John Evans' Class April 14, 2016

What to say when you're critiquing --

"I want to know more about...."

"Tell me more about that character."

"Unconditionally love yourself."

So how do I love myself?  I was careless, in a hurry, and hurt my foot.  I was carrying a heavy briefcase, stepped off the curb.  I'm supposed to work at that school next month and I don't think I can.  Too hard.   I can be kind to myself.  I don't have to go back...

Mindfulness, non=judgment, loving kindness

5 min exercise  to remember a positive experience, pleasant physical environment, etc....

my five minute writing concerns the reading last night by Billy Collins.  The reading was held in the Nelson Reading Room on East Campus.  I found my usual parking place and headed dow to the building.  It's quite a way from Baldwin Auditorium.  The room was packed and I saw one of my teachers, Florence Nash.  Billy Collins appeared right on time and sat down next to Florence.  His casual mood and drop dead sense of humor were so appealing.  I love his self effacing attitude.  He read "To My Favorite 17 Year Old High School Girl."   I love the way the poem started out with "Did you know -- that at your age Joan of Arc led the the French in battle, or that Judy Garland had already made her first 150,000 dollars?"  So it goes on to say "but we love you just the way you are, silently staring into space."  And he shared that he read this like a dialogue with John Cobert.   So tonight I'll go home and read some more of his poems and maybe look him up on YouTube/   And write a poem about the dog immortalized in the Duke Archives.

That dog's name was Pompey Ducklegs (now how did he acquire a name like that?)  The dog would accompay the Dean of the Law School, Dean Mordacai, on walks around East Campus.  I think the dog even went to class with Dean Mordaicai.  And the dog is in the formal photograph taken at the law school in the 19th century.

I could write a book about this dog.  Now wouldn't that be something!!!  The dog's image was put on pins and distributed during "Puppy Day" at Perkins Library.

Now this has been so fun to write about.  Amy at Rubenstein Library gave me this information, a long story that was published in Duke Today.   Now see for yourself,  Dean Mordecai and Pompey Duck Legs.