CHRIS ARVIDSON words and art - All the Words and Art Happenings Up in Here

Sat May 4 - Writing Workshop - Charlotte Mecklenburg Public Library

Writing to Art: Using Visual Images to Prompt Beginnings
Saturday, May 04, 10:00am–12:00pm
South County Regional Library
In this workshop, led by local artist and poet Chris Arvidson, we'll use art to create a series of promising starts to your writing. Writing to art or "ekphrastic" writing can help open avenues to your projects, spark surprising starts…

Registration closes May 1 at 12:00am (13 spots remaining)Register for event
Writing
Adults
New Adults (16-24)
Older Adults
Teens (12-18)

"Looks Like Trix #3" oil on board, 4x4" - painted in Benzie County, Michigan, last week of October, 2023. Private Collection.

Email me (see contact tab) for information on purchasing my art work. This piece Atlantic Beach Fall will be the cover of my upcoming book of poetry "Nobody Cares What You Think" due out January 2025.

Look at that list of fantastic artists and writers!

Leslie, Chris & Cole

Storied Charlotte Blog - 12 for 2022

I made Mark West's "Storied Charlotte" list of 12 of his favorite books of 2022! Click the link above to read Mark's list.

Winston-area friends -- come on out!

Park Road Books

Click here for Park Road Books - they have copies or you can order from them online.

Check out the newly designed Charlotte Readers Podcast with it's 301st episode out today. Landis Wade has added a couple of hosts and put together a great format for readers and writers to enjoy -- including book recommendations. I got more than one shout-out for The House Inside My Head in this episode, and you can hear me read two poems from the chapbook at 48:05. Thanks to Landis, Sarah & Mark for the support.

Finishing Line Press

Click here to order THE HOUSE INSIDE MY HEAD direct from the publisher.

Amazon also carries THE HOUSE INSIDE MY HEAD.

a box full of books title "The House Inside My Head" poems by Chris Arvidson

You can read about the Earth and Sky exhibit in this article from the Charlotte Observer. Clink the link below:

October 24, 2021, The Charlotte Observer

Photo: Jessica Wilson

My essay "Take Me Out to the Ballgame. Please" has been published in Nine: A Journal of Baseball History and Culture, Vol 28.1-2, from University of Nebraska Press.

Photo Cassondra Greer

Triplets at 6 months. It's hard being one of those in grandparent jail!

I loved these guys!

Click here to listen to the Charlotte Readers Podcast, featuring The Love of Baseball

The Charlotte Readers Podcast, with Landis Wade, Ellyn Ritterskamp, Caroline Kane Kenna, and Chris Arvidson. Recorded April 3, 2019.

Podcast

Click here to get to The Creative Nonfiction Podcast with Brendan O'Meara interviewing Chris Arvidson

A recent WV newspaper feature article Abiut the anthology “Unity” has been picked up across the country in major newspapers. Here it is: http://www.herald-dispatch.com/features_entertainment/wv-writers-collaborate-on-coming-together/article_f456fc15-546c-505a-bf1e-e3e8ac029e49.html

I have a poem in the book and it's available from Mountain State Press and Amazon.

https://inside.uncc.edu/news-features/2017-10-13/fall-classic—essayists-contribute-tribute-baseball

Click here for a story about the UNC Charlotte writers above who appear in The Love of Baseball.

CHRIS ON KNBR

CLICK HERE TO LISTEN TO CHRIS TALKING BASEBALL LOVE ON KNBR the San Francisco Giants broadcasting home.

And guess what happened yesterday? We had such powerful wind gusts, my flag AND the mount got yanked on the post here. Gotta go get a new mount today. Can't be without my Tiger flag! Photo Cassondra Greer

The first morning's picture -- off we went!

The beech wood along the trail.

Broadway Tower on The Cotswold Way.

Me and my Henry at the Roman Baths... in Bath.

At Elton House with Emma, Nick, Chris, Joan, Philip and Kevin.

Beth Macy and me. I can only aspire to be as badass as she.

Available now - Henry's new CD. CDBaby.com, Amazon, Spotify, iTunes.

COMING SPRING/SUMMER 2015

At Wordkeepers in August.

Henry in Jerusalem at the UNC Charlotte acheological dig site where we eventually worked three summers in the past decade.

Henry and James Tabor, with the rain and storm about to begin. This is the site of the Jesus Tomb which James writes about in his book "The Jesus Discovery"

Arcadia Marsh #2

The Guild of Charlotte Artists' Judged Summer Show is July 17-August 30, 2023, at the Christ Episcopal Church Gallery, 1412 Providence Road, Charlotte. Click here for the Guild website.

SOLD! a mixed paint and photo transfer piece called "Time to Go Home" - Contact me for information on mixed media/photo transfer pieces available for purchase chris@chrisarvidson.com.

Evolution of Words and Art at the Charlotte Art League March 10-April 6. See Charlotteartleague.org for gallery hours.

My studio at the Charlotte Art League

Click here to see the "A" team at the Charlotte Art League do a fun project for the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.

See Jeff, Jodi, and Chris work their magic on the "A" for the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority.

Thanks Goucher for featuring my poetry in the New & Notable section of this winter's magazine. Good company!

Painting with my sister Lorie out at St Pierre Road Arcdia Marsh property, part of the wonderful preserved forever lands of the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy. Click on the "ART" tab above to see other works from that day.

My poem "Dear Frances Crockett" leads off this wonderful double issue on women and baseball.

Charlotte Lit

I've just joined the board. First meeting for me, June. Let me know if you've got interest, suggestions, contributions to make to this fabulous organization.

Charlotte Writers Club

Venerable. Good contests. And some nice opportunities to read your work out loud to an audience.

Quick Links

E-mail the author

McFarland Publishers

Available Now! The Love of Baseball. You can also buy Reflections on the New River from the publisher by clicking here.

Wildacres Retreat

Check out Wildacres' website for more information on their wonderful programs.

See information about the Creative Non Fiction MFA program at Goucher College in Baltimore, Maryland.

Authors Guild

All the Words and Art Happenings Up in Here

Back from El Salvador

February 24, 2011

Tags: Habitat for Humanity, El Salvador, Santa Ana, Candelaria de la Frontera

I made it back from the Habitat building trip to El Salvador very early on Monday morning, about 1:00 a.m. It was a great trip. Believe it or not, no whiners! Good folks all, including especially the masons and the homeowner families. No one got hurt. And, we accomplished quite a lot on the two homes we worked on.

I had a momentary panic attack when I found out that one of the team members was a Lutheran pastor. Shit. How was that going to work? Read More

10 Comments

Comments

Feb 25, 2011 4:09 AM EST

Gotta love Chris. I can think of few people I have met who have not changed in 30 years -- that's how long we have known each other. You tell it like it is and always have. I can remember a petite, attractive, young blond woman whose choice of words would have made Rahm Emanuel blush -- that's still the case.
Thanks for the report on your trip.

- Michael Fraioli

Feb 25, 2011 4:50 AM EST

Yup. Blush and laugh! Thanks for the report on El Salvadore -- but tell us about the spa experience too!

- Kathy Finnie

Feb 25, 2011 5:01 AM EST

About that other Chris, your new-found Lutheren pal. I don't know the guy, but maybe it'll do you some good to rub elbows w/ a little piety. I mean, your natural habitat is a world of (impro)piety, right?
Do you really plan to behave at Wildacres?

- Sam Watson

Feb 25, 2011 5:48 AM EST

Jimmy Carter spoke the truth when he got excoriated for saying "Life is not fair." I'm aware of that every day here on the reservation. It's not so much the material goods: there's a safety net if people will use it wisely. What I've come to value most is what my parents gave me: safety, high expectations, education, ingenuity, rich experiences, solid values...the intangibles that make all the difference. With those things, we can make the material happen.

Like you, I had occasional bumps with evangelical Christianity at Habitat, but the attitude of rolling up the sleeves, getting down in the dirt, and creating inspiration was unsurpassed by any other organization I ever got involved with. Rest in peace, Millard Fuller. Wherever you are is a joyful place.

I really hate missing the El Salvador trips, but the body ain't up to it, and I'm not one one for standing around in the heat. It's hard to believe it's over 20 years since we built that first women's house in Charlotte. Some said we couldn't get the job done, but YES WE DID! I'm no end of proud to see the tradition carrying on, and glad to see Beth still leading the pack.

- Mary Olive Johnson

Feb 25, 2011 7:52 AM EST

next time you go i wanna go too! i don't have many gal friends i can sling the f-word around with!

- diana jones

Feb 25, 2011 12:46 PM EST

Mikey, I will take your comments as compliments for sure. I don't think I ever made Rahm blush...maybe gave him a few pointers?
Diana: OK, put February 2012 on your calendar!
Sam: no doubt the "other" Chris would agree with you. I WILL behave at Wildacres, no drunken dirty-word scrabble, well, maybe just dirty-word scrabble...

- Chris Arvidson

Feb 26, 2011 5:06 PM EST

Great work Chris.Glad you had a safe and productive trip.I am sure you were nominated as the group comedian!

- Grace

Feb 27, 2011 4:37 AM EST

No way, Grace. I was only among a pack of very funny people!

- Chris Arvidson

Feb 27, 2011 3:25 PM EST

Way cool, 'Iss! I am proud of you for doing this again, and happy that you took care of yourself afterwards! Can't wait to see you!

- Love, iss

Mar 03, 2011 6:55 AM EST

Hey Chrissie, just sent your blog on to a friend who might want to go with us next year-MOJ-come on, there is plenty you can do sitting down! Thank you so much Chrissie for the baby jesus's-can't wait to take them to Alex's Sunday School class on Sunday-ha ha ha

- Susanna