What do we do? Well, we do a lot of things… we read, we write poetry, we drink wine, and we tie it all together with a scale of our creation: Tannins and Tomes! Here are a few things that might help you understand better.
books
We read one book every month in as many different genres as we can find. Then, we choose a bottle of wine to match the book based on our Tannins & Tomes rating scale. Together, we relax with a glass of our chosen vintage and discuss the book – including plot points, quotes, questions, and sometimes even games.
You can find a full account of what we’ve covered so far here. If you’re behind on our episodes, don’t worry! Of course we post our conversations to Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and Podbean. You can listen all the way back to our first episode in January of 2019.
Poetry
Changes
Perhaps now I might elect to change;
I would like to not be so plain.
Perhaps now I might elect to change;
Paler, pinker, plumper, -er, -er, -er.
I think I might be happy this way;
To sing to dance to worry not.
I think I might be happy this way;
Lively, springy, bubble, -y, -y, -y.
To have and to hold;
Another person as partner.
To have and to hold;
Cherished, loved, joined, -ed, -ed, -ed.
Clothes,
Mind,
Friends.
There are many things that change,
But I cannot change me.
– Jacquie Burckley, Minisode 25
Worthless Poem
I can never say how I feel.
If poetry were currency
I would trade away form and alliteration.
There is no reason for rhyme
because rhythm is a fallacy, a heuristic.
I would deal only in thoughts –
no – sentiments. See? Words are worthless
like the letter K. Nothing lost by losing her.
Vowels are light and heavy, conveying
ecstasy and nothingness at once.
Words have value only in their meaning,
because there are a thousand ways
to disagree. A thousand ways
to say I love you. A thousand words
for hate and fear and malice.
But only one for me, and that just won’t do.
Only one word, and yet I am infinite.
– Chrissy Schreiber, Minisode 33
When we’re not talking about books, we’re writing poetry. We put two episodes out monthly – the first being our full book club episode and the second being what we call our minisodes: “Read One, Write One,” or ROWO for short.
For ROWO episodes, we each pick a poet – but we don’t tell the other person who we’ve picked. We select three of that person’s poems, and then we write three of our own poems, doing our best to emulate their style. The challenge is for the other person to guess which poem is the original.
WHO ARE WE?
We’re Jacquie Burckley and Chrissy Schreiber, that’s who! Best friends, former coworkers, and soulmates (yes, really). Check out our bios for more information!
(Read) Between the Vines 