Kirjahaku

Some of these poems are based on jobs I've held, some are based on observation and family lore, while others were inspired by something that I read. The occupation of a door-to-door poetry salesman is totally invented. In childhood, I noticed that my father and other adult males established a social bond upon introduction by asking "what do you do?" or "what line of work are you in?" The question seemed to establish a baseline for validation and trust. Its probably been around as along as we've been a species of hunter-gatherers. My father at the time was a revenue agent for the Internal Revenue Service, which had to be a conversation stopper. But it was a career stepping-stone for him, and I'm sure there was a workmanlike routine to it, even with the death threats he received in the North Hollywood office. Before the I.R.S., he flipped burgers at Foster's Freeze and after that he became an operations manager for an auctioneer. Our neighbor Guy Gordon was a firefighter. Our family friend Mr. Borgeson worked in the grocery business (my grandfather had been a produce clerk at Von's). Across the street, Mr. Van Spanckeren was a psychiatrist at the Devereux School and Mr. Halleck was a high school basketball coach. This was in an era when men were teachers: Mr. Eyman was a high school welding teacher and Mr. Van Duynwick taught elementary school I wrote my first occupational poem while helping out half-days at my father's in-laws printing company, Kimberly Press in Goleta. I was fascinated in 1980 by the linotype operators. I'm sure the high levels of lead exposure would horrify me now. Around that time, I began reading the poems of Philip Levine, who is probably the most lyrical when writing about workers of his native Detroit. This book came about as I prepared to teach a creative writing course, which I titled "Occupational Poetry," culling your resume for new material. I dove into three manuscripts and found these twenty-one poems. I think the best one of the bunch is "Inside" and I am grateful to my long-time friend and collaborator Dwayne Newton for sharing his experience as a San Francisco firefighter. Our work defines us, and poetry has the potential to define the work. I believe it's a fair arrangement.

The 70 new poems in "Wingspan" reflects poet Jon Obermeyer's wide ranging interests and geographic wanderings. A native of Santa Barbara, CA, Jon has lived most of his adult life in North Carolina (with a short detour to west Florida). In this third collection of poetry, Jon explores his West Coast roots and his East Coast habitats, the delights of parenting, creative work and exploring the natural wold, and musings about turning 60. In a confident, original voice Jon reminds us what is important and what keeps us going, riding the thermals. "What defines Jon Obermeyer's poetry is a trust of plain speech and sure-footed humility; a willingness to let circumstance wash over, but not wash away." Terry L. Kennedy, author of New River Breakdown "Jon Obermeyer was a student of the brilliant Robert Watson and one thing he learned from Watson was to find his own voice...diction, lyricism, and meaning uniting to let us see what he sees, hear what he hears, feel what he feels." Kelly Cherry, author of The Life and Death of Poetry: Poems (LSU Press) "Jon Obermeyer is one of those poets who goes right for the gut. His words are bright, penetrating, clean as a bone. In this collection, he talks about tectonic plates, English invaders, and red-eye gravy in a spiritual way....He listens. He listens closely. That's his secret. I've never met anyone with a better ear to the ground. He's not trying to solve anything." John Miller, from the Foreword

Do you have an idea for a book or have one started already? In my view, you should be able to finish and publish it in less than six months, if not faster. I'm basing this on my experience self-publishing 16 books in a three year period and helping first-time authors develop a debut book since 2008. The book you're reading (roughly 100 pages), was conceived, written and published in 15 days. That's how quickly you can publish when you know exactly what you want to say. According to Statistica, about 800,000 paperbacks and ebooks were published in 2016. And with the economics of Print on Demand, that number will only rise in the years to follow. Books Remain Essential. Books are social assets and operate on a substrate of shared knowledge. Books are an important form of cultural currency. Books bestow authority upon their author-creators. They tie deeply into our tribal hardwiring, the way hunter-gathers used to share information for hunting antelope: "try the next valley over. Late afternoon is best, with the wind from the west. Use this kind of bamboo spear, and oh by the way, did you know can use antelope antlers as skewers for the meat over a fire?" Books allow us to have deeper and more extended conversations based on the shared third-party intellect of the author. You're probably a natural leader and articulate, an expert in your industry or profession. You might speak at conferences or blog incessantly. If you passionate about your subject and want to share that with a broader audience, let's get started.

This guide is written with first time fiction writers in mind. Perhaps you used to write short stories in high school or college and it's been a while. This book might also be helpful as a refresher course for anyone who wants to get back to the basics of writing short fiction. The classic Anton Chekov and O.Henry short story lives on today in authors like Tess Hadley and Wells Tower. My favorite short story writers include Nobel Laureate Alice Munro, the late William Trevor, Richard Ford, Richard Bausch and the late Raymond Carver. Many literary magazines and journals and online literary sites are still looking for short story submissions. But beware, it's a crowded field, and your story is probably competing with hundreds if not thousands of other stories for an editor's attention. In my experience as an MFA graduate student and Associate Editor of The Greensboro Review, I was looking at 800 unsolicited submissions twice a year, and weeding out 760 of them, so the main editor could select the 20 out of the 40 surviving submissions. I'm sure the statistics are about the same. But I write because I love the short story format. I fell in love with John Updike's story "A&P" on a warm, fall day my sophomore year in college, and remarked, I want to write a story just as interesting. I'm not sure I have done that, but I do have two short story collections published, and a third in the works. To help you get started, we will look at the standard short story, as well as flash fiction (defined by word count). We will also look at short story elements like setting, characterization and plot, as well as developing your stories in a critique group environment. Finally, I will provide multiple writing prompts and exercises, in the Appendix, so you can keep using this book indefinitely. Mark it up, highlight it, and tear out sections that you find meaningful.

"If human beings took over the moon, they'd probably turn it into Florida." - Douglas Coupland. An experienced St. Johns River bar pilot washes up on a Duval County Florida beach, discovered by two beach walkers. A restauranteur considers his failed experiment, the repurchase of his family seafood restaurant and his failed attempt to franchise it nationally. Are the two events related? A beachside community mourns an adopted son with a paddle out ceremony and a open mic. night at the local community center featuring musical tributes and covers of Jack Johnston, Katrina and the Waves, and Red Hot Chili Peppers tunes. Weaving wildly between satirical scenes of NFL players taking surfing lessons and paranoid local residents calling the cops for an overflow of cars parked at a beach access, North Carolina author Obermeyer has fun with Florida observations and a poignant look at friendships both frayed and rewarding.

"Markets are conversations" - Levine, Lock and Searls A-Z Marketing is an introductory guide to marketing for sole proprietors, small business owners and social entrepreneurs. Designed for individuals without a formal business background, it highlights and defines 26 core marketing concepts, strategies and tools. It's also an ideal refresher course for anyone wishing to understand the current state of business marketing.

In this follow-up to "It Happens That Fast" and "Briarcliff, North Carolina poet and author Jon Obermeyer explores a period in his mid to late 30's when he and his wife raised two daughters in the suburbs north of Greensboro. The author scales back on creative pursuits and focuses on his career in the Clinton era, as economic shifts dominate the landscape. The Harbor is a story of the American middle class (and a marriage) starting to show the cracks that are susceptible to events like 9/11 and 2008, but ultimately usher in a restoration of identity and authenticity.

Schreibspiegel is North Carolina author Jon Obermeyer's made-up German word translating roughly as "Writing Mirror." In this sequel to his 2017 writing guide "Myriad," Jon explores a plethora of writing topics, often with a humorous touch: What if Big Pharma could cure Writer's Block with a Blockbuster drug like Viagra? What is it like to be a Klutz and should you write a poem about it? How do English majors, underpaid editors and book club hostesses say "Le Mot Juste" and get away with it? If you are a Writer (capital W), have dreams of being a writer or about to date one, Schriebspiegel is the ideal way to enter the shallow end of the literary pool.