Posted in Ann Arbor, In the News, Personalized Poems & Writing, tagged Ann Arbor, Chloe Miller, chloe yelena miller, chris lord, esther hurwitz, Michigan, poetry ann arbor, poetry michigan, poetry reading, reading, sweetwaters, writers reading at sweetwaters on November 17, 2009| Leave a Comment »
I will be reading at Sweetwaters as a part of the Writers Reading at Sweetwaters series tonight (Tuesday, November 17th) at 7 pm. The room is a bit small, so please arrive early for a seat. Don’t forget to bring work to share at the open mike.
The reading is hosted by the lovely Chris Lord and Esther Hurwitz. Thank you again for the invite!
You are welcome to RSVP on the Facebook Event page (or just check it out to see the other cool people who are coming.)
Posted in In the News, Personalized Poems & Writing, tagged carmela, creaive writing, ex pat, expat, expatlit.com, family history, family memoir, Italian, italian emmigration, italian-americans, literary, literary magazine, melabee m miller, melabee miller, poem, writing on October 29, 2009| Leave a Comment »
My poem “Voyage Dream” (page 10) was recently published in the online literary magazine ExPatLit.Com. I am particularly happy to have placed a poem here since it is a literary magazine after my own heart – a collection of pieces by or about expats. While I no longer live abroad, sometimes I still feel “abroad” in many ways. It is hard to describe where, with whom or what language contains “home.”
This poem, along with the image my mother, Melabee Miller, created for it, comes from our manuscript Cent’Anni. Cent’Anni contains poems paired with images that recount the story of our family emmigrating from southern Italy to New Jersey. It includes the story of our family history research and connection with Italian relatives a few years ago.
The poem “Voyage Dream” narrates the experience of Carmela, the daughter of my great grandmother’s sister. It is mostly based on research I’ve done about the boat rides to America, stories I’ve heard and what I imagine the experience might have been like for a young woman at the time.
If you are interested in reading other published poems, you are welcome to see my website ChloeYelenaMiller.com, which links to the online publications.
Posted in In the News, tagged new york times, Newspaper Announcements, newspaper wedding announcements, nyt, rasheea hall, rasheea williams, sex and the city, submit to new york times, The Italian Tribune, The New York Times, wedding announcement, weddings and celebrations on October 17, 2009| 3 Comments »
We couldn’t believe that the New York Times picked up our announcement! It was printed the morning after the wedding.
How did we do it? As the Italians say with a shrug, “Boh!” (Who knows!) We emailed our information about six weeks before it was due and were surprised to receive a call from someone at the paper the week before the wedding. She opened with, “First, I want to congratulate you on your upcoming nuptials. Second, and perhaps more importantly, I want to congratulate you on being chosen by The New York Times.”
She confirmed every detail of our lives by speaking to us, our families, our bosses and even the editors at literary magazines where I said I’d been published. When she asked me for details on the literary magazines, she said, “You can’t be a poet if you aren’t published.”
This was serious business.
I had thought that only people like the characters on Sex and the City would be “chosen.” As a civilian, I was inspired to submit our announcement because my dear friend Rasheea Williams, now Rasheea Hall, had submitted in 2005. Her lovely wedding announcement can be read here. I later learned that our friends Rick and Lisa had also been in the famous Styles section after their gorgeous wedding in Richmond, Va.
We weren’t 100% sure that the announcement would run, so we tried not to tell everyone that someone from the Times had called. The evening after the wedding, my husband (I love an excuse to write that) saw a Google alert for his name and The New York Times pop up on his Iphone.
Most newspaper announcement require payment to print announcements. We only submitted to newspapers that would run the announcement for free, The New York Times and the Italian Tribune. Sorry, Star Ledger.
Posted in Ann Arbor, In the News, Personalized Poems & Writing, tagged ann arbor italian, Chloe Miller, chloe yelena miller, italian classes, learn italian, rec & ed, rec and ed, rochester writers conference, sweetwaters reading series, work and life, workshops on September 2, 2009| 1 Comment »
It is hard to believe that the summer is almost over and autumn is upon us! It promises to be a busy season. Here is some news about upcoming classes and readings:
Ongoing
Italian tutoring: Please let me know if you are interested in private Italian tutoring for adults.
October
Workshop: I am presenting a workshop entitled, “Brainstorming, Work, and Creativity: Thinking Outside of the Box” at the Rochester Writers Conference on Saturday, October 3rd. This all-day conference in Rochester, MI, will focus on not only good writing, but making money with your writing. Isn’t that something we’d all love to do?
Workshop: I am presenting a workshop entitled “Family History: Ideas for Collecting & Assembling” at the University of Michigan’s Work/Life Resource Center’s 4th annual event on work/life issues. This one-day conference, open to UM staff, will be held on October 6th from 8:00-4:00 at the Four Points Sheraton hotel on Boardwalk in Ann Arbor.
Italian Adult Classes: I am teaching Italian 1 on Monday evenings (October 19 – December 7) through Rec & Ed. Click here and scroll to the bottom to read more about what Rec & Ed students have been saying about me. You can also link to the course that I will be teaching and register online.
November
Reading: Tuesday, November 17th I am one of the featured poets at Sweetwaters Café on Washington Street in Ann Arbor. Hope to see you there!
May
Reading: I am reading poems at “Writing the Midwest: A Symposium of Scholars and Writers” held at Michigan State University Union, East Lansing (May 13-15.)
Please let me know if you have any questions: ChloeMiller(at)gmail(dot)com.
Posted in In the News, relationships, Traditions, tagged gay marriage, gender, gender roles, judy syfers, Modern love, sara sarasohn, why I want a wife, wife, wives on August 31, 2009| 6 Comments »
Sunday’s Modern Love article, Once Political, Now Just Practical, by Sara Sarasohn, went beyond the gay marriage debate and dove into the role of a wife (in the context of feminism and gay marriage.) I enjoyed reading her contemporary and personal response to the 1971, Ms. Magazine essay by Judy Syfers, “Why I Want a Wife.”
If you are married or considering getting married, how do you define your roles?
I sometimes lament the fact my actions and interests are more “feminine” than I expect. (I cook, write poetry and teach. I tend to do many of the chores around the house.) I do not consider myself to be a “traditional” woman, yet, I might be more traditional that I would label myself.
This morning over breakfast, my fiance’ and I discussed what untraditional things I do or could do if I wanted to. I couldn’t think of something that would fit in that category that I would aspire to doing.
Are we lucky enough to live in an era when everything is open to women? Perhaps everything is an option for women who are lucky enough to have certain educational opportunities, but there are many fields that remain difficult for a woman. I have experienced sexism throughout my career and outside of the home (that’s for another post.) At home, however, I don’t feel pressured into doing anything in particular. I truly enjoy many of the “traditional” things that I do (ok, maybe not dusting.)
Maybe the question is: how does the world see me? I would hate to have my actions suggest to a younger woman that she is required to do the things that I choose to do.
I hope that our post-feminist world, as it is called at times, allows us to make the choices we want to, including those within the more traditional realm.
Posted in In the News, tagged best bridal blog, bridal blog award nomination, nominate word arrangement, wedding channel nomination on June 29, 2009| Leave a Comment »
June 29th update on the Wedding Channel Bridal Blog Award Nomination:
The Nomination period ends on July 8th and so far 10 kind readers have commented under my original nomination. If you also enjoy reading this blog, I hope that you will click here to add your thoughts to the mix. (Please note that you will have to log into their website. Don’t worry – it is free and painless.)
Thank you so much! I know we can win the nomination together!
Here are some highlights from the current posts on the Wedding Channel’s website that warmed my engaged heart:
From SophIe:
From Maxwell:
I would like to support the nomination of Chloe. Before I met Chloe I can honestly say I never even knew what blogging meant. Chloe is a very caring person so the idea of her wanting to express and share herself through the written word is very fitting. She invited me to look at her site and even though I am not engaged or planning a wedding I found it so informative and wish that I had some of this information a couple of years ago when I was planning my son’s wedding. She talks about every step you coud think of and many that you hadn’t in order plan your special day and everything is explained in detail. So if you are looking for a person who can relate to folks who are trying to plan their wedding then I think Chloe’s site would certainly fill that role. I look forward to visiting your site.
Original June 19th post:
I don’t ask for much. But, if you’ve enjoyed this blog half as much as I’ve enjoyed writing it, I hope you will nominate it for the Wedding Channel Bridal Blog Award.
I’ve nominated Word Arrangement on the blog. Please click here to reply to my post and second (or third or fourth…) my nomination.
If you are so inspired, you can also start another nomination for my blog here.
(Please note that you will be asked to sign into the Wedding Channel website. I hope that doesn’t stop you.)
After the nomination period has ended on July 8th, the Wedding Channel will pick their favorite nominees to compete for top honors. They’ll announce the finalists for each category, then you get to vote for your favorites. I’ll keep you posted!
Posted in Guest Blogs, In the News, Personalized Poems & Writing, tagged bachelorette party, guest ettiquette, personalized wedding poem, survival tip, Survive wedding season, wedding gifts, wedding guests on June 3, 2009| 1 Comment »
Thanks so much for posting my Expert Survival Tip: Personalized Wedding Poems, Survive Wedding Season!
Readers, I hope you’ll click through their great website. It is a unique online destination specifically designed for wedding guests. They give great advice, from bachelorette parties to gifts. Enjoy!
Posted in Dress, In the News, Michigan Weddings, Personalized Poems & Writing, tagged bra fitting, bra store reading, bra stores, bridal bra, brighton, Chloe Miller, chloe yelena miller, good bra, hush, lisa baker nelson, mi, Michigan, underwire, wedding bra on May 1, 2009| 1 Comment »
Thanks so much to Lisa Baker Nelson for hosting the Mother/Daughter night at Hush last night. She kindly invited me to read poems twice and I couldn’t have asked for more in an audience. It was a lot of fun!
As promised, here is the bra poem I wrote. It is dedicated to Lisa Baker Nelson of Hush. She has a framed copy of it in her store.
Underwire
Wigglewiggle.
The nerve.
Why am I held here?
Solid, unmoving. (A little escaping on the side.)
What do I need?
Shh. Hush. Don’t tell my problems.
But, please, please help me.
Phew.
© Chloé Yelena Miller 2009
My fiancé, who spent 2.5 hours straight in a bra store, took some pictures during the reading:
He also kindly videotaped the bra and underwear poem. Check it out on Facebook.
Lisa and her staff offer private fittings. Everyone who came out of the dressing room was thrilled to discover how she looked after wearing a properly fitted bra. Be sure to check out her store. It is on Maine Street in Brighton, a cute town with many restaurants and stores.
Thanks to Leslie Hipp, Independent Consultant, Executive Area Manager Arbonne International, for her kind words after the reading:
I just loved your poems and your warm, fun spirit. Your presence made a big difference in the feel of the evening festitivies.
Posted in Ann Arbor, In the News, tagged Ann Arbor, bra store reading, challenge, Chloe Miller, chloe yelena miller, funny, give away, hush intimates, ilana stanger-ross, joke, michigan bra store, poetry reading, reader challenge, sima's undergarments for women, wedding bras, wedding poetry on April 29, 2009| 5 Comments »
Update: Lauren Turner’s funny bra-inspired poem won her the book. (Read it below.) Congratulations!
I look forward to seeing you in Brighton, MI on Thursday, April 30th for my Hush bra store poetry reading. For more details, please click here.
In the spirit of literature and bras, I will be offering a copy of Ilana Stranger-Ross’ wonderful novel Sima’s Undergarments for Women to the reader who posts the funniest bra-related joke in the comments section below.
Readers are welcome to chime in and vote for their favorite. You are encouraged to post more than one joke. The deadline has been extended to Friday, May 1st at noon.
Visit the author’s website .
You can read more about the book on Overlook Publisher’s website and buy the book on Amazon.
Ready? Set? Go!
Here are some great comments I received via Facebook:
The funbags themselves are the joke. (KC)
Poem by Lauren Turner:
Boobies bouncing in the breeze;
Moist, maternal mammaries.
A source of life that fills with awe.
We get it—now, put on a bra!
In response to my FB and my fiance’s FB announcement that I’ll be reading a new bra poem and an underwear poem:
– The bra poem isn’t a limerick, is it? 😉 (Debbie)
Posted in Ann Arbor, In the News, Personalized Poems & Writing, tagged Ann Arbor, briarwood mall, bridal show, Chloe Miller, chloe yelena miller, discount, Michigan, papyrus, Personalized Poems & Writing, poem, special occassion poetry, spring bridal event, wedding invitations on April 21, 2009| Leave a Comment »
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