West Loop Coffee Shop

I had the chance to spend part of the day working at a coffee shop near the university where I dropped out of graduate school. (That’s another story for another time.) It was trendy and cool and filled with students buzzing with exams and anticipation. One particular group of students inspired today’s draft.

Text within this block will maintain its original spacing when publishedWhile it is true that the entire holiday album playing on repeat is a smooth listening, dubstep bell-heavy mess,that all the seats are barstool height aluminum,that the windows are adorned with coffee beans in Mason jars,suspended by weathered twine --It is also true that I can adore these humans,(even as my legs fall asleep on the metal chair)the three Greek-speaking men sharing the community table with me,who emphasize their words with easy touch,smile deeply into each other's eyes as their conversation weaves around the scented air.

The Stafford Challenge

Dear Ones — This is a newsletter about process. It is about creating and sharing even when the creation is not perfect, or done, or even coherent. It is my sincere hope that you are inspired to go and make your own art. To maybe offer a little nudge, I want to tell you about this thing I just signed up for:

I joined a poetry project called The Stafford Challenge. The Stafford Challenge is a commitment to join a community of poets (currently over 275 of us!) who are writing a poem every day for a year, starting January 17, 2024. This project is inspired by the legendary poet William Stafford who made it a practice to craft a daily poem.

I'd love to have you join me in it. You can learn more and sign-up at https://staffordchallenge.com

And, here’s one of the finished poems by William Stafford. I like to imagine this one started by encountering a friendly bird on a solitary walk.