Tag: authors

Photos of Shakespeare celebration in Balboa Park!

Today I headed into Balboa Park to enjoy a special event celebrating Shakespeare’s 455th birthday!

Many activities were centered in sunny Copley Plaza, the hub of The Old Globe’s Conrad Prebys Theatre Center. There was an outdoor performance of Shakespeare in Exile by Grossmont College Theatre Arts students. There was instrumental musical entertainment, a sonnet writing contest, and even an Elizabethan ruff-making station. Inside the lobby of The Old Globe, costumes from some of their past Shakespearean productions were on display.

A bit after noon high school students from all around San Diego gathered on the steps of the Timken Museum of Art. After a welcome speech, a fantastic parade featuring many Elizabethan costumes began along El Prado. Several students were presented with achievement awards at the foot of the Lily Pond as their classmates shouted approval, then the youth fanned out to perform scenes from Shakespeare and other famous plays on several stages along El Prado.

Here are photos that provide a flavor of this truly awesome annual event!

…

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!

A story about the pages of one’s life.

I’ve completed another short story. The Star Maker is about the torn pages of one’s life. Folded together. Made into something perfect.

From our own complex stories we create our own stars.

Read the small, surprising story by clicking here.

FOLLOWING THE WORDS of Quincy Troupe.

This morning I walked beside poetry. I followed a bright stream of playful words that were written in 2008 by Quincy Troupe.

FOLLOWING THE WORDS is poetry inscribed along the top of a low concrete wall. The wall stretches between The New Children’s Museum and their garden and playground.

To learn a little more about Quincy Troupe, and to see more photos of this small, joyful refuge in downtown San Diego, click here.

WORDS WALK A PATHWAY
INTO OUR MINDS, THEY JUMP QUICK
BEHIND A HOPPING
FROG, GUIDING US LIKE A SCOUT
INTO THE LANGUAGE WE BOP,
WORDS POP BIG AS EYES
OF FROGS, WHO HOP AND PLOP, BOP
THROUGH WORDS ZIG-ZAGGING
THROUGH SENTENCES, HOT AND COOL
AS FLIP-FLOPS KIDS ARE WEARING,
THEY ARE COLORFUL,
THESE WORDS THAT BLIP, BLOP AND PLOP,
UP AND DOWN THEY GO,
LIKE OUR SCOUT, THE HOPPING TOAD,
THERE HE GOES, JUMPING LIKE WORDS,
SOME HE TOTES INSIDE
A SACK ON HIS BACK, BOUNCING,
BROWN-GREEN AS HIS SKIN,
THESE WORDS ARE HEAVY
LOADS FOR TOADS SAME THING AS FROGS
TO CARRY, THESE KNOTS, ZIG-ZAGGING, COOL, WORDS, BOPPING,
SKIPPING ALONG, SKEEDADLING
ALONG THIS PATHWAY,
WE FOLLOW WORDS AS THEY HOP
BEHIND OUR SCOUT-TOAD
OR FROG, IF YOU LIKE THAT WORD,
FOLLOW THEM TO WHERE THEY END
INSIDE THE MUSEUM,
WHERE WORDS BECOME FREEDOM, ART,
MUSIC AND KNOWLEDGE,
POETRY, DANCING, BIG FUN,
HIP AS FLIP-FLOPS KIDS HAVE ON

COOL RAP, FLIP-FLOPPING,
WORDS THAT RATTAMATAT, JAZZ
ZIG-ZAG THROUGH VOICES,
CARRY CHOICES THROUGH TALKING,
SENTENCES SKEEDADLING, WORDS,
BRIGHT INSIDE KID’S MINDS,
MADE NEWS, ABOVE THEIR FUTURE,
A NEW SUN RISING
EACH MORNING NEW, AND WE CAN
TOUCH IT WHEN WE SPREAD OUR WINGS
AND FLY LIKE A BIRD
THROUGH OUR OWN MINDS, THROUGH OUR OWN
SKIES, INSIDE OUR MINDS,
WE CAN TOUCH MAGIC INSIDE
OUR OWN IMAGINATIONS,
TOUCH IT, THE MAGIC,
WATCH YOUR MIND GO FLYING
LIKE A BIRD, NOW, HIGH
UP IN THE BLUE, WATCH YOURSELF,
YOUR MIND SOAR, SKEEDADLING, NOW

SKEEDADLING VOICES
SHIMMY SHIMMY SHANGLE, BOP,
SASHAY, SKEEZOOZOO
THROUGH, HIP WORDS THEY HOP, POP,
AS RAINBOW CHILDREN PLOP, SHINE
IT’S PLAYTIME, SPARKLING
WITH LAUGHTER, SKEEDADLING LIKE
OCEAN WAVES DRUMMING,
A CHOIR OF BIRDS, SHOWERING
RAIN, SOFT AS CHILDREN’S FOOTSTEPS
CHILDREN’S FACES BLOOM
LIKE FLOWERS IN JUNE, DAZZLING,
SPARKLE LIKE TINKLING
WATERFALLS, RINSING, PURE SOUNDS,
BRIGHT ROSE PETALS ON THE GROUND,
YOU ARE YOUR OWN SONG
SINGING SWEET MUSIC, COLORS,
NOTES INSIDE LAUGHTER,
FREEDOM IS TIME, NOW,
YOU ARE LIVING IN YOURSELF
WHEN YOUR DREAMS COME TRUE,
THEIR FACES AGAINST
WHITE WALLS, ARE FLOWER PETALS
POPPING INTO ROOMS
OUT IN GREEN BUSHES
FROGS SERENADE THE MOON, SKY
AS CATS CHASE SHADOWS
YOU CAN TOUCH IT, TOUCH
IT, NOW, THROUGH YOUR POET’S PEN,
YOUR PAINTER’S BRUSHSTROKE,
THE SUN INSIDE YOUR MIND, TOO,
REACH IN, TOUCH IT, TOUCH IT NOW

…

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

How to paint light in the city.

I finished writing another short story. This one is titled Light at the Edges.

I don’t know how to paint, but I do like to watch artists animate their canvases with small dabs of color. I also observe people, and the effect of light upon the human heart.

How does one paint light?

I hope this little story, about living in the big city, and human generosity, makes you smile.

Read it here.

Dr. Seuss and Cat in the Hat sculpture at UCSD.

Dr. Seuss and the Cat in the Hat are cast in bronze at UC San Diego in La Jolla, not far from the place where the famous children's author resided much of his life.
Dr. Seuss and The Cat in the Hat are cast in bronze at UC San Diego in La Jolla, not far from the place where the famous children’s author resided much of his life.

In 2004, the 100th anniversary of the birth of Dr. Seuss, the Theodor Seuss Geisel Memorial made its debut outside the Geisel Library at UC San Diego. The famous children’s book author and illustrator spent the second half of his life living in La Jolla, in a home not far from the university. The University of California San Diego’s main library, the Geisel Library, is now home of the Dr. Seuss Collection.

The inspiring sculpture on the plaza outside the library is by Lark Grey Dimond-Cates. The Cat in the Hat stands at Dr. Seuss’ shoulder holding an umbrella.

The original casting of this whimsical sculpture and many others like it can also be found at the Dr. Seuss National Memorial Sculpture Garden at the Springfield Museums’ Quadrangle in Springfield, Massachusetts, the birthplace of Theodor Seuss Geisel.

Plaque describes the Theodor Seuss Geisel Memorial at UC San Diego, home of the Dr. Seuss Collection. The memorial, by sculptor Lark Grey Dimond-Cates, was dedicated on 2 March 2004.
Plaque describes the Theodor Seuss Geisel Memorial at UC San Diego, home of the Dr. Seuss Collection. The memorial, by sculptor Lark Grey Dimond-Cates, was dedicated on 2 March 2004.
The Theodor Seuss Geisel Memorial stands on the outdoor Forum Level of the Geisel Library at UCSD.
The Theodor Seuss Geisel Memorial stands on the outdoor Forum Level of the Geisel Library at UCSD.
A bronze Cat in the Hat stands at the shoulder of Dr. Seuss.
A tall bronze The Cat in the Hat stands with an umbrella at the shoulder of Dr. Seuss.
Dr. Seuss relaxes for a bit with a foot up on his work table.
Dr. Seuss relaxes and reflects for a moment with a foot up on his work table.
A thoughtful, pleasant moment as a famous children's book author and illustrator takes a break to dream.
A thoughtful, pleasant moment as a famous children’s book author and illustrator takes a break to dream.
Looking over the bronze shoulder of Dr. Seuss on a sunny day in La Jolla.
Looking over the bronze shoulder of Dr. Seuss on a sunny day in La Jolla.
The iconic children's character Cat in the Hat cast in bronze.
An immortal children’s character from The Cat in the Hat cast in bronze.
The friendly, wise face of Theodor Seuss Geisel.
The friendly, wise face of beloved author Theodor Seuss Geisel.
The work table of a world-famous children's author and artist.
The work table of a world-famous children’s author and artist.
The inspiring bronze Theodor Seuss Geisel Memorial can be found outside the southwest corner of the Geisel Library at UC San Diego.
The inspiring bronze Theodor Seuss Geisel Memorial can be found outside the southwest corner of the Geisel Library at UC San Diego.

…

I live in downtown San Diego and love to walk around with my camera! You can follow Cool San Diego Sights via Facebook or Twitter!

You can easily explore Cool San Diego Sights by using the search box on my blog’s sidebar. Or click a tag! There are thousands upon thousands of photos for you to enjoy!

A story about Christmas, wisdom and old age.

I’ve published a new Christmas story. It’s about our busy lives and the passage of time.

It’s titled A Wise Man.

Please forgive me if I make changes to this tiny work of fiction as I reread it in the days, weeks and months to come. A writer’s thoughts and feelings can evolve over time.

To read the story, click here.

A small bird, and humor’s saving grace.

This morning I published another short story. This one is titled The Station Sparrow.

The humorous little tale was inspired by my own life experience.

I often see birds inside the enormous passenger waiting room of Santa Fe Depot, the train station in downtown San Diego. Feathered infiltrators come through the wide open doors and walk about the floor pecking at crumbs.

That got me to thinking. And imagining. And laughing.

The Station Sparrow is mostly about life, and humor’s saving grace. Click the link to read it.

I hope it makes you laugh, too.