Call for Cosponsors

[ysabetwordsmith]

librarygeek has sponsored "Quicker Than You Can Lower Them" (the second in the latest batch of 4 poems about Warshirt and Spotted Deer) and hopes that someone(s) else will sponsor "Ways to Make the Pain Go Away" ($115, the first in that batch). The main connection with the National Day of Awareness for Missing and Murdered Native Women and Girls is detailed in the previously published poem "To Prevent Future Tragedies," but the background of violence against women makes the relationship between Warshirt and Spotted Deer pretty fraught. Later on, they will also have to deal with the other rescued victims, some white, several from various reservations around Montana; I have more ideas for that, not written yet, that will build on the first (already posted) and second (in progress) sets of poems in this thread.

Ideally the four poems should be posted in order. Is anyone else interested in chipping in for "Ways to Make the Pain Go Away" so I can post "Quicker Than You can Lower Them" ...? This is the set:

(sponsored by fuzzyred and hangingbyastitch)
"Ways to Make the Pain Go Away" 12-11-20 (fishbowl spillover)
Story Date: Friday, October 2, 2015
Summary: Warshirt deals with a bad day by getting drunk. Spotted Deer takes care of him.
229 lines, Buy It Now = $115

(sponsored by librarygeek)
"Quicker Than You Can Lower Them"
Story Date: Saturday, October 3, 2015
Summary: The morning after, Warshirt feels fine, until suddenly he doesn't.

(sponsored by ng_moonmoth, fuzzyred, technoshaman, and mama_kestrel)
"A Crazy and Drunk Life"
Story Date: Saturday, October 3, 2015
Summary: Upset by everything that's happened, Warshirt seeks advice from Many Tongues.
358 lines, Buy It Now = $179

(sponsored by Anthony &  Shirley Barrette)


"Repair Just About Anything"
Story Date: Saturday, October 3, 2015
Summary: Warshirt and Spotted Deer work things out.
426 lines, Buy It Now = $213

Comments

[fuzzyred]

I have about $50 I could chip in for "Ways to Make the Pain Go Away," if anyone else can add the rest.

Yay!

[ysabetwordsmith]

I'll make a note of that.

Crowdfunding!

[hangingbyastitch]

I can absolutely get the rest! I was thinking of chipping in all of the rest for "Ways to Make the Pain Go Away!"

Re: Crowdfunding!

[ysabetwordsmith]

Woohoo! I'll mark this fully funded. \o/

[technoshaman]

Let me know (Ysabet or Fuzzy) if the full $65 is still needed, I just moved enough over to my PayPal account to cover all of it...

Well ...

[ysabetwordsmith]

The first two poems are covered. Donation is in from librarygeek and I'm waiting on fuzzyred and hangingbyastitch who have claimed the second. ng_moonmoth is interested in chipping in toward the third, so ask about sharing that one.

Re: Well ...

[technoshaman]

I'd be interested in chipping as well, but I think we'll need a third to finish it.

*raises hand*

[ng_moonmoth]

I'm good for something around $40, if the rest can be raised. Two more around that size would work. And if it got close enough for me to check the couch, I'd probably take a look... OK, my offer still stands for funding "A Crazy and Drunk Life". Can we get to $179 adding in what others have stepped up for?

Re: *raises hand*

[fuzzyred]

I have maybe another $20 or so that I can chip in tkwards the $179. I don't know how much Technoshaman was budgeting for, so I don't know where that leaves us.

Re: *raises hand*

[ng_moonmoth]

They mentioned $65, so that would all add up to $125. If another $50 or so showed up, I could handle the breakage no problem.

Re: *raises hand*

[ysabetwordsmith]

If I did the math right, there's $54 left to fund in the third poem. I have updated the post.

Re: *raises hand*

[technoshaman]

Wups, reading too fast. Okay. $65 for me LEAVES $54. I'll try and keep an eye on things and make sure we get covered.

Re: *raises hand*

[ysabetwordsmith]

You're not the first person to get lost in this thread. I'm barely keeping up with it myself, which is why I'm trying to write down what people are contributing.

Re: *raises hand*

[ysabetwordsmith]

technoshaman hasn't specified a level of donation yet. I have noted what information I have. I did tell him that ng_moonmoth was interested in the third poem, so now it's three of you who need to work out logistics.

:D Progress!

Re: *raises hand*

[fuzzyred]

Alright. I can manage that.

Would it be best to send you the money for the first poem directly ($50 for me)? And then anything for the third poem I can coordinate with ng_moonmoth and any others that come along.

Re: *raises hand*

[ysabetwordsmith]

I think if you send it as a lump sum, PayPal takes out less. I'm planning to go ahead and post the first and second poems. You may as well figure out the final numbers tomorrow morning and send the whole amount then, because Doug already went to bed so I won't see anything more tonight anyway.

Re: *raises hand*

[fuzzyred]

Alright, that works for me. I'll coordinate with the others and send the right amount in the morning.

Re: *raises hand*

[ysabetwordsmith]

Huzzah! I look forward to seeing the results.

Re: *raises hand*

[ng_moonmoth]

Just let me know when I should send something your way. Do we want to open the third one for microfunding if nobody shows up to finish it off by whenever? I'll still send $50US if we go that route.

Re: *raises hand*

[mama_kestrel]

Somebody just showed up. I'm clear on the amount required, I think, but less so on who to send it to. Clarification, please and thank you?

Re: *raises hand*

[ng_moonmoth]

fuzzyred is collecting this one. $54US is what's needed. Although they are Canadian, their PayPal account can deal with $US, so specifying that as the target currency will (or so I am told) save a round-trip currency conversion and a few bucks.

Thanks for helping out. Now for the fun part -- seeing the reactions!

Re: *raises hand*

[ng_moonmoth]

I just sent my pledge, and let mama_kestrel know you were the collection point, so that should be headed your way soon. Once you have technoshaman's share, you'll be good to go.

Re: *raises hand*

[fuzzyred]

Thanks! I'll keep an eye out for those donations.

I sponsored one, and everyone else jumped in too!

[librarygeek]

Yippee, you're all awesome!

I got more things to read, that fit with the National Day of Remembrance and the psychological and spiritual issues involved, and we get examples of how to work things out, BETTER.

Re: I sponsored one, and everyone else jumped in too!

[ysabetwordsmith]

>> Yippee, you're all awesome!

I got more things to read, <<

:D I love my audience so much. \o/

>> that fit with the National Day of Remembrance and the psychological and spiritual issues involved, <<

Yeah, with the Iron Horses thread, I try to draw challenges from real issues common on reservations. So there's alcoholism, PTSD, other disabilities, violence against women, impaired boundaries, family malfunctions, etc. But I also include the solutions like strong community ties, traditional spirituality, medicine powers, ancient foodways, healing herbs, blankets, and so on.

>> and we get examples of how to work things out, BETTER. <<

That's the idea. None of the characters are perfect, but they all have strengths they can use to deal with their weaknesses and overcome challenges. They're stronger together. This is the kind of thing I wanted from Native American literature growing up, and rarely found -- except for the old myths and legends -- so I wrote my own. Now there are more people writing it, which is good, but I'm still doing different stuff.