this, because no one else will listen. December is a loaded month. The semester is over and the dreaded task of turning in grades looms. I've been dealing with mysterious health things and they complicate the world for me. And the expectations and hype of the holidays seeps in, no matter how hard you try to keep it out of the mix. 

 

But, but, but.... there's much to look forward to in the coming year, and Omicron be damned. January will bring the pre-sale period for my upcoming poetry chapbook, "The House Inside Your Head" from Finishing Line Press. If you love me even a little, please be ready to pre-order. The publication date is May 20.

 

Henry and I are so hoping to do some traveling again in 2022 and I've spent a fair amount of time fantasizing over the 2022 Wilderness Travel catalogue. Working around that, at some point I'll get a new knee scheduled, and though that might seem a weird thing to be looking forward to, I am. My hiking companions and I have been putting up with crap knees for long enough. 

 

I'm part of a new writing group with some Goucher Gopher MFA pals and that is a welcome treat, even if it is on Zoom. We're to be motivating one another to get on with "what's next" in our writing lives. Accountability is everything, my friends, and these are the "good people" to be talking and working with in 2022. 

 

More writing, more art (I got into my first juried show this month at the Charlotte Art League), more travel. What's not to look forward to?

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Out with the old...

photo: Surhabi Kaushik

One of the first things I did when I moved back to Charlotte after being gone 13 years, was walk down the street to you, dear Main. I started attending workshops and the writers' group "Write Like You Mean It" weekly. That's when I really started focusing on writing poetry, something very new for me, and surprising. On this last weekend of a "goodbye" open house, the library played videos of authors reading from their books on a loop. They'll bring the vids back when it reopens, in 2025 or so. Sigh. I love you Main Library and I'll watch your destruction and rebirth with rapt attention. Maybe even write a poem or two about it all. 

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And a Book Party, Too!

More Of Earth and Sky fun and another opportunity to read my work in front of a friendly audience. 

 

 

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Of Earth and Sky

Even though Charlotte Shout got Covid-cancelled, Of Earth and Sky has gone forward. At this link you can read and see videos of poets that are part of the exhibit. You can also access the map which shows where everyone's words are displayed around the Uptown Charlotte vicinity. My words are over at Romare Bearden Park, in the grass, in white letters. 

https://ofearthandskyclt.com

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Damnit

Henry and I went on a very early walk this morning, before it was even light. By the time we got over to the ballpark side of Uptown it was just 7 a.m. There, beside the player/staff entrance sat two charter buses, full of what I guessed were the Charlotte Knights, off on a two-week road trip. At just about exactly 7 , they moved off the curb and down the street  toward the freeway. Though the windows were shaded, I waved, and a couple guys waved in return. I told them I'd be here when they got back.

 

***

 

Charlotte Shout is cancelled for this Fall. I should have suspected it might happen when the video/photo shoot coordinator told me they were worried about getting the artist of the Earth and Sky installation over here from the UK. So the brief pain of being videoed was for naught. Oh well. It was nice to have my work chosen for something anyway, right? 

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Charlotte Shout and other things about Fall

I got a phone call last week. A good one. Where the person says "we've selected your..." in this case a poem I'd written to submit to an event happening here in Charlotte. You can read all about it here:  charlotteshout.com.  The exhibition in which my poem will appear is called OF EARTH AND SKY. The title of my poem is "In Front of Yer Face."  It's a large-scale installation project featuring pieces from local poets. So, really no clue what it will look like, where my poem will appear, or anything. I did have to show up yesterday though and do a video reading the poem, and get my picture taken. So, yeah. That was weird. But I survived. One of the other poets took my picture and it's right here. Do I look like a poet? That's what I was going for anyway...  I'll keep you up when I find out more. Whatever it ends up looking like, you'll be able to view the installation, along with the videos, beginning September 10, 2021, somewhere in Charlotte, through October 3, 2021. And they'll be a website, and I even here a book? :) 

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Take a Road Trip with Charlotte Readers Podcast

Click here to hear the podcast

 

Take a summer break and go on a journey with me as I talk to author Kathleen Basi about her novel "A Song for the Road." It's about families, and love, and music, and a journey. Everything really. Click the link above, or paste this: https://charlottereaderspodcast.com/love-loss-and-the-power-of-music-to-heal-in-kathleen-basis-a-song-for-the-road/. Or just go to your favorite podcast carrier and you'll find it there. 

 

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What I worried about when I moved back here was...

...the heat here in Charlotte. It keeps me indoors way more than I would like. After last summer's imposed isolation, somehow, I forgot how damned hot it gets in this town. And humid. Let's not forget the humidity. 

 

Somehow, though, I am able to power through this muggy-ass season when I've got baseball games to look forward to and a ballpark in which to hang around. Last night Henry was busy with triplet grandparenting and our plan was to meet at Truist Field for the Knights game. When I got there, I texted him to let him know we were in game delay, so not to hurry. "You're already there?" he asked. Well, yeah. I went over there early, setting out to walk the few blocks around six. Because I could. I like it there. Hanging out at the ballpark is my idea of a really good time. 

 

It did start sprinkling, and most of the fans left their seats for the covered concourse. Not me. That's what raincoats are for. I sat back and watched the sky, the ballpark with all its support people doing their jobs, the players popping in and out of the dugout, impatient for their evening's shift work to begin. I'm not much for selfies, but here's one I took last night. Can you tell I like being there? 

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Two ballgames this week

I was back to my happy place this week for two games at Truist Field with the AAA Charlotte Knights. Now I really feel like we're coming out of the other side of this pandemic. 

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