December Dreaming

For some, December is a time to throw themselves into a shopping frenzy, into a whirlwind of material excess and into consumerist greed and superficiality. Others, however, prefer to savor the long and quiet nights for more inward-directed pursuits.

Many stories and poems celebrate the season around the Winter Solstice, Hanukkah, Christmas and Kwanza with insight and imagination.

Reading by electric- or maybe even candlelight can nourish the soul and uplift the spirit in ways that nothing else can.

In the true spirit of the season we present two poems, one by Rainer Maria Rilke (4 December 1875-29 December 1926), one of the greatest and beloved 20th century poets writing in the German language. The other one is by contemporary poet Ana Elsner.

-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-

Advent

Es treibt der Wind im Winterwalde
Die Flockenherde wie ein Hirt,
Und manche Tanne ahnt, wie balde
Sie fromm und lichterheilig wird,
Und lauscht hinaus. Den weißen Wegen
Streckt sie die Zweige hin - bereit,
Und wehrt dem Wind und wächst entgegen
Der einen Nacht der Herrlichkeit.

-Rainer Maria Rilke


-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-



SNOWFLAKE


a single stray snowflake

gets tangled up in a song

and hitches a ride on the melody

for five beats, maybe six

until it gives itself up to the rainbow

that bridges the gap

of what we feel


© Ana Elsner, 2007
from 'Ciphers Of Uncommon Origin - Poems By Ana Elsner'
used by permission

-:- -:- -:- -:- -:-

.

Hear This

If you live in or visit the San Francisco Bay Area you will have an opportunity to hear the poet Ana Elsner read from her book CIPHERS OF UNCOMMON ORIGIN and from her new manuscript ALL POEMS ACTUAL SIZE. Philip Hakett will also be reading.



The San Francisco Public Library presents

An Evening of Poetry

Tuesday, Nov. 27, 2007

at the North Beach Branch,
Columbus Ave. at Mason

::

For a complete schedule

of Ana Elsner's featured readings

and upcoming public engagements

please go to her

Events page

::





[See also: 'P' is for Poetry]

.

What is Sauna

For anyone not afraid to strip naked and in overall good health, i.e. no history of stroke or hypertension, there is nothing quite as beneficial to body and mind as taking a sauna bath. If you have never experienced it, it is a treat, and treatment, not to be missed. (Sauna is not recommended for children.)

A modern Sauna is a small to medium sized room, made entirely from wood, accommodating from four to eight people. It generally has two levels of benches, a lower one that would correspond to the height of an average chair and one that is double that height and therefore closer to the ceiling where the heat is strongest.

The heat elevates your body temperature, akin to having a fever, which destroys toxins in your system and eliminates them through intense perspiration. Sauna temperatures around 180 degrees Fahrenheit ("dry heat")or slightly higher are achieved by a specialized electric stove with a top layer of hot stones through which the heat escapes into the room. When water is poured on the stones to raise the level of humidity, the temperature is greatly increased and could reach a danger-point for the body, causing heat stroke. If high humidity levels are desired ("wet heat"), the temperature setting must be lowered proportionately, i.e., for 100% humidity, temperature should be around 100 degrees.

Sauna baths are generally taken in the nude, sitting or laying on a towel to absorb sweat.

The concept of sauna as a purification of the body has been practiced in various cultures, since the ancient times of Roman baths, for ceremonial as well as therapeutic purposes.

.

Be All That You Can Be - A Guide

How to Prepare for Deployment to Iraq

: Sleep on a cot in the garage.

: Replace the garage door with a curtain.

: Renovate your bathroom. Hang a green plastic sheet down from the middle of your bathtub and move the showerhead down to chest level. Keep four inches of soapy cold water on the floor. Stop cleaning the toilet and pee everywhere but in the toilet itself.

: Leave a lawnmower running in your living room 24 hours a day for proper noise level.

: Shoot a few bullet holes in the walls of your home for proper ambiance.

: Invite at least 185 people you don't really like because of their strange hygiene habits to come and visit for a couple of months. Exchange clothes with them.

: Raise the thresholds and lower the top sills of your front and back doors so that you either trip over the threshold or hit your head on the sill every time you pass through one of them.

: Go to the worst crime-infested place you can find, go heavily armed, wearing a flak jacket and a Kevlar helmet. Set up shop in a tent in a vacant lot. Announce to the residents that you are there to help them.

: Fire off 50 cherry bombs simultaneously in your driveway at 3:00 a.m. When startled neighbors appear, tell them all is well, you are just registering mortars. Tell them plastic will make an acceptable substitute for their shattered windows.

: And just when you think you're ready to resume a normal life, order yourself to repeat this process for another six months to simulate the next deployment you've been ordered to support.

: ... !

Ana Elsner speaks about The Arts

In a recent interview about the arts,
poet Ana Elsner said,



"It seems to be part of human nature to be single-minded. Art lovers go to exhibitions, music lovers go to concerts and poetry lovers go to readings. There is not enough cross-traffic.

I wanted to change that, if only for one night. So I choreographed a dialogue between a musical instrument and my poetry. I chose the oboe as my preferred partner and was most grateful when principal oboist Laura Griffiths of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra agreed to participate.

It was very exciting to design a program where my poems alternate with the oboe, in order to demonstrate the connection between the two. I called this project "The Sounding Reed", with a double meaning of (a) the actual reed of the instrument and (b) the 'reeds' of the human vocal chords. My concept was very well received by Robert Carlson of the San Francisco Public Library. He hosted it on June 12, 2007.

Having set the stage, I read in front of a combined audience of both music and poetry lovers and thereby made this cross-traffic happen. The evening was a big success and garnered excellent reviews."

Click to see Ana Elsner's event listing at The Academy of American Poets

--- See also: Ana Elsner's German Language Poems

.

:

"Without poets, without artists, men would soon weary of nature's monotony. The sublime idea men have of the universe would collapse with dizzying speed... There would be no seasons, no civilization, no thought, no humanity...,"

Guillaume Apollinaire (1880-1918) was a poet, writer, and art critic. The foremost French poet of the early 20th century, he is credited with coining the word surrealism and writing one of the earliest works described as surrealist, the play Les Mamelles de Tirsias (1917).

Related topic: Why Poetry?

Applause for the Oboe

When asked about her favorite musical instrument, poet and classical music aficionado Ana Elsner said,



"Without a doubt, the instrument that speaks to me most is the oboe. Although sometimes overshadowed by other woodwinds, not to mention the testosterone-laden brass, I perceive the oboe as being a full-bodied female voice. Perhaps this is due to its mezzo-soprano to soprano range. In fact, I have written a poem titled 'Oboe' which defines how I feel about it."



Later on in the conversation, Ana Elsner added,

"My favorite oboist, these days, is Ms. Laura Griffiths of the San Francisco Opera and Ballet Orchestra. Her lyrical tone quality and masterful vibrato distinguish her among the woodwinds, indeed, among the entire orchestra. Her soli simply shine. It is a treat to hear her play."

.

Side-by-side: Laura Griffiths and Ana Elsner

The
Sounding
Reed
(borrowed from a poem by Ana Elsner)


Born out of her affection for the oboe, Ana Elsner conceived of and choreographed a special evening of dialogue between the spoken word as represented by Elsner's poems and the voice of the oboe as presented by Laura Griffiths, acting principal oboist of the San Francisco Opera Orchestra.

This unique event, headlined 'The Sounding Reed', will take place on Tuesday, June 12, 2007 at 7p.m. at the North Beach Branch of the San Francisco Public Library, located at 2000 Mason Street, corner of Columbus Avenue, (415) 355-5626.

The sponsor of this exciting program is 'The Friends of the San Francisco Public Library'. Admission is free.

Lovers of Poetry and Lovers of Classical Music: unite!

[Read OBOE, the signature poem for this event]

.

When? On June 6, 2007

Author and wordsmith Ana Elsner

is the Featured Poet

on Wednesday, June 6, 2007 at 7p.m.

at Sacred Grounds, 2095 Hayes Street, San Francisco.

(If you need more information please call the host

at 415-346-0347)

Ana Elsner will read from her most recent work in this convivial coffeehouse setting.

.
[See also The power of poetry]


[Ana Elsner speaks Words that are Poems]

.

HAIKU versus MOKU

'Moku' is a brand-new term in the world of poetry. This term was first coined by poet and writer Ana Elsner.

'Moku' is short for 'Modified haiku'. It was originally used to describe Elsner's own characteristic 3 liners which are based on haiku but do not conform to the traditional 17 syllable format.

Contemporary poet Ana Elsner further breaks with haiku tradition in that her imagery is not necessarily based on nature. Instead, her Moku often treat with urban situations, or shine the spotlight on a specific character or state-of-mind.

.

MOKU NUMBER TEN


this baleful time of keening

ghostly alchemy of our deferred grief

glaciers weep


© Ana Elsner

(reprinted by permission)

.

Read another Moku

.

PRESS RELEASE - March 2007

"Chewy Words and Soft-spoken Confections,



A Special Evening of Poetry"


Poets Ana Elsner and Stephen Kopel invite you to a joint reading from their works at 5:30pm on Wednesday, March 28, in the library of the historic Monticello Inn, 129 Ellis St. near Powell St. in downtown San Francisco.
(See map below.)

After the reading there will be an informal conversation with the audience about poetry.

This is a free event. Seating is limited.

"Come hear our poetry and have a glass of wine with us,"

your hosts Ana and Stephen

.

Location of Event:

- Click to check if there are any upcoming events for Ana Elsner -