My Writing – Hairy Melon Tales

Inspiration before the storm!

View from Halifax Central Library, NS. A cathedral of a library!

Feb 9/17

At Halifax Central Library, hoping to find inspiration to write a poem… and look what I found!

Wander up to the 4th floor Reference Section and check out Poet’s Market 2017, hot off the press. Found some classic books, too. Canadian Writer’s Market 2013 with lots of info on markets for your writing (check out the publications’ current issues and website so you have the latest info on what they’re looking for. They may even pay.) The Canadian Writer’s Guide 13th Edition is a little geriatric, having been published in ‘03, but it contains “Inspiration”, and “Poetry & Lyrics” chapters and that makes me happy. See, I did find inspiration!

Think I’ll wander down the road and buy a literary journal at Atlantic News. Found out about it in Poet’s Market 2017. It sort of sounded up my alley and I may even submit some poems to it.

Then I think I’ll take the big step up Spring Garden Rd. to the lovely independent, Bookmark Bookstore, and order a copy of Poet’s Market 2017. A bit pricey, but hay, may make my investment back.

Better sign off, they just announced that the Library will close at 5 due to a storm rolling in. The good news is that shoveling snow is often when a great line comes to mind.

Happy inspirations and exertions.

http://halifaxcentrallibrary.ca/

“Hairy Melon?”

Home on the Sullivan farm. From left – Dad with Bill, Pat, Tim, Mom holding Irene, Mary Ellen* and Anne.

*Otherwise known as ME, Mel, and Hairy Melon.

Hi there!

My name is Mary Ellen Sullivan, but when I was a kid on our farm my brother Tim gave me the nickname Hairy Melon.

I like that nickname, Hairy Melon. It elicits fond childhood memories. It suggests playfulness, which I like to practice when I write poetry and prose, and post on my blog. And it suggests something very dear to me – food!

I must warn you that I get pretty serious at times. I have even been know to be political. But overall, I hope you’re up for a fun journey through my blog posts.

Welcome to my writing life!

Mary Ellen

*Otherwise known as ME, Mel, and Hairy Melon.

About Me

Hi I’m Mary Ellen Sullivan and I am excited to set up my first Word Press blog. Hope you’ll enjoy traveling with me as I figure this out.

I’ve been writing poetry since I was a pip-squeak. I write a lot about growing up on my childhood farm, food and farming issues, and just about everything. Lately I’ve been writing more prose and a couple of articles. I plan to share them to you in later posts.

I’ll be telling you about a little poetry project I started called Open Heart Farming. For the past 5 years I’ve put together an annual issue of Open Heart Farming poetry. The poems are by Nova Scotian poets on the themes of food and farming. And fun! Visit the issues and explore Open Heart Farming at https://ohforgery.com/open-heart-farming/.

I’ve also independently published a collection of my poems, My Farm Whispers, designed by my daughter Evelyn Stewart.

Now to get a little serious, here’s a more formal literary bio:

Mary Ellen Sullivan grew up on a farm outside Guelph, Ontario and now lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Much of her writing is inspired by her love for her childhood farm. Her poetry and prose has been published in the Ecology Action Centre’s newsletter Ecology and Action, Understorey Magazine, Rural Delivery Magazine, Rhubarb, the anthology In the Company of Animals: Stories of Extraordinary Encounters, Canadian Jesuits International Mission News and a poetry chapbook, My Farm Whispers. She won the 2012 Elora Writers Festival for poetry and the 2014 Atlantic Writers Competition for poetry.

Mary Ellen is the proud poetry harvester for Open Heart Farming Poetry, an annual collection of farm and food-centric poems by Nova Scotia poets, and writes the Open Heart Farming blog. http://maryellensullivanblog.tumblr.com.

My short story, “Raising Nellie”, was published in In the Company of Animals.

Looking forward to chatting with you.