October 29, 2020 by .

Can a Book Make a Difference?

“Act as if what you do makes a difference, it does.” William James

Can a book make a difference? We are told our actions make a difference, but can a book, with diminishing print sales, lack of readership, and confusion about meaning, make a difference. This topic has been on my mind ever since I decided to donate part of the proceeds of my book of poetry about my partner who died of Alzheimer’s to the Alzheimer’s Association.

When I approached my publisher about it, she didn’t respond. When I approached the Alzheimer’s Association, they had never heard of such a thing and thanked me for the donation. When I told my friends, they asked if I thought I would sell enough copies to even form a decent donation.

So why do it? Some five million people are living with Alzheimer’s, and the number is growing. I never had it, but the disease killed my partner and wrecked my life ten years ago. It’s strange to write, publish and then read about this experience. I thought if I contributed something to the research, it might ameliorate this whole process.

I also found it hard to talk to people about the donation, because they may see it as some strange hero thing. On the other hand, it can also be viewed as self-serving as people may buy the book because part of the proceeds will go to the Alzheimer’s Association, but as Adele, when she was asked if she was nervous hosting Saturday Night Live, recently said, “But if there was ever a time for any of us to jump head first into the deep end with our eyes closed and hope for the best it’s 2020 right?”

My book, Touch My Head Softly, has two weeks left in pre-sales, that time when my royalty and print run will be determined. If you buy a copy, you will be getting a good collection of poetry and contributing to the Alzheimer’s Association:https://www.finishinglinepress.com/product/touch-my-head-softly-by-eileen-kennedy/

My book is also on Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/3609820860

I’ll be continuing to post announcements on Tuesdays and blog on Thursdays.

October 27, 2020 by .

Patricia Lee Lewis Writes 30 Poems in 30 Days

Patricia Lee Lewis, Writer Extraordinaire, is writing 30 Poems in 30 Days for the Center for New Americans for their Family Literacy Project. Patricia is the author of High Lonesome and a Kind of Yellow, which was awarded first place by Writers Digest International. She is the former director of the Patchwork Farm Retreat and has been the beloved mentor of many writers.

Check out Patricia’s donations page and give a contribution to this important cause:

cnam.org

October 22, 2020 by .

Book of the Day

I’m happy to report that Leah Maines, my Publisher at Finishing Line Press, posted my book on her Facebook Page as the Book of the Day.

Check it out:

https://www.facebook.com/leahmaines

Thank you Leah.

October 20, 2020 by .

Amherst Books Reopens

There’s nothing like your local book store for a writer. Here you find worthy books, interesting readings and events, and a place to sell your books.

Amherst Books is located at 8 Main Street in Amherst, MA. New Hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10 am to 4 pm. You can order books online at books@amherstbooks.com) or by telephone (413-256-1547,

They believe, and so do I, that books and bookstores are essential, especially in times of crisis. Support them or your local bookstore.

October 15, 2020 by .

A Suggestion for Writer’s Block

When I have writer’s block, I sometimes freewrite.

What is freewriting? A writing exercise in which you write quickly and continuously, with a free association of ideas.

Freewriting is a good technique to shut down your “inner censor” and let your writing flow. The idea is to put down your thoughts as they arise, without judging them, or the way in which they get expressed.

According to Peter Elbow, a founder of freewriting:

“If you want readers to breathe life into your writing so that they get a powerful experience from it, then you must breathe experience into your words as you write. I don’t know why it should be the case that if you experience what you are writing about–if you go to the bamboo–it increases the chances of the reader’s experiencing the bamboo. But that’s the way it seems to work.”
The basic technique is to simply write without stopping for a set amount of time, say 10 to 15 minutes. Don’t correct what you write. See what happens.

My latest collection of poetry is coming out soon. Check it out:

Touch My Head Softly by Eileen Kennedy – Finishing Line Press

When I have writer’s block, I sometimes freewrite.

What is freewriting? A writing exercise in which you write quickly and continuously, with a free association of ideas.

October 1, 2020 by .

Do You Use Your Dreams in Your Writing?

“In the writing process, the more the story cooks, the better. The brain works for you even when you are at rest. I find dreams particularly useful. I myself think a great deal before I go to sleep and the details sometimes unfold in the dream.” —Doris Lessing

I find since the pandemic, I have been dreaming a lot. I’ve been trying to use my dreams to generate new writing. I took a workshop about writing from dreams and it was really interesting,

I think the trick is to tap into that dream state without necessarily writing the dream literally. I may do a series of “dream” poems.

I am doing a zoom reading for the Straw Dog Writers Guild on Tuesday, October 6 at 7 pm as their featured reader. If you’d like to view, email wno@strawdogwriters.org for a link.

September 29, 2020 by .

Straw Dog Writers Guild Writers Night In October 6

Straw Dog Writers Guild will feature Eileen P. Kennedy on Tuesday October 6 at 7 pm. Kennedy will be reading from her new book from Finishing Line Press, Touch My Head Softly:

Writers Night In – Featured Reader Eileen Kennedy

The book is a collection of poetry about her experiences with her lover who died in his 60’s of Alzheimer’s Disease.

If you’d like to view, send an email requesting the link to:

wno@strawdogwriters.org

September 2, 2020 by .

Reading September 3 at 6:30 pm

This reading is Arts Night Out for the Emily Dickinson Museum, September 3 at 6:30 pm. I will read with two other excellent writers, Cheryl J. Fish and Kathryn Holzman. I think I’m up third.

The Facebook event is here:

https://www.facebook.com/events/309599143564557?acontext=%7B%22action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22page%22%2C%22mechanism%22%3A%22page_admin_bar%22%2C%22extra_data%22%3A%22%7B%5C%22page_id%5C%22%3A131680596860548%7D%22%7D%2C%7B%22surface%22%3A%22events_admin_tool%22%2C%22mechanism%22%3A%22events_admin_tool%22%2C%22extra_data%22%3A%22[]%22%7D]%2C%22has_source%22%3Atrue%7D

Here’s the link to my new book, Touch My Head Softly