Linda's Blog

Weekend of Writers and More

I've added a second post today--so, if you've been here already, follow down for installment number two.

8: 45 a.m.  This has been a weekend of writers--lucky me! Last night I attended a gracious, lovely, delicious dinner party of writers and felt privileged to be there! Today I'll hear Eric Metaxas speak about his book BONHOEFFER: A BIOGRAPHY (to be released in early 2010). Metaxas will be the guest speaker at our church. He's also written:  AMAZING GRACE: WILLIAM WILBERFORCE AND THE HEROIC CAMPAIGN TO END SLAVERY; and EVERYTHING YOU'VE EVER WANTED TO KNOW ABOUT GOD (BUT WERE AFRAID TO ASK). In addition, he's the author of some children's and young adult books including SQUANTO AND THE MIRACLE OF THANKSGIVING and is one of the originators of the VEGGIE TALES series. This is obviously a writer who puts daily writing as a priority because he's hightly prolific. This is his second or third visit to Mobile--each time speaking at our church.  I heard him speak last year about the William Wilberforce book. Young, sharp, natty--New York all the way--very fine speaker and very fine writer.  I'm especially excited about the Bonhoeffer book!

Upon return from church, and after a light lunch, I'll complete the reading of a student novel set in the midwest after the Second World War.  I'm so much looking forward to getting back into this novel.  I can't wait until it's published!  Indeed--my weekend of writers!

Here are two more excerpts from CHRISTMAS IS A SEASON! 2009.  From the excerpts all can see the quality of the writing.  I am so proud of each and every writer in this book!

Wanda Wood from her short story "Rubicon,." "I pick up stacks of Christmas china that I've handwashed to preserve each shiny gold band and hand-painted holly sprig, and tuck them into the bottom of the hutch. Then I slip the sterling into the chest, gently sliding each piece into its slot....Another Christmas celebration is over, gifts exchanged, boxes and paper discarded, feast devoured, cleanup complete--weeks of preparation gone in a few hours....the day strikes a distinctly melancholy note for me when the festivities wind down, and I'm left to take down the tree alone. That's when the ghosts of Christmases past drift in, after my college-age children leave to visit friends, and my husbands naps away his turkey and dressing and pecan pie."

Hazel Polly Pope from her personal essay, "The Christmas Range Wars." "December through February are busy months on our farm, because that's when our cows have calves and our sheep have lambs.  For thirteen years, I have raised sheep and my husband, Buddy, has raised cattle.  Buddy and I have engaged in range wars comparable to ones in the old west. Like the sheep in an old John Wayne movie, mine have always enjoyed grazing on the bright green rye grass planted for the cattle."

I'll be posting more excerpts throughout the week. 

How privileged we all are to be in a new day, a day with all kinds of possibilities! Enjoy!

More later.

2:45 p.m.  Okay--so here is the "more later."  I wanted to add a bit more about Eric Metaxas. He was a wonderful speaker and inspired me. I am excited about the Dietrich Bonhoeffer book and can't wait to read it--in fact, I'll preorder it. Metaxas seemed even more wise and compassionate today than when he spoke in Mobile two years ago. I think a study of Bonhoeffer might well make anyone more humble and wise. Here are a few more facts about Metaxas:  He graduated from Yale.  He's written for the ATLANTIC MONTHLY, THE NEW YORK TIMES, THE WASHINGTON POST, and CHRISTIANITY TODAY. His Veggie Tales were national best sellers; his SQUANTO AND THE MIRACLE OF THANKSGIVING was awarded an Amazon.com "Number One Bestseller Award" in 1999. His WILLIAM WILBERFORCE and the HEROIC CAMPAIGN TO END SLAVERY was number 23 on the NEW YORK TIMES bestseller list.  Finally--and I find this especially interesting--he's started a series of monthly discussions in New York titled "Socrates in the City: Conversations on the Examined Life," events of entertaining and thought-provoking discussions on "life, God, and other small topics." Boy, wouldn't that be fun to attend some of those!

Tonight Metaxas will speak some more about Bonhoeffer and specifically about Bonhoeffer's involvements in efforts to overthrow Hitler--even kill him. Intriguing stuff, especiall for Bonhoeffer the theologian. Bonhoeffer was put to death by Hitler in the last days of WWII.

Still reading EAT, PRAY, LOVE. More on that later.

Time to Ponder

Already thinking about the New Year--2010.  More specifically, already thinking about New Year's resolutions. I'm way too busy and got to decide what's important and what's not. To enter the New Year with clear priorities means I must begin to pondor that now--right now. I'm starting a new journal today in preparation for beginning 2010 with a new start, a clear focus, and priorities in order. Of course we all know priorities can be shifted in the blink of an eye.  None of us knows what's ahead. We can have a family crisis, a health crisis, a national crisis, a personal crisis that takes over and prioritizes for us.  A good year is when we still feel that we have our hands on the wheel and are steering our own ship of fate.  We know we have limited control, but a good year is having some control.  Getting priorities straight will help anyone steer a clearer path. So--here's to orgainzing early for 2010!

When I have a few seconds, I'm reading EAT, PRAY, LOVE by Elizabeth Gilbert. A good book to read for a couple of reasons: it's Gilbert's journey of finding herself (good for me in current pondry); and, it's written in short segments that fit my current busy schedule.  So far, I'm enjoying the read--haven't finished it yet, so can't give an absolute positive until I'm done.

Yesterday I attended a reading/discussion of Shakespeare and life by Shakespeare scholar, Adam Max Cohen. Cohen is dying from a brain tumor and is traveling to visit friends across the country. He now teaches at University of Massachusetts, Darthmouth--formally on the faculty at University of South Alabama. Yesterday he was accompanied by his parents. In fact, his mother assisted him in his presentation for the Honors College presentation at the U. of South Alabama.  His discussion was sobering, thought provoking and so well fit the theme of getting priorities straight as we all enter 2010. Cohen's book is: SHAKESPEARE AND TECHNOLOGY: DRAMATIZING EARLY MODERN TECHNOLOGICAL REVOLUTIONS. In the time he has remaining, he's working on a memoir.

Here are a couple more excerpts--first lines--from CHRISTMAS IS A SEASON! 2009.  Enjoy!

LIZ McCORMICK from her personal essay, "The Christmas Camera." "All I wanted for Christmas that year was a camera. Not just any camera would do. I wanted the one on display at the Texaco gas station where my Daddy bought gas every week. It was a simple Ansco flash camera in a bright yellow box with one roll of film and six flashbulbs... Every Saturday morning for months, I drooled over the camera while Daddy filled his 1949 Chevy with gas."

KATHLEEN THOMPSON from her short story, "Finding the Lord." "Clyde's mind was like a sharpened axe blade, filed fine enough to chop firewood. After being hopped up on coke last night, he was looking for revenge with a capital R. He slammed the front door. Whenever he caught up with his thieving ex-wife, Sybil, and her lying husband he'd split them both in two and stack them up to burn like pine knots." 

Kathleen is at the Dehlonega Georgia Book Festival today.

More later!  Good Saturday to all.  Enjoy football, a cool and bright day, and a bit of Saturday leisure!

Reading and Writing, Weather and Quotes

7 a.m. Cool and crisp in Mobile today. Beautiful weather all week--many days, not a cloud in the sky. The kind of days we all wish we could stockpile and bring out when the weather is hot and muggy. Several nights this week the moon shone full and bright enough to light anybody's way. Exquisite weather!

More first lines from CHRISTMAS IS A SEASON! 2009 

MARY POPHAM from her short story, "Home for Christmas--Bardstown, Kentucky, 1910."  Nothing seemed like Christmas Eve to me.  When I stepped off the train in Bardstown, I shook one leg then the other to unkink the cramps from sitting in the railcar all day and the night before.  My throat burned from smoking so much.

I pulled my hat down over my eyebrows and stole a look at the freight handlers.  They were strangers to me."

TERRY ROZUM, from her personal essay, "Christmas Dinner for One."  "Special events are linked with special foods.  Would you think of having Valentine's Day without chocolate?  How about Thanksgiving without a huge, succulent, perfectly roasted turkey? Or a birthday without cake and ice cream? Special events call for feasts and the gathering of significant friends and family. Althought this was never the tradition in my home."

TRACY HURLEY, from her short story, "What You Need Most." "When Marshall wasn't paying attention, the buds on the maple tree had burst into leaf clusters.  He remembered he'd had to wipe off a thick, yellow coat of pollen from the small cedar patio table before setting down his glass of Sprite.  Spring had snuck up on him.  The paper white crocuses in Elaine's flowerbed had come and gone, the bright yellow daffodils too. Already the heads of the late-blooming tulips drooped, red petals littering the flower bed.  He'd planted the bulbs last fall while Elaine was getting treatments, savoring the look of surprise that would cross her face when her favorite flowers emerged.  He sighed.  He was old enough to know that things rarely turned out the way you expected them to."

These are my Quotes of the Day for this day--Friday, November 5, 2009.  Beautiful quotes!

More later--all you alligators, or rather all you readers and writers.  Have a great reading and writing day!

Amazing Results!

7:50 a.m.  Amazing results in my university writing class.  Last night we had the privilege of hearing two novel excerpts.  Wow! The improvements are nothing short of amazing.  The writers have found their voices, know their characters, and everyone wants more, more, more. Questions were flying around like:  When will this novel be completed so I can read it?  That's great inspiration for any writer!  Another student read a short story that was fresh, humorous, and had an unforgetable main character.  This student had written only a scene before his presentation last night--from a scene to a completed short story!  The central character was a born looser, but we laughed with and rooted for this perennial underdog.  So wonderful to be transported to other places by these fine novels and this short story.  It was a journey I enjoyed!

CHRISTMAS IS A SEASON! 2009 has been put to bed.  Some opening lines from this year's book:

Theodore Pitsios:  PRAYING FOR MARIGOULA  "I'm sure there have been expeditions to the far corners of the earth less prepared for than my mother's two hour trip from Prescott to Phoenix that Christmas of 1997."

Mary Anne Wright:  HALEY'S GIFT  "I fish my billfold from my backpack as I hurry along, and by the time I get to the lunchroom I have three or four ones and some coins in my hand.  No way I'm going to eat the mystery meat on today's menu.  I head to the vending machines to buy a sandwich and a Coke."

Terry Wright:  CHRISTMAS AT THE BURGER-BOX   "Christmas loomed ahead like dark clouds on the horizon, bringing a cold sense of dread instead of the joy and warmth I'd expected.  What to do? Where to go?"

Joan Stidham Nist:  A DEPRESSION CHRISTMAS IN PARADISE  " I grew up in paradise, which is what the Hawaii Tourist Bureau still calls the islands: The Paradise of the Pacific.  It wasn't touristy in the 1930s though."

The 2009 book is full of surprises.  This year short stories outnumber personal essays. The book explores the Christmas season from more vantage points than most of us could have imagined!  It's a fresh look at Christmas.

11:20 a.m.  Here's the poem from Patricia Neely Dorsey too.  This isn't in the Christmas book, it's in Patricia's own book titled:  REFLECTIONS OF A MISSISSIPPI MAGNOLIA--a LIFE IN POEMS. Check it out on Amazon.

SOUTHERN LIFE
If you want a glimpse of Southern life,
Come close and walk with me;
I'll tell you all the simple things,
That you are sure to see.
You'll see mockingbirds and bumblebees,
Magnolia blossoms and dogwood trees,
Caterpillars on the step,
Wooden porches cleanly swept;
Watermelons on the vine,
Strong majestic Georgia pines;
Rocking chairs and front yard swings,
Junebugs flying on a string;
Turnip greens and hot cornbread,
Coleslaw and barbecue;
Fried okra, fried corn, fried green tomatoes,
Fried pies and pickles too.
There's ice cold tea that's syrupy sweet,
And cool, green grass beneath your feet;
Catfish nipping in the lake,
And fresh young boys on the make.
You'll see all these things
And much, much more,
In a way of life that I adore.
Copyright 2008 Patricia Neely-Dorsey

from Reflections of a Mississippi Magnolia-A Life In Poems

 

Write On

10 a.m.    Because I teach at two universities, I have the pleasure of reading novels-in-process.  Many times I'm not sure if the writer will commit the time to revising, editing, polishing the novel and trying to place it with an agent. But, nonetheless, I almost always enjoy the read.  I have characters and situations playing around in my head that come to me as readily as do the characters and scenes from published novels. Sometimes I'll think of a particular scene and realize it was from a novel-in-process.  If you've written a novel that you believe in, get it out--revise, edit, polish!!  Not easy, but a daily commitment to the job gets it done!

So difficult to balance time--work, family, writing, other jobs, a little time for self.  The writer is always juggling commitments!

I received a note from a Mississippi writer--Patricia Neely-Dorsey from Tupelo.  She sent me a poem from her collection:  REFLECTIONS OF A MISSISSIPPI MAGNOLIA--A LIFE IN POEMS. Today I'll get one of her poems on this site.  Patricia has a nice presence on the internet.  Just type in her name at BING or GOOGLE.  Also, check Patricia's work on Amazon--beautiful book, nice picture, good writing.  A new friend in Mississippi--Nice!

More later.

Odds 'n Ends

7:45 a.m.   Talked with the Southwest Louisiana Pulpwood Queens Book Club on Wednesday night.  What fun to see the women in their hot pink tops and with tiaras on their heads! These women are avid readers. They ask thoughtful, meaningful, and tough questions.  I loved using SKYPE and being able to see them all. Thanks to the SLPQs for choosing SEVEN LAURELS as your November read and thanks for the opportunity to meet you all.  Hillene Deaton from the Queens has a personal essay in CHRISTMAS IS A SEASON 2009.  It was great to see Hillene too. Best wishes to all of you great readers.

The flu's going around in Mobile.  Was supposed to meet with my cover designer today for Excalibur Press.  She's running a fever of 102. I didn't feel so well last night, but am fine this morning. Our youngest daughter didn't feel well either.  Wow--what's this flu season going to do to us?  Will it affect every family in the U.S.?  I use the hand sanitizer--but . . .

Today thinking networks of friends, writers, readers.  It takes a network to support us, to sustain us.  I cannot count how many times someone has helped me because that person was in one of my networks.  Networks are not just for the old concept of getting ahead--nope, networks are communities of friends who nurture and support each other.  Yesterday, one friend in one of my networks took my hand and said, "I'm feeling like I need a friend right now."  Got the message!  We're having lunch. Friends sustain each others.  Part of our network--maybe I should say our networks are our safety nets!

Quote of the Day:  Just a lovely little descriptive passage from Anna Quindlen's BLESSINGS. "There were deer in the fields that surrounded the house, cropping the rye grass with their spotted fawns at their flanks.  But the fields stretched so far from the drive on either side, and the deer kept so close to the tree line, that the does did not even raise their divot heads from the ground as the car slid past."

Now--down to work!

Book Clubs, Editing, and More

10 a.m.  Overloaded with work today, but the good news is it's work I enjoy doing--reading and editing the manuscripts of others.  I'll be happy to get back down to my own writing again soon, but for now, it's reading, considering, editing the work of others. Editing the work of another writer is such a serious responsibility.  You want to save the writer from any mistakes in spelling, grammar, and punctuation and you want the writer's ideas to be clear and presented in the best way for the reader to understand.  But, at the same time, you don't want to do anything to alter the writer's unique voice.  It's huge work and you have to enjoy it or there's no way to do a good job.  It's a job 99% of Americans would hate--it's fine work, close work, eye-hurting work.  It's thinking work, careful consideration work, delicate work.  Ultimately, it involves long, long hours.

Still reading the collected letters of Maxwell Perkins.  What I like about the letters is that when I have five minutes, I can sit down and read another letter.  The perfect book for me to be reading at this time when I'm maxed for time.  I can digest a short letter and move on.

Tonight I do a SKYPE interview with the Southwest Louisiana Pulpwood Queens.  SEVEN LAURELS was their October read.  Kay Huck and I checked our SKYPE systems out last night and it's a go.  The SWLPQ's will all have their tiaras on and Kay told me to don my tiara.  So--it's girls night on SKYPE.  I'll love seeing all the girls in their tiaras, but I hate that I'm missing the refreshments! Darn!

A Mobile book club is reading CHRISTMAS IS A SEASON! 2008. We'll soon have the 2009 book out, but the 2008 book is a great read too.  We did two print runs of the 2008 book and sold out each time.  I'm now buying back copies from last year's contributors just to have a few copies on hand.  I think I'll print a few more copies--maybe 150 or so of CHRISTMAS IS A SEASON 2008 just so we have a few copies on hand.  I can brag--I'm just the editor, not one of the writers.  The writers who contributed short stories and personal essays can pat themselves on their backs.  A job well done. I love the book club readers--I love ALL readers!

Quote of the Day:  I'm sticking with my own THE FIFTH SEASON again today.  I've enjoyed thumbing through the book, reminding myself of various passages.  Here's one:  "I'm reading the Bible cover to cover," Mary Ella said.  "It's not that I want to grab hold of some kind of magic.  The Bible is not a rabbit's foot," her voice raised slightly as a child might speak.  She pushed lightly against the porch floor with her small feet clad in light blue satin slippers, a fleur-de-lis in navy-blue across the toes.  "I want to do it.  I've never read the book from first word to last.  I've always said I would, and the time has come."

Back to the work at hand here!

Little Bitty Good Things

7:45 a.m.  It's raining in Mobile today and a little chilly.  It was dark when I woke up.  It's one of those days where you have to look for all the little bitty good things to keep the excitement in the day ahead.  We all have to search for the good stuff when we're overworked, stressed, and good things are not falling like manna from heaven.  In truth, we all have good things going on--it's just a matter of focusing on the good stuff!

Today my agent and my sister are meeting in Paris.  Yes, Paris, France.  How cool is that?  They both happen to be in Paris and are meeting in person for the first time.  My agent is actually my sister's agent too--my sister and I have co-authored a book.  So--I'm smiling at the delight of this unexpected meeting in Paris.

Here's another good thing:  two fabulous stories in THE NEW YORKER.  One is "A Tiny Feast" by Chris Adrian--April 20, 2009.  This story is nothing short of amazing.  It's MAGIC!  A must read for anybody serious about writing short stories.  Here's another great piece from THE NEW YORKER:  "Puppy" by George Saunders, May 28, 2007.  Entirely different from "A Tiny Feast," but a fabulous example of contemporary fiction, raising questions about moral issues in today's world.  We read these two pieces in my fiction writing class last night and my students loved them.

Another good thing--fabulous students!  I'm blown away by the writing of my students.  Everybody writing something different, everybody speaking on the page in her/his unique voice.

Today I'm thinking of my own writing, keeping it close to my heart.  Quote of the Day is from THE FIFTH SEASON:  "A chill started at the nape of Estella's neck, ran like the flash of a strobe light up to the center of her head.  When the flash reached the top of her skull, it traveled back down her head again, and swept across her shoulders, and down her arms where her skin transformed into gooseflesh.  She could not take her eyes off Mary Ella, who nearly glowed with subdued light . . . . The luminosity of life--yes luminosity--seeped out of her, the radiant lavender blue of phosphorescence . . . Light oozed from her skin and there was nothing that could be done to prevent it--her skin no longer sealed life inside."

Editing today.  Editing, editing, and more editing.  The Christmas book is nearly ready!

Underdogs

7: 45 a.m.  It's confirmed--I love the underdogs.  I have little use for those who appear to lead the charmed life.  Whatever they do turns to gold--not just money, but good fortune, success, admiration.  Whatever they want, they get.  Those people hold little interest for me.  It's the underdog I admire, the underdog I like to write about, the underdog I cheer for.

That's why we all cheered for Susan Boyle some months back on Britain's Got Talent.  Susan was the last person any of us expected to have an angel's voice--dumpy, and frumpy, we expected her to step out and embarrass herself.  She did not.  Instead, she showed genuine talent, good humor, and grace.  Tears came to my eyes when I watched her.  We all loved her!

This past Saturday night when U. of Florida (# 1 ranked college football team in the country) played little old Mississippi State, I found myself cheering for the underdogs--that little rag-tag team from Starksville.  The quarterback, Tyson Lee, is so short, he has difficulty seeing over the heads of those blocking him.  I think he's only 5'9" or 5'10"--for football, the fellow is short!  Yet he played his heart out.  So did skinny little # 13--he ran the ball for two touchdowns.  One of those was from end to end of the ballfield.  He's only a freshman at that.  Sorry U. of Florida fans, but on this one, I rooted for the underdogs who looked pretty good!  I have never seen any team play harder and with more determination than did the little Mississippi State fellows.  Yep--I was cheering for the underdogs.

I went to bed Saturday night thinking about underdogs.  Do they ever win?  I mean really win.  Not just a flash in the pan, but do they every score big, go to the top, and stay there?  I'm still thinking about that one. 

Today I going to privilege myself and provide a Quote of the Day from one of my own characters--Aubert Bodet.  Aubert's an unusual little man, a Cajun from the lowland of Louisiana who wouldn't be judged as a successful man by the world's standards, but he lives his life with a humble man's grace and is filled with good common sense and wisdom.  Aubert looks over his tiny backyard, filled with overgrown fig trees, and he says with pride and satisfaction:  "My own backyard is like the tropics.  Jungly.  It's lush as a salad field."  From THE FIFTH SEASON, my novel-in-process.

I'm going to pause at intervals throughout this day and take a few seconds to root for the underdogs of the world.  Go underdogs.  Go!  Live like you're on top of the heep!  Play your hearts out!

Saturday Musings

 6 a.m.    Here's the Quote of the Day from John Hall Wheelock's introduction to EDITOR TO AUTHOR, the collected letters of the great editor Maxwell Perkins.  This book was first published in the 1950s and it's still fresh today!  Wheelock's observation:  "When a writer has written his masterpiece he will often be certain that the whole thing is worthless.  The perpetrator of the dimmest literry effort, on the other hand, is apt to be invincibly cocksure and combative about it."  Whoa!  I'm going to have so much fun reading this book!

More to follow.