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Cap Region Creatives: Marilyn McCabe

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Marilyn is a published poet, living in Saratoga Springs. Her main creative outlet is poetry, sometimes making videos that blend her words with images and sound. She offers writing workshops in conjunction with the Hyde Collection and writes book reviews for the Adirondack Daily Enterprise.

In this interview, Marilyn offers insight on what it means to be “an individual and largely unknown poet” during these unique times.

How did poetry become your main creative medium?

I have tried just about everything else — fiction, essay, plays — but it’s poetry that stuck. As an editor, it’s part of my make-up to get to the point and be concise. I love rhythm and silence, both of which are essential to the craft. Poetry suits me.

Marilyn, you’ve recently published an Award-Winning Chapbook, Being Many Seeds. Congratulations! What has that experience been like?

Ordinarily I’d throw it a little book party, do some readings and open mics. But I’m reliant now on the virtual networking. I’ve got an extensive email list of friends and acquaintances, as well as Facebook posts both to my own page and group pages such as NY Writers’ Compendium, and I also have a blog.

I created a video project using poems in the collection, so I can use this as a book trailer. I may also record myself reading a few of the poems. People enjoy poets reading their work aloud; it offers insight that words on the page may not. I enjoy readings, but I don’t enjoy the schlepping around. I often spend more in gas than I can recoup in books sales, so I confess I don’t wildly miss the reading shuffle. But I do miss the interaction with listeners and other poetry fans.

Do you feel like your creativity has been flourishing or diminished by being in isolation due to the quarantine?

My life has not changed all that much under quarantine. I do miss seeing my friends, casually stopping somewhere to meet up, and particularly I miss the library — but my creative work continues in its usual fits and starts. My “practice” is haphazard anyway, and I’m fairly distractible at the best of times.

How have you seen the creative community band together during this time?

It’s amazing to see how arts organizations are sharing information and creating new platforms. Virtual readings, gallery tours, fundraising for artist relief funds, virtual concerts — the outpouring has been tremendous. I think people around the world are grateful, and are perhaps newly aware of how art feeds us.

I enjoy ACE’s profiles. The Hyde Collection has invited local artists to post work. Jacob’s Pillow has brought dance to my computer screen, and innumerable other ways in which the arts have gone viral… If anything, the proliferation of arts online has made it a bit more difficult for a largely unknown poet like me to get “heard.”

Are there any specific resources/tools, etc. you’ve been using regularly that you can share with our readers?

Several Facebook groups of women writers, such as Binders Full of Women and Non-binary Poets, help me find publishing opportunities and discover new writers. The members have been great cheerleaders for each other, which is so encouraging. New York Foundation for the Arts has tons of resources on its webpage about funding and opportunities. The Adirondack Center for Writing has been great in engaging the already isolated community of writers across the Adirondack region. The Creative Writers Opportunities blog is regularly updated with calls for work from literary magazines, etc.

Are you thinking about ways that you’ll change the way you create/do business in the future due to this experience?

I’ll reach out more globally both in terms of promoting my own work and engaging with the work of others. The online world is small, and it’s rich to reach across geographic, cultural, and national boundaries. Ironically, social distancing has spurred me to bring the world closer.

Any last words of positivity for our readers?

The best of art and science has come out of active use of our imaginations, out of joyous play. Let’s use some of this wonderful quiet to dance around with wild abandon, figuratively and literally.

Marilyn is the winner of the Grayson Books Poetry Chapbook Contest: Being Many Seeds. She has two full-length collections of poems — Glass Factory, and Perpetual Motion — and another chapbook, Rugged Means of Grace. Her themes include science, spirit, memory and identity, and how people connect to each other and the earth.

Connect with Marilyn!

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Cap Region Cocktails at Home: Janesha “Jaja” Levons

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Photo: Konrad Odhiambo

Janesha “Jaja” Levons was born into a military family, and until her early 20’s, they moved every three years, across the U.S. and to Antigua, until finally settling down in Saratoga Springs, where her love for entertaining and creativity began.

After working as a mixologist, model, and other freelance jobs, she moved to Brooklyn, where she walked runways and worked in over 30 venues, rooftops, and restaurants as a bartender. Now, she’s back in the Cap Region, bartending at The Berlin in Troy (currently closed due to COVID-19) and reinventing her modeling career.

Photo: Konrad Odhiambo

Jaja says…

Every bar was a new challenge, every venue had new cocktails and a new culture to explore. No two great bars are ever alike. Maybe that’s why I never stayed in any one bar for too long… Once I conquered the cocktail program and culture (which never took very long), the challenge was over, and so was the allure. I had a Forbes 100 client contract me to bartend at a private mansion, where I created a cocktail list especially geared for him and his guests for two days. I’ve worked in London at a private lounge in a luxury residential building where I not only created a cocktail program, but also arranged private parties and gatherings. I just love to create and bring people together to enjoy life. And yes I’m pretty fond of alcohol too…

Everybody loves a nice sangria and daiquiri, especially as we start heading into warmer weather. I’ve put together these special recipes that you can make from the comfort of your own home.

Sangria by Jaja

Ingredients
1 1/2 cups of frozen fruits (I like to use mixed berries)
1 Cup Rum (I recommend Bacardi Silver)
Simple Syrup (recipe below)
1 Extra Large Orange squeezed ( 1/4 – 1/2 cup of its juice)
1 Bottle of White or Red Wine (your preference)

Simple syrup
1/2 Cup boiling water (you can microwave it if you’d like )
1/2 Cup of Brown Sugar

Steps:
1. In a large pitcher or bowl place the frozen fruit (at least semi-thawed)
2. Pour the rum over the frozen fruit so the juices can start to marinate in the rum.
3. Pour the simple syrup in the mixture and let it sit for 15 minutes.
4. With a metal hand whisk, mix all together with the goal of mashing the fruits as much as possible. You can also use a wooden spoon or muddler, I prefer the whisk. You can also use a blender. If you find it too difficult (or the fruit is too frozen), let the fruit sit in for a little longer and allow the rum to do its job!
5. Add the juice from the orange
6. Pour wine (750ml ) red or white (I use red) over mixture.
7. Place it in the fridge for four hours. Remember the longer it sits the stronger the berry flavor will be….it’s great to have it sit overnight too!
8. Once it’s ready, serve over ice in your favorite cocktail glass!

Daiquiri

Ingredients:
1 Cup Rum (Bacardi Silver)
Simple Syrup (same recipe as above)
1 1/2 Cup Frozen Strawberries
2 1/2 Cups of ice 
1 lime

Steps;
1. In a large pitcher or bowl place the frozen fruit (at least semi-thawed)
2. Pour the rum over the frozen fruit so the juices can start to marinate in the rum.
3. Pour the simple syrup in the mixture and let it sit for 15 minutes.
4. With a metal hand whisk, mix all together with the goal of mashing the fruits as much as possible. You can also use a wooden spoon or muddler, I prefer the whisk. You can also use a blender. If you find it too difficult (or the fruit is too frozen), let the fruit sit in for a little longer and allow the rum to do its job!
5. Refrigerate the mixture for four hours.
6. Add a dash of club soda and squeeze a large lime wedge into the mixture.
7. Serve over ice in your favorite cocktail glass.

Enjoy!

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Unemployment Talks: Freelancer and Business Owner Kim Gilmour

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Follow FisheyeCeramics on Instagram!

Meet Kim Gilmour, Owner of FisheyeCeramics, a ceramic design studio on Main Street in Catskill and freelance audiobook producer. COVID-19 had an immediate detrimental impact on her work and she applied for unemployment the moment freelancers were able to. We asked her to share her experiences in applying and filing for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance (PUA) in hopes it would help other freelancers like her. Here’s what she said…

When did you start feeling the downturn in response to the crisis? What were your first steps?

I felt the downturn as soon as COVID-19 came into discussion in March. It was a horrible month. Once I found out freelancers were included in the CARES Act, I applied immediately.

Did you do some research on whether you’d qualify for unemployment? Where did you look?

I immediately went on applied to see what would happen. I did find some information on the NYS unemployment site that was helpful. I applied for unemployment about 15-20 years ago, so I know how the system works to a certain degree.

What was the application process like and what materials did you need handy?

I applied right online and had no problems. Since I applied fairly early, I had to apply for regular unemployment and at the time, the messaging about PUA wasn’t clear but I went ahead anyway. After filing the application, I got a response to call to complete it. It took three days of nonstop calling, hitting redial over and over again, and finally I did get through within 2-3 days. The agent asked additional questions and again, was unclear on how exactly the PUA worked. She instructed me to go online and claim benefits on a weekly basis. I know that weeks after I applied, there was a specific PUA application which made things easier for those who are self-employed, but I was fortunate it worked out for me so early on.

In terms of materials, I needed to fax them my 1099 and I also faxed them my 2019 tax returns, though not requested. A lot of what they ask you via application/phone isn’t proved via documentation, they take your answers in good faith.

I would rate the system a 4-5 out of 10.

Did you receive your benefits yet? Have you faced any issues in doing so?

During the first week of April, close to a month later, I received two $600 deposits. They came a week and a half apart. They didn’t send me any paperwork about what I would be getting or when. I still haven’t gotten anything other than those two checks. My understanding is that I will be getting retroactive checks to cover the weeks missed. I think a lot of us will be getting lump sum checks.

Have you applied for other assistance from the CARES act?

I did apply for the EIDL right off the bat and I received $1,000.

Do you see things going back to “normal” for you/your business?

Nothing is going to be the same. Ceramics is not a necessary business and it’s a luxury expense for some people. People need dishes and bowls, but do they really? Fortunately a lot of sales are online, so I don’t rely on having a physical space but I think its going to be very different. A lot of people are going to reinvent their businesses, if they haven’t already.

Any other advice for our readers?

A lot of people have said they’re not applying for benefits because they heard it takes so long. Have patience. Yes, it’s frustrating and may take a while but it will be worth it. If the funds are there for us, you should do everything you can to get to them. In long run, it will be better for you. It’s worth calling your bank too regarding grants/loans, etc. you never know what kind of options they have for you.

If you are a freelancer and would like to share your unemployment experience, please email Gabby Fisher, ACE Digital Marketing Manager.

Cap Region Creatives: Sandy Ebejer

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Sandy Ebejer is a local freelance writer. She’s fairly new to the Capital Region, moving here from Los Angeles three and a half years ago. She offers some interesting perspective on how her life has changed due to the crisis; not only looking at the long-term viability of a career as a freelance writer, but also being a working parent during this unprecedented time.

For over 15 years I worked as a fundraiser for nonprofit arts organizations. I was the Director of Foundation & Government Relations at L.A.’s American Film Institute, and after I moved to Albany, I worked at a couple of local nonprofits, including Albany Pro Musica and Proctors. But I realized in 2018 that I wanted to try something new–I’d been writing grant proposals for so long and craved a change. I also wanted to have more flexibility to spend quality time with my son, who I didn’t see much during our hectic years in L.A.

The Girlfriend from AARP: My 40-Year Malady

So, in September 2018 I left Proctors and embarked on a freelance writing career. Over the past year and a half, I’ve had essays, articles, and short fiction published in The Boston Globe, Greatist, FLOOD Magazine, The Girlfriend from AARP, Disrupt Aging from AARP, Brevity, Motherfigure, Folks, Scary Mommy, Sammiches & Psych Meds, Across the Margin, and Little Old Lady Comedy. Though I never established a niche, per se, I’ve realized over time that my work tends to cover parenting, culture, and health. To that end, I’m thrilled to share that my first health article for The Washington Post (on pediatric migraines) will be published later this year.

With quarantine comes work style changes…what’s your workspace like now, Sandy?

Under normal circumstances, I work from a home office, which I love. The room I use as my office was intended to be a bedroom, so there’s a large closet and plenty of space. Unfortunately, since quarantine began and my seven-year-old son’s school closed, my workplace has transitioned to the kitchen and my home office has become a dumping ground for stuff I need to “someday” put away.

My son and I are currently sharing a crowded, cluttered kitchen table. He’s on his laptop and I’m on mine, and papers and notebooks and pencils surround us. If it turns out the schools will be closed for more than a couple of additional weeks, I’m going to figure out how to move him to his own desk elsewhere in the kitchen because things are a bit too snug at the moment.

How have you been coping?

It depends on the day! Some days I’m fine, others I’m a sobbing mess. I’ve found that I’ve been doing better recently. I don’t know why–perhaps I’ve just hit the “acceptance” stage. But I do put a lot of effort now into not worrying about things I can’t control. If I focus on the long-term: school closures, travel restrictions, the economy, the virus, etc., my anxiety ramps up. But if I can stay focused on today–my son’s schooling, my own work, the tasks that must be done in the next 24 hours–I’m able to cope. And sometimes, I’m even able to enjoy being on “pause” with my family.

Across the Margin: The Date

Have you started adapting and/or innovating the methods you use to pitch your stories?

I’ve had to learn how to let go some. When this first started, I was working nonstop–trying to keep my son engaged for six straight hours, while continuing to write and pitch stories to editors every evening. That lasted for about two weeks before I had a meltdown. I finally realized that at school, there are many teachers whose job it is to educate my child; it’s unreasonable for me (or any parent) to try to fill all of their shoes. Also, I’m not someone who can focus on my writing and then immediately switch gears to help my son when he has a question. I need quiet and space to really concentrate on my work. So, I’ve had to cut back. Core school hours are now 9-12, with some fun activities in the afternoon. I write and pitch editors when I can, but don’t force myself to do it at the same pace as I have in the past.

How have you seen the local creative community band together to support one another?

FLOOD Magazine: Ani DiFranco’s “To the Teeth,” Twenty Years Later

I’ve been blown away by how creative small businesses and nonprofits have been during this time. Early on, local businesses like The Pottery Place, The Book House of Stuyvesant Plaza, and Market Block Books offered free (sometimes same day!) deliveries of online and phone orders. The Troy Savings Bank Music Hall has created a really cool newsletter called The Beat, which includes inspirational stories, links to online performances, and even cocktail recipes. The Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company, for which I serve as a board member, is moving its arts education programs online. So many companies and organizations are coming up with innovative ways to stay in business and keep in touch with their followers while adhering to social distancing guidelines. It’s been really inspiring, and I’m doing as much as I can to continue to support as many local companies as possible.

Are you thinking about ways that you’ll change the way you do business in the future based on this experience?

To be honest, I’m really nervous about the long-term viability of my writing career. A number of publications have furloughed staffers, implemented budget cuts, and stopped working with freelancers. Some media outlets are no longer publishing at all. There are far fewer editors taking pitches, which makes it harder to get published and, therefore, paid. I’m waiting to see how things shake out over time, but I may have to expand the type of work I do, perhaps taking on more service (“how to”) articles, product reviews, and the like.

Visit Sandy’s website to view her portfolio and visit her blog.

Positivity. We could all use more of it. Can you share a final positive note?

So many of us are used to working nonstop, and it’s hard to let go of that. It’s tempting to think, “I’m home, I should use this time to do more–complete that big project, write that novel, craft that long-term business plan.” But with so much going on, you may already be tapped out emotionally, physically, and mentally. The biggest mistake you can make right now is to add extra pressure on yourself by trying to do business as usual.

Be kind to yourself. Give yourself some time every day to do something that brings you joy. I’ve become addicted to two things: jigsaw puzzles and Nintendo’s Animal Crossing. They’re silly activities that take my mind off of the world’s woes and allow me to zone out for a bit. I would love to be able to write a powerful essay or even begin working on a book, but I’m just not capable of doing that right now. Hopefully, after some time, I’ll feel calmer and able to tackle some of the bigger projects that have been on my to-do list. But for now, I’m just doing what I can to get through each day, stay on top of my current obligations, and maintain my sanity.

Connect with Sandy!

A Freelancer’s Quarantine Reflection

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By: Gabby Fisher, ACE Digital Marketing Manager

I woke up happy today. An hour or two passed…still happy. I called my sister. We both suffer from anxiety and tend to be the anchors that hold each other down; we get each other through the tough times. I told her…”I’m really happy today. I don’t know why. Is this the calm before the storm? Why can’t I just be okay with this good feeling? It’s like I’m skeptical of happiness now.” I cannot remember a day over the past seven-ish weeks of quarantine where I felt at peace, and now I feel like I’m bound to that negative energy in a way where I’m having a hard time letting myself feel good.

I couldn’t sleep for the first two weeks of quarantine. I’d wake up sweating, filled with anxiety about my own physical wellbeing and the health of my family. I can’t protect them from this. As the oldest of four, my instinct is ‘protect at all costs’. I’m helpless in this situation. Then came the wave of uncertainty about my business, its future, and the grave reality that I would have to go back and rethink every vision I initially had for its growth and direction. The world I built my business in is no longer the world we live in today. I have to adapt, but what if I can’t? Would I have to take on a traditional job I hate just to pay my bills and get by? My worst nightmare.

I started looking into the federal stimulus programs. I read tons of articles, talked to fellow business owners and still felt completely unprepared and terrified about applying. As a sole proprietor, do I even deserve these loans or assistance? Surely there are businesses struggling way harder than me…people with multiple employees who have kids to feed. I felt guilty. Even a couple weeks later, I still feel like I don’t know what I’m doing…Okay, great, say I get approved for this loan, what if I don’t use the money correctly and have to pay it back? What if I violate some aspect of the agreement by simply not knowing what I do not know? I called my bank and some granting organizations that offered free help via social media; either long waits, no replies, and once, a super rude and unhelpful employee made me feel dumb for asking basic questions. I felt alone and just wanted to give up. I’d rather take a hit than try to navigate this process on top of everything else I was dealing with. 

Now I’m applying for Pandemic Unemployment Assistance because my income has taken a serious hit. It’s a waiting game…I had to apply on two separate occasions because there was technical difficulties with the first application (a big waste of time) and so I find myself sitting, staring at the phone, waiting for an unemployment agent to contact me. Anxious that I’ll miss the call, which will add even more time to the process (potentially, weeks). Now, we wait…Some of my friends and family applied more than a month ago and still nothing. I feel horribly for them…adding to my anxiety. 

Now, deeper into quarantine and isolation, I lack inspiration and energy. I consider myself an extrovert (mostly, though I can be very introverted at times) and I feed off of other people’s energy. That’s where my creativity and passion come from, community and through building meaningful connections. During regular times, I will bounce from meeting to meeting, all day everyday. At night, I’ll attend events of all kinds. I’m rarely home. I’m always out. I cannot sit still for more than five minutes. I’m obsessed with productivity and spending time with those I love. Now, I sit in stillness…a lot. A silver lining some may say…I guess. I’m on my way to learning that stillness is okay. But again, I feed off the energy of others and now, it’s just me. I simply cannot thrive in this environment. 

Despite what I’ve written in regards to my struggles during this time, I consider myself a very positive person. I pride myself on being that way. That’s exactly why I wanted to write this…it’s okay to be that positive, energetic person in “regular times” and to struggle and lose a little bit of optimism during this arduous time. It’s what makes us human…our emotions, our reactions, our frustrations…what we learn from experiences such as these. I’m learning.

I’m learning that when I’m happy, I should sulk in it – I shouldn’t question it, I should live in the moment because the reality of it is, there will be many other moments, days, and circumstances (like a pandemic) where I will not be…and in those times, I will look back on a happy memory and I will be reminded of the real me and truly, that’s what’s beautiful about this rollercoaster we call life.

A Note: Next week, I will be launching a series of conversations with freelancers discussing the topic of unemployment. If you wish to contribute, please email me here.

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