Post by Ken_Nye on Nov 14, 2007 11:47:58 GMT -5
(I don't know what do with the funny yellow faces or "tags" are or what the message icon is.)
Hi, everyone. Some of you will probably recognize my name and others don't have any idea who I am, so I think I need to introduce myself. My name is Ken Nye, and my pen name is Ken Nye, too. (I do this so I don't get confused when I use my pen name and then can't remember who I really am.) I was a member of the EP family a while back , but I went through a period of petulance and ended up deciding that I would try to find a supportive group of local Mainers who were also interested in helping each other grow as writers. I have learned that the days of people with common interests actually getting together are gone. People's lives now are just too fast paced for that to happen. And, although there are a number of other poetry/writers' web sites out there, they are too impersonal. I have been working on Jim Furber's (the founder of EP) web site (TJMF Publishing) and enjoy working with the small cadre of poets there. Actually, I think a number of them are members of EP, too. I intend to continue working with them and Jim. But I never found a site comparable to EP. So, I'm sheepishly sticking my head inside the kitchen door, hoping the dog doesn't think I'm a vagrant,
Since I left EP, I have worked with Jim Furber on the production of my second book of poetry, "From the Heart: Poetic Reflections on Growing Old in Maine." My first book, "Searching for the Spring: Poetic Reflections of Maine," which came out in May of 2005 is now in the fifth printing. And I was just out in the garage counting the number of boxes of From the Heart that we have left, and there are only two boxes left of the first shipment of 14 boxes that we got in July. So that's going real well, too. (I have a great book rep., a young mother who makes a little extra money by promoting my books wherever she goes. She has them in gift shops and general stores, as well in book shops, all over southern and coastal Maine. I pay her phone and mailing expenses and $1 for every book that is sold from a site that she has set up for me. It's a very loosey goosey arrangement, but she's having fun, and so am I. Her name is Holly. Holly also sets up readings for me. She gets $25 for every reading she sets up and then gets $1 for every book sold at the r eading. I've done more than 75 readings now, have had a lot fun, met a lot of great people, and sold a lot of books.)
I have a really big challenge coming up next month. I'm going to be giving a reading at a local high school for the entire student body in an assembly. Actually, it's Yarmouth High School where I was principal 14 years ago. I'm going to have 450 kids for 45 minutes in the auditorium. If you've ever worked in a high school you probably know that one of the things the principal least enjoyed was assemblies. But I am confident that I can keep them tuned in and interested. But I'll let you know.
Those of you who have worked with me before know I'm a pretty lousy reviewer. But I will do my best. Those who know me also know that my style of writing is borderline poetry, prose broken into lines. People sometimes complain about that but it doesn't result in my changing my style. Just wanted to warn you that I may not respond too quickly to reviewers who want me to present a more poetic style. But let's wait and see.
It feels good to be back.
Hi, everyone. Some of you will probably recognize my name and others don't have any idea who I am, so I think I need to introduce myself. My name is Ken Nye, and my pen name is Ken Nye, too. (I do this so I don't get confused when I use my pen name and then can't remember who I really am.) I was a member of the EP family a while back , but I went through a period of petulance and ended up deciding that I would try to find a supportive group of local Mainers who were also interested in helping each other grow as writers. I have learned that the days of people with common interests actually getting together are gone. People's lives now are just too fast paced for that to happen. And, although there are a number of other poetry/writers' web sites out there, they are too impersonal. I have been working on Jim Furber's (the founder of EP) web site (TJMF Publishing) and enjoy working with the small cadre of poets there. Actually, I think a number of them are members of EP, too. I intend to continue working with them and Jim. But I never found a site comparable to EP. So, I'm sheepishly sticking my head inside the kitchen door, hoping the dog doesn't think I'm a vagrant,
Since I left EP, I have worked with Jim Furber on the production of my second book of poetry, "From the Heart: Poetic Reflections on Growing Old in Maine." My first book, "Searching for the Spring: Poetic Reflections of Maine," which came out in May of 2005 is now in the fifth printing. And I was just out in the garage counting the number of boxes of From the Heart that we have left, and there are only two boxes left of the first shipment of 14 boxes that we got in July. So that's going real well, too. (I have a great book rep., a young mother who makes a little extra money by promoting my books wherever she goes. She has them in gift shops and general stores, as well in book shops, all over southern and coastal Maine. I pay her phone and mailing expenses and $1 for every book that is sold from a site that she has set up for me. It's a very loosey goosey arrangement, but she's having fun, and so am I. Her name is Holly. Holly also sets up readings for me. She gets $25 for every reading she sets up and then gets $1 for every book sold at the r eading. I've done more than 75 readings now, have had a lot fun, met a lot of great people, and sold a lot of books.)
I have a really big challenge coming up next month. I'm going to be giving a reading at a local high school for the entire student body in an assembly. Actually, it's Yarmouth High School where I was principal 14 years ago. I'm going to have 450 kids for 45 minutes in the auditorium. If you've ever worked in a high school you probably know that one of the things the principal least enjoyed was assemblies. But I am confident that I can keep them tuned in and interested. But I'll let you know.
Those of you who have worked with me before know I'm a pretty lousy reviewer. But I will do my best. Those who know me also know that my style of writing is borderline poetry, prose broken into lines. People sometimes complain about that but it doesn't result in my changing my style. Just wanted to warn you that I may not respond too quickly to reviewers who want me to present a more poetic style. But let's wait and see.
It feels good to be back.