If my new novel gets off the ground, I’ll owe part of the success to the generosity of so many Bay Area writers who have provided me with an open forum in which I can read drafts of my work aloud and edit out what doesn’t work.
One of these writers is one of my Oakland neighbors, the poet and teacher Clive Matson, who invites writers of all stripes to his home on the second Friday of every month to read a piece they’re working on, or simply to read a favorite poem. Last night I had the privilege of hearing not only original poems and novels-in-progress, but also Richard Brautigan and Elizabeth Bishop. As someone aptly put it at last night’s reading: “You can do anything with a poem.
So I’d like to offer this post in tribute to Clive, whose poems and whose writing instruction book, Let The Crazy Child Write, is available on Amazon. He also offers writing retreats to the California mountains and to Costa Rica, which you can check out on his website. (He reports he has a few open slots for next month’s trip to Costa Rica.) Thanks to him, a lot of Bay Area writers, including myself, a writing at least a little bit better. Thanks, Clive!
