tiny elephants

let’s dream of tiny elephants

luminous and translucent

swimming in the palms

of our hands.

regan lee

october 20015

eugene oregon

Shakespearean Tarot Cards

As a tarot reader, I am interested in the incredible variety of decks. Here's one new to me; the Shakespearean Tarot:

Shakespearean-EC: The Shakespearian Tarot by Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki; Illustrated by Paul Hardy Review by Eileen Croutch The author has undertaken to find passages and images from the complete works of William Shakespeare to make a tarot deck. The author mentions The Servants of the Light Tarot often and so this leads me to believe the Shakespearian Tarot is a variation of the aforementioned deck. This deck is certainly no Rider-Waite clone. This deck comes with a book that describes the plays mentioned, interesting information about the plays, an upright meaning and a reversed meaning. There is no box for the deck once you break the cellophane and there is no little white book (LWB). Not that you need it with the large book. (tarot passages.com)

found poem haiku/senryu

in search of a look

i ate cottage cheese for seven days

the night the city screamed

regan lee
june 20015

Straight From The Editor's Mouth: The Verdict On Ending Sentences With Prepositions - Writer's Circle

Right on!

Straight From The Editor's Mouth: The Verdict On Ending Sentences With Prepositions - Writer's Circle: Straight From The Editor's Mouth: The Verdict On Ending Sentences With Prepositions It happens all the time: we end sentences with prepositions and someone corrects us. But are they right to do so? What about when we painstakingly re-organize our sentences so that the prepositions are buried deep within them: are we wasting our time? Emily Brewster, Associate Editor for Merriam-Webster, gets to the root of the issue and comes to a surprising conclusion!

iris haiku

in between the stones
glimpses of cream and purple
the tiny iris


~ regan lee
april 2015

stone buddha haiku

candlelight glowing
cricket song on this warm night
the stone Buddha sits

~ regan lee

eugene, oregon

april 2015

the middle of town

wild turkeys visiting

watching from rooftops

~ regan lee

eugene, oregon

april 2015

haiku

teacup afternoon

violets smashed against stone

thunder and cold rain

regan lee
eugene oregon
april 5 2015

Crow haiku

telephone wire

crows calling to each other

below, one remains

regan lee

eugene, or

4-6-2015

Rules

"There are three rules to writing a novel.
Unfortunately, no one knows what they are." ~ W. Somerset Maugham

Famous Novelists on Symbolism in Their Work and Whether It Was Intentional | Mental Floss

In 1963 an English student wrote to several writers asking if they intentionally used symbolism in their writing. Many responded. I liked many of the answers, including this one from Ray Bradbury: 

Famous Novelists on Symbolism in Their Work and Whether It Was Intentional | Mental Floss: Ray Bradbury: “No, I never consciously place symbolism in my writing. That would be a self-conscious exercise and self-consciousness is defeating to any creative act. Better to let the subconscious do the work for you, and get out of the way. The best symbolism is always unsuspected and natural."

Speaking of the author, her work and symbolic meanings, I'll never forget the enormous hubris of a literature professor I had once, who told us that a particular author (I won't name names) "really" meant such and such. She knew this because, after all, she was the professor. She then went on to tell us that she met the author at a gathering of some kind and told the author what she "really" meant! 

Which brings us to the student's other question concerning the reader's assumption or interpretation of symbolism, and the author's intent. Among responses I like:

Question: “Do readers ever infer that there is symbolism in your writing where you had not intended it to be? If so, what is your feeling about this type of inference? (Humorous? annoying? etc.?)”

Ralph Ellison: “Yes, readers often infer that there is symbolism in my work, which I do not intend. My reaction is sometimes annoyance. It is sometimes humorous. It is sometimes even pleasant, indicating that the reader’s mind has collaborated in a creative way with what I have written.” 

Saul Bellow: “They most certainly do. Symbol-hunting is absurd.”