Fringe Slamming

by Catherine Giordano

I took 3^rd place in a poetry slam at the Orlando Fringe Festival. My score was only one point lower than the scores of the winners.

Slam Poetry is high energy performance poetry. Think of a rant, only with poetic technique.  Extra points for bawdiness.  There is a strong emphasis on story-telling, emotion, and rhythm. The poems are often humorous. If rhyme is used, it is manic rhyme. (You may have your own definition—this is my definition based on the slams I have attended.)

I hadn’t planned on entering, but the organizer needed more performers and asked if I could help out.  I hadn’t memorized or rehearsed. I had to read the poems from my book, The Poetry Connection. I had a couple of poems that could (just barely) qualify as slam poetry, so I took the stage.

My first poem was “Embracing My Inner Crone.” It details all the indignities and insults that nature inflicts upon the aging body, but ends on an upbeat note. I made it to the second round and performed “Old Witches Never Die,” a poem where I use witches as a metaphor for negative emotions like hate, shame, and envy. At the end of the poem, I urge everyone to commit witch-a-cide.

The other performers were magnificent; I felt totally outclassed. But for whatever reasons, the judges gave me high scores--scores comparable to the scores of the other performers. Maybe because my poems were more philosophical.  Maybe they just didn’t want to hurt my feelings. Maybe they were a little drunk--we were right next to the bar tent.

After a few of the competitors were disqualified for going over the three-minute time limit, I found myself in the semi-finals.   

It didn’t appear to be a serious contest. The prize was a chocolate Easter bunny. (Often slams offer substantial cash prizes.)  This slam was just for fun. Everyone appeared to be having lots of fun, especially one of the judges, an actress in one of the Fringe Festival plays, who rendered her judgments in character. 

I had a lot of fun. Thank you, judges, for your high scores.  Even with low scores, I would have had fun. But high scores made it a lot more fun.

I can’t wait for the next slam. I’m going to rehearse and memorize and work on a delivery that wows the audience.

Book Review Ballyhoo

The anthology--Not Your Mother's Book: On Being a Mom--which includes my story, "The News Gazette, a newspaper in Illinois.
Accidental Kidnapper," received a favorable review in the

There are 64 stories in the book. The reviewer singled out my story for praise.  My story was the first one mentioned and got about three times more words than the other three stories.  The reviewer seems to have really connected with my story.

I feel so proud.

Read the review by clicking the link below.

64 MOTHERS SHARE THEIR STORIES IN FUN BOOK

CLICK HERE  to look inside on amazon.com

A Mother's Day Gift

By Catherine Giordano

I got my Mother's Day gift today

I received my 10 copies of Not Your Mother's Book: On Being a Mom the publisher sends to contributors.  I dropped everything in a rush to see my story in print  Then I read a few other stories at random.  I was so impressed.  What an honor to be included in this book with these other great authors. 

Every mother or mother-to-be or everyone who has--or who has ever had--a mother will enjoy these stories.  

I will thank my son for this gift.  Without him, I wouldn't have had a story to tell.  And I would not have had the wonderful experience of being a mother.  His mother.

Use  the link in the text above to go to amazon.com to "look inside" or to order a copy. 

P.S. Don't let the cover fool you into thinking that these stories are about mother-child conflict. The stories cover the joys as well as the trials of motherhood. Some of the stories are sweet, but never sappy. Some of the stories touch on the difficulties of motherhood, but there are no sad or tragic stories.  All the stories are fun reads for contemporary times. 

I Took First Prize

By Catherine Giordano

Forgive me. I have to show off. I took first place in The Maitland Poetry contest on Friday. There were three judges and the poems were judged without the poet's name attached to insure it was a fair contest.

It was only a small contest—only 20 poems were entered. But some of the best poets from the Central Florida area were in contest. To top it off—there was a cash prize. So now I can say I have actually earned money from my poetry.  (Not counting the money I have earned from the sale of my poetry books.) 

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I want everyone to know about my success.

Please click the amazon shopping cart (above left) to buy from amazon.com,

maybe even one of my books.

This poem, “Safe Harbor,” has a long history. It became about two years ago as a prose piece written to a prompt a writing workshop. It felt poetical so I transformed it into a poem.  Every few months, I’d go back to it and revise it.  It’s been revised about four or five times.

I almost didn’t enter the contest.  A friend reminded me about the contest the day before the deadline.  On the final day, I tweaked the poem again, and I submitted it via the internet.

The theme was “Explore Your World.” I thought this poem about sleeping on a sailboat—“Anchor your sailboat in the crook of a cove” it begins. But like many poems, it veers off in an unintended direction. It turns into a poem about the place of the earth in the universe and it’s about the earth being our mother. It ends “Sleep in the womb of the world.”

The poem may have won the contest, but the poem continues to be a work in progress.  I thought of another revision last night.  

I've gotten great reviews for my first book of poetry, The Poetry Connection.  Check them out at amazon.com

 

Just in Time for Mother's Day

Buy this book on amazon.com

The book is finally out!  Not Your Mother's Book: On Being a Mom is available in print.  It includes my creative non-fiction story "The Accidental Kidnapper."  The story takes a look at how it feels to be adopted as an "older child."  My son was 5 years old when I adopted him.  (I think the story title gives it away a bit.)

It is available on amazon.com.  (It may say "available for pre-order," but that is just a lag in the system.  The publisher tells me that amazon has copies right now.)

I should be getting my own hard copies in a few days now.  I can't wait to hold it in my hands and see my story in print.  also, I'm looking forward to reading the other amazing stories by the other moms. 

The book is also available as an ebook on Smash Words and as a Nookbook on Barnes and Noble. 

\Mother's Day is coming up.  This book makes a great gift.
Flowers wilt and die. Candy gets eaten (and goes straight to the hips). A book is forever.

Please use my links on this page to buy it. And that will be your Mother's Day gift to me.

My Latest Publishing Credit

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by Catherine Giordano

The official release date for a new  creative non-fiction anthology, Not Your Mother's Book: On Being a Mom, is April 8, 2014. It includes my story, "The Accidental Kidnapper."

It is a story about my son John and his adoption from Guatemala at the age of five. It provides insight into how a it feels to be adopted--a little like being kidnapped.

I hope you will buy the book when it becomes available.  It will be in bookstores and on amazon.com.  

When you buy it, be sure to use the link on my website. Just click on the amazon.com shopping cart logo on the top left side of the page and then shop as you normally would. (P.S.: you can use that link whenever you buy from amazon.com.  I earn a small commission and it doesn't cost you anything extra.)

A Story of Love

I'll be doing a presentation at the Maitland Public Library on Sunday, February 2, 2014 at 3:00 pm titled “A Story of Love,” The event is free.  Free refreshments will be provided.

The presentation begins with a dramatic retelling of a Native American folk tale.  The storytelling is followed by a discussion about what the story can teach us about relationships with our loved ones.  The presentation is suitable for all ages.

The Maitland Public Library is located at 501 South Maitland Avenue, Maitland Florida 32751.  Reservations are suggested, but not necessary. The phone number is 407-647-7700.

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