Allyson Whipple

Category: Austin

  • A Spider Summer

    A black-and-yellow garden spider set up shop outside my bedroom window last month. While she might look scary, she’s in fact harmless to humans. I’ve enjoyed watching her weave her web in the morning. It’s also quite a show to see her kill and wrap up a bee or cricket when it flies into her nest. And the process of watching her eat her prey is fascinating.

    I’ve taken quite a few videos of her this summer. If you’re not arachnophobic, check them out! And even if you are, just watch. You might discover there’s nothing to be afraid of.

     

  • AFPF On Hiatus for 2015

    I mentioned this over at the official Austin Feminist Poetry Festival blog a few weeks ago, but I’ve decided to take a hiatus from the festival this year. The past two years were incredible! However, I’ve just finished a two-year term on the Austin Poetry Society board and I’ve spent the first few months of the year giving a lot of attention to the Texas Poetry Calendar. I’m at the point where I need a break. Plus, since I’m starting my MFA in the fall, I need to focus on my studies–and running a fall festival is not entirely conducive to that!

    I also want to restructure the festival, and get it more in line with my larger vision. That requires time. So I’m going to take this year to figure out how I want things to develop.

    I do have some smaller events in the works for later this year, so stay tuned…

  • A Year in Readings

    Being bawdy at Austin Writers Roulette in February 2015
    Being bawdy at Austin Writers Roulette in February 2015

    At last year’s Poetry at Round Top festival, which was also the weekend of my 30th birthday, I gave myself a challenge: to do at least one reading a month before I turned 31. I was going to read in public at least once a month, either at an open mic or as a feature. It didn’t matter if it was one poem or several. I was just going to get up and get out there. That meant 12 performances of one kind or another in my 30th year.

    At the Georgetown Poetry Festival
    At the Georgetown Poetry Festival

    As it turns out, doing one reading every single month was quite challenging, and some months I didn’t read at all… But I not only met my goal, I surpassed it! In November, for example, I was too busy training for my black belt test to schedule anything. And while there are poetry readings and open mics just about every week in Austin, some months, I couldn’t get anything that meshed with my work schedule. But there were other months full of abundance. December was particularly active; I read four times!

    I ended up reading 16 times. 13 of those times were in Austin, one was in Georgetown, one was in Fort Worth, and one in Waco. This year my schedule was just too heavy for me to get to San Antonio or Houston again. I can’t believe I haven’t read in either of those cities in over a year!

    Now that this challenge has been met, I plan to keep it up. Reading 12 times in a year was tough at times, but overall doable. Now I’m just trying to figure out what the literary challenge will be for Year 31!

  • Save the Date for Feminist Poetry in 2015

    I’m ready to take the Austin Feminist Poetry Festival in a bigger direction. Which means writing a set of bylaws and getting a board together so that I can form a nonprofit corporation, and ultimately get 501(c)3 status. I’ll also be working on upping fundraising efforts and possibly doing one or two fundraisers this year to help get things going.

    I’ve also set the dates for next year: September 25th and 26th, 2015. (Here’s hoping I’ll have finally managed to not conflict with any other poetry events in Austin!) I hope to see you out there!

    In the meantime, check out one of the highlights from this past festival: Kelsey Erin Shipman and Funk Riot performing “Seven Ways I Love You.”

  • Seeking actors for Frontera Fest

    Hello, readers!

    I’m thrilled to announce that my one-act play, Hand in Unloveable Hand, will be going up as part of Frontera Fest this January. I’m excited to be taking on the roll of director as well as actor. To that end, I’m seeking actors for two speaking roles and one nonspeaking role.

    Speaking Roles: 1 man and 1 woman, middle-aged, any ethnicity

    Nonspeaking Role: 1 adult, any age, any ethnicity

    If interested, email literaryaustin@gmail.com. Include payment requirements and whether you’re willing to work for barter.

  • Good Things Coming to an End

    I started Literary Austin in 2010 as a way to engage with the local literary community when I didn’t feel that I yet had a place in it. When I was still trying to find my place as a literary citizen, this blogging project allowed me the chance to explore events and connect with people. For a while, it sustained me.

    Now, however, the blog is sitting dormant. I haven’t updated since March. The list of regular events is out of date. And while I keep saying I’m going to work on it again, the fact is that my writing life has taken me in other directions. I’ve found other projects. My energies never come back to Literary Austin.

    The domain needs to be renewed in November. It’s all through WordPress, and I think it’s something like $26, so it’s not a huge chunk of change. It’s not about the money; it’s that this blog has not been at the top of my priority list in months, and when I think about it, I don’t see that changing anytime soon. It was great while it lasted, but it’s not where my focus is anymore.

    That being said, if someone wants to take the reigns, contact me. I’d be happy to pass it on. If not, no worries. It was great while it lasted. But sometimes, even the stuff we love has to come to an end.

  • Poet About Town: August Open Mics

    I’m excited to be the featured poet at two excellent open mics this month.

    First, I’ll be featuring at the BookWoman Second Thursday Open Mic on August 8th. The reading starts at 7:15, and is followed by a round-robin open mic, so bring poems to share!

    On August 22nd, I’ll be one of the co-features at NewWorld Deli (Guadalupe location). We’re kicking off at 7, with an open mic to follow.

    Both events are free and open to the public (though please consider making a small purchase to help support the venue), and I’ll be selling books at each. Hope to see you there!

  • Feminist Friday: Austin Voter Registration Round-Up

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    If you’ve been following the news around Texas (and many other parts of the country), you know it’s been quite a week. Rick Perry signed new abortion restrictions into law yesterday morning. I couldn’t make it, but I watched a live feed online, feeling sick the entire time. When Jon asked why I was torturing myself watching it, I glibly replied, “masochism.” Then I less-glibly responded that denial and disengagement won’t solve anything.

    There are a number of ways to experience political disengagement. One of the worst? Not voting. Especially not voting during midterm elections. (You know, those elections people forget about because nobody is running for president and shoving ads in your faces everywhere you look that has a screen.) And it’s not just about registering yourself. There are ways to help to ensure that all people get registered and get out to the polls.

    Do you need to register in Texas, or update your registration? Do you want to become a deputy voter registrar to help out with the election process? You’re in luck. There are events, both upcoming and ongoing in Austin that will make sure you’re set for the next election.

    Saturday, July 20th: Austin Music People Deputy Registrar Training

    The training will be immediately followed by a brief press conference with Congressman Lloyd Doggett, Travis County Tax Assessor & Voter Registrar Bruce Elfant, Austin City Councilmember Mike Martinez, and special guests.

    Sunday, July 21st:  Austin’s Concerts in the Park Voter Registration
    It’s a win-win; listen to the Austin Symphony AND register voters! Join us in front of the Long Center on Sunday evenings in July and August to listen to music and register voters. All you need to bring is your orange VDR card, and we’ll provide the rest. Feel free to bring a blanket so you can stay
    Wednesday, July 24th: Austin Blues on the Green Voter Registration
    http://join.battlegroundtx.com/page/event/detail/voterregistrationdrive/wrvl

    Saturday, August 3rd:

    Ongoing: http://www.traviscountytax.org/goVotersVDR.do
    Travis County Voter Registration offer day and evening training the first Tuesday of each month at their office at 5501 Airport Blvd. And if you have ten people or more, they will also come to you!

    Looking for other opportunities? Battleground Texas has a cool web site that lets you do a geographic search by zip code of upcoming events, and most of them are voter registration:http://battletx.bluestatedigital.com/page/event/search_simple

    You can also access the Texas Volunteer Deputy Registrar Guide here.

  • Feminist Every Day

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    Last night was rough.

    I arrived at the Capitol just before 8. A security guard told me I wasn’t allowed to bring my water in, which was ridiculous, because I could look into the rotunda and see people with water. But given the number of people already arrested for ridiculous things, I wasn’t about to push it.  I gave up my water, went through the metal detector, and went in.

    (The irony that I could bring a gun into the Capitol but could not bring my own water is not lost on me. At least I didn’t need a tampon!)

    2013-07-12 20.13.20

     

    I spent just over four hours in the rotunda, chanting and screaming. Because some security guards were not being helpful, I decided to just stay on the first floor. Most of the time, we were all corralled in the middle of the room. There was a brief period where I joined a group marching and chanting around the outer circle, but eventually we were all herded back into the roped-off area.

    I stayed until the final verdict was reached. I didn’t leave to try to find water, because there came a point that if I’d left the rotunda, I wouldn’t have been allowed back in. I didn’t go to the bathroom. I stayed after my throat was hoarse and my knees and ankles started to hurt.

    Our energy waned, and then it came back. We fought and we fought and we fought.

    And we lost. There’s not much more to say than that. I have spent today trying to synthesize things with more depth, but what it boils down to is this: Feminism is not dead. Activism is not dead. We came together. We fought. And too many of our elected officials are spiteful misogynists unwilling to listen.

    And this isn’t over.

    I was born into a time and place with reproductive choice. I will be damned if I die in a time and place where that doesn’t exist.

    And I still love Texas. Because Texas is not the sum of its legislature. This state is so much more than that. Texas is full of brilliant, beautiful, creative, wonderful people. It is an incredible place. Texas enriches me. I love Texas, and I will fight for Texas women.

    Just like I fight for all women.

    I was raised to be a strong, independent thinker. I was raised to stand up for what I believe in. I was raised to persevere, to keep going without giving up. I was raised to work hard. These were the values my parents gave me. I am tough, I am a fighter, I am stubborn.

    I am not giving up. I will not let bigots take away my agency and autonomy. I will fight for the state I love and the people I care about. Because this isn’t just about Texas. It’s about women all over the world. 

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  • Video from the Capitol last night

    Note: Long, thoughtful post coming soon. But I’m running on very little sleep and very high emotions, so my thoughts aren’t coalescing just yet. In the meantime, enjoy some protest video clips.