"Getting To Do It"

I often introduce myself as a "poet who teaches creative non-fiction," referring to the undergraduate essay writing courses and memoir writing workshops I teach. When questioned about why I don't teach poetry instead of prose, I joke, "Yeah, I don't get to teach poetry." As if someone were holding me back. 

Someone was holding me back. Me. 

As my fortieth birthday looms closer and closer, I've been trying to nudge my professional life towards poetry. 

Collaborating with the generous owner of The Spa Room, Mary Szegda, I've started to offer monthly generative poetry writing workshops. We had our first class Tuesday evening and it was lovely. We sat in a circle, surrounded by the earthy perfume of healing products, and wrote in response to prompts, poems and sensory objects (chocolate and stones.) Each participant wrote radically different pieces, encouraging us to take more chances in our writing with subsequent prompts. 

DMV area folks: Interested in joining our next generative poetry writing workshop? Register here through The Spa Room (click on June and Special Events to find the listing). 

Here is the full description: 

Writing the Body: Poetry Writing Prompt Workshop 

Tuesday, June 21; 7:30 - 9:00 pm

90.00 minutes

$30.00 each individual session (a portion of the proceeds will be donated to the DC Rape Crisis Center after costs are covered.) 

In this monthly workshop, we will write in response to prompts. The prompts will begin with our bodies (muscles, five senses, physical memories) and may bring us anywhere. As we can slowly stretch our body to allow an opening, we will focus on our physical experiences and related memories in order to understand them better. Writing, which includes naming our experiences, is part of how we understand and navigate our world. Our time together will be spent generating writing in response to prompts. Writers will be invited to read their in-class writing, if they choose to. The focus will be on the creative process (rather than editing and revising the work.) Writers of all levels welcome. Please come with a writing surface (clipboard or book) and paper or charged laptop. You are welcome to register for one or more classes. Each one will be unique and stand on its own. 

Chloe Yelena Miller, author of the chapbook Unrest (Finishing Line Press), teaches writing workshops at Politics and Prose Bookstore and privately. She also teaches college-level classes online at the University of Maryland and Fairleigh Dickinson University. She received her BA in Italian language and literature from Smith College and an MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College. You can read more about her here: http://chloeyelenamiller.blogspot.com 

Class limited to 8 students 

The Spa Room 

4115 Wisconsin Avenue, Suite 102, Washington DC, 20016 

Future class dates: 

Tuesday, July 5; 7:30 - 9:00 pm

Tuesday, August 16; 7:30 - 9:00 pm

Free Books for D.C. Kids!

From the D.C. Public Library system: 

Even at an early age, reading to young children is the best thing you can do to put them on a path to success. Your kids pick up new words, have fun while they learn, and develop skills they will need later in school.

DC Public Library wants to make reading with your child fun and easy. That's why the Library is launching Books from Birth, a program that mails all enrolled kids in D.C. a free book each month from birth until they turn five.

Parents. You must register for this program in order to receive free books for your child.REGISTER HERE.

For more details about the Books From Birth program, please see our Frequently Asked Questions. If you need further assistance, feel free to contact us.

Thank you to River Road Montgomery Child Care Association

The Maples' painted garden

On Monday, our bambino started to transition to a new daycare closer to home. We're both back to ground zero as he acclimates (more on that soon), but also so much further along than that first day he attended Montgomery Child Care Association's River Road Center. We will truly miss everyone at River Road who took such good care of all three of us, from our son's presence in the classroom to a certain nervous mamma's regular calls in the beginning.

We want to thank the creative and attentive teachers at River Road for caring for our bambino these last seven months. He learned so much, including sitting in a toddler-sized chair with his friends to eat lunch, which seemed like an insurmountable task at first. He really loved working on group art projects with his group, the Maples. He learned so many new words and actions and tasted new foods, like peas and lemons, that he asks for at home now. We've grown, too, watching him and learning from the teachers, his peers and other parents.

Thank you, all. We'll miss you and never forget our bambino's first school. 

Cherry Blossom Petals Falling at Dumbarton Oaks' Gardens

One afternoon last week, while I should have been working and writing, Nonna and I snuck out to Dumbarton Oaks' Gardens and Museum. We sat beneath this canopy of cherry trees whose petals were falling with every breeze.

I'd love to write about the magical, fairy-tale experience of being surrounded by pale pink petals, but only cliches come to mind (magical, fairy-tale). Perhaps cliches are cliches for a reason. Regardless, I'll leave you with this video and keep trying to find the words or metaphor to describe this moment.

Washington, D.C., Indoor Spaces to Play

Apparently snow is on its way to our nation's capital. With that in mind, here are some of our favorite indoor places to take the bambino to play:

National Building Museum

Big open spaces, child friendly exhibits and rooms built for playing (like the Building Zone)

Soft Playroom in Alexandria
Awesome room built for the youngest crowd - everything is soft and ready for climbing. 

Wilson high school pool
Beautiful and clean facility including family changing rooms (complete with showers) and a warm, kids' pool with a beach entrance.

Need more ideas? I follow the D.C. version of Red Tricycle for ideas and local events. Besides the D.C. library system, which I'm in love with, what else would you add? 

Yoga One Year Later

Thanks, Yoga District, for inexpensive and "gentle" yoga in our neighborhood

I did it. After over a year, I returned to a yoga class. A "gentle" yoga class. Pregnant, I had tried following prenatal yoga DVDs, but I gave up after quickly feeling (even more) nauseous.

I had been taking yoga classes on and off for the last four years. The regular stretching and exercise helped to center me physically and mentally. Yoga helped me when I was grieving and trying to return to my body after witnessing death. I finally found the courage to attend a class hoping that the movements would connect me to this new body of mine.

Pregnant, miscarrying, pregnant again, giving birth and now nursing, my body has changed a lot these last two years. Sometimes my cesarean scar feels like a warrior's mark. Often my stomach just feels flabby. I don't exactly fit into my old clothes even if I've technically lost the pregnancy weight.

By starting to exercise again, I hope that I can both look even better than my old self, even if that's vain and shouldn't matter, and feel stronger. I don't get as winded as I did when I was pregnant, but I haven't  yet built up my muscles.

I love to take walks and carry the bambino in the carrier, but now that he's grown so much, it is harder to keep up any kind of speed. His legs dangle down and he tends to push against my thighs as I walk, too. (I guess that's a fun game for one of us.)

The "boys" in my life have been models on how to strengthen a body. After serious training, my husband ran the Chicago marathon. My son is now practicing holding his head up, sitting up and standing. I'm hoping to join my husband in modeling good, healthy behavior towards physical activity for our son as he learns to crawl, walk and then run. And he might even join me in doing a downward facing dog one day.

Upcoming: Workshops on Writing Your Personal Statement For College/Graduate School Applications

Are you or your child applying to college or graduate programs? I'll be leading two October workshops on writing the personal statement, an important part of the application. The essay is a chance to stand out from other applicants and share something about yourself. We'll discuss how to do this, from brainstorming and writing to editing.

Click through for more details:
Georgetown Neighborhood Library
Thursday, October 3
7:00 - 9:00 PM

Hill Center
Monday, October 21
6:30 - 8:30 PM

Can't make the workshops? I'm available for private consultations and writing coach appointments. We can meet in person in the Glover Park/Georgetown neighborhoods of D.C. or via phone/video conference. 

Grazie, Nonni!

Nonna and the sleeping bambino

Thank you to my parents – the nonni – for visiting us in D.C. while my husband was away for a conference, and an additional thanks to my mom for staying a little longer. We all had so much fun together and my husband and I were happy to catch up on some work and rest. This hectic fall semester is going to test our multi-tasking skills, and so quiet moments all together – in various combinations - make it all seem possible to keep moving forward.  

With all of his smiles, our bambino seems to recognize his nonni (for more on when babies start to recognize others, click here), and of course no matter how quickly he grows and changes, the nonni recognize him. When they first saw him and reached for him while coo-ing, smiling and offering kisses, I couldn’t help but smile.

Three months or so after my son’s birth, I realize how much better I’m feeling. Not being pregnant or recovering from the birth, I can do all kinds of crazy things, like tie my own shoes and carry laundry up and down the stairs. The pregnancy and early months were tough. What a relief to be able to sit calmly and visit with my parents, and even leave the house with their grandson for some Washington, D.C. adventures. Any of that would have been hard to imagine doing back in early June when they were here helping us to acclimate to our new routine.

The nonni and I took the bambino met friends and their kids at Union Market for a tasty brunch before stocking up on Italian food at Litteri one block away. Union Market is spacious and easy to navigate, even for a fairly inexperienced mamma. While the crowded Litteri store is the opposite experience, the walls of olive oil bottles and large cans for sale made it worth a rushed visit.

Later, Nonna and I wandered around Hillwood Gardens with the bambino. He slept most of the time in the carrier and we were able to be outside and admire the formal gardens. He also slept through the bell recital one dusk evening at the National Cathedral; perhaps the fresh air and music influenced his sleep.

It was a treat to go on a date with my husband – twice! Sure, we mostly talk about the bambino whether he is with us or not, but it is good to spend some time together just the two of us. Oysters, gelato and being together make a fine, peaceful night out. That summer night, pumping before I went to sleep knowing there were three of us to respond to the bambino’s nighttime needs, I felt calmer than I have in a long time.  

Thanks again, nonni. A presto! 

Helping a Choking Pregnant Woman

Do you know how to help a choking pregnant woman? My husband and I recently took a momease infant and CPR class at GW hospital and this question came up. The room went silent.

We learned that a pregnant woman cannot perform abdominal thrusts on herself nor can someone else perform it on her. Instead, someone else should perform contractions on her chest (as if she weren't breathing.)

Here's how the Mayo Clinic describes the procedure:


Clearing the airway of a pregnant woman or obese person:

Position your hands a little bit higher than with a normal Heimlich maneuver, at the base of the breastbone, just above the joining of the lowest ribs.
Proceed as with the Heimlich maneuver, pressing hard into the chest, with a quick thrust.
Repeat until the food or other blockage is dislodged or the person becomes unconscious.



Here's a video showing you what to do.

In our class, the instructor suggested having the pregnant woman's back against the wall, to keep her steady, with her fact turned away from you.

Prenatal Massage: Stephanie Roche from The Spa Room

Monthly pre-natal massages with Stephanie Roche at The Spa Room have made this pregnancy a little easier. Muscle pain (some of which I suffered with before the pregnancy), muscle cramps, and general stress have all been relieved by professional prenatal massages in a calm setting.

Thank you to Stephanie Roche for sharing her thoughts on prenatal massage:

It’s no secret that pregnancy causes several significant changes in a woman’s body. Among these, fluctuating hormones cause ligaments to relax and the hips and pelvis to become less stable. Postural changes also occur, causing the pelvis to tilt forward. A woman’s center of gravity shifts, and there is often much strain put on the back, hips, neck, and shoulders.

Prenatal massage – much like regular massage – can be largely beneficial and therapeutic for those who receive it and may be experiencing these symptoms. Not only does it help you relax and feel good, but it also helps to soften muscles, ease soreness, reduce tension, and improve circulation and mobility.

Prenatal sessions and the techniques used for them are tailored specifically for pregnant women and their ever-changing bodies to maximize these benefits. Furthermore, studies have shown that regular massage during pregnancy can also lead to reduced anxiety, minimized depression symptoms, and improved labor outcomes and newborn health.

Read more from Stephanie on The Spa Room's blog.

Shopping for (Used!) Maternity Clothes in the Metro D.C. Area

To follow-up on yesterday's post about used maternity clothes in New Jersey, here are the two best stores I've found in the Metro D.C. area:

Wiggle Room in Bethesda, MD

Bellies & Babies in Alexandria, VA

Are there others that I've missed?

Used pregnancy pants warning: The elastic on the top of the pants loses some of its, well, elasticity with time. Be sure to walk around the store a little and try squatting or bending over before buying a pair of used maternity pants. If you have to keep tugging at your pants to keep them up after a few minutes then they certainly won't fare well later.