Poetry 📓and Photography 📸 by JJZ. Explorations worldwide and within. Trying to be heard, stirred, and perhaps cured by life's many hidden images, and the written-spoken word.
COLLECTIVE BREATH SEASON 2 EPISODE 30 . . Week of Tuesday, February 1st, 2022 Starting at 8pm PDT Episode : 82 (of 104 overall) Writing Prompt: Imagine yourself as a tree. Which kind of tree are you? During what season do you picture yourself? Describe yourself inside and out. … . COLLECTIVE BREATH is a weekly wellness writing workshop. This ongoing event meets Tuesdays starting at 8pm. Each session or episode will consist of two portions. Step 1: 8:00pm – Tune in to Bruka Theatre of the Sierra’s Facebook Page to see the Poet in Residence, Jesse James Ziegler perform original pieces of poetry and speak about the theme/prompt of the week. (Personal Podcast Portion) Step 2: 8:15pm – Using the link provided in the Facebook Event “Collective Breath”, join on Zoom for the meeting to discuss and share creative output related to the Topic/Prompt. (Group Workshop Portion) . https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8127754640?pwd=RE41WS94RkVidUxERmxteXZTY3ZPdz09 . ‘COLLECTIVE BREATH’ @biggestlittlecollectivebreath . . . . . #poet #poets #poem #poems #poetry #poetsofinstagram #poetsofig #poetrycommunity #poetryisnotdead #workshop #poemsofinstagram #poetry_addicts #poemsporn #brukatheatre #collectivebreathreno #bloggers #weekly #sidewayseightprojects #brukapoetry #sidewaseightpoetry #spokenword #spokenwordpoet #spokenwordpoetry #spokenwordartist #writer #writing #creativewriting #wellness #biggestlittlecollectivebreath #collectivebreath
NEW POETRY VIDEO: . ~ On The Horizon ~ . Title of Poem/Video is in reference to an excerpt from my reading, in homage to one of the greatest to ever touch stage, hearts, and the edge of transcendental art…Javon Johnson . “Slam and spoken word poets who search for something beyond are, on some level, always trying to move on to what is beyond, to what is on the horizon.” — Javon Johnson ‘Killing Poetry’ . ON THE HORIZON (2min.37sec.) Poem and Photography by JJZ . . . . . #poetry #photography #poet #photographer #poets #photographers #poem #photo #poems #photos #community #event #spokenwordartist #poetryvideo #spokenwordpoetry #spokenword #performancepoetry #poetrylovers #reno #nv #sidewayseightprojects #sidewayseightpoetry #writer #writers #writing #poetryisnotdead #poetrycommunity #poetlifeuniversity #creativewriting #poetrymovie
COLLECTIVE BREATH SEASON 2 EPISODE 29 . . Week of Tuesday, January 25th, 2022 Starting at 8pm PDT Episode : 81 (of 104 overall) Writing Prompt: Write about the number NINE (9) … . COLLECTIVE BREATH is a weekly wellness writing workshop. This ongoing event meets Tuesdays starting at 8pm. Each session or episode will consist of two portions. Step 1: 8:00pm – Tune in to Bruka Theatre of the Sierra’s Facebook Page to see the Poet in Residence, Jesse James Ziegler perform original pieces of poetry and speak about the theme/prompt of the week. (Personal Podcast Portion) Step 2: 8:15pm – Using the link provided in the Facebook Event “Collective Breath”, join on Zoom for the meeting to discuss and share creative output related to the Topic/Prompt. (Group Workshop Portion) . https://us04web.zoom.us/j/8127754640?pwd=RE41WS94RkVidUxERmxteXZTY3ZPdz09 . ‘COLLECTIVE BREATH’ @biggestlittlecollectivebreath . . . . . #poet #poets #poem #poems #poetry #poetsofinstagram #poetsofig #poetrycommunity #poetryisnotdead #workshop #poemsofinstagram #poetry_addicts #poemsporn #brukatheatre #collectivebreathreno #bloggers #weekly #sidewayseightprojects #brukapoetry #sidewaseightpoetry #spokenword #spokenwordpoet #spokenwordpoetry #spokenwordartist #writer #writing #creativewriting #wellness #biggestlittlecollectivebreath #collectivebreath
I have been open enough to pray for the eyes of God so that I may see what I’m missing and fully understand why it will never be my place to judge whether moments of experience take my breath away or cut it short altogether
I have been closed enough to pray for death so that I may end what I am feeling to cease what I’m seeing and fully understand why I will never be completely open without shattering an already broken vessel attempting to hold the summation of existence in a single breath
And so I remain A door half open held ajar by a singular glass seen from afar as half empty resting on the floor casting its gaze over the threshold longing to have its intention travel across time and breathe easy . . . . . #poetry #photography #poet #photographer #poets #photographers #poem #photo #poems #photos #community #event #spokenwordartist #hiphopartist #spokenwordpoetry #spokenword #performance #poetrylovers #reno #nv #sidewayseightprojects #sidewayseightpoetry #writer #writers #writing #poetryisnotdead #poetrycommunity #poetlifeuniversity #creativewriting #pagepoetry
Number of people attending Facebook (personal portion):
Number of people attending Zoom Meet (group portion):
Introduction:
Retiring Grid Iron
Willis, Webster, and Lewis
Pushing on till zone’s end
Could be the frequency
running through us
and NASCAR’s Means to an end
Fifty two floors in a wreck
Fifty two weeks in a year
Fifty two cards in a deck
Fifty two ways to see clear
Happy 4th of July to everyone at home and on the road!
A transcript of this segment and each subsequent session will be posted (for anyone interested) at http://www.sidewayseight.co which is my main outlet for personal poetry and photography: Sideways Eight Projects.
“My TV show had been cancelled; nothing else had gone anywhere; some alliances I had made petered out and nothing came of them and I was looking at a long, long year ahead of me in which there was no work on the horizon, the phone wasn’t ringing. I had two kids, one of them a brand-new baby, and I didn’t know if I would be able to keep my house.”
Hello fantastic people! My name is Jesse James Ziegler. I am the current Poet in Residence for the Bruka Theatre of the Sierra in Reno, Nevada. I’m a member of the Sierra Literary Cooperative and the spoken word/poetry contributor to Reno Arts News. I am an active poet, special event MC, principle photographer, special event series host, and now weekly wellness writing workshop host in collaboration with Spoken Views Collective of which I am also a Board Member.
This Weeks Writing Prompt:
This week’s Prompt : ‘A year in the life’
I want for this podcast style personal portion to contain information about famous writers and their quotes as well as, futuristically speaking, local guests to this program who help everyone involved gain a diversity of perspective and positively impact our individual process.
Quote(s) of the Week:(3)
I’m hoping this sharing and vulnerability I’m demonstrating will encourage others who love creative writing as well to open up, by sharing from their innermost, related to the topic provided. I’m hoping we all gain perspective, compassion, hope, and discipline through such organized sharing.
“Everybody wants to be famous, but nobody wants to do the work. I live by that. You grind hard so you can play hard. At the end of the day, you put all the work in, and eventually it’ll pay off. It could be in a year, it could be in 30 years. Eventually, your hard work will pay off.”
“My teacher told me I’d never amount to anything. I left high school at 15, after one year. But my real teachers were all the people around me. And I was a good listener.”
Which will also be posted across Collective Breath and Bruka Theatre’s social media platforms: respond to the phrase ‘A fresh start’
Shout Outs
The Holland Project
Spoken Views Collective
Bruka Theatre
Good Luck Macbeth Theatre
Reno Little Theatre
Sierra Arts
POTENTIALIST Workshop
Savage Mystic Gallery
KWNK Radio
UNR
Black Rock Press
Black Wall Street
Up in the Mix Podcast
Animarte’
Sierra Literary Cooperative
Reno Arts News
Closing Sentiments and an Invitation
“I hope that in this year to come, you make mistakes. Because if you are making mistakes, then you are making new things, trying new things, learning, living, pushing yourself, changing yourself, changing your world. You’re doing things you’ve never done before, and more importantly, you’re doing something.”
That’s it for my personal portion. If this is where you get off this train of thought, because you checked in to listen, thank you for tuning in and absorbing. I appreciate your time and consideration. If you are here for the Weekly Wellness Writing Workshop group portion via Zoom Meeting, please transition to that application now using the link provided in the details/description section of the Bruka Theatre Facebook Event Page for ‘Collective Breath’. The link to watch previous episodes is in the bio section of the Collective Breath Instagram page @biggestlittlecollectivebreath
‘Keep’ (my frictionless benediction)
Keep writing. Keep your heart open and your mind aware. Keep coming back for more. Keep going. Keep giving. Keep doing. Keep daring to believe in a better way of living. Keep loving and creating. Keep each other safe and sound. Keep it real, and keep the faith. I love you. Goodbye for now.
Number of people attending Facebook (personal portion):
Number of people attending Zoom Meet (group portion):
Introduction:
“I am homesick for a place I am not sure even exists. One where my heart is full. My body loved. And my soul understood.”
— Melissa Cox
A transcript of this segment and each subsequent session will be posted (for anyone interested) at http://www.sidewayseight.co which is my main outlet for personal poetry and photography: Sideways Eight Projects.
I’ve removed my tin foil hat for the broadcast as the glare was too distracting for the lighting. I am, however, wearing my roast beef t-shirt as featured in season 3 of Stranger Things, adorned by the character Dustin.
Hello fantastic people! My name is Jesse James Ziegler. I am the current Poet in Residence for the Bruka Theatre of the Sierra in Reno, Nevada. I’m a member of the Sierra Literary Cooperative and the spoken word/poetry contributor to Reno Arts News. I am an active poet, special event MC, principle photographer, special event series host, and now weekly wellness writing workshop host in collaboration with Spoken Views Collective of which I am also a Board Member.
This Weeks Writing Prompt:
This week’s Prompt : Write about Alien Life Forms
I want for this podcast style personal portion to contain information about famous writers and their quotes as well as, futuristically speaking, local guests to this program who help everyone involved gain a diversity of perspective and positively impact our individual process.
Quote(s) of the Week:(7)
“What most people don’t understand is that UFOs are on a cosmic tourist route. That’s why they’re always seen in Arizona, Scotland, and New Mexico. Another thing to consider is that all three of those destinations are good places to play golf. So there’s possibly some connection between aliens and golf.”
“There may be aliens in our Milky Way galaxy, and there are billions of other galaxies. The probability is almost certain that there is life somewhere in space.”
“I have always been a huge fan of Ridley Scott and certainly when I was a kid. ‘Alien’, ‘Blade Runner’ just blew me away because they created these extraordinary worlds that were just completely immersive. I was also an enormous Stanley Kubrick fan for similar reasons.”
I’m hoping this sharing and vulnerability I’m demonstrating will encourage others who love creative writing as well to open up, by sharing from their innermost, related to the topic provided. I’m hoping we all gain perspective, compassion, hope, and discipline through such organized sharing.
Which will also be posted across Collective Breath and Bruka Theatre’s social media platforms: respond to the phrase ‘A year in the life’
Shout Outs
To Spoken Views Collective and Iain Watson for letting me host our next open mic at the Holland Project on Wednesday, June 30th. Email svc-booking@gmail.com for details and a time slot
To Reno Arts and Culture Commission for allowing me to further audition and interview as a follow up for the beloved role of City of Reno Poet Laureate
Closing Sentiments and an Invitation
That’s it for my personal portion. If this is where you get off this train of thought, because you checked in to listen, thank you for tuning in and absorbing. I appreciate your time and consideration. If you are here for the Weekly Wellness Writing Workshop group portion via Zoom Meeting, please transition to that application now using the link provided in the details/description section of the Bruka Theatre Facebook Event Page for ‘Collective Breath’. The link to watch previous episodes is in the bio section of the Collective Breath Instagram page @biggestlittlecollectivebreath
‘Keep’ (my frictionless benediction)
Keep writing. Keep your heart open and your mind aware. Keep coming back for more. Keep going. Keep giving. Keep doing. Keep daring to believe in a better way of living. Keep loving and creating. Keep each other safe and sound. Keep it real, and keep the faith. I love you. Goodbye for now.
Number of people attending Facebook (personal portion):
Number of people attending Zoom Meet (group portion):
Introduction:
“If you dare to struggle, you dare to win. If you dare not struggle, then damn it, you don’t deserve to win.” — Fred Hampton
A transcript of this segment and each subsequent session will be posted (for anyone interested) at http://www.sidewayseight.co which is my main outlet for personal poetry and photography: Sideways Eight Projects.
Yesterday was June 19th, 2021: Juneteenth
“Freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed.”
— Martin Luther King Jr.
Hello fantastic people! My name is Jesse James Ziegler. I am the current Poet in Residence for the Bruka Theatre of the Sierra in Reno, Nevada. I’m a member of the Sierra Literary Cooperative and the spoken word/poetry contributor to Reno Arts News. I am an active poet, special event MC, principle photographer, special event series host, and now weekly wellness writing workshop host in collaboration with Spoken Views Collective of which I am also a Board Member.
This Weeks Writing Prompt:
This week’s Prompt : Write about Juneteenth
I want for this podcast style personal portion to contain information about famous writers and their quotes as well as, futuristically speaking, local guests to this program who help everyone involved gain a diversity of perspective and positively impact our individual process.
Quote(s) of the Week:(6)
“Words of Emancipation didn’t arrive until the middle of June so they called it Juneteenth. So that was it, the night of Juneteenth celebration, his mind went on. The celebration of a gaudy illusion.”
“Emancipation wasn’t a gift bestowed on the slaves; it was something they took for themselves, the culmination of their long struggle for freedom, which began as soon as chattel slavery was established in the 17th century, and gained even greater steam with the Revolution and the birth of a country committed, at least rhetorically, to freedom and equality. In fighting that struggle, black Americans would open up new vistas of democratic possibility for the entire country.”
“Studying the blueprints of liberation, one can map out the ways we as The Global African Diaspora have continued to resist and exist under regimes of antiBlack terror. Since the development of racial capitalism, the use of African peoples as capital, our ancestors have always fought for freedom. Our history doesn’t begin with slavery, but our future depends on us ending the mechanisms of it. Juneteenth is an extension of that abolitionist spirit where we march forth in reflection of the struggle.” — Brandon Gonzalez
“Freeing yourself was one thing, claiming ownership of that freed self was another.”
— Toni Morrison
“You must never, ever give out. We must keep the faith because we are one people. We are brothers and sisters. We all live in the same house: The American house.”
— John Lewis
“What I love about #Juneteenth is that even in that extended wait, we still find something to celebrate. Even though the story has never been tidy, and Black folks have had to march and fight for every inch of our freedom, our story is nonetheless one of progress.”
I’m hoping this sharing and vulnerability I’m demonstrating will encourage others who love creative writing as well to open up, by sharing from their innermost, related to the topic provided. I’m hoping we all gain perspective, compassion, hope, and discipline through such organized sharing.
Which will also be posted across Collective Breath and Bruka Theatre’s social media platforms: Write on the topic of Alien Life Forms (Episode 51)
as an homage to area 51
Note: Starting with Episode 53 (after completing the first year of weekly wellness writing workshops on Sundays at 11am) Collective Breath will be transitioning to Tuesday evenings at 8pm
Shout Outs
Northern Nevada Black Cultural Awareness Society (NNBCAS) for hosting the 32nd annual Juneteenth celebration yesterday at Dick Taylor Park here in Reno, Nevada.
Donald Griffin of Black Wall Street Reno
bringing increased awareness and opportunities to the Biggest Little City
Closing Sentiments and an Invitation
That’s it for my personal portion. If this is where you get off this train of thought, because you checked in to listen, thank you for tuning in and absorbing. I appreciate your time and consideration. If you are here for the Weekly Wellness Writing Workshop group portion via Zoom Meeting, please transition to that application now using the link provided in the details/description section of the Bruka Theatre Facebook Event Page for ‘Collective Breath’. The link to watch previous episodes is in the bio section of the Collective Breath Instagram page @biggestlittlecollectivebreath
‘Keep’ (my frictionless benediction)
Keep writing. Keep your heart open and your mind aware. Keep coming back for more. Keep going. Keep giving. Keep doing. Keep daring to believe in a better way of living. Keep loving and creating. Keep each other safe and sound. Keep it real, and keep the faith. I love you. Goodbye for now.
Number of people attending Facebook (personal portion):
Number of people attending Zoom Meet (group portion):
Introduction:
Heart and Soul is a tattoo parlor in Yuba City California, a song by Huey Lewis, a 1993 film, and a coffee shop in Modesto.
A transcript of this segment and each subsequent session will be posted (for anyone interested) at http://www.sidewayseight.co which is my main outlet for personal poetry and photography: Sideways Eight Projects.
Heart and Soul is the piano music from the giant keyboard scene inside FAO Schwartz toy store in the movie BIG, and what we’re discussing today.
Hello fantastic people! My name is Jesse James Ziegler. I am the current Poet in Residence for the Bruka Theatre of the Sierra in Reno, Nevada. I’m a member of the Sierra Literary Cooperative and the spoken word/poetry contributor to Reno Arts News. I am an active poet, special event MC, principle photographer, special event series host, and now weekly wellness writing workshop host in collaboration with Spoken Views Collective of which I am also a Board Member.
This Weeks Writing Prompt:
This week’s Prompt : Write in response to the phrase ‘Heart and Soul’
I want for this podcast style personal portion to contain information about famous writers and their quotes as well as, futuristically speaking, local guests to this program who help everyone involved gain a diversity of perspective and positively impact our individual process.
Quote(s) of the Week:(3)
“Loving someone can be hard at times. You risk a lot when you love – your heart and soul, at the least. Love is the most important and most rewarding investment you can make in another person.”
“Look to your heart and soul first, rather than looking to your head first, when choosing. Rather than what you think, consider instead how you feel. Look to the nature of things. Feel your choices and decisions. It just might change everything.”
“The common eye sees only the outside of things, and judges by that, but the seeing eye pierces through and reads the heart and the soul.”
— Mark Twain
I’m hoping this sharing and vulnerability I’m demonstrating will encourage others who love creative writing as well to open up, by sharing from their innermost, related to the topic provided. I’m hoping we all gain perspective, compassion, hope, and discipline through such organized sharing.
Which will also be posted across Collective Breath and Bruka Theatre’s social media platforms: Write about Juneteenth
Shout Outs
To Bruka Theatre and Spoken Views Collective for continuing to give me a platform and access to events which help enrich my heart and soul
Closing Sentiments and an Invitation
That’s it for my personal portion. If this is where you get off this train of thought, because you checked in to listen, thank you for tuning in and absorbing. I appreciate your time and consideration. If you are here for the Weekly Wellness Writing Workshop group portion via Zoom Meeting, please transition to that application now using the link provided in the details/description section of the Bruka Theatre Facebook Event Page for ‘Collective Breath’. The link to watch previous episodes is in the bio section of the Collective Breath Instagram page @biggestlittlecollectivebreath
‘Keep’ (my frictionless benediction)
Keep writing. Keep your heart open and your mind aware. Keep coming back for more. Keep going. Keep giving. Keep doing. Keep daring to believe in a better way of living. Keep loving and creating. Keep each other safe and sound. Keep it real, and keep the faith. I love you. Goodbye for now.
A transcript of this segment and each subsequent session will be posted (for anyone interested) at http://www.sidewayseight.co which is my main outlet for personal poetry and photography: Sideways Eight Projects.
“You can binge a TV series or watch a reality show, and they’re not innocent. They take a lot of room in your brain, and you don’t have any space left for your own thoughts. They give you a scripted reality. It’s an ideological tool.”
Hello fantastic people! My name is Jesse James Ziegler. I am the current Poet in Residence for the Bruka Theatre of the Sierra in Reno, Nevada. I’m a member of the Sierra Literary Cooperative and the spoken word/poetry contributor to Reno Arts News. I am an active poet, special event MC, principle photographer, special event series host, and now weekly wellness writing workshop host in collaboration with Spoken Views Collective of which I am also a Board Member.
“My favorite binge watch is seeing your heartbeat through your eyes”
— Mohit Arya
This Weeks Writing Prompt:
This week’s Prompt : If your life were broken into seasons of a series others could binge watch, what would the names of some of the episodes be?
I want for this podcast style personal portion to contain information about famous writers and their quotes as well as, futuristically speaking, local guests to this program who help everyone involved gain a diversity of perspective and positively impact our individual process.
Quote(s) of the Week:(3)
“Memory is quite central for me. Part of it is that I like the actual texture of writing through memory. I like the atmospheres that result if episodes are narrated through the haze of memory.”
“Tweeting is a great way to practice writing jokes, but there is so much more to comedy writing than just jokes. Jokes are a necessity, but you also have to learn how to write characters, to break a story, to keep coherence between episodes. I’ve learned more by being a TV writer than I ever could’ve on my own.”
I’m hoping this sharing and vulnerability I’m demonstrating will encourage others who love creative writing as well to open up, by sharing from their innermost, related to the topic provided. I’m hoping we all gain perspective, compassion, hope, and discipline through such organized sharing.
Piece or Pieces of the Week: (1)
Animal Crackers
For further personal reading
Biggest Little Theatre Festival for Youth
Artist Interview
Bruka Poetry Gathering
(Poetry Contribution to BLTFY)
Next Week’s Writing Prompt:
Which will also be posted across Collective Breath and Bruka Theatre’s social media platforms: Write about the phrase ‘Heart and Soul’
Shout Outs
The Reno Aces for getting a home win against the Sacramento River Cats Friday night. Those Friday night fireworks were all the more satisfying.
Cheers to those of our circle who take the time to soak in each episode individually. Appreciating every season of life. Every new character. Every interesting plot line. Kudos to those in life who seize the narrative so that all may be richly blessed by the unfolding of the story. Your series benefits others and touches other’s lives.
That’s it for my personal portion. If this is where you get off this train of thought, because you checked in to listen, thank you for tuning in and absorbing. I appreciate your time and consideration. If you are here for the Weekly Wellness Writing Workshop group portion via Zoom Meeting, please transition to that application now using the link provided in the details/description section of the Bruka Theatre Facebook Event Page for ‘Collective Breath’. The link to watch previous episodes is in the bio section of the Collective Breath Instagram page @biggestlittlecollectivebreath
‘Keep’ (my frictionless benediction)
Keep writing. Keep your heart open and your mind aware. Keep coming back for more. Keep going. Keep giving. Keep doing. Keep daring to believe in a better way of living. Keep loving and creating. Keep each other safe and sound. Keep it real, and keep the faith. I love you. Goodbye for now.
SIDEWAYS EIGHT PROJECTS 