Pet Monologues

Poet and Storyteller

Passing for Normal. Stories and Poems—published 2004 (available for purchase)
Navigating the Night. More Poems and Stories—published 2005 (available for purchase)
CD—Sounds Like Lucia—produced 2007 (available for purchase)

Back to Creation. Free performance. Who was Harvey Crane. Washed up.

Lucia Blinn’s poems have been described as savvy, wry, truth-telling, hilarious, and, occasionally, rueful. Her stories are a rich stew of characters and images that stirs the reader’s or listener’s own remembering.
A quote on her first book: “Lucia writes of things you know then shocks you into really knowing them for the first time. Suddenly, what’s funny or sad, or annoying or powerful, feels fresh and newly observed.”

Her program runs 30-60 minutes, and books are available for signing.

In a previous career, Lucia was a creative director for advertising agencies in Chicago and New York.

Performances:

WBEZ/Writers’ Block Party/returning guest
Brandeis Book & Author guest/Sarasota 2007
Chicago Humanities Festival/2001
Guild Complex Gwendolyn Brooks prize winner/2003
Nat’l Foundation for Jewish Culture Literary Salon/2004
Heartland Spa—Gilman, IL/returning guest
Longboat Key Art & Education Centers
Bookshops and charity events in Chicago & Florida

For pricing/availability on books or CD contact: luciablinn@aol.com

Serving up quality prose about animals has been a mission of Pet Monologues from the start. Below are three of many contributing authors who provide our stimulating content. Find out a little bit more about them by clicking on their links. If you wish to contribute or wish to send stories/authors to Pet Monologues, it would be greatly appreciated. PM

Lucia Blinn The stories: Who was Harvey Krane?
John Grogan. The stories: Bringing in breakfast.
Eric Hawxby. The stories: Dead pet stories.
Ward McBurney. The stories: 1) Stupid. 2) Loftus. 3) Get up.

Call for submissions!

What is Caw to art?
A weekly collecting to showcase pets and animals in an ARTFUL manner. Images can be a photograph, fine art, a scribble, a sculpture. Words can be a poem, a monologue or short story, a quote. We’ll post links to sites that have images or words of their chosen animals. Humans can only play supporting roles. It may be your effort or someone else’s that really moves you. Could be for the artist in you¦

Still steeping…

PM will link to your post per usual. PM may also make a request for you to let PM substitute your images/words on the Caw to art! (C2a!) post. If you haven’t already noticed, all (most) PM images are 400px wide. See Image Specifications for more information.

Previous show: Caw to art! #35

When can we submit our work?
We will collect anytime but post on Wednesday through mid-day Friday every week, though the process may be subject to change.

Submission:
We will add your post to the list if you do one of the following:

* Leave a comment or trackback (may be moderated) to this post
* Use the Blog Carnival Submission Form,
* Email Pet Monologues or
* PM finds it during our weekly search of the web

Time permitting we will continue to process until the Friday Ark goes up on…Friday.

Image Specifications:
All images on PM are 400 px wide. Videos are 360 px wide.

Yes, there are several images that are really marginal, i.e., the ‘critter label” image is a good example of a bad image. Let’s try and do better than that if you don’t mind. Please submit 400 px wide or if you are unable to size yourself, PM will assist you.

Do link to the Caw to art whether you use trackbacks or not.

They said I’d get turtles if I kept the pieces
of broken streetlights in warm water.
So I put the magic shards in a bucket
in the basement and spent the evening in a vigil.
Down and up the stairs, changing the water
and keeping the powerful fragments
at an encouraging temperature.
I was old enough—ten–to know better,
but hope was stronger than sense.

It got late, time for bed.
The water would get cold during the night.
And that’s when I knew this precarious act
of spontaneous generation wasn’t going to work.
My need for sleep was stronger
than my need for turtles.

Lucia Blinn

Poetry and art by Meghna, age 12.

Once a little bird
Fell from the air
Lying near my feet
It was a sight of despair

Seeing it’s poor condition
Pity dwelled in my heart
“Oh dear birdie, don’t worry
For you care, I’ll impart”

I took him gently
In my hands
And carried him over
To my Aunt Mands

Oh sweety, you’ve
Done a great job
I’m sure your Uncle
Would love it after I mob

I’m sure he’d say it’s good
You can come after a while
You and Uncle can eat it
After he comes from his walk of a mile!

More about Meghna.

This post celebrates World Animal Day and Bless the Animals. Follow the links to learn more about PM’s initiative which started on October 4.

Nyctanassa violacea

Free Performance
Our resident Yellow Crowned Night Heron
perched on the pier at dusk and posed patiently
while I memorized her theatrical black mask.
After a time, she turned full circle, fluttered
an operatic fan of dark spiky wings,
opened a long pointy beak,
spat something that bounced hard
–a brown ruby, perhaps—
and flew off to another engagement,
charging absolutely nothing for the show.

Poem by Lucia Blinn

Phylum:Chordata Class:Aves Order:Ciconiiformes Family:Ardeidae Genus:Nyctanassa Source by New Hampshire Public Television/NatureWorks

Editor’s note: wonderful timing on this from our brilliant contributor Robbay. When I saw the cartoon I told him the pros and cons of this TV writer’s strike thing and what it is doing to me. Thanks Robbay!

created by A side of cartoons please

by Lucia Blinn

A body on the beach as long as my arms are wide.
Large glassy eyes crossed and staring in disbelief.
A family of round white barnacles
fastened to his hard brown hide.
Yellow marks like graffiti.
Paws outstretched. Tail too.
Poised to crawl but not crawling.
The tough old tortoise was never
meant to be seen like this.
Nor was he meant to be scooped
by the sand patrol who hauled him away
on an otherwise beautiful day.

About the author: Lucia Blinn

TGIF.
Check out the Friday Ark roster for this weekend. And Carnival of the Cats which goes up every Sunday and this weekend hosted by Justin’s Random Thoughts.

Submissions:
Sue Steiner submits Tales of Farm Life
Movie-cat submits We can’t stop here. This is bat country.
Movie-cat submits Cult movie Tuesday: Blade Runner Cat 2
Herbert Murrie “Il Fantino”
Pet Monologues finds The Poor Mouth Mimi
Pet Monologues finds Who was Harvey Krane?

We can’t stop here. This is bat country.
—Fear and loathing in Las Vegas (1998)

“Il Fantino” which is a jockey and his horse

Mimi

Still steeping…

…in the meantime. Questions? Comments? Editor’s note: please look at Comment 1 below for more C2a! details…

and while you are curating your submissions don’t forget Friday Ark roster for this weekend. And Carnival of the Cats which goes up every Sunday.

TGIF. One day later.

Check out the Friday Ark roster for this weekend. And Carnival of the Cats which goes up every Sunday.

and…

Announcing new carnival. Caw to art! #1 will hopefully go up Wednesday, November 7.