Today is the 10 Year Anniversary of the day I could have died

10 Years Ago on this date I underwent an unexpected carotid artery dissection which caused an aneurysm which caused a stroke which caused me to lose some parts of how my brain used to work before that happened.

Hard to believe this was already 10 Years ago now.

This experience changed some parts of my brain, it changed some other parts of my life, but a lot of us undergo different changes...

Still though, even though it's gotten a lot better than it used to be, this particular anniversary date still makes me feel rather uncomfortable mentally - and also uncomfortable about the speed racing of time.

But also lucky to still be alive, active, myself and creatively expressive.

For a little while after the stroke, I was terribly afraid that I might not be able to write poetry anymore, but thank goodness that was not the case. My poetry just became a little different. Here was the first tiny poetry chapbook I created after my stroke.

POST-STROKE - https://www.etsy.com/listing/69547229/post-stroke-by-juliet-cook?ref=shop_home_active_3

Two NEW mini-reviews of my mini poetry chapbook, "POST-STROKE"!

"10 stars out of  5.

Absolutely one of the most unique and special books I've ever had in my hands."

An awesome new mini-review of my mini poetry chapbook, "POST-STROKE" (thank you to Casey Kiser)

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"A wonderful collection of short poems, as I read each one I felt it was describing those Rorschach images. Some really incredible imagery. Favourite was "Crepuscular Creep" very creepy and also crepuscular is a word that isn't used enough these days."

Another wonderful new little review of my mini poetry chapbook, "POST-STROKE" (thank you to Jason)

You can acquire your own unique hand-made print copy of "POST-STROKE" from the  Blood Pudding Press shop, here - https://www.etsy.com/listing/69547229/post-stroke-by-juliet-cook?ref=shop_home_active_19

You can also read it for free online, here - http://www.dusie.org/COOK%20POST%20STROKE.pdf

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A new mini-review of Juliet Cook's seven year old poetry chapbook, "POST-STROKE"

A new mini-review of Juliet Cook's seven year old poetry chapbook, "POST-STROKE":

" This diminutive collection of poems expresses the author's attempts to live with a health issue that greatly affected her life. The words she chooses to express herself are creative and piercing; abstract, yet clear in intention. Frustration, acceptance and dark humor fill the lines that tell the story between the lines. Most affecting for me is the author's attempt to rescue buried memories. Another moving collection from a verbal artist.."

Janie C.

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If you're someone who hasn't yet read this chapbook and would like to, you can read it online HERE - http://www.dusie.org/COOK%20POST%20STROKE.pdf

If you would like your own hand-designed print copy of this chapbook, you can acquire it from the Blood Pudding Press shop HERE - https://www.etsy.com/listing/69547229/post-stroke-by-juliet-cook?ref=shop_home_active_7

My poetry books available to read online

Today I had an online friend who had recently read my first full-length poetry book, “Horrific Confection” online, ask me if I had any other books available to read as e-books online. A lot of my poetry books/chapbooks (especially the most recent ones) are in print, but there are several others that are available in e-formats too. 

I thought I’d share links for those who can’t reasonably afford print books/chapbooks AND/OR for those who just prefer reading online.

So...the first link is to my first full-length poetry book and then the others are all short poetry chapbooks. 

“Horrific Confection” (BlazeVOX, 2008) - http://www.blazevox.org/ebk-jCook%20REAL.pdf

"Projectile Vomit" (Scantily Clad Press, 2008) - https://issuu.com/andrewlundwall/docs/julietcook_projectilevomit

"MONDO CRAMPO" (dusie kollektiv 3, 2009) - http://www.dusie.org/JulietCOOK.pdf

"Tongue Like a Stinger" (Wheelhouse Press, 2009) - http://dwuaw.tripod.com/chapbook/cook.pdf

"Soft Foam" (dusie kollektiv 4, 2010) - http://www.dusie.org/Dusie%204%20pdfs/Juliet%20Cook%20Dusie%204%20chap.pdf

"POST-STROKE" (dusie kollektiv 5, 2011) - http://www.dusie.org/COOK%20POST%20STROKE.pdf

The two poetry chapbooks listed at the end are also available in print chapbook formats, within my Blood Pudding Press shop.

-Soft Foam - https://www.etsy.com/listing/59222402/soft-foam-by-juliet-cook?ref=shop_home_active_5

-POST-STROKE - https://www.etsy.com/listing/69547229/post-stroke-by-juliet-cook?ref=shop_home_active_7

-Both of them together - https://www.etsy.com/listing/278408054/two-blood-pudding-pressdusie-kollektiv?ref=shop_home_active_2

Seven Year Anniversary

Today is the seven year anniversary of me having an unexpected carotid artery dissection, which led to an aneurysm, which caused a stroke, which caused significant brain damage.

I had to undergo a risky surgery that involved having a stent inserted into my upper neck so that I didn't bleed to death.

I had to re-learn the alphabet, my family member's names, my friend's names.

I had to re-learn to read via children's books.

For a while, I felt very nervous that I might not be able to write poetry anymore, even though poetry had been my primary passion in life for years. Sometimes my own poetry doesn't make sense to other people, but for a while it didn't even make sense to me!

Fortunately, I think it was my genuine passion for words and writing and individualistic communication and creative expression and poetry that had a powerful impact on my recovery. I'm pretty sure anyone who met me these days would have no idea that I had underwent such serious brain damage.

I still have issues with some easy words, but since I'm a word-based person, I've gotten pretty good at replacing those words with other words. Actually, I think it's pretty interesting that the words I have the most trouble with are the easy basic words, but I'm fine with uneasy unusual big words.

Also, sometimes I can't think of a word, but I can think of its first letter and VISUALIZE the words length. However my brain healed itself from its neurological damage, I'm now more visual than I used to be.

The stroke didn't change my overall personality, but I do feel it made me more mentally prone to separating the genuinely REAL from the FAKE when it comes to friendship, relationships, and love.

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Little update: The last paragraph above could probably be interpreted (or possibly misinterpreted) in different ways, in part since I got tried while writing it and lost the energy to elaborate, but I can say it wasn't directed at any one person, situation or relationship.

It was directed at various different kinds of relationships in general.

And sometimes it's hard for me to understand what "friendship" or "love" means to other people, because it means a lot of different things to a lot of different people.

And I think all of those things are fine, as long as they're genuine.

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"Post-Stroke my words are not over-
ly obvious. Why on earth should my
non overly obvious poetry be dead?

1. Telebloodied brain cadaver with pernicious red limp.
2. Telebloodied drain dagger with growing open limbs.

3. My carotid swirling, awaited a dangerous blow torch
from the crotch; clicked in, rose up, added platinum mesh
deep inside my odd head. In spite of my almost annihilation.

4. A vicious new voice will slowly seep out of my skull.
5. Will spill more pretty crooked plucked out wordage."

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the first poem from the first tiny little poetry chapbook I created after my stroke:
https://www.etsy.com/listing/69547229/post-stroke-by-juliet-cook?ref=shop_home_active_16

Blood Pudding Press Poetry Treats & Halloween Offerings

Added a couple new Halloween-esque hand-painted zombie magnets to the Blood Pudding Press etsy shop, with even more peculiar doodads to come soon!

The Halloween section of the shop also offers a hand-painted mini zombie gnome and darkly delicious poetry chapbooks, including the limited edition CARNIVORACIOUS collaborative chapbook by Suzanne Grazyna & Juliet Cook. 

CARNIVORACIOUS was originally published as a limited edition in 2008 - and its limited number of copies quickly sold out. Now as a special Halloween Treat, the chapbook is being made available again for a limited time - only until Halloween 2012!

Also stay tuned for an interview with me, about my 2011 poetry chapbook, POST-STROKE, scheduled to appear upon the Poet Hound blog later today.

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For now, here's the Halloween Treats section of the BPP shop: 

 http://www.etsy.com/shop/BloodPuddingPress?section_id=12101200

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“My dreams of a fever-heaving language, of vowels splitting o-

pen like egg cases trembling with beads. Distended tongues,

flared operculums, the secret enzyme strip tease.”

Juliet Cook/CARNIVORACIOUS

“What doesn't kill us makes us stranger. Cracked hatched and eyelashless.”

Suzanne Grazyna/CARNIVORACIOUS