I can't stop giggling...

my sexy name, which is, umm, scarily accurate. yeah.

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interview q&a

Meme instructions, short version: If you want to be interviewed, say so in the comments, then post the resulting Q&As in your own journal, daring others to do the same thing. Bwahaha.

Questions courtesy of nanashi_jones:

1. As a teacher how have the upcoming generations impacted your view of society?

Hmm...I'm not really a teacher anymore, other than a preschool teacher and a mother. But I guess both of those have made me a bit more political, because I truly care about what kind of society today's children are inheriting. Also, a friend once told me that raising a child is one of the most political acts anyone can ever do, and I'm beginning to see why. I have to try to really live what I believe, and I have to be able to talk about it in a way my kids can understand. And I hope to influence them, and thus the future, in positive ways through my daily life.

2. Where did your love of poetry start; is there a story to it?

There really isn't. I have vague memories of writing it in second grade, for school, and thinking, 'wow, I can do this.' Actually it's usually a love/hate relationship...for reading, I'm more likely to pick up an interesting-looking novel or short story collection than a book of poems. But the ones that grab me really do - a well-written poem is just this singularly beautiful thing. And the ones I love speak to me for life; I can look at the same poem a year or five years later and see different things I love about it.

3. Could you cite some of your favorite poets and the quirks/skills/bits that attract you to them, please?

I love Mary Oliver for her ability to convey nature so accurately and beautifully, for how cleanly she describes certain aspects of living. I love Adrienne Rich, at her best, for how well she combines intellect and emotion. Margaret Atwood's ascerbic wit...Billy Collins's playfulness with language and overall tone...e.e cummings for the sex, of course ;-) ...Rumi's spiritual poetry...Marge Piercy for carrying me through some tough places...Shakespeare for the sonnets...

Closer to home, I'm in complete awe of toob, for having so much figured out already. jakebe's view of the world is one I love to read, and his poems shine with a genuine tenderness. lazarus_rat is amazing generally (sorry, Laz, it's a cop-out as I'm getting tired but I'll come up with something better to say soon) as is monkeyman for kick-ass prose poems as well as beautiful erotic images. And, of course, shaterri's poems have a special place in my heart...

And neither of these is a particularly exhaustive list...as soon as I type some I'm struck by how many more (Frost, Rilke, di franco, beautyofgrey, birdbard) were omitted from my initial pass at it.

4. I see "bhakti yoga" on your interests- how is this different from generic yoga and how did you get into it?

Bhakti yoga is about pure devotion to the divine, connecting with god/dess (as you perceive it/her/him). Traditionally, you can perceive this in a number of different ways (child to parent, lover to beloved, etc.) but I think the love and devotion and surrender are the most important parts. I don't know how well I do at this, but I try.

gleefulfreak introduced me to the teachings of an Indian spiritual teacher known as Amma (mama in Malaysian) and that's basically where I learned of the concept.

5. Do you hear what I hear? Yes, little lamb. *petpetpets in her best shepherdboy manner*

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