This guy was in the museum (which was a very different place then) when I arrived in Fairbanks 49 years ago.

Today we started out with Daryl and a lyric essay, “Joyas Voladoras” by Brian Doyle. The essay on its surface contrasted hummingbirds and whales, but it was really about hearts. Our Home Play was to write an lyric essay on a pair of opposites. All we really had time for in class was to select our opposites.

Rob had us read and discuss “Mother” by Grace Paley. as a contrast to the piece about a father he head us yesterday. Home Play is to draft the fist page of a reflective narrative, baying attention to structure and the repetitive elements. He urged us to trust the reader to fill in the gaps. He suggested the iceberg reference in Hemingway’s Death in the Afternoon. He also suggested, very strongly, that we look at Robert Paul Lamb, Art Matters.

Jeanne gave out several catalog poems, two of which we discussed in class. “Note Slipped Under a Door” by Charles Simic was discussed as an example of place, while “Jubilate Agno” by David Lee as a tribute to Christopher Smart, was a humorous piece about the sow Blacula (after Dracula.)

We were also given a number of “jumpstarts” for our trip to the museum, which took up most of the afternoon. I mostly took ideas and pictures. I may put one of the pictures up on the post this evening, but right now I’m taking advantage of the WiFi at the local Mac store and have no way of getting the pictures from the camera to the computer. So I’m heading to Wolf Run for supper (thus frying my diabetic diet, as I have my mouth set for beef Wellington) after which I’ll go to hear our instructors at the Writers Guild meeting.

Update: as of almost 10:30 at night I have been to the Alaska Writers meeting and uploaded one of my museum photos. The regular Wednesday quote context blog is scheduled for tomorrow morning, but I will put up another SAF post tomorrow evening.