Between technical difficulties and world-traveling, I haven't kept up with this blog as much as I've wanted to. It has really fallen by the wayside. But, it seems that there's something about fall that makes me want to start up again. So, the best place to start is probably a big ole update: what's going on now and what's happened this year...
And a big year it's been: I visited NYC for the first time for the AWP (creative writing) conference. Went to Tallahassee--and visited friends in Atlanta on a tornado day on the way down--and successfully defended my dissertation. And the finishing of said dissertation was also a biggie. I've sent the book out to a couple places so far, and will send out to a ton more during the fall submission periods. More recently I've had poems accepted in journals I like (Subtropics and The Virginia Quarterly Review) and have gotten paid for poetry finally. In April I traveled to Washington, D.C. for the first time and, there, lobbied with more than 120 other folks from 20 states for the Clean Water Protection Act (which would help to curb mountaintop removal mining by disallowing "waste" to be used as "fill" in US waterways). Since then, I've been back to DC three more times, twice to lobby. And during these trips, I've learned something(s) about myself: I love "city-time," the quick pace, the fierce walking, the something always to do. And I love lobbying, the sitting down with a Congressperson or aide and explaining an issue for the first time, or going into more depth about the issue, the mental gymnastics of trying to figure out what would be the most effective to share with these folks. All of it is so exciting to me. In February I participated in my first big KFTC action, "I Love Mountains Day," a rally on the freezing cold KY capitol steps, surrounded by thousands of others who want the same clean, healthy, and secure future I want. And then, in May, I went to Colombia for a week with Witness for Peace to tour the coal mining regions of the Guajira and Cesar--truly a life-changing experience for me, all of which is too great to go into here in this little update--maybe a later post? But, after that trip, I knew that I wanted to work both against MTR mining here, but also with the communities affected by the coal mining in Colombia. A big turning moment was after I got back to the US and took my first MTR flyover in a little four-seater plane. Driving back to Hindman from the Hazard aiport, everything fell into place, though the emotions were scary at first. I knew I wanted to go back to Colombia this year to learn Spanish, to take photos for an art project, and to work on starting the Appalachian - Colombian Coalfield Alliance. And in the beginning of July, that's what I did: signed up for four weeks of Spanish courses in Bogotá and bought my plane ticket. Before I left in early August, things really picked up around here: my grandmother celebrated her 100th birthday, I gave my first public presentation on MTR to a group at the Lotts Creek School, I ran reconnaissance on an valley fill directly above the lake where I'll soon be getting my drinking water, I flew in a Dept. of the Interior plane with two US congressman and an official with the Office of Surface mining (more than holding my own against OSM's lies and propaganda), and returned to DC for another one of those lobbying trips. Also during this time, I was driving all around eastern Kentucky, interviewing folks for a piece on MTR coal that was was writing for Greenpeace. Then, I went to Colombia for what ended up being six weeks instead of four, spent mostly in Bogotá, studying at the Spanish World Institute. Toward the end of that trip, Jordan Freeman, a videographer with a documentary on MTR coal in the US, flew down to Bogotá and then we traveled together to the coal mining region to visit with the communities affected by the mining, and to talk with unionists and others working in solidarity with these communities. While in Colombia, I finished my Greenpeace work. Before leaving Bogotá for the US, I learned that the Corps of Engineers / Bureau of Land Management is considering leasing the mineral rights to the area that my family was displaced from (in order to build the East Lynn Lake) in the 60s. With Skype and chat and the help of my mom, I started getting informed on that issue--the first time I or my family has been directly influenced but the coal industry and its bureaucracy. We're still working on sending in public comments, speaking out against the environmental and cultural/ethical problems about such a lease. I then flew from Bogotá to DC, where I had a meeting with other members of KFTC with Congressman Norman Dicks (chair of the Appropriations Committee that oversees the Office of Surface Mining) and Congressman Ben Chandler from Kentucky. I gave a 20 - 30 minute presentation on the first day, and then we lobbied for the next 2 days. From that trip, we've already gotten at least one more co-sponsor for the bill. I rode back home to KY with folks in two vans. Since then I've done fun things like visit Whit's class to talk about government (soon after, of their own volition, the students were writing letters and drafting petitions to send to lawmakers), participated in a news conference and have been interviewed by a few reporters, and went to Delaware (via DC) to speak to two Sierra Club groups. Oh, and got to watch the VP debate in Biden's home state--which was exciting. During this, I've also still been making the sporadic updates to the websites I work on (Chattahoochee Review, Kids in Need - Books in Deed, and LEAF) and gardening some while I'm in town. I was happy to learn I hadn't missed all the harvest while in Colombia. We're working this week on getting late winter crops in the ground.
Oh, and just a few days ago: I got a job: working for Appalachian Voices (telecommunting), doing research and writing for a white paper on mining and climate strategy among other projects. And just in time: student loan repayment starts in about a month...
Well, I think that's all for now, you're all caught up. Now, time for me to go get caught up on more work.
