Congrats to my son, Blake, for having his TV Pilot “The Totally Mind-Blowing Show” accepted to participate in the Thilsri International Film Festival (TIFF).

Thilsri is in its second year and it’s based out of the Sivaganga District in India

“The Thilsri International Film Festival aims to build a platform for screening the world’s best short films and feature films.

The festival’s goal is to promote creativity, establish a network between young and new filmmakers from different parts of the world, and give them a hand to a better understanding of different cultures and each other.

The spirit of the Thilsri International Film Festival is one of friendship and universal cooperation.”

I love their clenched-fist logo wrapped in a shield. It kinda reminds me of the spirit of friendship and universal cooperation.

Blake, good luck to your TV series, cast, and crew in winning their first award on the Indian subcontinent.

And as I write this blog, I think, “How do we celebrate if you win?”

I remember Winner winner chicken dinner is a phrase exclaimed to celebrate a victory. 

So, Blake, if you win in India it will be a “Totally Mind Blowing” experience.

And I promise to raise a clenched fist high in the air and yell out my bedroom window, “Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner.” Hoping you’ll hear it in Eugene. Love, Dad.

Cocooned in the pain of old age, I realized there was only one way out—one way to escape the cocoon and reach the other side.

For 75 years, I have spun my soft, white, silky, protective covering.

But now my cocoon deteriorates, accompanied by fits of pain: back pain, leg pain, hip pain, finger pain.

Which pain should I focus on?

Which pain should I curse?

All the while, I wrestle with Hashem for another day in paradise, begging and praying for one more day—a day without a health crisis, a new pill, a new therapy, or a new pen.

Cocooned in this dilemma of aging, my skin has toughened from the painful blows landing all over my body.

It leaves me asking, “What worn-out body part will fail me next?”

Cocooned in a good night’s sleep filled with loving dreams, I slowly open my eyes, study the white, popcorn-textured ceiling, and gaze at the green leaves hanging from the trees outside my window. I pause to give thanks to Hashem for another day of life.

A member of the SOT team asked, “Mort, I’d like to see that Poets House letter accepting SOT into their Showcase.”

Of course, I obliged his request.

Here it is:

Dear Howard,

I hope your week is going well.

Thank you so much for your donation of Sea of Tranquility for the Poets House 2024 Showcase. I’m writing to confirm our receipt of this title—it is currently being added to our catalog. Congratulations on the new work.

Our 30^th Showcase of books published in 2024 is currently scheduled for December this year. Sea of Tranquility will be included in the Showcase Catalog, a print and online document that lists every item in the exhibition, making it the most authoritative resource on poetry works published in 2024. Following the Showcase, this item will be incorporated into our permanent collection, available to readers for free. For more general information about the Showcase, visit the exhibition FAQs. 

If you have any questions, feel free to be in touch. Many thanks again for your support of our library.

Best,

Leo Kreider (he/him)

Access Services Assistant

Congrats to all the SOT poets, writers, and editors on this high honor.

Well, here are some important assignments to add to your To-Do list:

It is time to calendar in this December NYC Showcase event, buy some extra copies of SOT as Valentine’s Day gifts, review our book on Amazon, and make arrangements for your trip to Cape Canaveral in November.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Mort

https://poetshouse.org