Subbing for Dale

photos by Dale Bentsen

Dale always signs up for the Round Robin. When you're assigned to be his partner for a week it's a treat.

Lately he's been traveling in Scandinavia, and I was called upon to sub for him in his absence.

I agreed if and only if he would send me a photo--at least one--daily. Else I would quit.
Receiving his photos was almost as much fun as exchanging writing with him.

Helpful to know: Others also live with ambiguity, uncertainty, and confusion.

From an interview with Kim:

In your writing workshops, are there key lessons that you find yourself consistently emphasizing?

Oh, yeah. I'm always hammering on the same things. Sufficient clarity and context for a reader. Understanding your intent, on a holistic level, so you can reshape (the poem) accordingly -- that is, figuring out the core (of the poem), making conscious to yourself the ideas and themes as far as possible. Keeping the writing fluid and trying out several strategies for revision, not just one.

Is there any other advice you'd offer on the creative process?

What I've learned is simple: if you nurture it, it will expand, and it will nurture you in return. I have also learned that it is a kind of salvation. Sometimes it's more than enough and sometimes it's not enough -- by that I mean one's own creativity. If you can truly tap in to the creative process, you know it's there all the time, and then you probably don't need saving.

Sunshine on a foggy day: Lunch with Anne today at Devil's Teeth.

Walking home down the Great Highway    7:21 p.m.

Walking home on Anza Street

Walking down Lyon Street

Lunch with my Life Coach

Lucille's philosophy of life is Fun And Lots Of It. It rubs off on those around her.

Lunch at Fresca. I try to encourage her not to text at the table, but it's hopeless.

...but don't have so much fun that you get thrown in jail.        6:06 p.m. Ocean Beach

Same time, same place as yesterday's photo

August 17

3:59 p.m.

Mysterious Blank Slate

7:42 p.m.   A mile down the trail, look what we stumbled upon (below): a mysterious blank slate!

I'm bringing chalk next time we hit the trail.

Walking to Lunch

Down the Lyon Street Steps (2 blocks of  heavy breathing)

I caught a ride to Laurel Village and walked the rest of the way to the Presidio. Before I hit Lyon Street, I noticed on the map that the street simply disappeared for two blocks. As it turned out, the hill was so steep that they gave up on having a street and put a stairway in instead. A two-block-long stairway. The most beautiful stairway in the world.

Dorothy, Janet, and me at our annual lunch in the Presidio

lovely, dark and deep

8:08 p.m.  Coastal Trail

Fog.

6:13 p.m.  Coastal Trail

7:16 p.m.

Dedans et Dehors

Found at Sunset

Anne! I was so happy to see her that I gave her this evening's glass pickup (see black glove).

Home Again

low tide this evening

John next door went salmon fishing yesterday.

He shared. Tom did some creative cooking. I had cleanup duty.

SCBWI Los Angeles ~ Sunday

me and Rubin (Agent Extraordinaire)

Crazy. Because the best thing about today was lunch with Allyn, Lauren, Andrea, and Rubin. But I was so excited I never even thought to take a photo.

SCBWI Los Angeles ~ Saturday

My publisher Allyn Johnston passes out party favors to Lauren Rille (my a.d.) and Tom Lichtenheld.

Erica Perl, Boni Ashburn, and Andrea Welch

Trisha Speed Shaskan, Stephen Shaskan, and Meg Fleming

Kate Dopirak and Joyce Wan

Andrea and Marla Frazee

SCBWI Los Angeles ~ Friday

I finally get to meet Namo (Jennifer Bourne)!

Dream Dinner
Standing: Brian Won, Rubin Pfeffer, Drew Daywalt, Carter Higgins.
Sitting: Deborah Warren, me, Arree Chung, Youa Vang.