So good to have a permanent home for these images, alongside the words of New Jersey poet Nancy Scott in Issue #29 of BluePrintReview.

The flowers are from my patio garden. I took the photo back in spring 2010, around the same time as my April Garden Party. The checkerboard is part of a water feature in the Italian Gardens at Vancouver’s Hastings Park. That photo also dates back to 2010.

If you click here, you’ll see Nancy’s words—Diary of Pink—with the flower image above it. Scroll over the flowers with your mouse, and the squares will appear. It’s a “now-you-see-it-now-you-don’t” feature that brings the black/white image in and out of view.

If you click here, you’ll be directed to my emails with editor Dorothee Lang. We discuss the process of image selection; the search for images that speak to Nancy’s words.

For more images and words in diary form, watch the entire issue unfold, here.

Filed under: About All Publications, About Image Works Tagged: Black and White, BluePrintReview, Checkerboard, Diaries, Flowers, Photography, Plants, Publications ]]> http://karyneisler.com/2012/03/22/flowers-squares-blueprintreview-29/feed/ 2 Living ?s Click Here http://karyneisler.com/2012/03/20/3-peace-in-a-pod/ http://karyneisler.com/2012/03/20/3-peace-in-a-pod/#comments Tue, 20 Mar 2012 06:56:40 +0000 Karyn Eisler Highlights]]> http://karyneisler.com/?p=9106 ]]>

It was a warm summer day and I went for a walk. I looked down at the ground, and there it was: ‘peace’ on the sidewalk in chalk.

Three versions of that image are connected above,
and in solitude at VisuaLiving–my photo blog:

Peace 1 / Peace 2 / Peace 3

When I feel off-balance or a sense of dis-ease, I recall that day I saw peace at my feet. I conjure the feeling of the smile on my face, and imagine the joy of the person who took time to etch peace on concrete for passersby to see.

Filed under: About Image Works, VisuaLiving > Highlights Tagged: Chalk Art, Graffiti, Inspiration, Joy, peace, Photography, Wishes ]]> http://karyneisler.com/2012/03/20/3-peace-in-a-pod/feed/ 0 Living ?s http://karyneisler.com/2012/03/10/reconnecting-with-my-senses-in-heviz/ http://karyneisler.com/2012/03/10/reconnecting-with-my-senses-in-heviz/#comments Sat, 10 Mar 2012 06:11:36 +0000 Karyn Eisler http://karyneisler.com/?p=9028 ]]> My memory of Hévíz—a Hungarian spa town—is a memory of sensation. My time there is sacred. It’s not a particularly “exciting” time; it’s a rejuvenating contemplative retreat more than anything. For close to a month, my routine consists of eating, walking, resting, sleeping, soaking in mineral hot springs, and receiving wellness treatments (massages, mud packs, etc.). For me, it is bliss. It’s the closest to I get to God.

On more than one occasion I’ve gone there to disconnect from life-as-I-know-it where I live; to disconnect from computers; phones; responsibilities. Solitude is available in large quantities. I slow down. I stop thinking. And when I stop thinking, I begin to sense life in and around me in ways I tend to overlook during the rest of  the year. What I find through disconnection is a reconnection with the language of my senses—and nature.

For example …

From my window each morning
I hear and see:

.

.

From the cobblestone streets
I watch and listen:

.

.

From the lake—a thermal lake—
I feel my skin enveloped in heat and liquid nutrition:

.

.

I smell
sweetness in the earth; air; trees:

.

.

Well … there’s earth, air, and trees in that video, but you can’t really smell them.
Perhaps one year I’ll capture the scent and share it here …

~

This post was prepared for:
Language > Place Blog Carnival #14:
Locating the Senses in Language / Place

Unexpected engagements. Misleading social markers. When they coincide, they crack the solidity of my own taken-for-granted assumptions.  They raise questions and contain the potential to move me, transport me, to shift my perceptions.

My story entitled ‘Impromptu’ details such an encounter. It happened in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. Here’s an excerpt:

It was one of those clear March days when dozens of crows line the branches above the stop and defecate on unsuspecting folk waiting for the southbound #3 — a typical 2pm in Vancouver at the corner of Hastings and Main.

The full story appears in Real Time—the nonfiction pages of Australia’s Pure Slush literary magazine. Here’s the direct link:

Impromptu

A special thanks to
Pure Slush editor Matt Potter.

A special thanks also to BluePrintReview for this #StorySunday accolade:

Do you recall any first impressions that concealed a story you never suspected?
Any engagements that cracked the solidity of your own perceptions?

Hadn’t settled on a favorite color until asked about it the other day.
That’s when Matt Potter popped the question, out of the blue–he’s the founding editor of Australia’s Pure Slush literary magazine. Under pressure to answer him, I did,
after thinking it through.

Matt’s question is part of  “The Hue Questionnaire”–a ritual interrogation of all authors whose words appear in the journal. My creative nonfiction flash entitled Impromptu will go live on the site February 25th. My thought colors, however, have already appeared:

The Hue Questionnaire

Pure Slush features writers from around the globe, including
Nicolette Wong (Hong Kong), Marcus Speh (Germany), and Susan Gibb (USA).

If you haven’t already, check out their work and favorite hues.

It’s up and swimming … and soaking … relaxing and renewing:

Spas Baths Hot Springs

This new tumblr site is devoted to spa culture, where ‘spa’ refers to: healing waters, therapeutic treatments, hot springs, mineral springs, health spas, etc. Thought it might be nice to gather ‘spa’ things, with like-minded individuals.

Something to share?

Feel free to submit things on this topic. Could be photos, quotes, links, videos, poetry, fiction, news, art, research, etc. If accepted, please be patient.
It could take a few days to appear.

For me, the year began in reverse …

with the re-publication of a poem in the new Reprint Poetry–a journal with a mission to
“provide an additional home to previously published poems that deserve to be read again.”

dinner for 2 in Vacation town > Reprint Poetry

The poem was originally published in BluePrintReview alongside a photo by Claire Ibarra. I blogged about the original publication here. So good to see this poem with two homes–both an urban oasis and country villa, so to speak.

There’s an interesting mystery with Reprint Poetry—the make-up of the editorial team. It’s a long shot, and for whatever reason, I’m
guessing those involved are from Vagabondage Press. Fawn Neun, perhaps?

Hmmm…based on feedback, my guess is incorrect.

This one is all about blog-hopping. Funny how it goes…

It began with three photos I’d posted over at my image gallery VisuaLiving. I later decided to feature them together in a blog post here at Living ?s. I snapped the photos on a walk I’d taken while preoccupied with planning a trip and escaping. At some point, I returned to the present and realized the beauty I was missing while daydreaming.

Meantime, Dorothee Lang was in the midst of editing a BluePrintReview issue on the topic of  ‘challenge’.  She’d stumbled across my post containing my images and musings. Apparently, the post fit well with her theme, so she published it as an issue preview in the literary and visual art journal’s blogzine.  The feature highlights my post at Living ?s, and links to the photos at VisuaLiving. From blog to blog to blog. Dizzying.

The challenge > just a moment

As for the ‘challenge’ issue of BluePrintReview, here it is.

Contributors include:

Arlene Ang, Marcia Arrieta, Jenni B. Baker, Alex Bernstein, Jessie Carty, Jeff Crouch,
Julia Davies (+1), Daniela Elza, Susan Ersinghaus, Susan M. Gibb (+1), Stephen Hastings-King (+1),
Rose Hunter, Claire Ibarra,(+1), Ron Kostar, Sherry O’Keefe, Kim McMechan (+1),
Jean Morris, Brigita Orel (+1), Ron Riekki, bl pawelek (+1), Rouchswalwe, Ray Scanlon,
Nancy Scott, Michael J. Solender, Steve Wing (+1), Mary Stone Dockery

Some folks are penny wishers, others are star wishers.
If you prefer stars, here’s a chalk star to wish upon …

~

This is a re-post from a couple of years ago. Thought I’d revisit it now–
at a time of year devoted to intentions, resolutions, success plans.
Sometimes, perhaps, it’s better to drop the effort and hope for something grand  …

The cat’s name is either Teddy or Red–not sure which.  It’s tough to tell in a close-up like this. Both cats keep company with my parents in Calgary. The folks invited them into their home when they realized they weren’t getting grandchildren.

I took this photo a couple years back. I assumed it was sitting in my archive, secure. Much to my surprise, one of the cats–Teddy or Red–escaped and moved into Rose Hunter’s poetry journal.

Here’s the link:

Teddy or Red > YB Poetry Magazine Blog

For a larger version of the image, go here.

If you’re into animals or poetry or both, the YB Animals Issue is worth checking out…