Quenntis Ashby's Blog
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Feb.05.2012
Decided to try using 3x5 index cards to get my daily writing work sorted out - logging in time spent writing on specific projects - to keep track of the work I do in front of the computer and in my notebooks. At this point I'll try anything to get more organized.
At the moment I have 7 blank index...
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Feb.03.2012
I'm wading through my writing and my poems,
Like digitally abandoned garden gnomes,
Left to multiply on the garden of my hard disk.
I'm tired of this disorganized risky style;
Haphazardly dribbling words in any old file
Undated and ambiguously named.
What to do about this state of...
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3 comments
Feb.01.2012
Yes, I've been away for a while - overwhelmed by my muse, kidnapped by my inspiration, and put to work for the love of words!
I wrote a poem today, which I'd like to share. Enjoy! It's still a first draft - but I don't mind sharing my work in progress here for comment (I have a tough skin...
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Dec.29.2011
I got 3 little transparent plastic boxes today - filled me me - my business cards - after a long time spent designing, redesigning, testing, printing, and finally... almost giving up!
I'll try add the image here...
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Dec.20.2011
I ran out of business cards and have been meaning to get another set printed but just had better things to do with my time. Two days ago I sat down and designed a new card - front and back. Yesterday I printed out a black and white version to run them by my students and my wife. Now I've got some...
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Dec.16.2011
When my daughter of 11 months fell ill last Monday, I had to take care of her instead of gently pushing her off to baby day care - as she's infectious and we don't want other little ones to fall ill too... what a joy to play with her when she felt better and to comfort her when she felt ill...
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4 comments
Dec.11.2011
Living as sugar free as possible means falling in love with turtles again; the type that fly; legs & neck extended to the max - hurtling...
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Sep.02.2011
There is a little rain that falls between and on the cars and scooters that zoot past in a rush to go where they want and never where they're needed. It bounces and slides off things like ineffectual insults. Deaf, but not unfeeling, some sheep look up from their daily grassmunching lives to stare...
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Aug.30.2011
it used to be that the post we got was carried to us by a snail (so it seems now) and delivered within days if not weeks if not months if at all... and the postman (erm... postal person) was the bringer of intimate contact with a loved one far away via a piece of paper containing some scribbled...
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Aug.29.2011
Yes. With a smile and a wink
and a "I-know-what-you-think"
look, you too can create contentment
in the people surrounding your amazement:
at life, splendid and splendidn't life,
of the kind with minimal strife, rife
with open-eyed open-hearted wonder
of the kind that tears depression asunder...
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Aug.27.2011
that little thing above your eye
that beauty spot you say?
no
that little thing above your jay too
that thing died ages ago you mumble?
no
you punch me in the eye and knee me in the jay
you punched and kneed me I gasp?
yes
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Aug.25.2011
She asks me this question. I don't answer.
I suck a thumb. Hers.
If I had teeth, I'd bite.
She asks me more questions.
I crawl away. Fall. Cry.
If she picks me up again... I'll kiss her for sure!
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Aug.22.2011
I'm busy working on my first fall MFA writing portfolio - due 15 days into September. It's a collection of poems titled "Hungry?" and it really feels good to be writing, re-writing, and editing poems I thought were finished or as good as they could ever be.
At the moment the book is split into 5...
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Jul.20.2011
Well, I slept after a long first day/night in Hong Kong. I spoke to one of the other students on the course and we plan to meet up for a pre-residency cuppa coffee to chat about writing writing writing and perhaps a little about each other... I slept in today - I didn't realise how tired I was...
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Jul.20.2011
I am now in Hong Kong - about to start the residency portion of my MFA in creative writing... Yay! I will try keeping track of my progress - but I might end up just doing an overview once the residency is over and I've had some time to absorb and digest all the info...
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About Quenntis
I was born in South Africa in 1976.
Dancing and Singing in CATS: The Musical was the highlight of my career. I also danced for Cape Town City Ballet and the Cape Dance Company.
I live in Taiwan now. When not teaching English, and writing poetry, I go for...
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Quenntis’s Favorite Books
Salamander