Kevin Arnold's Blog
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Apr.23.2011
This weekend forms the center of the Christian church and its influence on Western culture. The familiar story includes Roman Governor Pontius Pilate presiding over the crucifixion but washing his hands of it. The body taken down and buried in a cave. Whatever hope came from Jesus seemed quite...
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Apr.11.2011
I’m back in New York City with my son. Tomorrow a play he’s written the music to will be produced at NYU as part of his MFA work. He was able to find us tickets to the play The Book of Mormon.
The high-concept musical, one of the hottest tickets in recent years, was written by the guys who...
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Apr.11.2011
I’m back in New York City with my son. Tomorrow a play he’s written the music to will be produced at NYU as part of his MFA work. He was able to find us tickets to the play The Book of Mormon.
The high-concept play, one of the hottest tickets in recent years, was written by the guys who...
Continue Reading »
Apr.01.2011
Shortly after the Earthquake and Tsunami hit Japan, once I learned our friends in Japan were safe, I wrote a blog with a poem about our 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake, loosely comparing the two events. Mistake! What really happened (from an op-ed):
The earthquake off the coast of northeastern Japan...
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Mar.28.2011
However, there are still slots left. Tuition rises from $145 to $175 March 30th. A few last-minute items:
Sally Ashton, recently named Poet Laureate, Santa Clara County, will teach a poetry workshop. (Previously none was planned.)
Antoinette May's novel workshop is full but all other workshops...
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Mar.19.2011
These are notes I used as a speaker at a Celebration of the accomplishments of Nis Peterson last night as he finished his two-year term as the first Poet Laureate of Santa Clara County. The speakers included Al Young, Poet Laureate of California, emiritus, and Sally Ashton, who will replace Nils...
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Mar.12.2011
Author's note, three days later: I wrote this shortly after the Japanese tragedy. Please ignore any implication that these are parallel events--they're simply not.--------I have several friends in Japan, all now accounted for by Email or phone, thank God. The one woman I managed to talk to...
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Mar.09.2011
According to NBC Bay Area, “One of the people [Sheen] said he wished he could be for ten minutes was Giants pitcher Brian Wilson. Sheen went on to mumble something about Wilson delivering "fury, vengeance, hatred and absolute world domination," then bowed his head in silence for the man...
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Mar.05.2011
This March 1 posting made me happy, especially the unexpectedly-kind comments; click on the poem to see.
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First poetry, now opera. Are your cultural horizons feeling a little overextended? I'll go easy on you...
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Feb.27.2011
Google alerts are powerful. [By the way “www.googlealert.com” is not Google. To get true Google alerts use "www.google.com/alert ”] The string ‘Kevin Arnold Red Room” dutifully shows me whatever slips into the blogosphere with my name on it. But the one that finds instances of the two...
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Feb.22.2011
My novel White Man’s Blues led me to study African-American literature, which Red Room asked us to blog about this week. My study brought me quickly to the Harlem Renaissance, one of those hotspots of brilliance that flash in literature when the stars line up. It was Jean Toomer, from the “...
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Feb.13.2011
Red Room asks us to blog on 'the best thing we’ve found.’ What jumps to mind is the Amalfi coast in Southern Italy. The breathtaking towns, cut into the cliffs, make renowned pottery and limoncella. I love to ride the public bus along the bay, with the thrill of a roller coaster and far more...
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Feb.08.2011
Still his three films live on. I re-read A. E. Housman’s poem “To an Athlete Dying Young,” but realized Dean had more self-knowledge than Housman’s athlete, as shown by the quotes below.
James Dean Quotes
Dream as if you'll live forever. Live as if you'll die today.
To my way of thinking, an actor...
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Feb.05.2011
Being asked to post on ‘loss’ or ‘losing things’ is complicated because we’re so loose in our common usage of ‘loss’ and ‘losing.’ People ‘lose’ everything from keys to games, from virginity to loved ones. I lost my parents in midlife, but far more devastating was the breakup of my marriage. We...
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Jan.29.2011
Red Room asked us to blog on the best writing conference, to single one out. But I have been to several of these conferences and different ones are good at different things. I’ll list seven or eight here where I’ve participated or taught. I used dollar signs ($$) to show relative cost; many...
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Poems are necessary because they honor the unknown both in us and in the world.”
—Calavaris Enterprise
About Kevin
Poet, prizewinning short story writer, teacher and novelist. Bachelor of Science in English Literature, University of Wisconsin, Madison, IBM Systems Engineering Manager for Stanford University. Elder, Presbyterian Church USA. Masters of Fine Arts,...
Connections
Causes Kevin Arnold Supports
Poetry Center San Jose -- President
Kevin’s Favorite Books
Tender is the Night The Piano Teacher Water for Elephants The Kite Runner A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man The Sportswriter