Author: edrebmann

A personal library for some may be a declaration of lifelong reading and scholarly pursuits. Certainly, it was for my father who when he left New England for Ohio in the early ’60s already owned thousands of titles. Only in his 90s, did he retreat from a large book collection as his living arrangements offered limited physical space and macular degeneration made reading difficult. I never knew him to willing give up books, and from tine-to-time I would find him wandering along the long shelves studying the titles – revisiting content and place where the book had been read, I always supposed.

He was not one to use a public library and in this we differ greatly as I take delight in the vast resources a metropolitan system offers. A library is a habit like buying books but Dad chose to live in rural New England and Ohio where libraries had few books. I live in Columbus, Ohio and pick up a half dozen books on hold each week. Some I read; others go back unread or closed somewhere in the reading.

My parents actively encouraged reading and buying books. Believe me, over a lifetime of serious reading, I bought many books. But I weed what I own routinely as an interest wanes. Having done so, I sometimes have to buy the same book again having misjudged my own interests. Well, buying a book again brings its own pleasure.

Not too long ago, I retired and weeded out a large number of books used as a teacher of filmmaking, history and digital media and design. I felt lightened and a little richer after selling these books at Half Price – gaining just enough money for two new books and dinner with Eleanor. My personal library is what I need for my work and interests as well as writings I read then read once more or which I plan to read.

For those of you only partly paying attention, summer is fading, kids are back in school. I am not, but I am back to working on my own and on others’ projects. This morning, I set some outward facing goals to go with the writing and media work goals that keep my head down. Yes, one was to blog regularly as I did as a teacher but without the routine, repetitive class and club activities

So I was texting a friend last night and in the midst of making things up wrote a PSA. It’s funny how much easier it is to write just off the cuff while being silly.

I might use it in my film class this year. Don’t you use it unless you ask. And give a nod to Ford, Sturges and Hawkes.

PSA
He swaggers in, lights a cigar, smokes it through the slit in his mask orders a shot of rye whiskey.

“Hey stranger, we don’t hold with masks here.”

The stranger turns, one hand on the six gun the other pointed at the local, “You will get back 6 feet” and he squares off.

“What’s your name, stranger”

The man hitched his hip, “it’s a long name, a foreign name. I won’t be here long enough to teach it to you. You might remember my nickname.”

“Call me Covid.”
And with that, he pulled a long  draw on the cigar, slipped his mask off and blew smoke long and hard through the room.

“See you around, boys. Give my friend Reaper my best when you see him.”

On my Fairbanks Media blog, I posted the 2nd podcast – War Poetry as part of the Poetry Reading Group. The next podcast – Love Poetry drops on June 14. You may listen at Not Much Podcast

Over in my other world as a teacher, I started a little group to read poetry – that is poetry by other than oneself. We’ll be meeting in a Hangout every other week to share and talk about what people bring. As part of this effort, I am going to try to do a supporting, short podcast of poems on the weekly topic. The PRG is part of a series of summer sessions noted at Summer Sessions The introduction is loaded below.