Hello to everyone. I like this blog.

I purchased two "Inanna" books: 1) "Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth" by Diane Wolkstein and Samuel Noah Kramer and 2) "Innana: From the Myths of Ancient Sumer" by Kim Echlin. The latter is written simply, rather like a children's poem. I read it first and I could then quickly follow the story of Inanna before I began the more erudite Wolkstein/Kramer version. I also found a wonderful sculptural piece of jewelry called "Astarte" by the Arroyo Seco artist, Claire Haye. I will wear it to our performance.When I asked myself today, "What do I think of Inanna?" another question immediately emerged as my initial response, "What would it mean to be a woman without fear? I ask this question both as an individual woman, and on behalf of all women.I have not seen Carol's poem. Would someone send a copy to me at kscordova@aol.comSamuel Noah Kramer also wrote a wonderful book that I believe is called "History Began at Sumer."

Kind thoughts to all....Karen

First-time blog to the "First"

Hi Everyone-I've been remembering of all you wonderful poets since last Fall at the Rane Gallery show and reading. I'm the potter/poet from Cedar Crest, NM. I've been wondering what the results of the survey that you sent out showed about everyone's ideas about first poems and Inana; I've been reading the Wolkenstein book. Also reading some other research about Enheduanna, first recorded woman poet of 2300BC and her poems in praise of Inana. Also read 1000 SPLENDID SUNS. What an amazing book. It is extraordinary that in just a few thousand years, women can go from priestesses to a beloved goddess to slaves without civil rights in a male dominated politico-religious culture, all in the same geography.

Thinking about ideas on language and art. Looking into cuneiform and, since I'm a potter, clay tablets. We would not know about Enheduanna if not for these.

Scanned a book by Lucien Polestron called BOOKS ON FIRE about lost libraries through time. He writes about the first Englishmen to find the ruin of the Assyrian King Ashurbanipal's library at Nineveh. The library had been purported to be 7 stories of clay and stone tablets, the collected writings of that time. All 7 stories had collapsed down into one large pile of rubble. The excited Englishmen walked over the "rubble" smashing tablets into dust in their zeal to reach a wall of friezes-the recognizable art work. They thought the clay and stone tablets were floor tiles and did not recognize the cuneiform designs as language or the tablets as books. I wonder what other "first things" may have been lost then.

So lots of things floating around in the haze here and very interested in seeing what objects and words solidify. Thanks for setting up this blog for us to talk through our ideas. What is everyone else thinking about or working on for July?-Kristin Thacher