October 31: Fall Migration, Great Pumpkin, My Nobel Prize

In autumn the winding passage of ravens from the north heralds the great fall migration of caribou . . . 

The passage of ravens.  The great fall migration of caribou.  Autumn.

This morning, I heard a great flock of geese above me, loud as city traffic.  Honking and honking.  Heading away from winter, toward something warmer, something summer.  Perfect music for the beginning of Halloween.

It is late.  I have just returned from the great migration of trick-or-treating.  Both of my kids are in bed, and I am surrounded by plastic pumpkins filled with Milky Ways and Twix bars and boxes of Dots.  I am watching an episode of the new season of American Horror Story.  Believe it or not, I've never watched the show before.  It's a good way to end a windy, dark Halloween night.

The Great Pumpkin has come and gone.  It is time now to slip into November and Thanksgiving.  December is right around the corner, and Bob Dylan will be traveling to Sweden to receive my Nobel Prize.

Saint Marty wishes everybody a Happy Halloween.

May 19: A Cool Thing, Poetry Editor, "Web" Dip

So, a really cool thing happened to me last night.  I went with a friend to a bonfire.  This bonfire was hosted by the managing editor of Passages North, the university's literary magazine.  It was a wonderful night of s'mores and chips and Milky Way candy bars.  Lots of grad students and creative writing teachers in attendance.

As I was eating my first of several Milky Ways, Jen, the managing editor/host (and a sweet, wonderful person to boot), said, "So, Marty, would you be my poetry editor?"

The current poetry editor for PN (and another great friend) is retiring.  I knew that was happening.  I've been the senior poetry editor at the magazine for the last three years.  It's been a great time.  I've had a hand in publishing a lot of great poetry, including work by Donald Hall and Norman Dubie.

I was humbled and thrilled by Jen's offer, and I accepted it.  Of course.  I'm not an idiot.  In the fall, I will officially be the Poetry Editor of Passages North.  I guess my title right now would be Poetry Editor-elect.  Or something like that.

My question for the Good Book of E. B. White this evening is:

Will I be a good Poetry Editor of PN?

And the answer from Charlotte is:

"Special announcement!" said the loud speaker in a pompous voice.  "The management of the Fair takes great pleasure in presenting Mr. Homer L. Zuckerman and his famous pig.  The truck bearing this extraordinary animal is now approaching the infield.  Kindly stand back and give the truck room to proceed!  In a few moments the pig will be unloaded in the special judging ring in front of the grandstand, where a special award will be made.  Will the crowd please make way and let the truck pass.  Thank you."

Well, there you have it.  If a pig can get a special award, Saint Marty can surely hold his own as Poetry Editor.  Even if Charlotte's not around to help with the proofreading.

Seal of Approval

April 24: Final Exam and Chocolate

Today is the last day of one of my Intro to Film classes.  My students will be taking the in-class portion of their final exam in about an hour.  I've prepared them for it.  Nothing should come as a surprise.  I'm not one of these instructors who purposely puts difficult questions on an exam in order to trick students.  I prefer my students to succeed rather than fail (although, every semester, there are one of two students who, despite my best efforts, succeed in failing).

Usually, I hand out chocolate to my students on the last day.  I forgot to get chocolate, and it's too late to hit the store.  Therefore, I'm relying simply on my students' good will for positive course evaluations.  I haven't done that for a long time.  Chocolate has given me good scores for many a year.  Perhaps I can sneak out to Shopko on my way to class.  Pick up a few bags of Snickers or Milky Ways.  I know, I know.  I'm pathetic.

While my students are taking the final exams, I will be editing my poetry manuscript.  I have quite a bit of time to kill, and I have a few serious revisions to work on.  I only get one shot at this chapbook competition.  I really want to put forth my best efforts.

Saint Marty needs some luck.  And a bag of candy bars.

This kid has had some chocolate

October 31: Happy Halloween, Facetious Snowball, Worry Wednesday

My son's pumpkin

For, the people who were shovelling away on the house-tops were jovial and full of glee; calling out to one another from the parapets, and now and then exchanging a facetious snowball--better-natured missile far than many a wordy jest--laughing heartily if it went right and not less heartily if it went wrong...

Yes, I am writing about snow this Halloween morning.  That's the reason I chose the above passage from A Christmas Carol:  it's about snow.  I woke to a couple inches of snow on the ground and my car.  Thanks to Hurricane Sandy, it will be a white Halloween in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

I have nothing against snow.  If I did, I would not live in the place I live.  I would live somewhere warmer and less cold and white.  Like Grand Rapids or Kalamazoo.  No, I like this kind of weather, when it comes after October 31st (preferably after Thanksgiving).  However, since my daughter was born close to twelve years ago and I joined the ranks of trick-or-treating parents, I have frozen my candy corn off every Halloween.  It never fails.

Thus, my Worry Wednesday is about cold, heavy, wet, white precipitation.  The precipitation of which we dare not speak.  It is going to be a miserable night for candy begging.  We will make the neighborhood rounds, whether rain or sleet or snow.  Nothing will keep my children from their appointed duties of collecting as much free candy as possible for me...I mean, for themselves.  I have explained the Daddy tax to my daughter.  That's the portion of Halloween candy that fathers are entitled to collect on November 1.  In past years, that tax has been 20%.  This year, due to the economic volatility in Greece, the Daddy tax has been raised to 22.5%.  I haven't broken that news to either of my children yet.  It's the least they can do, considering the cold work ahead of me this evening.

I have other worries this All Hallow's Eve Wednesday.  The presidential election.  The devastation on the East Coast caused by Hurricane Sandy.  The Milky Ways I bought for the trick-or-treaters tonight (I don't want to surrender my Milky Ways to the grubby little goblins).  These are important issues, as well.

But Saint Marty's biggest worry is that stuff he shovelled off his windshield a couple of hours ago.  That stuff is going to make Saint Marty's evening pretty miserable.  As Tiny Tim says, "More snow?!  Jesus!"

October 30: At This Time, Rolling Year, All Souls' Day

"At this time of the rolling year," the spectre said, "I suffer most.  Why did I walk through crowds of fellow beings with eyes turned down, and never raise them to that blessed Star which led the Wise Men to a poor abode!  Were there no poor homes to which its light would have conducted me?"

I know I have used this passage before, but on this first episode of "Saint of the Week," it is particularly apt to touch upon Marley's penance as a ghost.  Marley wanders the world, seeing all the suffering and anguish he could have helped alleviate while he was living.  It is a terrible eternal punishment, to be in a constant state of regret and mourning.

On November 2, the Catholic Church celebrates All Souls' Day.  On this day, people on this planet can offer prayers and alms for those who have died who are "being purified in the sufferings of purgatory."  By offering these sacrifices, we can help the Marleys of the afterlife pass through the pearly gates and enter heaven.  Now, whether you believe in Purgatory and punishment or not, most Christian churches at this time celebrate those who have died in the past year.  In Mexico, it's a national holiday.  Dia de los Muertos.  That's the day where everybody dresses like skeletons and makes sugar skulls and goes to visit grandma and grandpa at the cemetery, usually bringing them food and drinks.  It's sort of like Halloween, except the trick-or-treaters are dead.

No matter what tradition you celebrate, the end of October and the first days of November are reserved for remembrance, for reflection on those you have lost.  It can be a solemn time, or it can be a time of celebration.  It depends on the culture and traditions.

So, whether you're eating Milky Ways or sugar skulls, or lighting votive candles, I wish you a peaceful All Souls' Day.

Saint Marty will end with a traditional Catholic prayer for this time:  Eternal rest grant to them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them.  May they rest in peace.  Amen, Marley, amen.

Happy Halloween, Good All Souls' Day, Merry Dios de los Muertos

March 20: Easter chocolate, hunger, and Psalm 12

Hello, my apostles/disciples/groupies.  I'm not going to spend a lot of time introducing today's praise psalm.  Let's just say, I was hungry.  This time of year is great.  It is the culmination of the chocolate seasons.  If you aren't aware of the chocolate seasons, let me list them for you:  Halloween (starts around late August); Christmas (starts directly after Halloween, lasts until January 1); Valentine's Day (January 1 to February 14); and then Easter (February 15 to Easter Sunday).  After Easter, it's all downhill when it comes to chocolate.  As you slide into spring and summer, that's Tootsie Roll time.  Now, I don't have anything against the Tootsie Roll, but by August, I would sell my firstborn for a fun-size, Halloween Milky Way.  Just for the record, the Milky Way is the best candy bar ever invented.  It's a gift from God.

Anyway, I have a book to read for teaching tomorrow; papers to correct; and family to spend quality time with.  Therefore, I will give you my poem for the day and sign off.

Saint Marty wishes you a good night and good chocolate.

Psalm 12:  Blessed Be Milky Way

Blessed be Twix,
     Cookie like manna at dawn,
     Gift of morning dew in the wilderness.

Blessed be M&M,
     Red, green, yellow, orange, brown, blue,
     Seraph, cherub, angel choir on the tongue.

Blessed be Snickers,
     Peanut of dirt and root,
     Color of desert sand, hunger, thirst, want.

Blessed be Payday,
     Salt along the shores of Galilee,
     Sticky as honey and locusts and sin.

Blessed be Almond Joy,
     Coconut meat, fragrant
     As Mary Magdalene's thighs at midnight.

Blessed be Milky Way,
     Caramel, soft lamb's skin,
     Chocolate thin as unleavened bread.

Blessed be Red Vine,
     Twisted blood, scourge, crown,
     Cross, streams of water, Cabernet.

Blessed be Cadbury Egg,
     Cracked, opened, stone rolled away,
     Resurrection cream, gold, white as spring snow.

Blessed be Milk Dud, Whopper,
     Blessed be Smartie, Pop Rock, Baby Ruth,
     Butterfinger, Kit Kat, Starburst.  Blessed be Hershey,
     Godiva, Ghiradelli, Lindt.  Blessed be.  Sweet Salvation.

Saint Marty and a gift from God