Alchemical Symbols - Acids Alchemical Symbols - Acids Back to alchemical symbols page . Aqua Fortis Geber made this 'strong water', Nitric acid, by distilling green vitriol, with saltpetre and alum. When pure it is a colourless liquid, but it is often tinged brown by dissolved nitrogen oxides, which also give it a peculiar smell. It reacts vigorously with most metals, but Gold will withstand its action. It is also a powerful oxidising agent, and will react with most substances. Aqua Regia A mixture of one part nitric acid (aqua fortis) and three or four parts hydrochloric acid (spirit of salt). It was called the 'King's water' because it was able to corrode and dissolve the king of metals, gold. Spirit of Salt. Made by distilling common salt and Green Vitriol. This is the strong acid now known as Hydrochloric acid, and is very reactive with most substances. Oil of Vitriol. Made by distilling Green Vitriol (Iron Sulphate). This is now known as Sulphuric acid and is one of the strongest of mineral acids. Vinegar..

Made by distilling wine that has been allowed to go sour. A medium strong acid which reacts with most organic substances, and forms salts with some metals, for example Lead acetate, or 'sweet lead'. Distilled vinegar Alchemical Symbols - Acids The Alchemy web site on Levity.com Alchemical Symbols - Acids Back to alchemical symbols page . Aqua Fortis Geber made this 'strong water', Nitric acid, by distilling green vitriol, with saltpetre and alum. When pure it is a colourless liquid, but it is often tinged brown by dissolved nitrogen oxides, which also give it a peculiar smell. It reacts vigorously with most metals, but Gold will withstand its action. It is also a powerful oxidising agent, and will react with most substances. Aqua Regia A mixture of one part nitric acid (aqua fortis) and three or four parts hydrochloric acid (spirit of salt). It was called the 'King's water' because it was able to corrode and dissolve the king of metals, gold. Spirit of Salt. Made by distilling common salt and Green Vitriol.

This is the strong acid now known as Hydrochloric acid, and is very reactive with most substances. Oil of Vitriol. Made by distilling Green Vitriol (Iron Sulphate). This is now known as Sulphuric acid and is one of the strongest of mineral acids. Vinegar.. Made by distilling wine that has been allowed to go sour. A medium strong acid which reacts with most organic substances, and forms salts with some metals, for example Lead acetate, or 'sweet lead'. Distilled vinegar Alchemical and archaic chemistry terms The Alchemy web site on Levity.com Alchemical and archaic chemistry terms Part I (A-K) Originally prepared by Carmen Giunta at webserver.lemoyne.edu/faculty/giunta/archema.htm with some later additions by Gleb Butuzov Partial list of sources: , 3rd ed. (Philadelphia: Blakiston, 1944) James Bryant Conant, ed., Harvard Case Histories in Experimental Science , vol. 1 (Cambridge, MA: Harvard, 1957) W. E.

Flood, The Dictionary of Chemical Names (New York: Philosophical Library, 1963) Frederick Soddy, "Radioactivity", acid of shugar: oxalic acid. acidum salis : hydrochloric acid (HCl, marine acid , muriatic acid , spirit of salt ); literally "acid of salt". ad siccum : to dryness, as in evaporation to dryness. aer fixus : ether . Aether nitri, literally "nitric ether", was ethyl nitrate (C2H5NO3) aes cyprium : formerly a general term for any gas ( elastic fluid ). alembroth, salt of : a double chloride of mercury and ammonium, Hg2(NH4)2Cl4.H2O. algaroth, powder of : antimony oxychloride (SbOCl), an emetic named after its inventor, a Vittorio Algarotti. alkahest : a term invented by Paracelsus to denote a universal solvent. alkali : a basic substance. Caustic alkalis were usually hydroxides, while mild alkalis were carbonates.

(See alkaline air , fossil alkali , marine alkali , mineral alkali , vegetable alkali , volatile alkali .) alkaline air : ammonia gas (NH3); see spirit of hartshorn , volatile alkali . alcanet root - alcanna tinctoria. alum : originally potassium aluminum sulfate (i.e., KAl(SO4)2); more recently the term also includes salts in which sodium or ammonium substitute for potassium. antimony . From latin 'antimonium' used by Constantinius Africanus (c. 1050) to refer to Stibnite. aqua fortis : nitric acid (HNO3, nitrous acid , spirit of nitre ). aqua regia or aqua regis: a mixture of concentrated nitric and hydrochloric acids capable of dissolving the "royal metal" gold. aqua tofani . Arsenious oxide. Extremely poisonous. Used by Paracelsus. aqua vitae : concentrated aqueous ethanol (C2H5OH), typically prepared by distilling wine [Arnald of Villanova] ( spirit of wine ) Armenian bole : red clay.

atom : does not necessarily correspond to the modern picture of the ultimate particle of an element. For example, Dalton meant something more along the lines of "ultimate particle of a substance"; to him the smallest unit of a chemical compound was a compound atom (molecule in modern terminology), while the smallest particle of a chemical element was a simple atom (now just atom, although several of Dalton's simple atoms turned out to be molecules of elements, such as O2). (See molecule .) aurum fulminans (fulminating gold): gold hydrazide (AuHNNH2), an olive-green powder that can explode on concussion. azote : nitrogen, named because it did not support respiration and was therefore "lifeless" (N2, phlogisticated air ; see also mephitic air ). barilla : impure sodium carbonate extracted from soap-wort. baryta and barytes: were both used for the earth from which barium was eventually isolated, namely barium oxide (BaO). Barytes can also refer to barite, a barium sulfate (BaSO4) mineral also known as heavy spar. Baryta can also refer to barium hydroxide or its hydrate.

Barytium is an older name for barium. benzine : ligroin or petroleum ether; sometimes benzene (C6H6) bismuth : often the ore for extracting mercury bismuth glance (bismuth sulphide)-- apparently a shiny substance bittern : sulfur (S). butter : In addition to its still current meanings of a low-melting vegetable fat or a high milk-fat foodstuff, a butter could be a soft substance such as an inorganic chloride. Butter of antimony was antimony trichloride (SbCl3), named so because of its waxy quality, butter of arsenic was arsenic trichloride (AsCl3), butter of tin was a hydrate of tin tetrachloride (SnCl4.5H2O), and butter of zinc was zinc chloride (ZnCl2) butter of tin : hydrated stannic chloride. Cadet's fuming liquid (Cadet's liquid): heavy brown liquid first prepared by the French chemist Louis Claude Cadet de Gassicourt. Cadet's liquid is highly toxic, smells strongly of garlic, and spontaneously bursts into flame when exposed to air.

It is mainly cacodyl oxide ([(CH3)2As]2O) with other cacodyl compounds such as dicacodyl ([(CH3)2As]2). Berzelius coined the name kakodyl (later changed to cacodyl) for the dimethylarsinyl radical ((CH3)2As) from the Greek kakodes (evil-smelling) and hyle (matter). cadmia , which was also called Tuttia or Tutty, was probably zinc carbonate. calamine . Zinc carbonate. calcareous earth : calcium oxide (CaO, lime , quicklime ). Caustic calcareous earth was calcium hydroxide (Ca(OH)2, slaked lime ) and mild calcareous earth was calcium carbonate (CaCO3, chalk , carbonate of lime ). calces : formation of a calx , i.e., oxidation of a metal, often by roasting. calomel . Mercurous chloride. Purgative, made by subliming a mixture of mercuric chloride and metallic mercury, triturated in a mortar.

This was heated in a iron pot and the crust of calomel formed on the lid was ground to powder and boiled with water to remove the very poisonous mercuric chloride. caloric : a postulated elastic fluid associated with heat flow. calx (plural calces): a metal oxide ( earth ), the result of roasting a metal or mineral. Sometimes used for a particular calx, namely lime . Name like calx of mercury (mercuric oxide) was virtually a recipe for its creation; a calx was a powder formed by roasting a mineral or metal, generally what we would call an oxide. carbonic acid : carbon dioxide (CO2, fixed air ) carbonic oxide : chlorine (Cl2, oxymuriatic acid). See marine acid . didymium : a mixture of praseodymium (Pr) and neodymium (Nd) believed to be an element until 1885. Dragon's blood : (sometimes) resin from Rattan palm fruit. dram (drachm): unit of apothecary weight equal to 3.888 g.

fluid dram: unit of volume equal to 1/8 fluid ounce (3.55 mL) dry alum : sulphate aluminium & potassium. Dutch oil (Dutch liquid, Oil of the Dutch chemists): ethylene chloride, (C2H4Cl2) first prepared by the action of chlorine on ethylene (hence olefiant gas ) in 1794 by four Dutch chemists Johann Rudolph Deimann, Adrien Paets van Troostwyck, Anthoni Lauwerenburgh and Nicolas Bondt. Dutch White . Mixture of one part of white lead to three of barium sulphate. earth : a metal oxide ( calx ); see calcareous earth , magnesian earth , siliceous earth . elastic fluid : usually a descriptive term for gas ( air ); however, certain elastic fluids were postulated which correspond to no material ( caloric , ether , phlogiston ). emanation : a radioactive gas (radon) produced in the decay of other radioactive elements.

Specifically, thorium emanation (also thoron) is 220Rn (half life = 55 s) produced from the decay of thorium; radium emanation is 222Rn (half life = 3.8 d) produced from the decay of radium; actinium emanation is 219Rn (half life = 4 s). epsom salts : sulphate of magnesia. ether (or aether; sometimes luminiferous ether): a hypothetical elastic fluid postulated to support the transmission of light. (The organic chemistry meaning is still current: namely an organic compound whose formula is ROR', where R and R' are alkyl or aryl groups; especially diethyl ether (C2H5OC2H5).) Ethiops mineral black : sulphide of mercury. Fahrenheit scale : temperature scale devised in 1717 by G. D. Fahrenheit and denoted by &deg;F. The normal freezing point of water is 32&deg;F and the normal boiling point of water is 212&deg;F. fixed air (aer fixus): carbon dioxide (CO2, carbonic acid ).

flowers of antimony (arsenic trioxide), obtained by roasting orpiment or realgar (arsenic di- and trisulphide)-- which are beautiful names themselves. Antimony and arsenic have similar properties and were often confused; their compounds were not really disentangled till the 19th century. Antimony was very popular in medieval times as a medicine, and the confusion with arsenic probably prematurely dispatched many a patient. flowers of sulphur . light yellow crystalline powder, made by distilling sulphur. flowers of zinc : crude zinc oxide (ZnO, pompholix ). Found as a deposit in zinc chimneys. "Flower" means "flour" here; the words are etymologically the same. fluoro acid air : sodium carbonate ( common mineral alkali , marine alkali , soda ) fulminating gold . Made by adding ammonia to the auric hydroxide formed by precipitation by potash from metallic gold dissolved in aqua regis. Highly explosive when dry. fulminating silver . Silver nitride, very explosive when dry. Made by dissolving silver oxide in ammonia.

funiculus : an invisible membrane postulated to hold up a column of mercury in the Torricellian experiment [Linus] galena : native lead sulfide (PbS), or lead or silver ore, or the slag remaining after refining lead. glass of Antimony . Impure antimony tetroxide, obtained by roasting stibnite. Used as a yellow pigment for glass and porcelain. Glauber's salt : sodium sulfate (Na2SO4.10H2O, sal mirabilis ) glucinium (spirits of): ammonia; (slats of) ammonium carbonate. hepar : This Latin word for liver referred to reddish-brown (i.e., liver-colored) metal sulfides. (See sulphuret .) Hepar sulphuris (liver of sulphur) was a synonym either for potassa sulphurata (a mixture of various compounds of potassium and sulfur made by fusing potassium carbonate and sulfur) or, in homeopathic contexts, for calcium sulfide (CaS). hepatic air : hydrogen sulfide (H2S, sulphuretted hydrogen ) horn silver , argentum cornu. A glass like ore of silver chloride.

igneous fluid : a postulated elastic fluid sometimes used synonymously with caloric (matter of heat), sometimes with phlogiston (matter of fire), and sometimes as a substance with the postulated properties of both. inflammable air Anime science 101- Roy Mustang and Flame Alchemy Author Chris Meharg Leave a comment Flame Alchemy Full Metal Alchemist brotherhood draws inspiration from the real world practice of alchemy, so what is alchemy and how true to science is flame alchemy. Alchemy is a combination of philosophy and early scientific knowledge and practices. This particular pseudoscience had many aims, including creating an elixir of immortality and turning lead into gold. While it was thoroughly steeped in mythology, alchemy did help to give birth to modern chemistry through the systematic approach used by many alchemists. This led to the discovery of a variety of elements and other chemicals including Aqua Regia and Aqua Fortis. Aqua Regia is a 1 to 3 molar ratio of Nitric and Hydrochloric acid, which can dissolve gold and platinum.

dissolving gold Aqua Fortis is Nitric Acid- HNO3 Nitric Acid However, things work a bit differently in Full Metal Alchemist (I am referring to the Manga and the second anime series brotherhood). Alchemy retains its mix of philosophy and pseudoscience, but here it actually works within a set of principles. The most important of these is the law of equivalent exchange. This is a fancy way of referring to the Law of Conservation of Matter. This real world law of chemistry states that we cannot create or destroy matter; it can, however, be changed from one form to another. What this all means is that you can’t get something for nothing, a strong recurring theme of Full Metal Alchemist. You’ll notice that I left out the Law of Conservation of Energy because A, spoilers, and B, that’s a lesson for another day. Now that we have the basics done, we can take a closer look at the signature alchemy of everyone’s favorite Colonel. Yes, I am talking about Colonel Roy Mustang’s flame alchemy. Leaving the energy that drives his alchemy out of it, we will be looking at the actual chemistry he is using when trying to blow Edward Elric into next week.

The basis of flame alchemy comes from the manipulation of the compounds present in the air in order to create a flame using a spark from Mustang’s signature gloves. A flame can be the result of many different reactions, and we need to take a closer look at the types of flames created by Colonel Mustang before we can break down the chemistry involved. Type 1 As you can see there are two basic attacks: an explosion of various sizes, and a flame of various sizes. If you remember equivalent exchange or the law of conservation of matter, then we know that the chemicals that he used to make those attacks must be able to be made from elements present in the air. We will assume that the atmosphere of Amestris is similar to Earth’s. Thus Earth’s atmosphere is around 21% oxygen, 0.04% carbon dioxide, 0.0002% methane and .001 to .005% water depending on the local atmospheric conditions. There are other elements and compounds but they cannot be used in flammable reactions and some of them can be used to put out fires. The source material states that Colonel Mustang uses his flame alchemy to break down water to create hydrogen gas.

The hydrogen can then be mixed with oxygen and ignited to create a powerful explosion. As you will see below igniting hydrogen and oxygen will create a powerful explosion and liquid hydrogen and oxygen were used to fuel the space shuttle. The exact reaction is shown below. Step 1- Electrolysis Step 2- hydrogen and oxygen explosion 2H2 + O2 à 2H2O Real Life example In conclusion, Full Metal Alchemist gets the chemistry of the large explosion correct and when you include the magic bit to make the alchemy work I can call it Confirmed Colonel Mustang’s classic flame thrower, however, is a bit of a different story. The previous trick won’t quite work here as he is more likely to blow himself up in a massive explosion if he tries to generate a continuous or controlled flame using the hydrogen and oxygen trick. Hydrogen gas is highly flammable and can auto-ignite when mixed with the right amount of oxygen. This is great when you want to blow something up, not so much if you want any degree of control. So sadly the previous explanation will not work here, which is what the source material uses, so I have to call it So how would the flame alchemy flame thrower actually work in the universe?

Well, the composition of the atmosphere gives us the answer. Methane is a small component of the atmosphere, and it just so happens it is highly flammable, just not as much as hydrogen. Our atmosphere is only 0.0002% methane and much of that has been released more recently. This is due to industrial farming, large scale sewage treatment, and natural gas mining. All are things that the world of Amestris is doing, given the level of technology seen in the manga/ anime. Thus, Colonel Mustang is going to have to make his own source of methane using his alchemy. He can do this by first breaking down water into hydrogen and oxygen like with his explosions. He then will combine the carbon dioxide and hydrogen to make methane and oxygen. The methane can then be burned with the oxygen to create the signature flame attack. The full reactions are shown below. Step 1 AQUAFORTIS -- Crossword entry | Crossword Nexus AQUAFORTIS Aqua fortis Aqua fortis, or "fortified water," in alchemy, is nitric acid .

Being highly corrosive, the solution was used in alchemy for dissolving silver and most other metals with the notable exception of gold, which can only be dissolved using aqua regia or "regal water". Aqua fortis was prepared by mixing either sand, alum, or vitriol, or the last two together, with saltpeter, then distilling it by a hot fire. The gas collected from this condenses into aqua fortis. It was first described by alchemist Pseudo-Geber. The above text is a snippet from Wikipedia: Aqua fortis and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License . aqua fortis A corrosive liquor made of saltpeter , serving as a solvent for dissolving silver and all other metals except gold . The above text is a snippet from Wiktionary: aqua fortis and as such is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License . Need help with a clue? Try your search in the crossword dictionary! Clue: Book of the month Francis Heaney and Brendan Emmett Quigley, two of the best in the biz, have teamed up for Drunk Crosswords . Grab yourself a copy today! Store NEW!

Get a whole bunch of puzzles, pay what you want, and help charity. Mobile App We've got an app, with versions for iPhone, iPod and (finally!) Android. Snap a picture of the QR code above, or simply follow this link for more info. It's free, and the quickest way to get help for your crosswords on the go. Enjoy! Medusa's Kitchen: Silver Into Aqua Fortis Silver Into Aqua Fortis Alchemical Preparation of Silver Nitrate —De re metallica, 1556 A BEAT DREAMS OF ST. FRANCIS On the second hand of a third note laughter by the fourth estate of the sixth day of media reading aloud crossing by the ninth circle of the lyrical tenth kiss washing the beggar's feet drawn by a musical heaven at the crossing of a twelfth abyss from a Beat poet's alchemy of silver into aqua fortis born on November thirteenth as of creation in awe at the miracles of St. Francis meeting at the Fourteenth station at the fifteenth prophetic sound from the sixteenth lost poet who composes madrigals of wonder in the underground. [Ed.

Note: In alchemy, aqua fortis (Latin for "strong water") is nitric acid (HNO3). Being highly corrosive, the solution was used in alchemy for dissolving silver and most other metals with the notable exception of gold, which can be dissolved using aqua regia or "regal water".] Fish (Poisson), 1926 of fish and terrestrial mammals at my daydream set on the cold shore in the harbor seal silhouette features pedestals of birds in a motif of your sculpture on a blanket canvas by wishing an on-sight schemata from the sensual culture of these ardor of creatures by the color of my words. —Anonymous a poem is finely drawn in his armchair feet flat on the floor spies at a Hartford window with a glare when flakes of snow fall awaking children's laughter that labor in the veneer of war being benign, in an age of fear, is not lost; you who made us aware to love our neighbors, for a witness to care about every holocaust.

over the stage of the ballet hall here at my tender age dressed in a tux asked to play first violin glancing at the audience with the harp of consciousness of an utterance in a visionary trance at tumultuous throbbing dance with masked costumes of Bakst as tentative lovers at last word in their own witness of calling on Stravinsky's moment desire in memory of romance to discover a luminary's world. —Picture Poem by Kenneth Patchen of an interior stubble of spaces in five-o’clock shadows as we survey our arguments of a dripping midnight ink sounding out what we alarms shutter our adolescent exposure and a venture of brave appearances thinking out loud at the Louvre unraveled in our nourishment where living down of daydreams from the posture of a Paris love these much-too traveled voices of canvas at the art of words fairly wander over a continuous alcove serving nomenclature in repast of our culture of double concave worlds.

—Painting by René Magritte, 1950 MAGRITTE'S TIME Etches of red unravel prose bathed in a revolutionary art to a time of invention covered in your pulse the sky, grass and palm trees in a yearning for daylight hours to form the coiled tongues of figs, clouds, oranges departing with a new creation grafted as bardic images in the markets and alleys fleeing the Occupation. —Painting by René Magritte, 1952 SAMUEL JOHNSON AT 75 or his own wise history in business of a tell-all he is melancholy White Cliffs of Dover, Kent, England —Anonymous Photo here is an exiled time for silence in the dawn to reach out for pardon among the shells and rocks even to view the night squalls in the home harbor's sun at a park in an English garden going over to Dover watching the last white swan over the waves appear as a sea-voice bird motions in perfect harmony and pitch away from the ditch water and I've done taking out the boat into the Atlantic Ocean.

The Marriage of Heaven and Hell —William Blake, 1908 Like threads in the sunlight of tapestries unwinding on a visionary loom a faint sunlight has shone over an artist of skills as we wander for hours in the breezy poet's room by the church's stained windowsills over Blake's statue of dominion in shadows of Westminster Abbey as a mystic hears chants in the rain by shadows of the twelve Apostles who is continuously pencil-sketching even through the last night vapors leave us to search for your statue on a summer's seasoned hour, remembering his bold "relief etching" from some papers floating in mind imagining him in a dream vision stretching his cosmic powerful words hearing by blinds from the raucous thunder fog listening to the wondrous chorus on a branch of sea-bird wings picturing him customarily awakening hearing all of nature sing imaging a potter's wheel one by one on the high shelf reddened by words of a cosmic rust and weeping tears myself William cannot forsake his task to be done revealed in his Songs of Innocence this Blake, an idiomatic artist poet and solo visionary splashes as his anointed oils glow in appointed watercolor patterns as a dynamo overtaking Romantic art deposits his frescoes

 stretching for his all-knowing eye gates of his own inventive Inferno in illuminated manuscripts to illustrate a historic glorious verse as in a luminary's dynamic break with the shaky dust of the past he blurbs in faint highlights among angels which rose and fell as a nature poet and an artist in a loving second illustrious career from proverbs of Heaven and Hell who toils to be reviewed and outlasted as he illustrates Chaucer and Dante from tempera paint with inundated different chalks on a snow-white boned china or an angelic saucer will not shock as he traces a new sainted art and talks like a renewed artist going past us as a lone eccentric to show us to walk a kindly peace how a clever genius unleashes poetry for he is still with us to sum up, to ask our secret anthropomorphic wishes never to depart in stone masks as he will have vetted to fulfill an increase of our own creativity.

_____________________ —Medusa, thanking BZ Niditch for today’s fine culinary fare and inspiration! Emily Dickinson I HAD no time to hate, because The grave would hinder me, And life was not so ample I Could finish enmity. Nor had I time to love; but since Some industry must be, The little toil of love, I thought, Was large enough for me. ______________________ Celebrate poetry with Emily tonight by heading down to Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Café at 8pm, or over to Poetry in Davis to hear Will Greene and Jamil Kochai, also 8pm. Scroll down to the blue box (under the green box at the right) for info about this and other upcoming readings in our area—and note that other readings may be added at the last minute. Photos in this column can be enlarged by clicking on them once, then click on the X in the top right corner to come back to Medusa. OUR BULLETIN BOARD ON THE KITCHEN WALL: Get Stoned on Medusa and Her Bad-Hair Days Medusa: That moody Gorgon from whose head so many Snakes do sproingggg... CARPE VIPERIDAE—Seize the Snake!

Snake Drawings are by POETRY NOOZ— Local & Otherwise— Indigo Moor Chosen Sac. Poet Laureate Sacramento County is proud to name Indigo Moor as its new Poet Laureate, succeeding Jeff Knorr (and many thanks to Jeff for his service!). For more about Moor, go to /. For his comments upon being selected, go to and scroll down to his photo. Congratulations, Indigo! Poetry on Buses! "Five poems by local students will be featured on 225 city buses this fall in an effort by the Sacramento Poetry Center, the Sacramento Metropolitan Arts Commission and 916 Ink to highlight the talent of youth in our city." This information is from a Sacramento Press article written recently by Bethany Harris; see sacramentopress.com/2016/10/17/keeping-poetry-alive-local-youth-poetry-featured-on-buses-this-fall for the complete article.

FOR YOUR READING PLEASURE— •••Ginosko; see GinoskoLiteraryJournal.com For more area journals, scroll down past this green box to the blue box below it, then keep scrolling past the calendar info to "Hot, Hot Journals Full of Hot, Hot Poetry!". Other publishing notes: •••Laverne Frith has a new review of Phillip Levine's The Last Shift in New York Journal of Books. See •••And for your listening pleasure: The Soft Offs featuring Laura Martin: SEED OF THE WEEK— ...is The Watchers. Click on Placating the Gorgon or Calliope's Closet (in the FUCHSIA LINKS at the top of Medusa) for info on our Seeds of the Week (SOWs), and keep scrolling down this green board for different types of SOWs. But don't be shy: send poems/photos/art about other subjects, too, to kathykieth@hotmail.com/. No deadline on SOWS, and no need to be just a lurker...! Need more SOWS?

For previous Seeds of the Week and Forms to Fiddle With, plus other cool stuff, scroll back up to the FUCHSIA LINKS and click on Calliope's Closet. (Wow! What a list of SOWS we have there!—several years' worth!) •••Go to Writer's Digest and find the poetry prompts at "Poetic Asides": •••The biannual online The Prompt, by the way, publishes only poems written from prompts: promptlitmag.org /. See their Editor's Challenge, too! FORMS WTH WHICH TO FIDDLE For those of us who love pain... [Scroll back up to the FUCHSIA LINKS and click on Medusa Mulls for where we stand on poetry forms. And go to Calliope's Closet for a complete list of forms we've done in the past.] MORE FOOD for the BRAIN This is your brain on poetry... Here are some items of note to get your brain a-stewin'.

Or scroll back up to the FUCHSIA LINKS at the top of the blog for even more in On-Going Workshops/Retreats—not to mention spoons and ladles like Calliope's Closet and Publishing— all designed to stir up those poetry brain juices of yours! •••On-going: —SPC Tues. night workshop at Hart Sr. Ctr. in Sac. (call Danyen Powell at 530-756-6228 for info). —SPC Thurs. night workshop, Valley Hi N. Laguna Library, 7400 Imagination Pkwy, Sac. Facilitated by Rhony Bhopla. ring 15 c. of your one-pg. (or less) poem, 12-size font, your name on the bottom of the page. —Shut Up & Write! national writing group for all genres: #past —Tuesday at Two informal poetry workshop every Tuesday, 2-3pm at El Dorado Arts Council's Fausel House Gallery, 772 Pacific St. (behind Buttercup Pantry on Main St.), Placerville. All are welcome; free.

•••And watch these sources for more workshops: —Alexa Mergen ( yogastanza.org ) —Trina Drotar for classes in poetry and visual arts such as bookbinding ( ). What poet can't use a really cool bound book? SUBMIT, I SAY— SUBMIT! Get your poetry out into the world— Hint: Our FUCHSIA LINK on Publishing at the top of Medusa might help you get started with your submissions journey, and here are some other journals and contests that may be looking for YOU (you won't know unless you try). •••Jan. 28: Contest deadline for 91st Annual Poets' Dinner/Contest: sites.google.com/site/poetsdinner /. Must be present at the April 1 dinner to win. On-going: •••James Lee Jobe has a new blog, "paz", to feature anti-war poems, peace poems, poems that encourage non-violence, and poems for social justice and social change. Email poems to jamesleejobe@gmail.com. •••SF's Rattle: Every "even" issue (e.g. 48, 50) is open, no deadline.

See /guidelines •••Rattle is also looking for a poem written within a week of a public event that occurred within the last week. The chosen poems will appear every Sunday on their website. Selected poets will receive $25. To have your own poem considered for next week’s posting, submit it before midnight Friday PST. See (Scroll down to "Poets Respond".) •••See also Rattle's monthly ekphrastic challenges at •••Manzanita Writers Press's new online anthology/blog accepts poetry/art/photography/prose: •••Songs of Eretz Poetry Review: eretzsongs.blogspot.com/p/e-zine.html •••The Bleeding Lion: emphasis on anatomy, the macabre, cross-cultural, visual arts: thebleedinglion.com/submissions •••Sinister Wisdom poetry and artwork (now for 40th anniversary issue, otherwise on-going) publishes only work by Lesbians, particularly reflecting a diversity of experiences: •••HEArt Online seeks outstanding writing and art that speaks to our mission: promoting the role of artists as human rights activists through public recognition of art as a vehicle for social reform.

Please submit only unpublished work (except music & videos) that deals artistically with fighting discrimination and promoting social justice, addressing issues of sexuality, race, class, etc. See heartjournalonline.com •••Hour of Writes Weekly Writing Competition: new titles every week, only one hour to write your entry. See hourofwrites.com/index/welcome •••The Blue Shift Journal has two online issues and one print issue per year. See theblueshiftjournal.com •••Circe's Lament: An Anthology of Wild Women (Accents Publishing) looks for poems about goddesses, gunslingers, shape-shifters, blues singers, oracles, and scandalous divorcees—or any wild women you know, including yourself. Send 1-3 poems to circeslament@gmail.com •••Allpoetry Community Anthology (world's largest poetry community?) seeks poems for its annual anthology. Also monthly free contests. On-going deadline: see allpoetry.com Other possibilities: •••Sac.

Poetry Center's Tule Review invites submissions for its next issue at spcsacramentopoetrycenter.submittable.com/submit or for the quarterly Poetry Now at poetrynowblog.wordpress.com •••convergence: see Deadlines are Jan. 5, June 5 •••Song of the San Joaquin Quarterly has deadlines of Feb. 1, May 3, Aug. 2 and Nov. 1. [Note change in reading periods.] See ; email song.poet@sbcglobal.net •••Cal. Federation of Chaparral Poets, Inc. has a monthly contest open to all. Cash prizes! See •••The Prompt online literary magazine seeks year-'round submissions based on prompts or exercises. See promptlitmag.org •••Looking for a second place to publish poems that have already been published once? Try Little Eagle's RE / VERSE at littleeaglereverse.blogspot.com or yourdailypoem.com •••Poet/publisher J.D.

Hart encourages on-going submissions to several of his sites, including •••Here's a link to Poets & Writers' dandy list of lit-mag possibilities: plus their list of small presses: plus their lists of up-coming contest deadlines: WEBILICIOUS! Click on the red web above to ride Medusa at Six Flags! Got a website or an article about poetry and/or writing, local or otherwise, that interests you? Pass it on to kathykieth@hotmail.com/. Meanwhile, click the pic to see what's on Webilicious this week! SEE MEDUSA'S SCRAPBOOK on FACEBOOK—More pix! If you're "on" Facebook, click/pic or type in Medusa's Kitchen for lots more photos and other poetic adventures! Our latest albums: •••AUTUMN IN THE FOOTHILLS by Katy Brown •••REUTLINGER MANSION IN SF by Michelle Kunert FOR THE POETRY GOURMET— ON THE AIR Radio programs featuring poetry and more— ••• : "Dr. Andy's Poetry and Technology Hour" with Dr. Andy Jones (Weds.

from 5-6pm on KDVS 90.3 FM) ••• jp-dancingbear.squarespace.com : "Out of Our Minds" with JP Dancingbear (Weds. from 8-9pm on KKUP 91.5 FM) •••The Moore Time for Poetry series on Channel 17 Comcast/Surewest cable, AT&T U-verse Channel 99, or view online at and click on the "Watch Channel 17" button. First and Third Tuesdays at 10 p.m., First and Third Wednesdays at 2 p.m., First and Third Thursdays at 6 a.m. Hosted by Terry Moore. Call 916-208-7638 for more info. •••Poetry Foundation’s Poetry Off the Shelf, a weekly podcast at /. •••Naked Lounge's Coffee and Poets, occasional podcasts of poet interviews: etrigg.com/location/the-naked-lounge-1111-h-street-95814-sacramento-ca/289332 FEELIN' FRISKY? Click the dawg for some poetry terminology quizzes!

LITTLE TIPS FROM THE GRAMMAR GIRL QuickAndDirty! Click on Mignon for some fun tips about those tricky-snake, swampy confusions that pop up in grammar as we write. AND TODAY'S WORD IS... Click/pic to find out! THE REST OF THE B-BOARD! Enter at your own risk; NorCal poetry is SMOKIN'! Watch this spot on a daily basis for what cooks in NorCal poetry! (Like everything else, it keeps on changing...) Scroll back up to the top of Medusa and go to On-Going Reading Series or Workshops/Retreats in the FUCHSIA LINKS for a more comprehensive list of regular offerings in our area. Other sites to check for poetry news and area events include: ••• sacramento365.com (go to Poetry & Literature under Performance) •••Bay Area events: poetryflash.org/calendar Don't see your reading event listed on Medusa? That's probably because you didn't send it to us!

We try to find every event in our area, but sometimes we miss, or even though we see an event listed as "on-going", we might not list it because we're not sure—maybe you've taken a week off. So keep us in the know, and we'll do our best to advertise for you. It's such a shame to invite poets to read for you, and then to fail to advertise them. Want to learn about some Bay Area events? Debralee Pagan (debralee@astoundnet) publishes an e-newsletter called "Strictly East" (Poetry Past the Caldecott Tunnel)—email her for a free subscription. See also . THIRD THURSDAYS AT THE CENTRAL LIBRARY Thurs. (1/19), 12 noon Thurs. (1/19), 12noon: Third Thursdays at the Central Library (read-around), 801 I St., Sacramento. Hosts: Mary Zeppa, Lawrence Dinkins. STRAIGHT OUT SCRIBES at Luna's Thurs. (1/19) Thurs.

(1/19), 8pm: Poetry Unplugged at Luna’s Cafe presents Straight Out Scribes plus open mic. 1414 16th St., Sac. Host: frank andrick. Free, but please partake of Art Luna’s fine food and libations. WRITERS RESIST in Davis Thurs. (1/19) Thurs. (1/19), 8pm: Writers Resist in Davis: A Poetry Night of Protest at the John Natsoulas Gallery, 521 1st St., Davis. Bring short examples of poetry/prose showing resistance against censorship, discrimination, injustice, prejudice, sexism, racism, homophobia, ageism, scapegoating, religious intolerance, and various forms of corruption. Click pic for more info about the event and the national organization, Writers Resist. JONES & FRITH in Sac. Sat. (1/21) Carol Frith (photo by Katy Brown) Sat. (1/21), 4:30pm: Sacramento Voices presents Carol Frith, Aeisha Jones plus open mic. 25th & R Sts., Sac. Host: Phillip Larrea.

MORE THAN A WEEK AWAY— •••Weds. (1/23), 6-7pm: Poetry in Motion, Placerville Sr. Ctr., 937 Spring St. (off Tunnel St.), Placerville. Bring your own poems, or those of a favorite poet; or just come to listen. Free; all ages welcome. •••Fri. (1/27), 7:30pm: Unitarian Universalist Church of Davis presents Susan Kelly-DeWitt, Carlena Wike plus open mic. Church library, 27074 Patwin Rd., Davis. Host: Allegra Silberstein. (4th Friday instead of 3rd, this month only) •••Sat. (1/28), 2-4pm: Poetic License, Placerville Sr. Ctr., 937 Spring St. (off Tunnel St.), Placerville. Suggested topic for January is "berserk". Bring your own poems, or those of a favorite poet; or just come to listen. Free; all ages welcome. •••Sun.

(1/29), 10am-12noon: Capturing Wakamatsu: A Poetry Workshop with Taylor Graham and Katy Brown at the historic Japanese colony and farm in Placerville. See for information and registration. (Moved from 1/8) •••Sat. (2/4), 2-4pm: Crossroads Reading Series presents four Poets Laureate, past and present, at Poet Laureate Park in Sac.: Andy Jones, Allegra Silberstein, Viola Weinberg, Indigo Moor. Poet Laureate Park is located at 2901 Truxel Rd., Sac. Surprises for those who arrive early! Info: •••Sat. (2/4), 2pm: Jennifer O’Neill Pickering discusses her process of publishing an Indie book, plus a short reading. Avid Reader at Tower, 1600 Broadway, Sac. •••Tues. (2/7), 7-9pm: El Dorado County Poetry Out Loud Poetry (Recitation) Competition for high school finalists. Imagination Theater, 100 Placerville Dr. (inside ED County Fairgrounds), Placerville. Free.

Info: eldoradoartscouncil.org/poetry-out-loud ; for info about Nationals (held Apr. 25-26 in Washington D.C.), go to •••Sat. (3/11), 3-5pm: Book release for Caledonia’s Daughters, an Afro-futuristic Anthology by Staajabu, ed. by Dr. V.S. Chochezi. GOS” Art Gallery Studio, 1825 Del Paso Blvd., Ste. 2, Sac. Free. •••Sun. (5/21), 3pm: Lincoln Library presents Jennifer O’Neill Pickering plus open mic. 485 Twelve Bridges Dr., Lincoln. And there's always Luna's... Every Thurs. night, 8pm: Be sure to check out Poetry Unplugged at Luna's Cafe (1414 16th St., Sacramento) at least once in your life! 20 years of wild/crazy poetry, with featured readers and plenty of open mic—not to mention Art Luna's wonderful food and dandy libations! Readings are free, but a one-drink minimum purchase is appreciated.

Click/pic for more about Luna's Cafe, or see for more about Poetry Unplugged. And get there early! WHAT'S COOKIN' at SAC POETRY CTR? Click/pic for info See also for SPC events and other news. POETRY CENTER GALLERY PRESENTS: January: Sable & Quill: Exhibit & Reading of Writers & Their Visual Art, curated by Jennifer O’Neill Pickering. (Poetry Center Gallery is open MWF 10-3, and is curated by Bethanie Humphreys) OTHER EVENTS: •••Mon. (1/16), 7:30pm: Straight Out Scribes, NSAA, and others plus open mic. 25th & R Sts., Sac. Host: Emmanuel Sigauke. •••Thurs. (1/19), 12noon: Third Thursdays at the Central Library (read-around), 801 I St., Sacramento. Hosts: Mary Zeppa, Lawrence Dinkins. •••Sat. (1/21), 4:30pm: Sacramento Voices presents Carol Frith, Aeisha Jones plus open mic.

25th & R Sts., Sac. Host: Phillip Larrea. •••Mon. (1/23), 7:30pm: Marcelo Hernandez Castillo, Rose Martinez plus open mic. 25th & R Sts., Sac. Host: Tim Kahl. •••Mon. (1/30), 7:30pm: Forrest Gander plus open mic. 1000 Mariposa Hall, Cal. State University, 6000 J St., Sac. If you are an Amazon shopper, don't forget to make your purchase through smile.amazon.com . Designate the Sac. Poetry Center so that they may receive a 0.5% donations. (This doesn't change the price of the items.) A win for your non-profit! AND NOW FOR MORE FUN— HOT, HOT JOURNALS FULL OF HOT, HOT POETRY! Online and otherwise— Here are some journals and other publications that are local-ish (okay, there are some Bay Area ones in here, too). If we've left anybody out, let us know! Plus, keep an eye on the college scene.

Some of those journals accept submissions from non-students, though they usually have more limited (mostly annual) deadlines. Go to Medusa's Hot Links for Calaveras Station, Penumbra, Suisun Valley Review, Cosumnes River Journal, but be aware that college journals come and go in this time of tight funding. ...keep scrolling down this skinny blue box for NorCal online journals, publishers, more than 100 Hot Links and much, much more! POETRY NOW Poetry Now is the quarterly journal from Sacramento Poetry Center. Click/pic for submissions guidelines. TULE REVIEW Click/pic for guidelines to submit to Sac. Poetry Center's Tule Review (print). OccuPoetry The online OccuPoetry collects and publishes poetry about economic justice/injustice, greed, protest, activism, and opportunity. Click pic for editions and submission info. SACRAMENTO POETRY, ART and MUSIC Eskimo Pie Girl! Run by Eskimo Pie Girl (from Alaska) Rebecca Morrison, this long-standing website has much on-going poetry and art. Click/pic for SPAM. CONVERGENCE Cover Photo: Pike Place Clown Band by Viola Weinberg Click/pic to enter the latest issue!

convergence (online) has new editorial choices every month, too, at Or check them out on Facebook at #!/pages/Convergence-An-online-journal-of-poetry-and-art/128353453912079 EKPHRASIS Ekphrastic writing done right— Ekphrastic writing ain't easy, but this semi-annual journal, edited by Sacramento's Carol and Laverne Frith, shows us how it's done. (Art is supposed to be a springboard for ekphrastic poems, not just a description of the scene.) Click/pic to order your copies. The Friths also offer the Ekphrasis Prize every year. DADs DESK Little Journal w/the Big Letters! Sacramento's Carol Louise Moon edits this small, action-packed poetry journal that is printed in large type. Copies are available at The Book Collector. Submissions are by invitation only. BREVITIES Another Wee Wonder! Joyce Odam's half-sized Brevities packs a wallop with its monthly collection of poets from around the country. E-mail Joyce about submissions at joyceofwords@gmail.com.

MUNYORI LITERARY JOURNAL Joanne Hillhouse (photo by Andy Williams) Click/pic to go to Munyori Literary Journal (online), edited by Sacramento's Emmanuel Sigauke and featuring writers from around the world. SONG OF THE SAN JOAQUIN Song of the San Joaquin (print), edited by Salida's Cleo Griffith, is a quarterly journal of the San Joaquin chapter of Calif. Fed. of Chaparral Poets, Inc. Subject matter is the Central Valley, whether you live there or not. There is a reading in Modesto to premier each issue. Click/pic for more. BLUE MOON Sacramento artist and writer Jennifer O'Neill Pickering is the featured artist in the latest issue (#8) of Blue Moon Literary and Art Review (print). Click/pic for more info. Available at Avid Reader in Sac. and Davis, and in Davis at Newsbeat, Konditorei Austrian Pastry Cafe, John Natsoulas Ctr. for the Arts, Rominger West Winery.

MANZANITA WRITERS PRESS Manzanita Writers sponsors publications, workshops and readings in Calaveras County under the guiding hand of Monika Rose, including their weekly radio program for writers ( manzapress.com/radiotv ). Click/pic for more. GINOSKO Click pic to download the Bay Area's online Ginosko Literary Journal, edited with a deft hand by Ron Cesaretti in Fairfax. POETRY FLASH Literary Review and Calendar The venerable Poetry Flash (online, print), edited and published for a very long time by Joyce Jenkins, is the go-to publication for the Bay Area and much of NorCal. Click/pic for a look-see. TEA PARTY (OAKLAND) No, not THAT tea party... Here's a lively print publication out of Oakland... Click/pic for more. LATEST CANARY! Click/pic for the latest issue of Canary, an online literary/poetry journal of the environmental crisis, pub. by Hip Pocket Press. The Entrekins live in Orinda now, but they used to live in Grass Valley. HP Press also publishes books and the online Sisyphus.

See also literaryfolk.wordpress.com/recommended-northern-california-journals-and-presses or for more Bay Area publications, such as Syndic Literary Journal ( syndicjournal.us ), SF Peace and Hope ( sfpeaceandhope.com ), Haight Ashbury Literary Journal ( ) and ZYZZYVA ( . ____________________ OTHER PUBLISHER-FRIENDS For the bookworm—or is that booksnake? Here are some more publishers (local and friends of locals) to watch for. Most of their books are available at The Book Collector, 1008 24th St., Sac., or you can order directly. Other local presses of note which are less active include Geoffrey Neill's little m press ( littlempress.com ) and Robert Grossklaus's Polymer Grove ( dphunkt6.xanga.com ). POEMS-FOR-ALL The wee-est of books with plenty of punch! Richard Hansen's tiny Poems-for-All are published out of San Diego now. Click/pic for more. ABOUT THE SWAN Click pic for what's new from Swan Scythe Press. FOLLOW THE ROAN CSUS Professor Brad Buchanan's Roan Press publishes books occasionally. Click/pic for more. R.L.

CROW Bill Gainer's R.L. Crow Publications has a distinguished history of publishing distinguished poets. Click/pic to check them out. R.L. Crow also sponsors The Magnet Project—beautiful square magnets with poems from local poets (art design by Richard Hansen). These are free; look for them at The Book Collector or from Bill or Richard. SIX FT. SWELLS Todd Cirillo, Julie Valin and Matt Amott publish After Hours Poetry of their own and others in occasional anthologies and other books. Click/pic for more. KOOL STUFF FROM KAMINI Kamini is a long way away, but they do publish locals like Annie Menebroker and other Snake Pals. Click/pic for their latest. PRESA PRESS Presa Press publishes books and magazines, including Presa Magazine, focusing on the lively small press poets—including many Snake Pals from around the country. Click/pic for more. LATEST FROM LUMMOX Click/pic for what's new from R.D. Armstrong's Lummox! ______________________ Send us your "classifieds" (these are whatever YOU think they are...)! •••Go to thepoetrybox.com for custom poetry, and more goodies to come!

•••Order Jennifer Pickering's artwork on cups, magnets, prints, tiles and T-shirts from shop.cafepress.com/jennifer-pickering or order cards and prints of her work at fineartamerica.com/art/all/jennifer+pickering/all ______________________ Danyen Powell, Shawn Pittard (photo by Sandy Thomas) Poetic Connections ______________________ WANT TO FIND PAST POEMS THAT APPEARED ON MK? Once posted, our poems remain in the cybersphere forever and ever. (Scary!—Medusa's past lives after her.) To find them, go to the white search bar at the tippy-top left-hand corner of MK, next to the red letter (is that an "e" or a "b"?), and type in the poet's name (be sure you have the correct spelling, initials, etc.). Voilà!—every post in which that name appears will show up right there on the blog! Or, if you know the date the poem was posted, we also have —> —> MEDUSA'S RAP-SHEET! Archives: Finding Past Posts Check out the Bad Girl Gorgon's past—What has gone before...

Question: In alchemy what was Aqua Fortis?
Answer: Nitric Acid