What can I tell you about me? My name is Karen Kanter. "Aristera" (one of my aliases) is the greek word for "left" , and it is the only such word to have positive connotations. (Unlike "sinister" and "gauche")I am left-handed and left-wing , so I felt the name was appropriate.. I'm a 30 year old Jewish woman living in Norman, Oklahoma, a more civilized notch on the bible belt. I write poetry and some prose. I also have a budding web design business, and some of my pages are listed below. In addition, I am a volunteer staffer for AOL, working for the Amazing Instant Novelist area there. I work on the Short Poetry board
I've been involved in the size acceptance movement for about ten years now. It has been an education in overcoming prejudice, --and discovering my own self worth-- that I wouldn't wish on anyone. I'm hopeful that my site will mean things are changing for the better.
. My interests range from Science Fiction (Doctor Who and Sliders on TV, Harlan Ellison and Zenna Henderson to read) to surrealist art. I am a night owl, which is lucky because one of my favorite TV shows is ABC's (the American one) World News Now: overnight news with a humorous edge.
Musically I like everything from Power Pop (Marshall Crensahaw, Squeeze, Crowded House) to Art Rock (Peter Gabriel era Genesis).
Some pages I've designed for others:
The Mayor of Heaven --a novel by Lynn Kanter
http://members.aol.com/lynnkanter/
*A Sojourn of Color*
http://members.aol.com/wstsojourn/
The page I designed for my poetry forum on AOL:
The Amazing Instant Short Poetry Corkboard
http://members.aol.com/novlkaren/poetry.html
My Pages:
Aristera's Hyperfocus
http://members.aol.com/aristera/
The Work at Home Page for Cats and their Humans
http://www.geocities.com/Eureka/4225
To close this, here's one of my poems, that bests describes me
"The Occasional Poet Dreams of Stardom"
What I want:
I want my first novel
to be required reading at my old high school.
Right between To Kill a Mockingbird
and Macbeth.
I want to be a critical success
and a best seller.
I want you to hate me
because I'm beautiful
and like me
just the way I am.
I want to write the song
they'll be playing
the first time you dance
with your one, true, love.
I'd like to be a bad influence
and a positive inspiration
depending on your perspective.
I want to live fast,
and die young,
but I want to get to know my grandchildren.
I'd like you to jump on my bandwagon
but I don't want to be a media fad.
I want to be the next big thing
without selling out
or losing my edge.
I want to be loved
by a kind, handsome man
with Mel Gibson's ass
and Ross Perot's wallet.
I want to play Madison Square Garden
while a crowd of 10,000
hold up their lighters
begging me for one more song.
What I really want:
A few good ideas
someone to love me
and a good way to live.