Trifecta

I have read three leisure books in the past week and I am pretty excited about it.

First, I read The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls. This memoir was a New York Times Bestseller and tells the story of the Jeannette's life with her siblings and vagabond parents. It was simultaneously inspirationally moving and strangely horrifying. Though it is Jeannette's truth, at times it reads like fiction which helped this reader to feel just far enough removed, at times, to be able to look at things objectively and gain some understanding of people one might not be able to feel for otherwise. Achingly beautiful and stunningly real.

Second, I read The Year of Fog by Michelle Richmond. I picked this up at Habitat Books in Sausalito because I wanted something that took place in San Francisco and was written by a San Francisco author. The owner, Sharon, was incredibly helpful, friendly and even sent me home with a list of a few other good San Francisco area writers. I was not disappointed by this work of fiction narrated by a soon-to-be step-mom who loses her step-daughter-to-be one foggy morning on Ocean Beach. You are with Abby every step of the way just hoping and praying that she is able to find Emma and put the life she was about to have back together. A truly excellent and haunting book.

Finally, after two fairly heavy reads, I picked up 3 Willows: the sisterhood grows, a YA novel by Ann Brashares who also wrote The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants and The Last Summer (of You and Me). As a fan of The Sisterhood series, I wasn't sure I would enjoy this "sisterhood part deux", but I was pleasantly surprise. Brashares tackles serious issues facing teen girls today and she handles them in a delicate way. Parents separating. Not getting exactly what you want. Making the most of all opportunities. Starting to date. Eating disorders. Loneliness. Cliques. Changing friendships. Alcoholism. Death of a sibling. All of these subjects and more are addressed. I think it would be an excellent book for mothers to read and discuss with their daughters in order to open a dialogue about these sometimes touchy subjects.

The Trifecta. My To-Be-Read shelve will be empty sooner rather than later.

Have you read any good books lately? I'd love suggestions!

Friday Night with the B&B's

Soccer and swings in the park next door.

Dinner of baked pasta mixed with sauce, peas, broccoli, carrots and vegan mozzarella.


Cotton Candy Clouds.



Driving with the sunroof open singing "Love is a Battle Field" a capella.

Trip to Lizzy's for ice cream.

Mine:


Mr.B&B's:


Empty:


Meandering around More Than Words.

Driving with the sunroof open while laughing lots.

Stars in the clear sky.

They are there even though you can't see them in the picture. Trust me.

PJ's and a movie on the couch at home with the kitty.


Just right!

Just Jules and Me

Through the interviewing phenomenon that is sweeping Blogville, I have been introduced to some amazing blogs. Just Jules is one of them. Her interview with Tangobaby can be found here. Jules was also interviewed by julochka here. Struck by how candid, funny, and sincere she is, I asked her to interview me. Within a few hours, I received this email:

"Here are your 5 interview questions. Forgive me if they aren't up to snuff for Baba Wawa (Barbara) but I had 6 kids around today - not much time for thoughtfulness...."

How amazing is this lovely, mid-western woman? Those of you visiting from her blog, welcome and thank you <3

JJ: I see that you are just married. Congrats. What 3 things have surprised you about married life? (please post with this how long you have been married now)

B&B: Mr. B&B and I were married on April 21, 2007. We are exactly three months shy of our two year anniversary.
Three married life surprises:
1. There is still so much to learn about each other.
2. Even though we lived together before we were married, it felt different, good different, after we were married. There was a deeper commitment.
3. It is easy to fall into a rut, get mired down in the every day. It takes a little work and diligence to keep it interesting and continue growing, evolving together.

JJ: One of your posts mentioned working for Teen Voices Magazine. The website states "You are more than just a pretty face" Since I have a girl who is just inching over to the pre-teen side of her life, I love this idea. What else can you tell us about the platform of this magazine and how is the magazine surviving in this "body worship" world?

B&B: Teen Voices is written by and for teen girls. Really, it is girls talking to girls about issues that are relevant to them in a way they can all understand. All articles contain content written by the teen girls working for the magazine and submissions from teen girls around the globe. The most recent issue is the "Girl Stuff" issue and contains, among other things, articles on Manga, teen girls in extreme sports, and surviving sexual assault. Teen Voices tries to get teen girls to think and form their own opinions. Use the minds inside their bodies.

All of the art work is by teen girls and our "cover girls" are the un-airbrushed, beautiful inside and out, teen girls who work at the magazine wearing their own clothes, make up and accessories of their choice.

Advertising in the magazine is minimal and almost always relates to education and being informed. In the most recent 57 page issue there were 6 advertisements.

Teen Voices is surviving in this "'body worship' world" thanks to donors and volunteers and people who subscribe to the magazine. We circulate the magazine, free of charge, to schools in Boston and the surrounding communities. In order to reach teen girls around the world, we are focusing on expanding and revamping the Teen Voices website. Judging by all of the submissions we receive from all over the world, Teen Voices strikes a chord, fills a void. There is no magazine like Teen Voices.

The other part of all of this is that Teen Voices is a mentoring program for teen girls in Boston and the surrounding communities which I talked about in my interview with Tangobaby.

If you, or anyone else reading, would like a copy of the magazine, email me and I will send you a free copy!

JJ: In your profile you list your occupation as student. Are you still? What are you pursuing?

B&B: I am still a student working toward my BA. I am designing my own major in Publishing. This means lots of literature courses, writing courses, and internships relevant to publishing. I have edited a book for a small publisher in addition to my work at Teen Voices Magazine. Having been to two other colleges right out of high school before making the decision to go to work for five years, when I returned to school it was on my own terms. I have about six classes plus a thesis to complete and I am really trying to stick with it and power through. Gosh, it can be difficult sometimes. Sometimes all I wanna do is be a homemaker, become a parent, continue volunteering, and open an Etsy shop. Then I remind my self how many opportunities open up once that piece of paper is in hand and I keep going.

JJ: In your photo "Shedding Light On Many Subjects" the books appear to be mostly of a political nature. Are these your books or Mr B&B's (your hubby)? How do they reflect the owner?

B&B: The books are Mr. B&B's, but I have read 1984 and Utopia. I will read anything, but prefer fiction. When it comes to non-fiction, I tend to read books about places/travel and memoir.
One of my bookcases

A Shelf Up Close

As far as reflecting their owner, Mr. B&B loves history and politics. He keeps up with current events. He reads for the pleasure of learning. In Mr. B&B's own words: "I flip between light and fluffy books, often about sports, and the heavier reading material you see on the shelf. I love David Halberstam and the list of books he has written follow that switch." Case in point: Right now Mr. B&B is reading Slash's memoir.

JJ: I am new to blogging. Through blogging I have seen "twittering". Give me a super short explanation of this, AND how has twittering effected your life for the good-why should one twitter?

B&B:
super short explanation: Say anything you want in 140 characters or less.
good effects/why: Exposure to new people, new ideas, and more traffic to my blog.
More about Twitter: A Comprehensive Guide to Twitter
My Twitter: morningtonight

Thank you for making time to ask me such thoughtful questions, Jules!

If you would like to get in on the fun, these are "The Rules":

1. Leave me a comment saying: "Interview me."
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions.)
3. You will update your blog with the answers and link to my blog in your post.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed you will ask them five questions.

Tuesday's Meme Express: Bibliophiles

What are you reading this summer?
So far I have read:
Cheaper By the Dozen
The City of Falling Angels by John Berendt
The Distinguished Guest by Sue Miller
Lost in the Forest by Sue Miller
I am currently reading Where Angels Fear to Tread by E.M. Forester

What is the best book you have ever read? How many times have you read it?
Oh, there are so many on my shelves that I read and reread again and again always finding something new in them. One of my favorites is Joanna's Husband and David's Wife by Elizabeth Forsyth Hailey and I've read it at least half a dozen times.

What was your favorite book as a child? Why?
I loved so many, but three come to mind:
The Poky Little Puppy - It's a classic. I think I always connected with the puppy's independent spirit.
No, No, Joan - The book is shaped like a cat. Joan is a cat and is pictured doing naughty things, such as clawing the curtains and knocking over plants, throughout the book. Really, the illustrations tell the story as the only words in the book are "No, No, Joan!" until the last page when Joan does something (I can't remember what) "right" and the words beneath the picture say "Yes, Yes, Joan!" I think I liked using my imagination and I love cats.
Miss Rumphius - This is such a beautiful story for young and old alike. Miss Rumphius is an unconventional woman who travels the world, lives her dream, eventually settles by the sea, and is trying to find a way to make the world a more beautiful place. She stumbles upon a way to make the world more beautiful when the lupine in her garden begin spreading all over her yard. She resolves to spread lupine seeds everywhere she goes thereby making the world more beautiful. Just a great, great story.

If you could write your own book, what would you call it?
I have written two books, one for my niece and one for my nephew. "Laughing Lily" and "Jumping Jackson" are the titles.
For seven years, off and on, I have been working on a memoir tentatively titled "Just Boyfriends."

What would it be about?
If I ever finish my memoir, it will be about the four boys I dated before I met my husband, how my life has been shaped by those relationships, and how the lessons I learned from those relationships led me to my husband. The boys sort of fall into categories: "The First Boyfriend", "The Long Distance Relationship", "The Cheater", and "The Bad Boy" (so bad in fact he had been in juvenile hall before we met, went to jail a month or so after we broke up, and is in jail (according to the internet) as I type this).

There is a link to the Meme Express blog in the Notable Blogs section to the right of this post.

Drunk with Literary Love

Again I have missed Fess Up Friday. This is entirely due to being drunk on and physically unable to put down either of the two Sue Miller books I borrowed from the library. A long while ago I read The Good Mother because it is one of my mother's favorite books and, a few years ago I read Family Pictures. My interest in Sue Miller was rekindled when I applied to the writer's conference as she is going to be there. So, on Wednesday, I picked up a few of her books at the library. Friday I began reading The Distinguished Guest. Yesterday I finished hungrily devouring it and began reading Lost in the Forest and, just a few moments ago as the clock struck midnight, I finished it. I would have finished sooner if not for love of my husband above all. It seems that in my literary drunkenness the dirty laundry, mail, and other household responsibilities piled up. This afternoon he told me he would like some help and intermittently I, somewhat begrudgingly I must admit, put down the book and answered his pleas. We went to bed at 10:20 and at 10:40 I found myself laying in bed wide awake unable to sleep having not finished the book. Suddenly I found myself shimmying out from under the arm my husband had protectively placed across me and creeping into the living room where my book waited. So elicit!

There is something about Sue Miller's work. The way it flows nearly seamlessly. The way she manages to let each of her characters have their say without making the transitions feel bumpy or abrupt. The way she writes sex so honestly and unflinchingly. The humanity she brings to all of her characters in all of their dealings, pleasant, unpleasant, or anywhere in between. Reading her work inspires me to keep working on mine, to keep seeking perfection in my own writing.
_____

Inspiration to keep moving forward in my own work is something I really need these days. I received an email last week informing me that I had not been selected for the Lesley University Writers Conference, but encouraging me to "continue pursuing (my) passion." After much self-doubt and some mild disappointment, I have come to the conclusion that this is a good thing, this being rejected. It is part of being a writer. You work, you submit your work, you frequently get rejected, but you keep working, keep striving, keep writing for the love of it. Maybe you aren't really a writer until you submit and get rejected. In any case, this was a milestone. I will keep writing in order to get better at it, improve my craft, and apply again next year.

I have also been exploring other conferences coming up this summer and beyond and found The Green Mountain Writers Conference in Vermont, the Patchwork Farm Writing and Yoga Retreat in the Berkshires, Kentucky Women Writers Conference, the Sanibel Island Writers Conference (Florida in November sounds delightful), the A Room of her Own Foundation Retreat, Robert Vaughn's Write on the Beach... There is just so much out there to explore and apply for! It is encouraging.
______

As far as fessing up about my writing this week, aside from blog entries and to-do lists and one thank you note, I have been stalled. As result, I allowed myself to indulge in literary drunkenness, but it has brought me inspiration and tomorrow is another day.

Blurbs

I have started volunteering at my local library a few days a week for a few hours at a time. Right now I am taking donated books that have been priced by the assistant director of the library and entering information about them into librarybooksales.org to raise money for the library fund. My job includes looking through the book to find basic information such as publisher, copyright date, whether on not it is a first edition, etc. I also have to flip through it to figure out what it is about so I can enter key words. Finally, I have to write a little blurb about the condition of the book.

The blurb is the challenge. What can one say in just a few sentence that will catch the attention of the potential buyer and rope them in? It is a creative challenge. This also got me to thinking about whether it is easier to compose a shorter or a longer piece of writing in general. Also, what do people value about books? Doing this project also gets me to thinking about the life of a book. I have held books in my hand that we're published as early as 1905. Where has that book been, who else has held it in their hands, and what did it mean to each person who turned it's pages?

Books are magical.
_____________________________

A couple of "blurbs" of writing from my archives:

On an Amtrac Train to Providence
10 minutes away from New Haven, CT
10/5/03

Loving is a complicated word
A verb
An adjective
An emotion, of epic proportions

On an Amtrack Train Somewhere in Connecticut
10/5/03

TAKE ME SOMEWHERE
FAR AWAY
TO BE MYSELF
TO MEET MYSELF
TO FIND MYSELF
Mellow
Meandering
Marvelously happy
Wandering
No longer waiting for life to happen to me
Instead, happening to life
HUNGRILY CONSUMING IT
Incapable of being satiated
ALWAYS ACCOMPLISHING
Deliciously Devouring more
more
more
more