Stories from
(Barbary Apes- Gibraltar)
Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse
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(Cape Neddick Lighthouse- Maine)
JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Still a little vexed from yesterday.
CALLIOPE: On what account?
JOE: My backup computer caught a virus which took me a while to erase.
CALLIOPE: Where did it come from?
JOE: Strangely enough it seemed to be living in an anti-spyware program I downloaded.
CALLIOPE: Odd. But now it's fixed?
JOE: Seems to be. My main computer should be back shortly, but I have spent an inordinate amount of time on technology lately.
CALLIOPE: Have you had time to do anything else?
JOE: I painted yesterday (Cape Neddick Lighthouse, Maine) as well as doing some weeding of my apartment.
CALLIOPE: What have you found?
JOE: Old files I no longer need, clothes I don't wear any more and books.
CALLIOPE: Is it hard to let go of books?
JOE: That's the most difficult part for me. I have quite a collection of writing related books which I think I will keep as well as some of my favorite fiction which I keep for sentimental reasons. I could always borrow the fiction books from the library if I need them again. Still it's hard to let them go. Talk with you tomorrow.
Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse
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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Fine. After a deluge last night, the sky is clear blue with a few friendly clouds. I am feeling at peace and optimistic.
CALLIOPE: What brought all this on?
JOE: I have been contemplating my conversation with Gerry which we discussed yesterday. I think he is right that to some extent my early conflicts still plague me.
CALLIOPE: Which conflicts?
JOE: The ones which made me feel it was my responsibility to make sense of the world and to some extent contribute to saving it.
CALLIOPE: Rather messianic isn't it?
JOE: Now that you mention it, yes. I took it upon myself to contribute to making the world a better place in which to live. I chose to do this through my writing.
CALLIOPE: Wherein lies the conflict?
JOE: Despite what I have done in my own small way, I see the world as largely an egocentric pursuit by many of its denizens. It seems most people care mostly about themselves and not so much about others. Pursuit of what they want seldom seems to involve consideration of others' needs.
CALLIOPE: Is it you job to change this?
JOE: I am coming to realize that it is not. I think I have made suggestions in my writing of alternative ways to live including a better harmony between our own lives and those of others. But it is not up to me to make the world a perfect place before I leave it.
CALLIOPE: Good realization. So what now?
JOE: I will continue to offer any suggestions which occur to me for consideration of anyone who will listen. I will also concentrate more on enjoying the world as I find it. Talk with you tomorrow.
(My grandson Joey at Strong Museum)
Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse
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JOE: Good morning, Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I take it your backup computer is behaving this morning.
JOE: It is. Nice to be with you.
CALLIOPE: What's on your mind today?
JOE: I had an interesting conversation with my friend Gerry yesterday.
CALLIOPE: What did he have to say?
JOE: His comments were about my exchanges with you. He knew me many years ago when I was trying to figure out the meaning of life and what to do with mine in particular.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: He saw our conversations as reminiscent of my earlier struggles. To him it sounded like I was still locked in the same struggles which plagued me then.
CALLIOPE: Do you agree?
JOE: I had to stop to think about it. I was not aware of the similarities before he mentioned them. In some ways he is right. I still have many of the same questions about the meaning of life, how it should be lived and what makes people act as they do.
CALLIOPE: Do you think you have changed over the years?
JOE: The questions are still the same. Maybe my challenge is to spend my life pondering the same questions and keep coming up with little insights about them. In that sense I haven't changed. However I don't feel the desperation I once felt to have the answers. I now look on the same issues as life's mysteries. I can contemplate them and explore possible explanations but don't feel a life and death struggle or that my life will self destruct if I don't find the answers immediately. I think I have become more patient over the years.
CALLIOPE: What do you think he was getting at?
JOE: I think he would like to see me be able to relax more and enjoy life rather than being locked in a struggle to understand it. He encouraged me to explore activities such as painting which I did briefly and then jumped right back into the fray with my writing. I think I will do a little painting today. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Public Stocks- Renaissance Faire)
Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse
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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I wondered what became of you the past few days.
JOE: I thought you might. I took my computer in for service and thought I could use my backup computer to contact you.
CALLIOPE: What happened?
JOE: It's a long story. Suffice it to say that it took me until now to get Internet service working on my backup computer.
CALLIOPE: Glad to have you back. What's been going on?
JOE: I spent Saturday and Sunday at Honeoye Lake, one of the Finger Lakes, with Carol and friends.
CALLIOPE: A little vacation?
JOE: Very short but quite enjoyable.
CALLIOPE: Any work on your writing?
JOE: I did some reading, more of Poisonwood Bible. I also wrote in my journal but that's about it.
CALLIOPE: Where do things stand with Marital Property?
JOE: My backup copy is not quite up to date so I will wait until I get my good computer back, hopefully tomorrow.
CALLIOPE: An in the mean time?
JOE: I have some cleaning and organizing to do around the house. I think I will work on that for today. I'll talk with you tomorrow if everything is still working.
(Kitchen orchids)
Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse
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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you feeling today?
JOE: Much better than yesterday.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: I think I was suffering from writing withdrawal for a while. Yesterday I wrote a column and worked on revisions for Marital Property. By the end of the day I felt like a writer again.
CALLIOPE: Maybe you're right. Writing seems to have gotten into your bones.
JOE: I seem lost without it. I think writing has become part of my identity.
CALLIOPE: What are you working on today?
JOE: I posted my column this morning and started work on Marital Property. I also visited a few writer sites and found I had neglected to post two stories, Child Bride and Or Not To Be on Writer's Cafe. I would like to get them up today as well.
CALLIOPE: You seem to have plenty of irons in the fire.
JOE: Astute observation. It's what keeps me feeling alive. Sometimes I wish I could just relax and not feel pressure to accomplish anything.
CALLIOPE: Why don't you try it?
JOE: Every time I do, I get restless after a day or two as I did this week. I guess I just need to keep busy. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Sunset- Key West)
Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse
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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Getting back into the routine. Yesterday was taken up with financial arrangements and other tasks which kept me from my literary endeavors.
CALLIOPE: And today?
JOE: I couldn't face you until I had at least finished my column for this Saturday. I wrote it on Dealing with Stress and Its Discontents.
CALLIOPE: Vaguely reminiscent of Freud.
JOE: Very astute. I have never been a great fan of Freud but I found a couple provocative statements in the introduction to Civilization and Its Discontents which formed the basis for my column.
CALLIOPE: What, pray tell, were the statements?
JOE: One was that people would rather suffer than change. The other other was that as long as there is culture people will be unhappy.
CALLIOPE: Rather pessimistic I'd say.
JOE: That was my first reaction as well. I went on to explain how much of our stress seems to arise from our unrealistic expectations about life.
CALLIOPE: That's it?
JOE: No. I suggested some alternative ways of viewing and handling our life circumstances.
CALLIOPE: That's better. I'm looking forward to reading it.
JOE: You will find it on my website on Saturday. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Road through the Rockies- Colorado)
Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse
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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Ready to get back to my routine after a whirlwind few days. Yesterday was taken up with chauffeur and yard work duties.
CALLIOPE: What's on the agenda for today?
JOE: I have a column to write.
CALLIOPE: Have you chosen a topic?
JOE: I had an idea about addressing stresses and strategies.
CALLIOPE: What do you plan to say?
JOE: I said it was an idea. It sounds catchy but I'm not sure what I will say yet. I guess I will have to start writing and see what comes out.
CALLIOPE: Sometimes that's the best approach. Any other ideas in the hopper?
JOE: I have been wondering about all the murders and suicides, sometimes at the same time. I think I would like to explore this more before writing about it. I also wonder about people rushing to get somewhere and missing the experience of life in the process.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you have enough ideas for a while.
JOE: I guess I do. I will just need to let them percolate until I am ready to address them.
CALLIOPE: Sounds reasonable. Good luck with all of them.
JOE: And your inspiration is also appreciated. Talk with you to tomorrow.
(Statue of Bull Rider- Cheyenne, Wyoming)
Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse
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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I thought we were to talk on Saturday.
JOE: We were. However it turned out to be a nicer day than I thought it would be and I decided to go the air show with my son.
CALLIOPE: I guess I can't compete with family. What's going on in your writer life?
JOE: I continued the theme I started last week, evaluating where I am with my life, including my writing life.
CALLIOPE: Have you reached any conclusions yet?
JOE: Not really. I don't want to rush the process. There's no hurry.
CALLIOPE: I guess not. Any work on your writing?
JOE: Not this weekend. I have been busy with people- Air Show, church, visiting friends.
CALLIOPE: It's good to be with people. As I recall that was one of the areas of your life you wanted to expand.
JOE: Correct. I also had a chance to do some reading- Poisonwood Bible and The Power and the Glory.
CALLIOPE: I don't recall you mentioning the second book.
JOE: I haven't. It is about the abuse of power in the reign of Pope John Paul II, whom many people revere as a saint.
CALLIOPE: What does the book say?
JOE: Despite the reputation, he ruled with a conservative iron fist. That was not a surprise. The papacy certainly has had a checkered history. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Rocky Mountains- Estes Park, CO)
Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse
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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Fine. I'm off to a good start.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about it.
JOE: I have been thinking that it's time to consider where my life is headed and whether I'm satisfied with my direction.
CALLIOPE: How far did you get?
JOE: Not very far other than having the idea. I thought about it this morning and remembered the guided journal, What Really Matters to Me by Robyn Conley-Weaver.
CALLIOPE: Did you complete the assignments?
JOE: No. I just started the journal. I think that was when I switched to a regular journal and eventually to our conversations.
CALLIOPE: So now what?
JOE: I will review the journal. I think it might give me a framework for re-evaluating where I stand right now and where I'm headed.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a good idea. Why now?
JOE: Several reasons. I am planning a move fairly soon and I have been weeding out the detritus of my life- deciding what to keep and what to discard. That has brought to mind reconsidering my life direction. I also feel a little unfocused and sometimes overwhelmed by my daily activities. Time to get organized.
CALLIOPE: I'm all for it.
JOE: I plan to start this morning. I'll keep you posted. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Original Erie Canal Lock- Lockport, NY)
Conversations with Calliope-Dialogue with My Muse
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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Okay. I am coming to some resolution of my video camera mystery.
CALLIOPE: How so?
JOE: I visited the dealer yesterday and learned that the camera is working fine. The problem seems to be with my computer.
CALLIOPE: Does that surprise you?
JOE: Not really. I have been having some other problems lately and think it might well be difficulty with an outmoded operating system.
CALLIOPE: And the solution?
JOE: Replace it with a more up to date one. It is rather a bother however since I will have to reload all my programs.
CALLIOPE: Is that such a big deal?
JOE: Not really. It just takes time, and time is something I have been thinking about lately.
CALLIOPE: In what regard?
JOE: I am beginning to realize I won't live forever. I can keep sailing on or decide how I want to spend whatever time I have left.
CALLIOPE: Do you need to make a decision?
JOE: Probably not. But I feel I am drifting lately and would like to be more focused. I will give this issue some thought in the next few days. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Ernestina- New Bedford, MA)
Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse
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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What's been keeping you?
JOE: I have been working on my camera problem, trying to get it to work with my computer again.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: No luck. Just a lot of frustration.
CALLIOPE: What's you next move?
JOE: I plan to talk with the dealer about it.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a plan. What's going on in the mean time?
JOE: Further work on revising Marital Property to a first person account.
CALLIOPE: How's it going?
JOE: I think I like the results. I had planned to review each part from the point of view of the narrator as I went along.
CALLIOPE: You didn't follow through?
JOE: Not yet. I tried it but decided it was too hard to revise and evaluate at the same time.
CALLIOPE: What's your new plan?
JOE: My new plan is to concentrate on one thing at a time. First I will finish the revisions and then reread the text from the point of view of the various narrators.
CALLIOPE: Sounds good to me.
JOE: Me too. It just takes a long time. Sometimes I get frustrated with the process. But I'll keep on plugging. Back to work. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Niagara Falls)
Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse
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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good Morning Joe. How are you this morning?
JOE: Fine. I'm ready to go to work.
CALLIOPE: What's on the agenda today?
JOE: I plan to work some more on my video for The Pastor's Inferno.
CALLIOPE: Any progress with it?
JOE: I am still sorting out the technical challenges. This is still a fairly new skill for me.
CALLIOPE: Anything else going on?
JOE: Just work on revision of Marital Property.
CALLIOPE: How is that going?
JOE: I'm happy with it.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about it.
JOE: I am continuing to write in the first person present tense. Other writing I have seen in this style limits each chapter to one narrator. I have been experimenting with multiple narrators in the same chapter. I am happy with it but will see what some of my readers think. It's uncharted territory for me.
CALLIOPE: Sounds exciting. It's always interesting to break new ground. You realize that some readers might be jarred by the break with tradition don't you?
JOE: I do. But I'm prepared for it. Then I will need to decide if it's too new. Back to work. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Amish Family on a Picnic Bench- Niagara Falls, NY)
Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse
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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Fine.
CALLIOPE: Did you do anything exciting over the weekend?
JOE: No. I was ready for an uneventful one. I spent it reading and relaxing.
CALLIOPE: What are you reading these days?
JOE: I finished Lee Child's novel, Nothing to Lose and am working on a rereading of The Poisonwood Bible.
CALLIOPE: Still working on on your voice for Marital Property?
JOE: Yes. But I have decided I like the first person approach and plan to complete revision from this perspective.
CALLIOPE: Glad you like the change. Anything going on in marketing?
JOE: I have a draft for my video, Are You Afraid of This Book. Now I am working on the technology. One approach provides better video and the other better sound. I am looking for an approach which provides both.
CALLIOPE: Have you discovered one?
JOE: I think my video camera would work best but it is being uncooperative at the moment and will not connect to my computer.
CALLIOPE: Have you narrowed down the problem?
JOE: I have pretty well decided it is the camera. The cord and computer seem to be working okay. Maybe I'll take it to the shop. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Relaxing in Jackson Square, Batavia, NY)
Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse
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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Warm but well. We are experiencing a hot spell but still have a nice breeze most of the time.
CALLIOPE: Enjoy it while you can. Winter in the Northeast comes all too soon. What's happening on the literary front?
JOE: I am working consistently on Marital Property chapter by chapter.
CALLIOPE: Do you still like the first person narrative approach?
JOE: The more I write, the happier I am with it. I think it will improve the book quite a bit.
CALLIOPE: Any progress with marketing?
JOE: I have been concentrating more on writing this week.
CALLIOPE: What about the video?
JOE: I completed an outline and recorded a draft. I would like to refine it a bit more and polish it before I publish it on You Tube and My Space.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a good idea. Any plans for the weekend?
JOE: Other than a concert tonight, I plan to concentrate on reading.
CALLIOPE: Does that help your writing?
JOE: I'm sure it does. I think it is important to surround myself with creative expression to encourage me. Talk with you on Monday.
(Jackson Square Concert- Batavia, NY)
Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse
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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I was wondering what kept you.
JOE: Sorry I'm late. I ran across a series of videos portraying the effect of our cruel use of animals and discussion of how it affects our lives at Transformation of Energy blog (http://gracefulgnosis.blogspot.com.) I also found a quote from Tolstoy, "As long as we have slaughterhouses, we will have wars."
CALLIOPE: Quite profound.
JOE: I thought so. As much as we would like to think we resemble Native Americans and others who thanked animals for giving us their lives to sustain us. We prefer to hide from the slaughter and the cruelty which accompanies it.
CALLIOPE: What do you make of Tolstoy's quote?
JOE: I think any violence, even done on our part without our direct knowledge inclines us toward violence toward each other.
CALLIOPE: Quite a realization.
JOE: Yes, and I think this includes sexual and verbal violence as well as physical.
CALLIOPE: Do you think violence towards animals explains our violence toward each other?
JOE: I wouldn't go that far but I think there is a connection.
CALLIOPE: What do you plan to do about it?
JOE: Be more aware of my connection to animals through food, clothing and entertainment. I will also continue to make people aware of their effect on others and influences on how we act.
CALLIOPE: Sometimes I wonder if it's worth the effort.
JOE: I do too. But not making the effort just allows us to become more callous. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Bailey- Allegany River)
Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse
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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Quite well thank you.
CALLIOPE: How did work on the column go yesterday?
JOE: Smoothly. I started out writing the text since I did not know what the title should be.
CALLIOPE: Did the title arrive in time?
JOE: Just as I finished the column. Thanks for the inspiration. Learn to Appreciate Music as a Common Language seemed perfectly appropriate. I'm not sure if it will show up in exactly that form in the newspaper.
CALLIOPE: Why's that?
JOE: I wondered about my columns being retitled almost every submission and started working harder to find appropriate titles. I finally inquired and learned that they adjusted the title depending on how much space they had rather than for any other reason.
CALLIOPE: Quite interesting. So what's on the docket for today?
JOE: I had planned to record Are You Afraid of This Book as promotion for The Pastor's Inferno yesterday but didn't get to it. I couldn't face you this morning with nothing in hand so I recorded a draft of it this morning.
CALLIOPE: So it's not finished?
JOE: No. I plan to record several other drafts until I am happy with it. Maybe some day I'll move toward professional recording but not right now.
CALLIOPE: Why not now?
JOE: Financial considerations. But maybe in the future. Back to work. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Sunset- Allegany River)
Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse
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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you this morning?
JOE: Relaxed and refreshed.
CALLIOPE: On what account?
JOE: I am planning a column on how music brings us together. Last night I had the pleasure and privilege of hearing a concert in Centennial Park of Batavia presented by the Buffalo Symphony Orchestra.
CALLIOPE: Did the concert provide you with some ideas for your column?
JOE: Sort of. It provided me with experience but not with words. I know the feeling I would like to convey in my column but not how to express them. I can't even think of a good title for the column.
CALLIOPE: Do you need some help?
JOE: Of course. Would you be so kind?
CALLIOPE: I will consider the matter and drop you some hints today if I am at all able.
JOE: You're a kind muse. Thank you. Not too long ago I read a post by a person taking his muse to task. It seemed ungrateful to me.
CALLIOPE: Me too. Muses have the job of inspiring people but not always with the inspiration they expect or want, or dare I say even feel they deserve.
JOE: I agree. It is presumptuous to expect a muse to do one's bidding.
CALLIOPE: As I see it, the point of having a muse is to stretch your imagination and offer you ideas you would not have thought of on your own. You can't expect to be thrilled by every idea which comes your way.
JOE: Again I agree. I don't have to accept every idea you send me. But if you do send it, I think it is my duty to at least consider it and wonder why. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Dusk- Allegany River)
Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse
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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Fine. I feel rested and energetic.
CALLIOPE: How do you plan to use this energy?
JOE: I have several activities planned involving other people. Still, I have some time for myself. My first priority is to record Are You Afraid of this Book.
CALLIOPE: Please refresh my memory.
JOE: Okay. I think some readers are fearful of The Pastor's Inferno due to its theme and content. Rather than hoping their fears will abate, I thought it might be useful to address them directly.
CALLIOPE: Weren't you working on that over the weekend?
JOE: I was. I completed the outline Sunday but didn't have time to record it yesterday. It seems the summer is busier than I thought it would be.
CALLIOPE: So you plan to do it today?
JOE: Yes. I also learned something interesting yesterday.
CALLIOPE: Which is?
JOE: Larry Shearer wrote a review of Young Man of the Cloth for Amazon. He liked the book but commented that one particular conversation did not sound true to life.
CALLIOPE: So what did you learn?
JOE: That part of the editing process in fiction could be to read passages from the point of view of the narrator or other characters being described. I will be that character for a moment and consider whether the passage describes me accurately. I'll try it today and let you know how it works. See you tomorrow.
(Bailey on the Allegany)
Conversations with Calliope-Dialogue with My Muse
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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Raring to go.
CALLIOPE: Good. I take it you had a refreshing weekend.
JOE: I did. I chauffeured my clown Fuzzy to the Oatka Festival parade. While watching the parade I made two new contacts. Later we relaxed with friends in Penfield. Yesterday I found some sale books at the Leroy Library and continued reading The Poisonwood Bible and also completed my outline of the video, Are You Afraid To Read This Book.
CALLIOPE: Sounds busy as well as relaxing. What's on the agenda for today?
JOE: I have some library books out which I want to review for style today. I also have an evaluation to complete and the video to record.
CALLIOPE: That should keep you busy. Any progress with Marital Property?
JOE: No, I haven't had time to work on it. If I have time later today I will. If not, I will get back to it tomorrow.
CALLIOPE: You sound more organized today than you did last week.
JOE: I'm working on it. I feel I have a better sense of direction this week. I think it will help me get more accomplished.
CALLIOPE: I hope you're right.
JOE: I hope so too. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Morning- Leroy, NY)
