poet Brennan Lukas announced at his blog a mission once he steps out of academe. I dig what Lukas is saying, and say, go man go.

which reminds me a bit about some notes I've been making toward, um, I dunno what, but hopefully a poem. Anna asked what I was writing, and I told her the working title of my notes "literary life."

--what's it about?

--um, you know. being a writer outside academe. unsanctioned.

--shit, ain't that a hobby horse with you?

well, it is since I've chosen, either consciously or unconsciously, to be a working poet. and what I mean by working is having a day job. and yeah, I know that there are many good writers out there that do have day jobs and are poets.

I love knowing that poet X is a janitor, or poet Y works in an office. there are no careers, in life or in writing. there are jobs one does to pay the bills and allow us to have a life. and that writing and reading becomes, hopefully, a life.

all this is redundant I know. but as poetry must be lived and renewed in the working lives of writers, so then does the definitions of a working writer. which reminds me of Eileen Tabios's wonderful work as a human being and writer. for here both are the same, and are so intertwined to be indivisible. at least, that is how I take her poems and her presence.

and so it was with great delight to read Eileen's shopping blog. that is what I'm talking about! good stuff and the evidence of her lists are also part my working notes. not her lists, I mean, but when I found her shopping blog today, I noticed that what she is doing there is also what I'm after in my notes toward, hopefully, some poems.