Susan J. Farese of SJF Communications taught her 2 hour SJF Communications “Capturing Your Creativity with Haiku” workshop on May 24th at the Julian Branch Library. Many thanks to Josh Mitchell, Branch Manager and Friends of the Julian Library for hosting the workshop.
Mark was a solo attendee that day, and we made the best of it!
We began with an interactive fun ice breaker. After introductions and a review of her published work (with Haiku and other forms of poetry), Susan taught her Power Point presentation about writing Haiku and shared nature photography, including several photos of roses and flowers, plus other nature photos as prompts to encourage Haiku writing. We practiced writing Haiku and had the opportunity to share our work. It was a great discussion and we equally had so much to say about the creative process and the parallels with Haiku poetry and visual arts.
Here is a glimpse of us, along with the photo prompts and written Haiku for the afternoon.
Susan Mark and SusanSusan and Josh (Library Branch Manager)
Capturing Your Creativity With Haiku at the Julian Branch Library 5/24/2022
Moon Rise and Yellow Traffic Light (Photo by Susan J. Farese)
Rings of Gold
electric yellow
round, in a black box says slow
in sunlit moonrise
– Mark
Moonrise/Yellow Light
Moon rose to the east
Yellow traffic light appeared
Serendipity
-Susan
Pacific Highlands Ranch Trail (Photo by Susan J. Farese)
Earth and Sky
dusty clay stretches
around a corner….fading
cool clouds pressing down
-Mark
Mysterious Orange Flower (Photo by Susan J. Farese)
Mysterious Orange Flower
Orange yellow hues
Veinlike markings encircle
A bursting flower
-Susan
Bench at Santee Lakes (Photo by Susan J. Farese)
Bench at Santee Lakes
Bench solitude
Lonely, uninhabited
Summer pause, sit down!
-Susan
Blooming Jacarandas in May (Photo by Susan J. Farese)
Blooming Jacarandas in May
Hues of violet
Lilac-blue and trumpet-shaped
Jacaranda tree!
A late Spring bloomer
Colorful, urban flower
Bravely blooms with awe
-Susan
For more information about attending our
Capturing Your Creativity With Haiku Workshop, click below!:
We began with an interactive fun ice breaker – getting to know each other.
After introductions and a review of her published work (with Haiku and other forms of poetry), Susan taught her Power Point presentation about writing Haiku and shared nature photography, including several photos of roses and flowers, plus other nature photos as prompts to encourage Haiku writing. We all practiced writing Haiku and had the opportunity to share our work. One woman had to leave early so she didn’t contribute a poem. It was a great discussion and we equally had so much to say about the creative process and the parallels with Haiku poetry and visual arts.
Here is a glimpse of us, along with the photo prompts and written Haiku for the afternoon.
Anna’s Hummingbird Feeding (Photo by Susan J. Farese)
Aroma beckons
Vibrating and fluttering
Delightful humming!
-Marilyn
Bold Flower and Butterfly (Photo by Susan J. Farese)
Vivid fuschia bed
Black and orange butterfly
Rests! Summer respite!
-Susan
Moon Rise and Yellow Traffic Light (Photo by Susan J. Farese)
All of a sudden
Yellow traffic light appears
Inviting moon shine!
-Susan
Julian Leaves – (Photo
Julian Leaves – (Photo by Susan J Farese)
Crunchy country sounds
A potpourri of color
Autumn leaves do fall!
-Susan
Elizabeth chose one of her photos on her phone of a beautiful rose, Here is her Haiku:
We had a wonderful virtual 2 hour SJF Communications Haiku workshop, ‘Capturing Your Creativity With Haiku’ via Zoom on August 29th.
Best part of it…these were my two friends, Ann Stowe and Karen De Arana, that decided to give Haiku a try! Wow, they really delivered!
We began with a review of my professional history and experience with Haiku and poetry as well as a short ice-breaker.
Next, after introductions and a review of my work with poetry, I taught my Power Point presentation about writing Haiku and shared several (16) of my nature (and other) photography photos as prompts to encourage Haiku writing. Besides the photo prompts, we had a choice to also write either about our experiences dealing with the isolation and angst of the Covid-19 pandemic or the ‘best’ or ‘worst’ day in our lives.
Everyone practiced writing Haiku and finally we had the opportunity to share our work. It was a delightful time with two fabulous ladies. They wrote some amazing Haiku!
Here’s a glimpse of our enlightened attendees written Haiku along with photo prompts we chose that day!
Joshua Tree Flowers –Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Lying in the grass
Wind coaxing flowers to dance
Gazing at the sky!
~ Karen
Sunset Cliffs, Point Loma
Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Roaring waves crashing
Thundering across the cliffs
Loudly pounding shore!
~ Ann
Moon Rise & Yellow Traffic Light
Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
All of a sudden
Moon rose at the yellow light
Serendipity!
~ Susan
Julian Leaves – Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Autumn is now here
A kaleidoscope palette
Welcomes the season!
~Ann
Summer stirs the trees
Leaves fall as darkness chills air
Look! Vibrant colors!
~Karen
Waterfall at Tahquitz Canyon Trail
Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Hike in the canyon
Flowers, scents and landscapes too
Look – A waterfall!
~ Susan
Great White Egret at Santee Lakes
Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Waited patiently
Water serene, time just right-
The egret took fight!
~ Susan
Thoughts on Covid-19 & the Coronavirus Pandemic
(Stock Photo)
Consumed with media
Newsflash! People are dying!
Covid sucks big time.
~ Ann
Depression and angst
Weight gain and isolation
When will it all cease?
~ Karen
We celebrated with a high five!
And ended on a happy workshop note!
And when it as nearly over, I read my poems ‘Ann’s Zest Ends’ and my Haiku ‘Crisis & Hope’ aloud. I really miss doing live presentations and readings..
Come on Covid-19. Lets get this pandemic under control so we can truly be social again!
I look forward to teaching many more workshops in the future – virtual or in person!
A recap of our workshop w/connection, creativity and sharing!
Our 4/5/2020 Zoom class: ‘Capturing Your Creativity with Haiku’ Top – Left to Right: Bonnie, Susan, Millie Bottom – Left to Right: Janice, Mary Jean, Lori
Five lovely women attended our 2 hour SJF Communications Haiku workshop, ‘Capturing Your Creativity With Haiku’ through San Diego Writer’s, Ink via Zoom on April 5th 2020. Once I figured out the system (video, sound, muting, unmuting, locking, etc.), it was a blast!
It was my first time teaching with Zoom and now I am hooked! In fact, I am planning another virtual Haiku workshop via San Diego Writer’s, Ink tentatively on June 7th from 10-12 noon. Stay tuned for details TBA.
We began with a review of my professional history and experience with Haiku and Poetry. After that, we did an interactive interesting and most of all fun ‘ice-breaker’ – getting to know each other a bit more.
Next, after introductions and a review of my work with poetry, I taught my Power Point presentation about writing Haiku and shared several (16) of my nature (and other) photography photos as prompts to encourage Haiku writing. Everyone practiced writing Haiku and finally we had the opportunity to share our work. It was a delightful time with such a lovely group of creative empowered women!
Here’s a glimpse of our enlightened attendees written Haiku along with photo prompts they chose that day!
Anna’s Hummingbird – Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
A simple creature
Delving into his sweetness
Bringing joy to all
– Lori
~
Hummingbird hornets
This Spring when hope hides from us
Kids drink from sippies
– Millie
Snowy Egret “Bad Hair Day” – Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
A morning outlook
Wind ruffling my feathers
What to do today
-Lori
~
Eager and ready
Able with wings to take flight
Planted feet instead
-Mary Jean
~
White feathers ruffle
Lake reflections wrinkles
The visible wind
-Bonnie
Coachella Valley Preserve – Thousand Palms Oasis McCallum Pond Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
New discovery
A promise of refreshment
Flies! They found this too
-Mary Jean
Waterfall at Tahquitz Canyon Trail – Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Water falls steady
From granite to constant lake
Upstaged by frailty
-Mary Jean
Joshua Tree Flowers –Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Lupine violet
Rises above dusty green
Poking the still air
-Millie
Coachella Valley Preserve – Thousand Palms Oasis Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Palm trees like bear hugs
Only my hairless arms wrap
Tomorrow your gaze clears
-Millie
Sunset Cliffs, Point Loma Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Whirling eternal surf
Salty water splashes ashore
No virus in sea
-Janice
Moon Rise & Yellow Traffic Light Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Stop full moon overhead
Secrets hide the dusky light
Car horn, now mundane
-Janice
Julian Leaves Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Crunchy leaves crackle
Sun comfort through bare branches
Seasons change, do I?
-Janice
Tahquitz Canyon Overlooking Palm Springs Photo by Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications
Puffy clouds hover
Gentle wind rustles leaves on trees
City sleeps, no danger.
-Janice
Plus, Lori and Mary Jean wrote some additional Haiku without photo prompts! Way to go!
Susan J. Farese, SJF Communications recently interviewed our client, JoAnn Petrie Carr, Author of the fiction novel, “Keeper of the Flame”. JoAnn is a former Astronaut wife and retired Attorney in the Houston area. Her answers were astute, honest and thought provoking.
Q & A with JoAnn Petrie Carr, Author, “Keeper of the Flame”
Courtesy Photo – JoAnn Petrie Carr
The Carr Family Courtesy Photo Top Row – left to right: Jennifer, Jerry, JoAnn and Jamee; Bottom Row – left to right: Jeff, Jessica, Joshua, John
SJF: In a nutshell…tell us about your life as a former Astronauts’ wife – a few tidbits…
JPC: My life as a former astronaut wife was in many respects business as usual with a houseful of six children. The monotony of mopping the floor was broken up with invitations to some of the River Oaks swankiendas (“swanky haciendas”) as well as invitations to the Indy 500, a week at Las Brisas in Acapulco, a week at a fabulous dude ranch in the Rocky Mountains, a trip to Cape Kennedy (now Cape Canaveral) and back in our host’s private 747 – among other less elaborate places.
This
Cinderella always knew that the kitchen floor was waiting along with the other
menial tasks that go with being the mother of six. We went to a lot of fabulous parties
locally. Lucky for me I was an expert
seamstress, so all the fancy outfits I needed were made on my handy dandy
sewing machine. A simple Vogue pattern
with a smashing fabric of some sort and I had a new outfit for every party! It was like being Cinderella, but one who was
only too well aware that the coach was going to turn into a pumpkin sooner or
later. Only the gown stayed the same.
SJF: What
experiences and/or people (parents, role models etc) in your life influenced
you the most and why?
JPC: My
maiden aunt gave me piano lessons and saw that I was involved with the local
church. I was also influenced by the fact that my mother’s cousin was a
designer for Twentieth Century Fox and I always went to the movies where her
wares were displayed. I think I tried to
emulate her. I never got to meet her
though. But she continued to be an
influence on my life. My skills also
came in handy when Halloween came around and my kids always had elaborate
Halloween costumes.
SJF: Describe your work as an Attorney – any fascinating cases? Do you miss it?
Courtesy Photo – JoAnn Petrie Carr
JPC: The
first case I ever worked on was one of the biggest cases Texas had seen for a
while. It involved a Supreme Court
Justice who had gotten elected because he had the same name as a well-known
political family in the State. I didn’t
have my license yet but worked as the lead attorney’s “gofer”. He had been the Attorney General when Kennedy
was killed. After that I had a general
practice and did a lot of family law and managed to have some interesting
divorces along the way. And no, I don’t
miss it.
SJF: Describe
your book “Keeper of the Flame” -why? Any backlash?
JPC: I
decided to write a memoir about my life as an astronaut wife for my kids but it
turned out to be so boring that I decided that I could tell more truth with
fiction. As I was watching my youngest
son play a role in Hello Dolly it just came to me that I would write a
novel and call it Keeper of the Flame.
I think they were singing “Before the Parade Passes By” and I was facing
retirement age. I am unaware of any
backlash. A few of the wives have asked me if certain incidents in the book
really happened. My reply is always
“It’s fiction”. I sent every wife a copy
of the book when it first came out and I got several very nice notes and a few
positive phone calls. Now that I think
of it there were a lot, I didn’t hear from at all. I got a very nice call from Al Bean. He was
quite complimentary. He was the only man
who had the guts to call. And I’m sure
that at least several of the men read it too.
SJF: What do you dream about?
JPC: I dream about this book becoming a movie.
SJF: What
are your top 3 values in life?
JPC: First and foremost is family. They all have each other’s back and are ready to circle the wagons at the first hint of trouble. Another is helping other less fortunate people. Christianity – but not necessarily in that order. But family is always first.
The Carr Family Courtesy Photo Top Row – left to right: Jennifer, JoAnn and Jamee; Bottom Row – left to right: Jeff, Jessica, Joshua, John
SJF: Did you enjoy the celebrity status? Describe…
JPC: I did enjoy the celebrity status. It was sporadic so we didn’t have the kind of attention that the first few groups had. It was just as well. I had too much else to do.
Courtesy Photo – JoAnn Petrie Carr
SJF: What
are you most proud of?
JPC: I’m
most proud that all my kids are good people.
We escaped the teen years with no drugs and no scrapes with the
law. They were active in their church
fellowship groups and I helped lead them.
It was a blast hanging around with those teenagers. They had a musical group and we played and
sang for other churches.
SJF: Describe your feelings about balancing motherhood and work
Courtesy Photo – JoAnn Petrie Carr
JPC: Balancing
motherhood and work is a team effort. My
kids had chores on a rotating basis.
They did their own laundry. They
helped me cook meals.
SJF: Female
issues with males (harassment) in law practice, etc.?
JPC: I
didn’t encounter much in the way of harassment.
The Texas male attorneys separated females into two categories — – lady
lawyers and women lawyers. I never did
figure out what was what but I guess I was whichever one was better because
they all seemed to like me and didn’t harass me at all.
SJF: Any
insight on the process of aging? Has it been a challenge?
JPC: Aging
is a bitch. I can’t play tennis. I can’t hike.
I can’t garden. My eyesight is declining. I can’t sew or do jigsaw puzzles. And if I don’t hurry up and get this book out
there, I am going to lose my short term memory and giving speeches will be a
challenge.
SJF: Any fears?
Doubts? ever?
JPC: The
only fears I had were that my ex-husband Jerry wasn’t going to get a
flight. He was assigned to Apollo 19 but
the last three flights (18, 19, 20) were cancelled. He was named Commander of the third and last
Skylab flight – an 84-day mission in the Skylab workshop. But we sweated it out for several weeks
before we knew about the Skylab flight.
It was a heart-breaking time for both of us. I was just as anxious for
him to get a flight as he was. So I
don’t think I ever had any doubt that he was made for the exploration of
space. It was something that was meant
to happen. And it almost didn’t.
JoAnn Petrie Carr was born and raised in Orange County, California. She graduated from The California State University at Long Beach with a degree in elementary education. She married her high school sweetheart who was later to be named as an Apollo astronaut in the ‘60s. During her life as the wife of a marine fighter pilot, she organized and taught a private kindergarten in North Carolina. She moved to Houston where she raised her six children against the backdrop of Gemini, Apollo and Skylab. She later completed her Doctor of Jurisprudence at the Bates College of Law at the University of Houston with all six children still at home. She divorced and practiced law for 30 years. During this time, she was a sole practitioner, general counsel for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and counsel for Star Station One, a 501c-3 dedicated to space education for children. She designed a distance-learning program for primary grades.
To book JoAnn Petrie Carr for media interviews
or speaking engagements please contact her publicist:
Former Astronaut Wife Re-Releases Novel about Moon Landing
In association with the 50th anniversary of Apollo 11, JoAnn Petrie Carr reflects her personal experience as an astronaut’s wife in her debut novel, ‘Keeper of the Flame’
(San Diego, CA August 16, 2019) – What is it like being married to an astronaut? Author, JoAnn Petrie Carr, offers an inside view of an astronaut family as she draws from her personal experience. A fiction based on fact, “Keeper of the Flame” tells the story of an Apollo astronaut wife as she struggles to establish an identity of her own. She puts her own ambitions aside in favor of supporting her husband’s quest for the moon.
In the book, readers will follow the life of Jennifer
Davis. She is a devoted mother of four and wife of an Apollo astronaut, who had
dreamed of being a lawyer. Instead, she married and started a family. Her
husband, Evan, is a good but neglectful man who is driven by his need to excel
at whatever he does. His time and attention are focused exclusively on the moon
to the detriment of his family and his relationship with Jennifer.
Jennifer pushes the traditional envelope of her life as far
as she is able without jeopardizing Evan’s chances or neglecting her children.
An emergency on the lunar surface, endangering the crew, causes her to
reexamine her core values. She meets the tough choices that face her head on.
“Keeper of the Flame” is a metaphor for the universal story
of every traditional married woman who found herself exposed to the
possibilities offered by the changing world of the ‘60s. It will also appeal to
those younger women who struggle to combine career and family.
“Keeper of the Flame”
By JoAnn Petrie Carr
Hardcover | 6×9 in | 294 pages | ISBN 9781796031720
Softcover | 6×9 in | 294 pages | ISBN 9781796031713
E-Book | 294 pages | ISBN 9781796031706
About
the Author
JoAnn Petrie Carr was
born and raised in Orange County, California. She graduated from The California
State University at Long Beach with a degree in elementary education. She
married her high school sweetheart who was later to be named as an Apollo
astronaut in the ‘60s. During her life as the wife of a marine fighter pilot,
she organized and taught a private kindergarten in North Carolina. She moved to
Houston where she raised her six children against the backdrop of Gemini,
Apollo and Skylab. She later completed her Doctor of Jurisprudence at the Bates
College of Law at the University of Houston with all six children still at
home. She divorced and practiced law for 30 years. During this time, she was a
sole practitioner, general counsel for the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and
counsel for Star Station One, a 501c-3 dedicated to space education for
children. She designed a distance-learning program for primary grades.
To book JoAnn Petrie Carr for media interviews
or speaking engagements please contact her
publicist:
