Scotland We took a family trip to Scotland and toured the country in a minivan. My great grandmother had Scottish roots. Her maiden name was Bothwell. My grandfather said we descended from a Scottish earl, Lord Bothwell, who kidnapped and married Mary, Queen of Scots. We visited Bothwell Castle and learned the history. Mary, Queen of Scots’ third and final husband—James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell—was not our ancestor. It was one of my grandfather’s tall tales. Flashes of Inspiration I used to come up with a new poem in order to have something to read at my monthly open mic. I was always inspired by colorful experiences in the city. I began to write in big bursts based on memories during the pandemic when live encounters were few and far between. Now I notice the woman with a neon green afro, the police explorer with a diamond stud on her tooth, the sleepy teen in pajamas and Winnie the Pooh slippers on the subway. I have flashes of inspiration as life returns to normal. Dead Poets Society My Israeli boyfriend and I had one of our first disagreements over the movie Dead Poets Society. In the film, prep school students are inspired by their teacher to embrace poetry and seize the day—carpe diem! One of the students, an aspiring actor, shoots himself after his father enrolls him in military school. “I don’t want to see this guy in Israel,” my boyfriend said. He had completed his mandatory military service in Israel during the first intifada. I defended the film, but he wouldn’t budge. It was an early sign of our divorce. Now I surround myself with poets and writers who feed my soul. Googling I started to Google myself after I went to a party with poets and writers hosted by my urban writers’ colony. People kept asking what I did and I said I was a writing instructor with a memoir in progress. Most of the people I talked to were published authors who said they would look me up online. I felt self conscious because I had not published a book. When I got home I Googled myself to see what they would see. I was astounded when I saw a link to The Best American Essays. My first published essay had been named a notable essay in the anthology and I had no idea. This lucky discovery prompted more searches. Now I check DuckDuckGo. I find unexpected reviews of my books by strangers and poems published without a formal acceptance. I cannot resist the urge to look for more happy surprises.
Karol Nielsen is the author of the memoirs Walking A&P and Black Elephants and three poetry chapbooks. Her first memoir was shortlisted for the William Saroyan International Prize for Writing. Her full-length poetry collection was a finalist for the Colorado Prize for Poetry. Her poem “This New Manhattan” was a finalist for the Ruth Stone Poetry Prize