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Writing resolutions ?

January 2, 2009 – 7:10 pm

“The intellectual life of the writer is bound together by a tenuous silver chord whose strands are imagination, insight, intoxication with words, and a compulsion to share experience.”

I love this quote by James Michener – so true. A writer is never “done.” Instead, we are on a journey that includes these ingredients but we never really arrive. I like this aspect of always yearning to learn… of knowing there is a new skill to experience. One of my resolutions has to do with my writing life. May this wise quote provide inspiration to your writing dreams.

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Happy New Year

December 31, 2008 – 8:48 am

“Where people of goodwill get together and transcend their differences for the common good, peaceful and just solutions can be found even for those problems which seem intractable.”

Nelson Mandela had those wise words to say and I’m hopeful they will ring true for this coming year. America’s new president will have a huge burden on his shoulders in trying to bring peace to troubled parts of our world. The public understands the importance of this historic time. So if politicians work toward self-interest rather than the common good, we’ll be rather short on patience. Let’s hope democrats and republicans have goodwill, as Mandela says, and work together for solutions to our seemingly intractable problems. Here’s a toast to a more peaceful 2009 !

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Santa Baby

December 27, 2008 – 9:40 am

“Come and trim my Christmas tree, With some decorations bought at Tiffany’s…”

Santa Baby was made famous by the sultry Eartha Kitt who ironically died on Christmas day at the age of 81. The song was written in 1953 by Joan Javits and Philip Springer. The American born Kitt was fluent in French, and spoke other languages, which partly accounted for her unique vocal style. She purred through this slightly naughty song about the Christmas list of luxury items this “good girl” wants Santa to bring.

Kitt remained gorgeous to the end and had a nightclub schedule planned for ’09. Each Christmas, I play Santa Baby and enjoy the extra meanings she gives the lyrics. Through Kitt’s poor beginnings, early rise to international stardom and life experiences abroad, she makes the words all her own.

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Let it snow, let it snow !

December 24, 2008 – 9:28 am

“Oh the weather outside is frightful, But the fire is so delightful.”

Thanks to lyricist Sammy Cahn for one of my favorite Christmas songs. However, that frightful weather – two feet of snow – has slowed delivery trucks in Oregon and a book I ordered hasn’t arrived. We have a Christmas Eve day tradition of books for the children so I must leave our warm home for a short shopping trip, snow or no!

It is truly a White Christmas in Central Oregon. It’s hard to imagine the holidays in a warm place. Snow is so ingrained in our holidays songs, cards and images. Even though this holiday is supposed to honor the birth of Jesus, most scholars don’t think this was his actual birth date. Instead December was chosen to correspond with winter solstice and give us all something to celebrate in our darkest (literally!) days.

Whatever the weather where you are – I’m wishing you a delightful holiday!

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Kipling’s Rejection Letter

December 22, 2008 – 11:23 am

“I’m sorry Mr Kipling, but you don’t know how to use the English language.”

Those were the words of the Editor of the San Francisco Examiner, rejecting a short story from author and poet Rudyard Kipling. In case you have a writing goal on your resolutions list, it offers hope to keep famous rejections in mind.

George Orwell, Sylvia Plath, Stephen King, Irving Stone – all have received now laughable rejection letters. One more to comfort the soon-to-be famous writers among you. This one was written by a publisher rejecting Joseph Heller’s Catch 22:

“I haven’t really the foggiest idea about what the man is trying to say… Apparently the author intends it to be funny – possibly even satire – but it is really not funny on any intellectual level.”

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Best holiday gift ?

December 19, 2008 – 1:50 pm

“When you sell a man a book, you don’t sell him 12 ounces of paper and ink and glue – you sell him a whole new life.” Christopher Morley

If you are finishing up your gift list, consider visiting your friendly neighborhood bookstore. I have heard, that along with other businesses, the economy has pinched book sales too this season. But I don’t think there’s a government bailout waiting for booksellers! So consider a book – with it’s power to be life-changing, funny or simply entertaining, books are probably one of the best values around. Happy shopping!

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Curl up with what book ?

December 16, 2008 – 10:18 am

‘Tis the season to curl up by the fire with a good book and a maybe a hot buttered rum. But if you have that empty feeling that your cupboard is bare… try this site to find your next read.

http://www.whatshouldireadnext.com/search

You simply enter a a favorite book and it makes recommendations. I tried a few and the results weren’t always the obvious choices. So a suggestion might be on a very different subject but appeal to readers with similar tastes. Happy reading!

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The Knife of Never Letting Go

December 14, 2008 – 11:20 am

“The first thing you find out when your dog learns to talk is that dogs don’t got nothing much to say.”

The Knife of Never Letting Go by Patrick Ness is a young adult novel which has crossed over, gaining an adult readership. With a teenage narrator, it explores themes including growing up and how to live in the noisy world of information overload. It’s been called a grim yet brilliant book. Its first sentence (above) has received recognition.

“One of the best first sentences I’ve ever read and a book that lives up to it!” said reviewer Frank Cottrell-Boyce. Also, thanks to my reader who recommended the opening line, “which grabs you, sets the pace, and doesn’t let go until the story closes.”

The Knife of Never Letting Go was published this year and has already been translated into several languages. Ness won the 2008 Guardian children’s fiction prize.

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Bananafish

December 9, 2008 – 12:09 pm

“She was a girl who for a ringing phone dropped strictly nothing.”

With that sentence J.D. Salinger paints the picture of Muriel as shallow in his short story A Perfect Day for Bananafish. Salinger reinforces that impression by referring to her as a “girl.” If he’d simply written that Muriel didn’t pick up the phone, the sentence would have lacked impact. Instead, the words march steadily downhill to “nothing.”

Muriel and husband Seymour Glass spend a day at the beach. Interestingly, the story is told mostly through dialog. Seymour is not coping with postwar life and ends his own in the story. It’s one to re-read to find the sad undercurrent which causes Seymour to commit suicide.

Salinger’s story was originally published in 1948 in The New Yorker.

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Frolic in Fromage

December 1, 2008 – 11:11 am

I’ve quoted from a variety of sources but this is a first from the Food Network show Iron Chef America. Talking about food and wine can have its poetic moments… this was more of a silly moment.

“In the best possible way, the soup tastes like a puddle of cheese. And the puddle is a place I want to frolic.”

That was judge John T. Edge on the cheddar cheese battle in Kitchen Stadium. Iron Chef is a fun, campy show hosted by word-enthusiast Alton Brown.

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