THE LEFT LANE
Poetry paramount for 'longbook' writer

Advertiser staff and news services

The lectures became "To Be the Poet" (Harvard University Press, hardback, $22), a suitably brief, lucid and intriguing invitation to the process of poetry, in which she shares her own path after she "chooses the poet's life." Kingston, 60, is a former Islander whose first book, the groundbreaking "The Woman Warrior," was published while she was teaching at Mid-Pacific Institute in Honolulu. Once again, she blazes her own trail.

Halloween hooligans

Halloween is in the air ... and in the mailbox.

From our mailbag came this month's Parents Magazine, with 75 "fun Halloween ideas." Our picks for best tips: a step-by-step face-painting guide for little spooks and pumpkins, and cupcakes to decorate to make you the coolest home room parent in school, including instructions for using white licorice candy and mini-marshmallows to make "Scary Skeleton" designs.

Or check out the Fun-Kin, which at first glance looks remarkably like a pumpkin. The hollow creation is made of low-density, flame-resistant foam and molded and painted to look like a pumpkin. "The consistency of the foam is similar to a real pumpkin shell," according to its Web site (www.funkins.com), but without the goop. We found one for sale through the Lillian Vernon catalog for $29.98 (plus shipping and tax), but the Web site offers more models for the same price.

Perfect gift? Try a cow

This holiday season, consider buying a gift that really keeps on giving. A water buffalo, perhaps — or pigs, goats and chickens.

Heifer International, a nonprofit organization devoted to ending world hunger, allows contributors to buy an animal or a share of an animal for an impoverished family in honor of a friend or relative. Gifts range from $10 for a share of a sheep to $500 for a dairy cow. Recipient families are trained to care for the animals and are required to give one any offspring to another family in need.

Details: (800) 696-1918 or www.heifer.org.