Scrivener, again...

I'm beginning (yet again) a new/ old project. Just writing that makes me realize why I love to write in Scrivener. There's only one way to tame a New/Old Project.

Here's what I love about Scrivener.

1. I like order (hey, I was a librarian for a long time, and a mostly organized person even before that). I like putting all my notes, research, chapters, thoughts in one place.  I'd dread delving into this if I didn't think Scrivener could tame the notebooks, notecards, ripped out newspaper articles, and false-start chapters I have.

2. One thing I love best about the software is how I can make document notes, all the words I've cut, all my wanderings and musings, right on the side of the chapter I'm writing. Yet, if they get unruly, I can make them disappear with one click.

3. If I mess up, all is not lost. If I remember to take a SNAPSHOT of the previous version, it is there for the asking later.

This morning I followed a link from Facebook and stumbled on this, from a thesis writer.
To to read the entire blog, click here.

Her blogpost is titled Is Your Computer Domesticating You?

It’s hard to be messy in a clean way
As I write I have ideas – some of them don’t relate to the bit I am writing at that specific moment, so I often ‘jot notes’ on my documents as I go. At the moment I use the comments function in Word to do this, which makes my documents look messy. In fact, so messy that I often turn the comments off just so I can see what I am doing.
But – out of sight is out of mind and the ideas can easily get lost when they are invisible. In addition, the format of the comments is uncomfortable to read. By contrast each of the Scrivener fragments I write has metadata attached to it where I can jot to my heart’s content.

My thoughts exactly.

And that cute little button at the top of this blog? Arranging words is a nice thought. But that's not all it takes. I've arranged these new/old words before. This time, I need all the help I can get- Scrivener is just the beginning, but what an excellent place to re-start.

Now, back to work- all of us!


Related post (with picture and another Scrivener link!): I Love Scrivener, another reason

Glory Be Birthday

My upcoming novel's main character, Gloriana June Hemphill, and I share a summer birthday. As a kid, I didn't like having my birthday when school was out and nobody was around. Glory doesn't look forward to her birthday unless there's an open swimming pool nearby. She and I also share a love of water and swimming parties.

This past weekend, it was MY birthday.  No pool party, but a cake.

Not just any cake! This amazing cake.

Look closely and you'll see that even the edges of the pages look real.
It was a delicious marble cake with buttercream icing.

Here's what it looked like by the end of the day...

Sad.

POCKET MUSE #2

I've spent the morning with my new book: THE POCKET MUSE: Endless Inspiration, by Monica Wood. I wrote about these books last week on my group blog, A Good Blog is Hard to Find. I called that post Write Like a Hummingbird

because-- well, click on over there and find out why.

Check out all the places I've marked already. And I'm only about a third of the way through.

A few sample quotes, from the author (there are also quotes from famous writers, though perhaps not as many as in Book #1. Then again, that's not what these little books are all about):

In a writing life, things are always about to happen. 

If you keep your hat in the ring, sooner or later somebody's going to need a hat.

There's also one of the best pieces of advice about choosing titles I've ever read-- on p. 97. Perhaps more to come on that topic later. 

Or you could just buy the book. It's really a bargain. The perfect size for travelers. 

And if you aren't a writer? I'd recommend it just for thinkers.

Peaches!

In honor of the delicious summer peaches at all our NJ Farmers' Markets-- not to mention the end of the blueberries-- here's the article from the Christian Science Monitor I wrote a couple of summers ago. Includes an easy "mock" cobbler recipe that's so easy to make I could do it on a tiny kitchen table with a questionable oven.

(However, mine didn't rival Aunt Lynn's cobbler topping,  made with real cream, butter, sugar. I need that recipe from our family dinner last week!)

(Photo from Morguefile, thanks to Jeremy Wrenn)

Writing Quote of the Day

"When there's no wind, row." 
 Judith Viorst.

(Writing advice via Geraldine Brooks. Now, I need to take that advice and get moving. How about you?)

Writing Thought for the Day

 


"The only way I can write is to shut out all those guide book suggestions about through-lines and character arcs and theme and let my subconscious do its wild, unpredictable thing. Rules are for revisions."

from Linda Urban, whose new book HOUND DOG TRUE sounds like just my kind of story.

(Related Post: Practicing to Be Perfect)

Things I Love

Figs! 

For so many reasons.

And when I can't get to my sister's to pick her figs and the New Jersey Farmers' Markets just sold their only basket, I have these ceramic beauties my daughter brought me from her summer studying in Florence.

Her cousin showed us the shop. I bought two. But they are heavy-ish, and we pack light in our family. So imagine my surprise when my daughter came home with more figs--and even two peaches--  for my birthday that year.

They live in the bowl I gave my mother the spring my husband and I lived in California.
It's mine now.

Many things to love in this picture.

Here's a funny (I hope) blast from the past about My Great Fig Fiasco, my first blog post ever on the Southern Writers Blog: A Good Blog is Hard to Find.

Random Tidbit from the back of a bookmark

The word "clue" originally meant "ball of twine."

That's why you unravel clues to solve a mystery...

Word Origin & History

clue

phonetic variant of clew  (q.v.) "a ball of thread or yarn," with reference to the one Theseus used as a guide out of the Labyrinth. The purely figurative sense of "that which points the way" is from 1620s.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source

How's your summer reading coming along?

A few days ago-- okay it was a few weeks ago-- a friend asked what I'd recommend for her to read. She had some surprising time on her hands and was looking for something wonderful.  I promised I'd think about it, but I let her down. I never made that list.

Now the summer's halfway over. (Sorry, Sally!)

All I've been reading this summer so far is kids' books. Really good ones.

My friend has kids and she reads to them a lot. But that's not what she wanted.

So instead, I've been thinking about books I WISH I WERE READING. From what others have recommended to me.

And here goes:

1. Amy Tan's Saving Fish from Drowning

Another friend loved it. Here's a bit of what they say about it on Book Page:

... 2005 novel about an American group whose Asian excursion goes horribly, horribly wrong. Reading along as the travelers experience increasingly alarming misadventures will make any bumps in your own travel plans pale by comparison. ..Saving Fish from Drowning was a departure for Tan, and one that struck a discordant note for some of her fans, but I enjoyed every stop on this multicultural itinerary. —Lynn Green, Editor 

2. Jennifer Egan: A Visit from the Goon Squad

Almost embarrassed to admit I have yet to read this. And it's even downloaded on my Kindle. Oh, dear.

3. Ann Pachett  The State of Wonder

If I had to list a Top 10 Favorite Books of all Time, BEL CANTO would make the cut.

4. Geraldine Brook's Caleb's Crossing.

At least half my reading friends have said this is a terrific summer book.

5.  The list is already overwhelming me just writing it, but I really think I'll like this. It reminds me of my own grandmother's daring and my husband's grandmother's Wyoming adventures.

Nothing Daunted, a new book by Dorothy Wickenden.

6. Come to think of it, I have started my summer reading.

I read Shanghai Girls on an airplane trip because Book Club diva Kathy Patrick interviewed Lisa See about the sequel and it sounded like a perfect summer book. And because it was on my shelf as I dashed out the door to the airport. I liked it enough to read the sequel now.

7. And I'm reading Swamplandia! by Karen Russell. Because I needed a little eccentric in my summer, I also downloaded this one to my Kindle.  I'm actually enjoying it, in a weird and wacky way. 

So I guess I can say I've officially tackled my Summer Reading list. And it's not even August yet.

Hope this helps, Sally and all my friends who've asked. I know it's late- but better July than December? 

Anything that's an absolutely Not To Be Missed book that I've overlooked?

CANICULE

Heatwave Word of the Day... in French.

C'est la canicule ! - It's a scorcher!

We get our dog days from the Roman theory that the star Sirius caused heat waves from end of July through August.  Canicula means little dog.

(If this makes you enjoy the heat any better, my gift to you.
Still, it's better than snowstorms, right?)

THE FRIENDSHIP DOLL by Kirby Larson

I love it when Joyce Moyer Hostetter lets me pop over to her truly interesting blog to share a book with her and her followers. Her blog is All About History so this new novel by Kirby Larson fits right in.

Click here to get to the review, and while you're dropping by Joyce's place, spend a little time reading some of the interesting things she turns up to share.

And just a spoiler on the review- Larson's book revealed a tiny slice of history that was new to me. And it was fun to read. Great book! Loved it.

Related posts: Rules for Writers
Historical Fiction

Another "Pinch Me!" moment...

In a million years, I would not have pictured me doing this, but my new friends at Scholastic thought it would be fun for me to record a chapter and a few words about writing GLORY BE, and off I went, on the train to Manhattan. I worried for a half minute that they might want to actually see me, you know as in video type recording. But no. My editor said I could show up in my jammies. I didn't.

Here's a quick visual tour of the day. Quality of the photos does not reflect the importance of the day. I was trying to be my cool New York self, not my geeky, excited is-this-really-happening-to-me self.

I enjoyed an iced tea and going over my writing, while waiting for my Big Moment.  I did not read aloud inside the teashop. Promise.

Note: Though the tea place was dimly lit-- a nice touch on a hot day--can you see my Good Luck Paperclips? Critique group friend Teddie returns our pages, clipped with these festive clips. They always make me smile.

I was still early, so I sat next to one of my favorite buildings to do one of my favorite NYC things: People Watching!

For some really good photos of the art inside that Sprint store inside the Flatiron Building, click here.  They are so worth that click! Seriously worth it. The art was amazing. Go ahead, click that link now!

This was my view, while waiting in the shade, next to the flowers, in the Flatiron Building's plaza. Note the lack of the normal NYC black clothing, an obvious bow to the summer heat. Flip-flops were everywhere! Did I say it was hot?

And I finally made it to BEATSTREET STUDIOS.

Yep, that's the recording studio. Picture me in that room, headsets on, just like a rock star. Interesting drums in there. My new Scholastic friend Adrienne Vrettos and I considered playing them, but wised up.

I finished my session (see how quickly I pick up the lingo) in record time and was off to meet my agent, Linda Pratt, for tea and chocolates. We met in another of my favorite spots: Grand Central Station. And truly, this is a terrible photo, but it's hard to get a shot of that gorgeous ceiling with my iPhone, especially when I'm trying to appear cool and rock-star-ish. With a big emphasis on the ish part of that word...

More than just a great day- an amazing, fantastic day! And I didn't even mention one of the other surprising, terrific moments. All the way in to the city, my unexpected trainmates were two of my favorite people-- a former student I've known since her kindergarten days and her mom who was a loyal "library mom" in my many years at Kent Place School. Happy to say, Annie still loves to read.

Quote of the Day, while creating story from mishmash

"That's what stories do. They connect the random dots of life into a picture. But it's all an illusion. Just try to connect the dots of life. You'll end up with a lunatic scribble."

Briony, in CHIME by Franny Billingsley

Particularly helpful to know others feel the same way I do about stories some days...

(I also like "I may be wicked. But I'm not bad." Same character. No relevance to my writing today. Just thought I'd share.)

And if you're interested, CHIME was just named an Honor Book in this years Horn Book Awards. Click here for the entire list.

Food from The Help

What could be more fun? Check out this article in the August issue of Food and Wine magazine about all the food in the movie, The Help.

As of yesterday, my local bookstore didn't have the August issue yet. But soon!

Tomato aspic, collard greens, black-eyed peas. No thank you on the pie recipe, however.

Here's a little taste (excuse the pun) from the article:

In The Help, the character Minny reveres Crisco, calling it "the most important invention in the kitchen since jarred mayonnaise." She uses Crisco to fry chicken to perfection, admiring the way the vegetable shortening "bubbles up like a song" as it cooks.

I am feeling a sudden craving for fried chicken.

But you know, I wonder about that line from the book, about jarred mayonnaise. True Southern cooks still pride themselves on making homemade mayo. Just seems like an odd thing...


Related posts: Everything You Ever Wanted to Know about The Help

Glory Be, as read by some very important people...

This just bowled me over. Flattering, humbling, and amazing quotes from three truly remarkable authors. If I had a personal Most Admired Middle Grade Writers list, these three would be the stars.

My editor just sent me these quotes, which will appear on the back of GLORY BE when it's released in January.
(Pinching myself on a daily basis now...)

“There's a whiff of Carson McCullers in Augusta Scattergood's story of a sultry Southern summer long ago when the outside world moved all the markers of Gloriana Hemphill's growing up.  It's a summer of bigotry and beehive hairdos, of sit-ins and dangerous boys.  All mixed together and beautifully recalled." 
              --Richard Peck, Newbery Award-winning author of A Year Down Yonder


Glory Be is a lovely debut novel for younger readers, akin to Kathryn Stockett's The Help  -- an important read that raises powerful racial issues of the 1960s American South.
               --  Kathryn Erskine, National Book Award-winning author of Mockingbird
 

Glory Be weaves a seamless story of sisterly love, broken friendships, and the strength that it takes to stand up for the right thing. Augusta Scattergood is at the top of my debut-authors-to-watch list.
             -- Barbara O'Connor, Parents’ Choice Award-winning author of How to Steal a Dog



(Random, totally unnecessary addendum: One of my favorite things to talk to kids about in my days as school librarian were BLURBS. First of all, they loved the word. But I never thought of TO BLURB as a verb until recently. And in my librarian days, it often meant the summary of the book, what I now think of as flap copy. Now, I have these amazing authors, blurbing my book...   ♡♡♡
 Ah, the things you learn from the other side of the writing fence.)

Masterpiece Mystery

Check it out!
According to the Sunday New York Times, my favorite new mystery series is coming to Masterpiece Mystery on PBS next fall.

 I love the books, but I'll definitely be tuning in my TV come October.

 Related post: Kate Atkinson

GLORY BE cover revealed!

Imagine my delight and surprise when (very) late last night I popped over to Amazon in search of a book review I'd written. And there it was! MY book, available for pre-order. Also on Barnes and Noble's site.

Now I know a lot of readers will prefer to wait and see it in January, at an actual bookstore, and of course I hope you'll order or buy it. But just seeing the book jacket and the description on Amazon made me realize: Holy Moly! This is for real!

And a little librarian geekiness: It even has its own ISBN NUMBER!!

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Glory Be [Hardcover]

Augusta Scattergood (Author)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

Product Description

A Mississippi town in 1964 gets riled when tempers flare at the segregated public pool.

As much as Gloriana June Hemphill, or Glory as everyone knows her, wants to turn twelve, there are times when Glory wishes she could turn back the clock a year. Jesslyn, her sister and former confidante, no longer has the time of day for her now that she’ll be entering high school.  Then there’s her best friend, Frankie. Things have always been so easy with Frankie, and now suddenly they aren’t. Maybe it’s the new girl from the North that’s got everyone out of sorts. Or maybe it’s the debate about whether or not the town should keep the segregated public pool open.

Augusta Scattergood has drawn on real-life events to create a memorable novel about family, friendship, and choices that aren’t always easy.

See all Editorial Reviews

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Product Details Reading level: Ages 9-12 Hardcover: 224 pages Publisher: Scholastic Press (January 1, 2012) Language: English ISBN-10: 0545331803 ISBN-13: 978-0545331807

Book review: Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai

Perhaps the reason this new novel for young readers resonated so strongly was that the entire time I was reading it, I remembered the story of King, a Vietnamese immigrant of Chinese ancestry who also escaped his country after the war. Our friend Hal had served with him as a doctor during the Vietnamese War and became his sponsor. King cooked fabulous dishes, introduced the neighbors to his culture and intrigued us all. Until I read this, I don't think I truly grasped how strange we must have seemed.


Book review: Inside Out and Back Again, by Thanhha Lai

Life Imitating Art (or I love a parade!)

Writers are always asked "Is it real?" "What part of it is based on your life?" "Did you actually DO all the stuff in your book?"

Yes. And no.

A lot of my forthcoming novel for young readers, GLORY BE, is based on things I know about. Since it's historical fiction (the kind that has a central historic event attached to it, as opposed to the kind that just happened in the past...Click  here for that discussion.), much of it is also based on research.

Yes, I grew up in a little town in Mississippi, and I was in the Pep Squad.
I worked in libraries most of my professional life and know a lot about them.
I once knew a heart-breaker named Robert.
My town flooded and we thought that was fun.

Every Friday when we had a home football game, there was a parade right through the middle of town.

In the town in New Jersey where I lived for a long time and still frequent whenever I can, we still have a July 4th Parade.

In my book, the July 4th parade is a major plot point. The whole time I was writing that section, I thought of parades I'd actually watched, marched in, decorated floats for, and enjoyed. Here are a few pictures from my most recent parade experience. July 4th.

Unlike  in GLORY BE, there were no mean boys picking a fight I had to break up. No homecoming queen in a scratchy skirt.  I love bagpipers, but believe me, there were none in Cleveland, Mississippi's parades in 1964...

The scene in front of the library, just before the parade marched by.

Lots of old cars. Always.

This picture says it all. Or at least more than I could ever say.

A first for our local parade-goers... Roller Derby comes to Chatham, NJ!

It wouldn't be a parade without Old Soldiers. And happy policemen.

And of course, the Fire Engines.

Reading All Day... but first a writing tip

Today I promised myself to read, all day long. I meant books. Catching up with that pile that's gotten away from me this summer.  This is what I was looking forward to:

G. Neri's GHETTO COWBOY, sent to me by the publisher. FRIENDSHIP DOLL by Kirby Larson, also sent by publisher. A book I'm reviewing for Delta Magazine which is turning out to be quite fun: YANKEE DOODLE DIXIE. And Franny Billingsly's CHIME, from the library, renewed once already, loving it but need to finish.

Then I got distracted by reading Cheryl Klein's Brooklyn Arden blog.  I'm filing this on a stickie note for next week, when I promise myself to write all day long.  In the words of Ray Bradbury (via Cheryl), in answer to a question about discovering the middle of your story,  

“Find out what your hero or heroine wants, and when he or she wakes up in the morning, just follow him or her all day.” 

It's getting late. The books still sit on my deck, waiting. But we've washed windows and I've been to the grocery store and of course I had to share via my blog. 

Now, off to read.  
Hope your weekend is book and fun-filled! Happy July 4th, everybody.

Learn From the Best

Wendy Mass writes books kids love to read. I've followed her progress since she first stepped into the library where I worked with a reference question (she's a fellow Jersey Girl). I've have seen her books grow in popularity--Jeremy Fink= Major Motion Picture?--and I've been a fan since the very beginning.

While writing this blog, I clicked over to her blog and discovered the most fun thing! Wendy from A to Z. 
One of these days I may have to do this myself. I love her L thought, in particular.


Here's a bit of advice she gives to beginning writers, via the always interesting and helpful Cynthia Leitich Smith's blog:

Besides the usual advice to read, take classes, keep a notebook for story ideas, go to conferences, network with other writers, I'd say to tell the story you want to tell, the story that only you can tell. Don't give up unless it's not fun anymore.


Related post: Outlining or Not?

Thoughts from Home

 Mississippi, that is. Bolivar County, to be exact.

Thank you to my friend Ivy for pointing out the Mississippi Museum of Art's blog. I love this thought:

"...while you can get lost on any corner of the globe, when you take a wrong turn out of Yazoo City or cut through the little town of Shaw, in Bolivar County, it ceases to be a detour and becomes part of the destination.  Things will spring out from the world around you, whether sunken cypress knees, deserted churchyard cemeteries, or, most often, manifestations of art in all its many forms."

Related post: Mississippi Summer Re-Reading

Quote of the Day

The palest ink is better than the best memory.

(Chinese proverb)

Another Thing I Love

Looking forward to a reunion of our original New Jersey critique group next week. We moved in different directions when one moved to MA, one to TX and I mostly to FL.

But I learned so much and have so many terrific memories from our weekly meetings. GLORY BE was born on those Wednesday mornings.

Our primary mover and shaker, Leslie Davis Guccione, will visit via travels from her tenure at Seton Hill's MFA residency. Can't wait to hear all she learned, all she taught,  AND hear more about the upcoming publication of her book.

This quote, made perfect by Leslie's gift, on a razor clam shell (Did I say she's very creative?!) is the thing I'm loving today:

"Whatever our theme in writing, it is old and tired. Whatever our place, it has been visited by the stranger, it will never be new again. It is only the vision that can be new, but that is enough.”  

~ Eudora Welty

And that's seaglass, collected from a visit to her Massachusetts beach. What a treasure- all three!

This is getting exciting! GLORY BE...

Big UPS box arrived this morning, filled with GLORY BE.

I'm going slowly through this stage of edits. But it's pretty exciting to see what the actual book's pages will look like.

I'm up to Chapter Four.

So far, so good...

Good Blog is Hard to Find: Luna Madness

That's the name of my group blog made up of some amazing Southern writers. Yesterday was my turn to post. We are given assigned topics, totally voluntary. This time it was "living with a lunatic."

When I told my husband what I was writing about, and that I was certainly not a lunatic writer, there was silence from the other side of the car. Sometimes that means he didn't hear what I was saying. This time he totally heard. "Well, sometimes..." he started to answer.

You mean those days I locked myself in my room and glared if he dared disturb me? Hauled all my stuff to the quiet of the library? Read aloud to my computer? Scribbled crazy sayings on the back of our checkbook? What, me a crazy writer?

In my post I did not admit to true craziness. Click here if you'd like to see what I confess to.

And thanks, Julie, for the Luna inspiration. Not to mention for understanding creative craziness. Maybe it takes one to understand one?

Related posts: Blizzard!
Lime Curd

What's on Your Stickie Notes?

Back to work, re-thinking/ working a new/old storyline. Needing all the advice I can get.


So, what am I thinking about? Right now? 


These words of wisdom from my Glory Be editor and a writer friend, both creative geniuses. If I can only live up to my stickies.

And last but not least, by any stretch of my widening imagination:

 

What's on YOUR stickie note?

Things I Miss

Which, yes, could also be labeled Things I Love.

My favorite bridge. It's breathtakingly beautiful. At the end of my journey across the Sunshine Skyway Bridge, I'm greeted by my friend Janet. We meet often, eat a mostly healthy lunch and discuss our writing projects. She tells me when I'm being illogical (in my writing, of course) and I tell her when she needs more description. We are two sides of the writing craft puzzle.

It helps to have a writing buddy who complements your style. She even reads Tarot cards! And best of all, she lives on the other side of this structure.

Do you have a writing partner? A critique buddy? A bridge this beautiful to pass over occasionally?

What I'm Reading Now...

I'm contemplating a post about Summer Reading. But really, isn't everybody writing about books doing that this month?

Instead, for now, I'll tell you what I'm reading.  For once, there's not a single kids' book in my stack. That will soon be remedied when I pick up Fanny Billingsly's CHIME later today.

I'm reading three books at once. Which I don't truly recommend. It just happened.

1. John Hart's new thriller/ psychological mystery. IRON HOUSE.
So far, all I can say is Wow. Page turner!

2. BEACH TREES by Karen White.
Set in post-Katrina New Orleans and Biloxi. Enjoying it a lot. About halfway through.


 
3. THE PHANTOM LIMBS OF THE RALLOW SISTERS
Reading this one on my Kindle because I downloaded the beginning for "free" and got hooked. I've just started so not sure whether I'll be recommending it or not, but here's another reviewer's take on it.

The weird thing about Kindle books? You never know what the jacket looks like. So when I googled the book to get that link just now, I see the cover. Do I love it? Hmmm.
Then again, the cover on CHIME made me think I didn't want to read it. Then I read all the raves.

So not putting cover art on my list of ways to choose books.


Related post: Welcome Summer! 
Edgar Awards: John Hart

Historical Hair

Lots of interesting discussion happened when I posted a recent blog pondering what really is Historical Fiction anyhow. One commenter brought up how kids parse out the meaning. To them, a book such as Mixed-up Files could be classified historical because it took place in a time the young reader might not understand. Prices, hairstyles, clothing, music= all part of the past to a child born in 2000.

I know, I know. I'm still (over?)thinking the topic.

But speaking of hair...

When a group of friends gathered last weekend, something about a certain movie confounded us. We all lived in Mississippi in the early 1960s, the setting of one of the most popular books in recent memory, The Help. Soon to be a major motion picture, the movie's rendition of Skeeter's hair is bugging us all. I know, I know. It's a small detail. And we've only see the trailer for the movie. I can't wait to see the movie and I'm sure I'll love it, as I loved many things about the book. But I wish they'd consulted somebody actually alive during the time for hair advice.

Like us maybe!
Since our small gathering was hosted by fabulous cooks and very creative women, the party favors were "church fans" featuring a likeness of each of us, circa 1963.

About the hair. Do you see a single picture without straight hair? Flips predominate.

We ironed our hair, people! We slept on big rollers to get the curls to straighten out!
We were not alone. Check out any college yearbook, even those outside the South. 
I doubt you will see many hairstyles of Emma Stone's/ Skeeter's movie frizziness.

While I'm sharing pictures, and since it was so delicious, here's one of our many gourmet meals. Pictured- shrimp salad, artistically accented by blanched asparagus spears. Key lime pie, chocolate mousse. Wonderful bread. I could go on.

(Photos by Eileen Harrell, Artline Graphics)

Related posts: Kathryn Stockett
The Help, The Movie

Seen on a Bumper Sticker

More Seens:

Girls! 
Dogs!
Lots More Here

2 More Favorite Things

This huge scented geranium and the normal sized pot of lavender grow in a sunny spot in my not-so-big garden. The scented geranium was a gift from my mother-in-law's garden, over 20 years ago. She claimed it kept mosquitoes away. If it gets any larger, it will keep everything away. Last spring I cut it back so much that I thought it would never return. Ha. I live in a tropical rain forest. It came back.

It loses something in the photo. I wish you could stick your nose into the computer and breathe deeply. Then you would appreciate why I love this.

Oh, and I also love this because lavender and scented geranium are two of the main ingredients in Fairy Soup...

Related Posts: Things I love.

Fairy Soup

What the heck is historical about it anyway?

Somewhere in the deep dark past.

Okay, let me start over.

A few years ago when I was still a working school librarian, my fellow teachers and I had a lot of fun teaching together. One of my favorite things to do with the third grade was historical fiction. I dutifully taught them what exactly was historical fiction. I had a very erudite definition, gleaned from some college professor. One of the requirements, so it seemed, was that the history surrounding the story happened at least 50 years ago. That was also what I'd learned in my study of children's literature, a few decades earlier. The students loved it. Fun times.

That was then. Fast forward to one of my favorite recent Newbery winners, When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead. Loved the book. Read it twice (at least). But historical fiction? Huh?

Turns out, maybe it is.

In her review on Goodreads, Betsy Bird considered the possibility:
Heck, you could even label this book historical fiction since it takes place in 1978-79. And not the fake 1979 that you sometimes seek invoked in bad television shows and movies either. This is an accurate portrayal of a time period when a person really could spend their days helping their mom prepare for a stint on the $20,000 Pyramid. A time when a girl could be handed books with pictures of spunky-looking girls on the covers... and subsequently reject them because they are not A Wrinkle in Time.

I mused over this very dilemma when I reviewed it for The Christian Science Monitor, pondering what genre the book was. The story had no true historical events tied to it. But it was set in the past. Turns out lots of folks were pondering that very topic, including this blogger about historical fiction. She, like many of us, realizes that perhaps history is in the eye of the beholder. To children, that just isn't that long ago.

And now, from what I'm learning, you can make most anything "historical" if it happened before the reader was alive, or even aware. For kids, that would be anything pre-1990. Wow.

Check out an interesting blog discussion happening over at Caroline Starr Rose's blog on the topic.

Carolyn Yoder, editor of a whole lot of historical fiction and someone I'd consider an expert on the matter says this:

At a recent Illinois writing workshop sponsored by the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), Yoder encouraged all historical writers to make their stories real by anchoring them in time and place. Your reader should be able to tell when and where the story is set from the details you give. More than that, your story should not be able to happen anywhere or anytime else.

And here's a bit of what James Alexander Thom, in his book The Art and Craft of Writing Historical Fiction says on the topic of Is My Story Old Enough?

When you have a story in mind, you might ask yourself whether it's old enough to be historical.  Among those of us who write of historical events, there's a joke. "The last eyewitness is dead at last! Now we can tell it the way we know it was."...

You'll decide if you're writing a historical novel if it seems "past" to you... It's history if you say so.

If a book has an "old fashioned" feel to it and is set in the 1950s or the 1970s or even the 1990s, say in a small midwest or southern town where they might still say things like bloomers and what in tarnation-- can we call that historical fiction?

Shall we throw my old definition of historical fiction right out the window?

Related posts: Historical fiction?
and Historical Fiction, Maybe