I like Carrie too but I'm afraid my nonconformist ways keep me from adding buttons and such.

If you like what Carrie stands for, even if you don't live in Maine, think about going over to Amnesty International, an important cause which Carrie so eloquently supports.

And for those of you who like to write about interesting people, come over to I.N.K. tomorrow (Tuesday, April 1st) from noon to 1:00 EST for a live chat with fabulous biography authors such as Kathleen Krull, Tanya Lee Stone, and Gretchen Woelfle.

I have a business card that says I'm a children's writer. I attach it to all of my submissions to agents and editors. I never knew if it made a difference--until today.

Today I got the call. From Ronnie. Yes, THE Ronnie. Of Ronnie's bagel shop. My son put my business card in their, "put your business card here, maybe you'll win something" box. And I did. I can come in anytime for a free lunch.

I'm a winner! But I bet my son will argue he deserves the bagel.

I'm so glad I read the op ed page of the New York Times today over my bowl of minestrone. Reading Anita Hill's words were just as warm and comforting as the soup. Imagine someone in her position not heeding the popular position to "just let it go."

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/02/opinion/02hill.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin

On a totally unrelated topic--we will be sitting down to lunch this Saturday, Oct. 6th at 12:00 in NYC. I think there will be about ten of us writerly types, eager to talk, engage and linger for dessert. If you're still thinking of joining us, let me know so we can save you a seat.

I tried a new book group today at the local school. The book they had chosen was NO ORDINARY TIME. FRANKLIN AND ELEANOR ROOSEVELT: THE HOME FRONT IN WORLD WAR II by Doris Kearns Goodwin. I've read a lot about the Roosevelts, especially Eleanor, but I had never read this book. At over 600 pages, I thought it was a brave choice for a book group. I was curious what the discussion would be like. I took the challenge of reading the book (finishing just last night) and trying something new.

It was a lively group of 15 or so women. Almost everyone said they would never have picked up this book themselves and everyone who read it (almost everyone there) said they had really enjoyed it. It is interesting to think about how we choose what we read as adults. I'm sure I limit myself far too much without giving it enough consideration.

I've always thought Eleanor to be extraordinary and this book gave me even more details to admire. There is something in me that wants to emulate that woman who pushed through a natural inclination of shyness to be the person she wanted to be. "The thing always to remember is that you must do the thing you think you cannot do." How often does one really live like that? She did, and it is remarkable to read about on so many levels.

Some more from Eleanor:

"I realized that if I remained in the White House all the time I would lose touch with the rest of the world. I might have had a less crowded life, but I would begin to think that my life in Washington was representative of the rest of the country and that is a dangerous point of view."
I think this is part of the reason I like to travel so much. You need to see that other point of view to expand your own. And you need to step out of your own environment to appreciate what nourishes you at home.

Regarding her children whose careers had been unsteady and whose private lives more shaky (the four boys had 18 marriages). "I don't seem able to shake the feeling of responsibility...I guess I was a pretty unwise teacher as to how to go about living. Too late to do anything now, however, and I'm rather disgusted with myself." Imagine that in her 30s ER felt she couldn't teach her child anything about a life well lived. That's incredible to me. And something to remember when I sit here thinking of what a failure I must seem to my children.


"If only Mother could have learned to ease up," her son Elliot wrote, "things would have been a lot different w/ father, for he needed relaxation more than anything in the world. But she simply could not bring herself to unwind..."
Goodwin wrote, "She became the agitator while he became the politican." We talked about this today a lot. Most people thought ER needed to lighten up a little. I thought FDR needed to be more like Eleanor. She wanted him to loosen the immigration rules and allow more Jews into the United States. She wanted him to dismantle the Japanese internment camps. No wonder she couldn't relax.

Several people thought any criticism of FDR too harsh. He did a lot. He did more than most. Yes, but what if he had done what Eleanor wanted to do? What if she had been in the position where she could have done it herself?

***Most of you already heard that Madeleine L'Engle died last night. I've been going back and forth but I think I'll just leave the post up as is. Here's to a long writer's life well lived.***


Who knew? Well, apparently olugbemisola. I owe you. Big.(I'm thinking about the perfect something).

Yes, I've been reading A CIRCLE OF QUIET by Madeleine L'Engle. How did she understand my thoughts so well back in 1972?

Some examples:

"Every so often I need OUT; something will throw me into total disproportion, and I have to get away from everybody--away from all these people I love most in the world--in order to regain a sense of proportion."
Me too, me too. I go on a walk. Or hide in the bathroom.

"When we are self-conscious, we cannot be wholly aware: we must throw ourselves out first. This throwing ourselves away is the act of creativity. So, when we wholly concentrate, like a child in play, or an artist at work, then we share in the act of creating. We not only escape time, we also escape our self-conscious selves."
Yes, Maddie, yes. That is what I like most about writing. You can enter a "zone" of creativity that takes you beyond yourself and all issues of self-consciousness. I call that a good writing day.

"During the 10 years when practically nothing I wrote was published, I was as much writer qua writer as I am now; it may happen that there will come a time when I can't find anyone to publish my work. If this happens it will matter. It will hurt. But I did learn, on that fortieth birthday, that success is not my motivation."
Ten years. I feel your pain. The writing has nothing to do with the publishing business. The writing is for the act of creativity discussed above. But success is necessary to validate that one should spend time on this act of creativity. Otherwise it seems simply self-indulgent. And the bills start piling up.

"If I am in the slough of despond, if I am in a rage, if I am, as so often, out of proportion and perspective, then, once I have dumped it all in the journal, I am able to move from subjectivity to at least an approach to objectivity."
Yes, I'm a dumper too. I'm afraid that is why my blog is so boring and inferior to so many others that are well written and well thought.

"A journal is also a place in which joy gets recorded, because joy is too bright a flame in me not to burn if it doesn't get expressed in words."
Beautiful. And, I agree. My first instinct, first desire, is to write about something. It adds to my joy. I'll try to remember that if I continue to slog through this blog. And my other writing as well. Yes, I'd like to do some of that too.

Thanks, Madeleine. I'm glad we could get to know each other all these many years later. I'm still working on forgiving you for those childhood nightmares.(I know. I tend to hold a grudge). I bet A WRINKLE IN TIME was never returned to the Brooklyn Public Library that quickly.

I hope you're still writing. I believe you must be 88 or 89 years old. You're one smart cookie.

Cow Socks with song for lurban's contest to celebrate her new book A CROOKED KIND OF PERFECT. (check out her LJ for more)

I haven't read it yet but I hear there is a musical thread. So I thought I'd include a musical homage to my cow socks.

We are having a lunch to celebrate Danette's awesomely wonderful two-book deal. Danette didn't want me to make it about her, so it's also a general writerly get together. But it's really for Danette :)(I don't think she reads my blog)!

Date: Saturday, Oct. 6th Time: 12:00 Place: to be determined. Will be conveniently located near subway and parking garage.

I hope you guys can try to plan ahead and make it to this one. It would be great to all have fun together and celebrate a super nice writer's super accomplishment.

I realized I have never fessed up that I have been reading my friends list in more ways than one. That's right, I've actually been reading their books. A diverse lot, to be sure, with varied voices and each interesting in their own way.

You'll remember, of course, how much I enjoyed carriejones TIPS and coebooth TYRELL. But now, I've explored even further and enjoyed myself tremendously. aimee_ferris GIRL OVERBOARD, katibgirl IN THE NAME OF GOD, micolz EMILY GOLDBERG LEARNS TO SALSA, lgburns TALKING TRASH, kathyerskine QUAKING, mph33 LEMONADE MOUTH. Lots of interesting reads here. Oh, and cynthialord RULES for those of you who don't read a book until everyone else has already read it.

So now you understand why I have nothing to read on the airplane.

And on a writers high note--if you haven't been on Verla's today, hustle on over to hear about that rarest of gems--a first time writer taken from the slush and given a two-book deal. Danette, who is not only a very nice person but a native New Yorker to boot, accomplished her dream without spending tons of money on conferences or even connecting with an agent. It was pure dedication and perserverence. What a story! See you guys--Nonfiction RULES!

For those of us NOT going to the LA SCBWI conference this weekend.


Us chickens should have some fun, too!