Which Way Is the Country Moving Post-Election?

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John Cassidy, staff writer for the New Yorker, has an interesting blog post regarding which way the country is shifting politically. Cassidy’s post presents some evidence that is good news for progressives, especially in regards to ending trickle down economics and creating a fairer tax system. Cassidy cites a new poll from Politico/George Washington University showing that 60 percent of Americans now back higher taxes on those earning more than $250,000 a year, and 64 percent support raising taxes on larger corporations. He goes on to state that support for higher taxes on the rich extends across the political spectrum, and even among Republicans, there is almost a 40 percent backing for a more progressive tax policy.

Cassidy also notes that support for gay marriage is at an all-time high, referencing a Gallup poll conducted in late November that showed 53 percent of Americans now support gay marriage or some form of a civil union. However, it’s important to point out that on other issues, the country is not shifting that much. Most Americans do not favor major cuts to the Pentagon budget or increased government spending to create stimulus programs.

The blog post reminds me of some comments I’ve heard from friends lately, friends so sure the country is shifting to the left because Obama won re-election and the Dems gained seats in the Senate. Some of them have even stated it will be nearly impossible for the GOP to win national elections again. However, these conversations have occurred before, and history has shown the opposing party has a way of bouncing back. After Barry Goldwater was soundly defeated in the 1960s, it was said the GOP was dead, but after a generation, they bounced back with the likes of Ronald Reagan and George Bush I. Then, after losing to Clinton twice, the GOP resurrected itself yet again in the 2000s, maintaining control of Congress and the White House for a few election cycles.

Right now, the GOP has a lot of soul searching to do, and the party is in disarray. For the party to stay relevant, it is going to have to produce a broader range of national candidates, perhaps pushing to the national stage politicians like South Carolina Gov. Nikky Haley, Florida Senator Marco Rubio, or Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal. It can no longer be the party of old white guys. The party also needs to move more to the center, especially on social issues and the tax code, because as Cassidy’s reporting points out, the country no longer favors trickle down economics, and that is indeed a huge victory for progressives and a sign that on the tax system at least, the country has indeed moved to the left.

The left, meanwhile, needs to keep the momentum and organization used throughout the election cycle, especially to pressure the president to close Gitmo, truly draw down the war in Afghanistan, and create more economic stimulus. Without maintaining organization, activism, and discipline, the Democrats could face some major losses in 2014, especially since they will have more Senate seats to defend than the GOP. For the country to truly move forward on a number of issues, the movements that got Obama elected twice have to continue.

Don’t Forget the Indie Bookstores This Holiday Season

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The Atlantic has a wonderful feature story in its current issue about novelist Ann Patchett’s Nashville bookstore, Parnassus Books. The article, written by Patchett, makes a compelling case for indie bookstores and highlights how well her store is doing, so well that she has several orders to fill a day. The bestselling author notes that indie bookstores are a true benefit to the local community, especially since most of them host events and author readings that foster intellectual discussion and allow audience members to interact with writers and have books signed. When asked about the age of the e-reader, Patchett says that most indie bookstores do sell e-books, so it’s possible to shop at such stores and still read a book on your I-Pad.

The article made me miss the bookstores I used to frequent, especially Anthology New and Used Books in Scranton, which used to host several community events, before it closed in 2011. Any writer will tell you that having an indie bookstore in a community only makes for a stronger local literary scene. They provide a homebase, a meeting space, thus building community. Over the last few years, I’ve read poetry at several indie bookstores throughout the tri-state area. Here is a list of some of my favorites, and most of them sell stock online.

Sellers Used Books and Fine Art: Located in Jim Thorpe, this bookstore is run by fine artist, Randall Sellers. He has hundreds of books for sale, used and at a fair price.

The Doylestown Bookshop: This store mostly has new books, across all genres. It also has a strong monthly poetry series that includes one featured reader, then an open mic. The store’s website is easy to navigate, so you can shop from home.

Farley’s Bookshop: Located in the historic town of New Hope, this store has the most impressive selection of poetry I’ve seen at any bookstore I’ve visted in PA. Furthermore, the store supports several indie presses/publishers. It also has a strong, well-known monthly poetry series that includes a featured reader and open mic.

The Wise Owl Bookstore: Located in West Reading, this bookstore is quaint and small, but has some surprising, interesting selections and several community events.

Autumn Leaves Bookstore: This is a large new and used bookstore located at the Itacha Commons, in Ithaca, NY.  If you ever go there, make sure to stop by the record store in the basement and the Wise Owl Cafe on the top floor.

Caroll & Caroll Booksellers: Located in Stroudburg’s downtown, this store has rows and rows of used books, with a heavy concentration in fiction. It’s worth visiting if you’re in the Poconos, especially since the store doesn’t have much of an online presence.

RiverRead Books:  This Binghamton, NY-based store has several community events and a decent selection of stock that can be purchased online or at the store. Check it out.

I’m sure there are some stores I’m forgetting, but these are the ones I know well because I’ve read at them over the last year or two, and I came home with several books that I purchased. If you have an indie bookstore in your community, please support it. As Patchett mentions in her article, the success of indie bookstores depends largely on the power of the consumer and the choices we make with our money.

Looking for Poetry Books This Holiday Season?

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Every year, the poetry conference/festival/organization Split This Rock offers its recommended poetry books to close out the year. A lot of other organizations and publications do this, but out of all of them, I enjoy Split This Rock’s  recommendations the most. Like other years, this year’s selection is diverse, featuring a wide range of voices and styles; however, the presses/publishers are well-known and include Norton, Graywolf,  and the Pitt Series, among others. Some of the poets are just as recognizable, including Adrienne Rich, Lucille Cifton, Patricia Smith, and current Poet Laureate Natasha Tretheway, but there are some writers I’ve never heard of, including Eduardo C. Corral, whose book, Slow Lightening, was published by the Yale Series of Younger Poets. That is one I plan to purchase, along with Looking for the Gulf Motel by Richard Blanco.

These books make great presents, and for the most part, you’d be supporting an indie press/publisher. If you want to read the full list and descriptions about each book, click here. It’s well worth you attention!

A Forthcoming Anthology Dedicated to Hurricane Sandy Relief Efforts

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I wanted to share news with readers that the poetry press Unbound Content plans to release an anthology of poetry and prose focusing on the Jersey Shore. All proceeds will benefit Hurricane Sandy relief efforts. Here is more info about the submission process and the anthology:

CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS
 
In the wake of Hurricane Sandy, Unbound Content is publishing an anthology (title TBD) celebrating the Jersey Shore. The book, edited by poet Joanie DiMartino, is expected to release in late 2013, and proceeds from the sale will be donated to ongoing restoration charities. We are looking for prose, poetry, and artwork inspired by your recollections and reimaginings of the Jersey Shore. The focus should be more on love than loss, but send your best work for consideration. No restrictions or length limit on submissions, within reason. Send submissions to annmarie@unboundcontent.com and include JERSEY in the subject line.
 
Writers and artists do not need to be residents of New Jersey to submit work for consideration. Deadline for submissions is 3/31/2013.
 
Joanie DiMartino is the author of  two collections of poetry, Licking the Spoon, (Finishing Line Press) and Strange Girls, (Little Red Tree Publishing). She is the director of the Hidden Treasures Poetry Series in downtown Mystic, CT, and hosts the Soup & Sonnets Literary Salon for women. Raised in southern New Jersey, she holds history degrees from both Rowan and Rutgers. She has fond memories of summers at the shore, and is a true Jersey Girl.

Some Fall Publishing Credits

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It’s been a fairly productive fall for me in terms of publishing credits, so I thought I’d share some of the news.

Two of my poems, “Mr. Dobson” and “After Working Hours,” appeared in the print and online fall issue of Boston Literary Magazine. They can be read here.

Three of my poems, “At 18,” “Country Girl,” and “Road Fears,” appeared in the November issue of Foliate Oak Literary Magazine, which is run out of the University of Arkansas-Monticello. The poems can be read here.

Finally, three of my poems were published in the fall issue of Red Rock Review, based out of the College of Southern Nevada. The poems only appear in print. I’m especially happy to be part of that issue because there’s a lot of wonderful work in there, including an elegy about poet Ruth Stone, written by Dorraine Laux, winner of Guggenheim Fellowships and NEA fellowships.

I’m hoping to be just a productive and fortunate heading into the winter months and new year.

 

Salon.com Rips the Walking Dead Over Race and Gender Issues

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A few blog posts ago, I wrote about the 2012 election results and how this has been the year of the female voter and women’s issues.  Following the 2012 election and all of the discussion over women’s rights, Salon.com posted an interesting article slamming AMC’s hit TV show “The Walking Dead” over its portrayal of female and minority characters.  The article can be read here.

I will admit that I am a fan of the TV show, but I do agree with several of the points Salon raises, especially that minority characters are nearly invisible and women are reduced to domestic spaces and depicted as constantly needing protection.

Salon’s writer, Lorraine Berry,  analyzes a few of the main characters on the show, including Andrea, Lori, Michonne, and T-Dog, raising valid points about each. Regarding Lori, the writer is especially critical that Lori’s main role by the third season is only to carry Rick’s baby (or Shane’s), and she sacrifices herself to fulfill the pregnancy. She is not even given a choice as to whether or not she wants to have the baby in a world where its chances  of survival are slim to none.

Berry also points out that Andrea too is depicted as weak, especially at the start of the third season when she can barely survive on her own and has a gushing crush on the governor, probably because of the false sense of security and protection he provides, and who, like Rick Grimes, can be viewed as an example of a white patriarchy ruling in the post-apocolpytic world. This is quite a contrast to Andrea’s depiction in the comic; she becomes a sharpshooter and critical to the group’s survival, even as early as the prison arc. Meanwhile, the govenor’s right-hand man is Merle Dixon, absent from the comics, but one of the most outwardly racist characters on the show, frequently dropping racist and sexist slurs.

The writer does acknowledge that hope for a strong female lead  is introduced at the end of season two, when the katana-wielding comic favorite Michonne is shown during the last few minutes of the season finale. However, Berry points out that so far, her role has been reduced to a captive of the governor and his Woodberry crew, which doesn’t happen until a little later in the comic. Still, I have hope that the writers  will illustrate Michonne’s strength and perseverance evident in the comic, and she will indeed take on a grander role. I hope she  enacts vegence on the governor like she does in the comic, and I have my fingers crossed that she’ll take her katana to Merle’s neck.

Berry’s criticism extends to the shows few minority characters. The show’s only black character, T-Dog, has already been killed off. The only ones remaining, excluding Michonne and Glen, are depicted as prisoners or lackeys for the governor. This is another aspect where the show and comic differ. Throughout most of the arcs in the comic, the group has minority characters that are key to survival, but for whatever reason, they’re absent from the show.

The comic certainly avoids some of the racial and gender stereotypes and clichés that are prevalent on the show, which is surprising since the comic’s main writer also pens several of the screenplays. My hope is that these stereotypes and the white patriarchy Salon describes will change as this season progresses. Bigger, stronger roles should be written for Michonne and Andrea, once they flee Woodbury. Meanwhile, the writers should introduce a multi-layered minority character, like Tyrese or some of the others featured in the comic.

I am curious as to whether or not anyone else who has read the comic and watched the show has noticed a difference in regards to character development and gender and minority stereotyopes.

New Visions Writers Showcase

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If you’re looking for something in northeast, PA to do this weekend, then you should come to the New Visions Writers Showcase. It’s taking place this Saturday at 7 p.m. at New Visions Studio and Gallery, 201 Vine Street in Scranton. Here is a list of featured readers and their bios:

Barb Taylor completed her first novel, Provide Square, as a graduate creative writing student at Wilkes University. The book is set in her hometown of Scranton, PA, during the early 1900s, at the height of coal mining, Vaudeville and evangelism. Barb recently completed a draft of the second novel in her planned historical fiction trilogy. In September, she will begin her 26th year as a high school English teacher in the Pocono Mountain School District.

 

Kait Burrier has been a member of poetry and theatre communities in Scranton, Pittsburgh, and regionally in France. Kait’s drama has recently been staged at the Jason Miller Playwrights Project Invitational, Dyonisia ’12, and performed at Scranton’s Bonfire at the Iron Furnaces. Kait’s poetry has most recently been featured in the Voices from the Attic anthology and an e-chapbook, #GOODLitSwerveAutumn, released by the lit mag NAP. She completed her M.F.A. at Wilkes University.

Erin DeLaney teaches writing and literature courses at Misericordia University and other local colleges. She has her M.A. in creative writing from Wilkes University and is currently working on her first chapbook.

Marie Kane is the author of the chapbook Survivors in the Garden, published in 2012 by Big Table Publishing. Her poetry has been nominated for two Pushcart Prizes and has appeared in various journals including, Wordgathering, The Schuylkill Valley Journal, Hot Metal Press, the Delaware Valley Poets Anthology, The Poet’s Touchstone, The Meadowland Review, and the Belleview Literary Review. For twenty-eight years, Kane taught high school English in the Central Bucks (PA) School District. She has received an award from the National Foundation for the Advancement of the Arts and from The Scholastic Art and Writing Awards for teaching high school poets. Her poetry has won prizes in various competitions, including the Poetry Society of New Hampshire, Inglis House, and the Robert Frasier Poetry Contest. She has been a featured reader at the New Jersey State Museum, James A. Michener Art Museum, the International House in Philadelphia, and at many universities, bookstores, and libraries. Currently, she enjoys being the final juror in two scholastic poetry contests: the regional Montgomery County (PA) competition, and the national Sarah Mook poetry contest. She is the 2006 Bucks County (PA) Poet Laureate and lives in Yardley, PA, with her husband, Stephen Millner, a photographer and mixed media artist.

A writing fellow at Elizabethtown College, Richard Fellinger won the 2011 Serena McDonald Kennedy Fiction Award for his short story collection, They Hover Over Us. His short fiction has also been nominated for the Pushcart Prize and won the 2008 Flash Fiction Contest at Red Cedar Review, and his stories have appeared in many other journals such as Potomac Review, Epiphany, Willow Review and PANK. He has an MFA in Creative Writing from Wilkes University, and he lives with his wife and son in Camp Hill, PA.

Like always, the event is free, though donations to the gallery will be accepted. This will be the last Writers Showcase for a while, at least until late March. There are a few reasons for that. I, along with Jason Lucarelli, the other co-host, have a lot going on in our lives right now that we need to take care of.  Furthermore, because we usually have a lot of published writers that come from other states or other parts of PA, we don’t want to schedule an event in the middle of winter. We’d rather do the next one in spring, when we can rely on safer traveling conditions.

 

And That’s a Wrap

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As a canvass director for the Obama re-election campaign in Kingston, I have plenty of wonderful memories from the campaign, and I’ve made a lot of new friends in my community. I hope these relationships last a long time, well beyond Election Day. I’ve worked on a few presidential campaigns in the past, but this one was especially important to me because it reminded me about the importance of community, activism, and how important politics is, especially at the local level, knocking on doors, getting to you know your neighbors and talking to them about the issues. We finished the night at Bart and Urby’s in Wilkes-Barre, with a few celebratory drinks, and I was especially moved by the folks crying at the bar once the president was declared the victor.

Besides the president’s victory, progressives scored several major victories last night.

The Senate will have its first openly gay senator, after Wisconsin elected Democrat Tammy Baldwin last night.

Elizabeth Warren, who made her name known railing against Wall Street excess and lack of regulation, defeated Scott Brown last night for Ted Kennedy’s old Senate seat. Look for her to run for president a few election cycles from now. The base LOVES her, and she has a populist message that should resonate with millions of Americans. If Hillary doesn’t run, it’s possible Warren could be the nation’s first female president.

The two men that became famous because of their absurd and sexist comments about rape, Todd Akin and Richard Murdoch, lost their Senate races to women.

Tea Party darlings Allen West and Joe Walsh  both lost their House seats to Democrats.

Gay marriage amendments were passed in Maine and Maryland.

African Americans and Latinos voted in record numbers.

More young people voted this year than in 2008, and that group broke heavily for the president, despite reports over the last few weeks that young people were less likely to vote, and if they did, less likely to support Obama. Here’s an article that breaks down the youth vote more.

After women lost a slew of races in 2010, they won several races last night. The Senate will now have 19 female senators, the most in U.S. history. Check out more info about the new female senators here here.

In Pennsylvania, Kathleen Kane, a native of West Scranton, won the race for attorney general, making her the first woman and Democrat to ever win that office in the state’s history.

I think, when we look back on 2012, this will be remembered as the year of the female voter and the female candidate. According to early reports this morning, Romney lost the female voter by about 19 points.

In regards to some specific women’s issues, it’s likely that the issue of Roe V. Wade and a woman’s right to choose will be settled because the president will likely appoint two Supreme Court Justices, at the very least, during his second term, ensuring Roe V. Wade is not overturned. Meanwhile, Planned Parenthood will continue to be funded. It’s important to remember that legalized abortions are only about 2 percent of what Planned Parenthood actually does. For the most part, the organization offers health care screenings and medical care to uninsured and low-income women. So yes, it can be said that this was the year of women’s issues, of the GOP’s lurch to the far-right, trying to fight battles that were settled 10, 20, 30,  and even 40 years ago, and as a result, the Republican Party lost seats in Congress and lost the race for the White House.

Now Can We Discuss Climate Change?

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I hope everyone is safe and dry after Hurricane Sandy ravaged the East Coast. I’m still astounded at the damage it did, especially to New York City and the Jersey Shore. The pictures of the gutted boardwalk and destroyed rides are haunting and mesmerizing.  I hope everyone’s power returns as quickly as possible. It’s reassuring to see the president and governors of both political parties do their jobs to secure funding for the clean-up as soon as possible.

Because of Sandy’s destruction, I hope there is more conversation regarding climate change and greater action to address it. I remember a cover story  Newsweek ran a little over a year ago which stated because of climate change extreme weather is the new norm.  Yet, despite articles like Newsweek’s and countless research that has addressed climate change, the issue has been totally absent from the 2012 election. It wasn’t that way in 2008, however. Then candidate Barack Obama mentioned it several times in his 08 campaign, and even his opponent, John McCain, addressed it. Since then, when the Democrats had majorities in the House and Senate, they tried to pass a cap and trade bill that addressed the issue, but it was torpedoed by countless GOP filibusters. After that, there’s been little to no talk of the issue. The president, to his credit, has used stimulus money and tax credits to develop new, cleaner energy, but it’s not enough.

Now, however, there is an opening to bring back the issue, especially if the president is re-elected. Since the hurricane, reporters have started discussing the issue again. NY Gov. Andrew Cuomo and NJ Gov. Chris Christie, a Republican, have also mentioned it when addressing the hurricane destruction. This should allow the Democrats to address the issue again and the GOP to move more to the middle and accept science, even though Mitt Romney denounced climate change during all of those primaries last year. Sandy has proved that this country needs to get serious about the issue and start preparing, before the next catastrophe.

Sandy also raises one other important issue, and that is the role of the federal government. Reporters have brought up the point that in 2011, during a primary debate, Romney said states should handle emergencies on their own and there is no need for FEMA, due to its cost. Yet, we’ve seen with Sandy, that in times of crisis, the federal government is needed. The states can not handle the costs and clean-up on their own.  Not only has Sandy rekindled the debate over climate change, but also the issue of the role of government. Both are serious issues worth discussion, especially with a major election only a few days away.

Celebrating Halloween

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Every October, I try to make the most of Halloween because it’s my favorite holiday. This weekend, I plan to purchase pumpkin ale and watch some horror movies on NetFlix that I have yet to see, including Lovely Molly and Insidious, both of which are contemporary films that have gotten positive reviews. If you are looking for horror movies to watch on Netflix, there are several to choose from. If you want something classic, Netflix offers a slew of Vincent Price films, including The Masque of Red Death, House on Haunted Hill, and others. They also have some of the universal monster horror movies, including The Creature from the Black Lagoon.

Out of all the horror options on Netflix, I recommend Masters of Horror, a series that features 45-minute films by several well-known horror directors, including John Carpenter, Joe Dante, Dario Argento, Tobe Hopper, and others. Both seasons are available for streaming. Check out “Cigarette Burns,” “Jennifer,” and “Imprint.” Those  were my favorite in the series.

If you want to watch something from the 1970s/1980s (the best era in American horror cinema, in my opinion), check out AMC’s 24-hour horror movie marathon that runs from now until Halloween. They’ll be playing The Exorcist, Friday the 13th, and a lot of the Halloween movies, as well as reruns of The Walking Dead, with a new episode to debut Sunday night.

If you want something spooky to read, check out this column in  Electric City. I mentioned in the column “cemetary Nights V” by Stephen Dobyns as a good read for this time of year, but I also recommend Charles Simic and Mark Strand as some other poets to check out. They have plenty of work with unsettling, eerie, deep images.

As we await for the Frankstorm to hit the East Coast, there’s plenty of movies to watch and books to read to celebrate Halloween.