november things
hello beautiful people!
i have a smorgasbord of poetry prompts for you again this month & i hope they spark some poems or prose within you. remember to tag me if you use a prompt, whether it be here on Substack or over on Instagram - otherwise i won’t be able to read your lovely work! and as always, share these prompts if you feel so inclined :)
on the topic of prompts, i will also be sharing extra poetry prompts this month for my paid subscribers! this is something i have never done before, but i’m offering it as an extra treat for those of you who do subscribe to my publication as paid members. stay tuned for those in the coming days! 👀
November things on my mind ☕
i plan to continue reading Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami. i’m about halfway through the book and it’s given me such valuable insights into his writing process for novels. he breaks it down in a way that makes the whole adventure feel less daunting and mysterious.
though i’m not working on my first novel currently [i’ll begin that next year, after my third poetry collection is in the world] it’s an interesting read. something i will return to time and time again. bring your pen and highlighter for this one!
i’m thrilled to share that i’m going to Vancouver for the Zach Bryan concert this month!! he’s my favourite country artist right now and i think his live show is going to absolutely slay. his songwriting inspires me for its poetic depth and the way he captures the human experience so tangibly.
as a poet i’m of course obsessed with the intro piece for his latest album, which is actually a spoken word poem. guitar gently plucking in the background. it’s wonderful.. check it out above if you haven’t heard it yet!
another exciting thing coming up on my docket is the Margaret Atwood tickets i have for next Tuesday!! she is my number one favourite writer of all time and seeing her speak has been on my bucket list since high school.
she’s coming to Calgary to discuss “democracy, public education, and the common good” which is incredible, though i’d honestly sign up to hear her speak about how to boil water or the way rust forms on metal over time.
“Better never means better for everyone... It always means worse, for some.”
- Margaret Atwood
something on my mind lately is a new video game called Neva. i’ve never really been a person who plays video games [since i was a kid playing Crash Bandicoot and Spyro in the 90’s].. but my partner recently got a playstation 5 and this game trailer delighted all of my senses:
i plan to eat a certain 🍄 extra special fungus 🍄 and spend a day snuggled into couch blankets, exploring this mystical world! something i’m really looking forward to on a cold winter’s day. i’ll do anything to fight the winter blues & i imagine this will do the trick.
as winter threatens her impending arrival, i felt called to write and share a poem about what this season brings for me. the title is inspired by an Emancipator song that i’ve cherished for over a decade now. Emancipator is an electronic producer from Oregon who has been my favourite since i first discovered his music in 2010.
he samples a multitude of sounds from nature and blends them together in ways that alter my brain chemistry in the best way. below i’ll share the song, as well as my poem inspired by its title. i think the poem is best read while listening to the music, but do what you wish :)
i’d like to share my winter clothes shopping list here, which i plan to acquire at Value Village and Goodwill - a big treasure hunting day is in my near future. things i hope to find:
winter coat [below the knee length, ultra thick, puffy]
merino wool base layers [long sleeve shirt and leggings]
grippy gloves for driving, ski mitts for walking
balaclava [such a great word.. sounds like a food but isn’t]
assortment of the thickest socks one can find
knitted wool sweaters
boots [tall to keep the snow out, good to minus 40 degrees]
lastly, i want to manifest finding an adult sized snowsuit because how fun would it be to walk around like that. it would be so warm, too!! picturing an 80’s ski suit vibe. wish me luck!!
what are you looking forward to this month? how are you preparing for winter? what sorts of things bring you joy during this darker & colder season?
i’m forever grateful that you are here, choosing to read my words!
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Love all of this. And balaclava is very close to baclava!!
I just adore this piece Sonja! And your prompts are always a delight 🤍