Bob & Mushrooms

Historical Note

Ali & Norton fought in 1973. Ali won this fight via split decision. But it was a rematch. Six months earlier these two had fought in San Diego and Norton had won. Broke Ali's jaw, actually. So Ali got his revenge. The rematch with Ali put an end to Norton's astounding 14-fight winning streak. Know who Norton credits with sparking his winning streak? Napoleon Hill - author of Think & Grow Rich. Apparently this book (a motivational book that features thirteen clearly enumerated principles for success) impressed Norton and led to his spree.

These Types Populate My Mental Landscape

Bob & The Scorched Earth At Hickory Hill Park

More Student's Thoughts On Writing

"Coming up with something to write about & then starting to write is the most difficult part...Writing is an outlet. It's an expression of emotions...I think writing is exactly like drawing - you have to convey or imply some sort of meaning - that's the hard part...Writing to me can sometimes function as an escape. Something to channel all my thoughts & organize them into. It's not always easy, but sometimes it is - and those are the best times...Writing is a creative release. However, it cannot be forced...It's in those last moments of consciousness each day that my best ideas come...Writing means having to sit and really think about what I am going to say...Writing is: a way to express my feelings / a way to share my thoughts / a way to relax and let my mind wander / a way to create meaning in my life...writing for me is a great way to express myself...I hate writing because I think it's boring...I have fun writing, especially when I write about things that matter to me...It's quite enjoyable to just let my brain put down anything it wants to on paper...To me, any kind of creative writing is useful because it all means something...I feel that what I intend doesn't always come across on paper - the writing is as in control of me as I am of it...writing is sometimes stressful when I cannot think of a subject...writing is relaxing, a stress reliever (most of the time)...I can hide behind writing or bare it all in writing...for me, writing is a challenge...I can't always transfer my thoughts to paper...it serves as a way to express feelings and ideas that I don't want to act out...Writing is everything I think about but do not say out loud. Some of it's weird and some really weird, but it's fun to write it down and see how it turns out...Writing means more to me now than it did before...writing, to me, is beautiful...It's therapeutic...I want to find my voice / I want to find my voice...Writing helps me figure out who I am, where I stand in life, & who I want to be...When I can sit down & make up a story and define the characters' lives, that's my creative escape...It's something I really enjoy...Once I start & get a good rhythm going, everything I want to say generally finds its way onto the paper...(it's) possibly one of the best creative processes that will ever exist...Even with my love for writing, I still can't spell..."

Holy

This is my last week of teaching creative writing. It's been a good run. Recently, I asked my students to write about writing. Some quotes:

"...writing, to me, is a way of expressing my dreams or fantasies...the holy release of the mind's true character..it allows my imagination to explore the unknown...It's like searching for ideas in a dark room where you can't see and randomly bumping into an idea to talk about...I am looking for warm in the cushions of beat-up couches on porches / I am listening for my mother's voice / in the creaks and cracks of the tired hallways / I am searching for love in the old man's tears, / who says, "Where do you get all this crap, baby? ... Writing is a spontaneous expression inspired by many things...it helps show me myself & my pursuit of happiness...I struggle writing this sentence just as I struggle with my writing...Writing is endless...a challenge I face...my attempt at true honesty...Writing is a way to share my raw thoughts with others before they come out of my mouth sugarcoated & safe...(it's) one of the hardest things to get perfect...writing is a physical form of emotion...I need fresh air and a definite struggle of emotion within me to create anything...writing can be so honest that it doesn't make sense...(it's) difficult to put into words...I like what I create to be a reflection of me, who I am, & what I stand for...writing is like allowing a caged bird to fly freely....(it) allows me to give life and character to certain emotions and feelings that are bottled up inside of me...(it's) what I want to do when I want to punch something, when something - a feeling, idea, or a story needs to escape...I can't help but think that what I have to say has been said better before...to me, the writing process is frustrating, confusing, and I often don't know where to draw lines or whether there should be lines at all...ending is the hardest part, because you never fully get to express what you mean, due to numerous factors: a lack of words, it's indescribable, or maybe you're just too embarrassed to say what you want - this is sad. I write stories, poems, songs, even, all day long: Lines that will never meet paper, but exist only for that moment in my mind...a catharsis, a baptism, a confession / every word bringing you closer to salvation / but I haven't reached Heaven or attained Nirvana / so I guess I'm not done yet."

Rosario

Yesterday I met Janelle downtown for a blueberry waffle type of breakfast. When I parked, I discovered a rosary around the parking meter. I looked around & thought about taking it. Janelle said, "Don't. It's there for a reason." And you know what Bob Kaufman said...God is a parking meter.