Jan's Friend Comments

And thank you for the add! Us bay area writers gotta stick together, haha.

Oh, thanks so much, Kerri!!! Did you see it on Tumblr? I was really grateful to Bisexual Books for posting a link to the poem in the online journal poeticdiversity.

Thanks so much, Anna! Yes, I'd still love it if my publisher would put my books into ebook format, but unfortunately they're not available that way yet. However, I'm submitting my next book, a collection of short stories, to publishers with national distribution who also do ebooks, so hopefully something of mine will be available in that format soon. Thanks for asking!

I did a double take. Hey, don't I know her? Yeah, I do.

I saw your poem in the Goodreads newsletter recently. Very cool :)
Are you still looking into putting your books in ebook format?

Virginia wrote: "Vivre la literature! I've always loved Alice Munro's short stories and precise, warm imagery. So glad she won the Nobel Prize in Literature!"

I've a book of short stories around of hers I've been waiting to read. Will have to celebrate by starting it.

Vivre la literature! I've always loved Alice Munro's short stories and precise, warm imagery. So glad she won the Nobel Prize in Literature!

Hello Jan, thank you for being my friend.
Peace and happiness be with you,

The movie with the excellent actor Elijah ? is a must see, also!

Thanks for the lit recommendations, Jan! The only metaphor I can come up with today is that the prep the doctor said would taste a bit like a glass of sweet orangeade tasted more like a titer of formaldahyde! What more does modern medicine have in store for us? :)

Hi Ginny,
I love her work,, and Andre herself too. Hopefully we'll be able to get a little more of her writing out there in the world someday. So glad you're enjoying it as much as I do.
How are you feeling these days?
Hugs,
Jan

Hi, Jan! I cannot get enough of Andre's poetry; it's so chock full of joyful mischief with constant references to mythology and love of life that I miss her more than ever! I think she could have won the Pulitzer had she survived. I had no idea she battled cancer from such an early age along with an incestuous father;.;.;.;.;.what an incandescent, brave, brilliant soul! I love her!

Thanks, Ginny! Best of luck to you on your book and your film. I'm just trying to get through my activities of daily living, get the old dishwasher and bed off to the Salvation Army, and go to a reading tonight that my publisher's doing with his son in Berkeley. Enjoy Santa Barbara!

Suzanne has thrown herself into her work (poetry and as an administrator with Pacifica); she's very determined. She meant Latinos in general. I couldn't live without Emiliano :) He's very macho but more maternal than macho. He grew up cleaning houses with his mom and helping raise his younger siblings. It's a different culture! We (you and me)could have written THE CORRECTIONS. Very HOT today; I'm trying to finalize my book and my film; the film has hit a rough patch - taped over doorknobs of all things! Enjoy SF!!!

So glad you and Suzanne got to go out to the movies together! Sorry Suzanne is saddened. Too bad about not wanting to date Latinos. Did she mean Latinos in general, or only immigrants who weren't yet citizens and might have ulterior motives for dating her involving getting to stay in this country? Actually, that's none of my business, forget I asked. :)

I'm afraid I haven't been able to watch any Woody Allen movies since he left Mia for her teenage daughter. I'm sure they're still very good, though.

Saw FROM ROME WITH LOVE with Suzanne yesterday; it was hysterically funny in most parts, but Alec Baldwin and Roberto Begnigni (sp?), especially the former, were out of their element! Suzanne is nursing a saddened heart over some rich devil; I told her to go to Las Conchas and find a warm-blooded Latino, but she won't date them. So I told her to avoid RICH MEN in general because she'll end up in a losing power struggle. I like sweet men with a sense of humility. Sort of Christ-like, that's all I ask :) Am working out last details of A TOUCH OF THE DEVIL with my cinematographer, Max Margolin; his dad lives in SB and was on the soaps in Jollywood.

Virginia, I heard about the open mic you guys had to raise money for Andre. I was so touched. Santa Barbara poets take care of their own! What a great community you all have created.

Sounds like a good read! Andre Levi, our delightful Zone poet, who also works at the Karpeles, has been diagnosed with a melanoma. Suzanne is hosting an open mic to raise money for her treatment, whch she has already started. Obamacare now! Suzanne and I are going to see Woody's latest film. We can't wait!

Virginia wrote: "I read all kinds of books. My current favorite is DRIFT by Rachael Maddow, the fab news commentator on MSNBC. As women, we need to speak seriously and knowledgeably about politics as they affect ..."

I'll have to see if I can borrow my mom's copy of Drift next time I'm down there, Virginia. I think I bought it for her last time I was down as an early Mother's Day present.

Kate wrote: "Thanks, Jan! Is your book available on Amazon? I just added it to my to-read. "

Hi Kate! So nice to hear from you. All of Zeitgeist Press's books will be on Amazon eventually, but right now you can only buy it from the publisher at http://www.zeitgeist-press.com or from me. It's also available at The Laurel Bookstore in Oakland, Expressions Gallery in Berkeley, the Beat Museum in San Francisco, Chaucer's Books in Santa Barbara, and the San Francisco Public Library.

To order a signed copy just send $14 + $2 shipping to me at Jan Steckel/PO Box 18797/Oakland, CA 94619. This week only, through May 11, shipping is FREE as I raise money for my trip to NYC for the Lambda Literary Awards Ceremony and Bi Lines reading. You can also order by PayPal (for $14 now or $16 after May 11) at Jmsteckel at aol dot com.

Thanks for your interest, Kate!

I read all kinds of books. My current favorite is DRIFT by Rachael Maddow, the fab news commentator on MSNBC. As women, we need to speak seriously and knowledgeably about politics as they affect all of us! For me, poetry is a marvellous luxury allowed by freedom of speech, especially bidyke poetry!

Congratulations on your normal CT, Ginny! That's wonderful news! Calloo, Callay!

I love early Neruda, before he became the state poet, and I love Lorca!

What about Proust? And Sommerset Maughsm? Flaubert? The classics? Neruda? Lorca? They're my favorites! I had a normal CT scan!!! Yea!

Thank you, Virginia and Noran!!! Noran, I think the great used bookstore you mentioned near the Grand Lake Theater was Walden Pond Books. It's still there. I lived in the neighborhood of the Grand Lake Theater for a couple of years. Virginia, I'm so glad you enjoyed THE HORIZONTAL POET! Thanks so much for your interest. Looking forward to seeing you in April!

Your HORIZONTAL POET was a delight and a revelation, making my life richer by a league or two! I tried to respond via e-mail, but apparently this is the only way I can get through to you, you incredible liver of life!!To the hilt. I've also written NEVER MARRY IN MOROCCO under the pen name Virginia Dale. :)

I have been to both independent bookstores that sell your books! Have not been to California in 8 years though. I stayed with a family in Oakland about 15-18 years ago. Love the architecture of4 the city and the park. The Grand Theater was amazing . Great used bookstore near there.

Hope you holidays are joyous for you and your loved ones! Thanks for the charming note and exchange of friendship.

Whitebeard, I love that you love all those old children's classics that I loved. My grandparents had a friend who was an editor at Grossett (sp?) and Dunlap. Every time he came over he'd have half a dozen new lovely hardback editions for me to read.

We not only have a ton of books in common, but our ratings are very similar when one considers that many of the 5 star books you have are 4's for me but are truly more like 4.5 to 4.75 for me. I'd really prefer a 100 point system to be more accurate in my evaluations. Too much distance between a 3 and a 4 and a 5! Don't you think?

Thanks, Jan! Is your book available on Amazon? I just added it to my to-read.