The turtles

Yesterday, I went out with my camera and tried to visually capture spring. I stopped at a small roadside  swamp that we always pass slowly. I have no idea if this place has an official name; there's no sign posted. We call it Turtle Pond. Logs and stones dot the water, giving the shelled residents plenty of places to sun themselves. At different points in the season, we'll see twenty or more turtles.

I started our photo shoot by pulling off to the side of the road and hopping out of my car. This was not a well-thought out maneuver; all the turtles splashed into the water. This was the best shot I could get,

unless I wanted to take a picture of a couple of sealcoating guys working across the street. One offered to remove his shoes and socks, roll up his pants, and fetch me some. I declined.

On my way back from town, I tried again, this time through my car window.

I love seeing the turtles. What do you love about spring where you live?

A Change of Scenery

On a gravel road about 5 miles from here, in the fall, there is a patch of woods that once owned me. My bus ride took me by that spot for much of my childhood and I never tired of it. If I became distracted and didn't see it, I felt cheated. The house sitting on the edge of the treeline was my house; I imagined that I would live there, rooms lit by the glow of hickory leaves in some fantastic, perpetual October.

Fall was my favorite season, but where I live now, Spring makes her case. She presents warmth, daffodils, trees coming into bud, places along my everyday path that feel like home.

I'm not a photographer. I struggle to capture what I see: the red reeds along the roadside giving way to new growth; the willows dripping yellow-green; the tangled, glowing forsythia; grey branches surrounded by wisps of peach and orange, as if the trees themselves are tatting.

In the battle of the best season, for today, Spring wins.

Top 5 books on writing

Today's theme for the 2011 Blogathon is your top 5 books on writing. Here's my list:

1) Bird by Bird: Some Instructions on Writing and Life, Anne Lamott. You can get a feel for her style by downloading an archived interview from this Writer's Digest link. (Caution: salty language.)
2) Writing Tools: 50 Essential Strategies for Every Writer, Roy Peter Clark
3) Keep It Real: Everything You Need to Know about Researching and Writing Creative Nonfiction, edited by Lee Gutkind
4) Writing Metrical Poetry: Contemporary Lessons for Mastering Traditional Forms, William Baer
5) The Craft of Lyric Writing, Sheila Davis

If you're looking to be a little depressed about your budget, but inspired by commitment, tenacity, and professionalism, check out this video interview of Gay Talese. Finally, if you are interested in writing creative nonfiction, consider an online class at creativenonfiction.org: a satisfying experience.

Frosty in May

Yesterday in my little town, it was rainy and 46 degrees F, and yet The Breakfast Guru and I chose to sit around with my car window down for about twenty minutes.

Here's the reason:

We still have an old-fashioned, seasonal, drive-in A&W. When you order a combo 'for here', they don't ask you what kind of soda you want with that; they know. The car hops serve you root beer in a frosted glass mug.

Now it's spring.

For more about the rite of A&W, see this post. For a time when I actually could eat something fried, read about my visit to Joe's Gizzard City. If you want to know how the Breakfast Guru got his name, try here (or try his sausage gravy).

Creative Nonfiction Dilemmas

I struggle when I write personal essays.

The writing isn't the struggle. I enjoy striving to tell it straight and true, discovering real life moments worthy of examination and wonder. It's a satisfying process, from the glimmer of an idea to the first words, from the crafting and shaping to that final bit of polish.

It's good work until that moment when I have to send it off to a publication or editor. If you saw me in that moment, you'd think that my decision to send a story was akin to triggering a nuclear war. It's not the fear of rejection making my palms sweat. It's not my financial situation, either, although if I could afford an accountant I'm sure he'd convince me to reconsider. The closing of my eyes as I face the screen, my finger pausing over my mouse, my stopping and restarting the submission process, all this hesitancy is borne from the fear that I might be misunderstood, that my appreciation of people in general might be clouded because of my words. Worse, I fear that the specific people who are a part of my story might be hurt by my rendering.

In the very best case scenario, someone who reads about themselves through my eyes feels special. That was the lovely reaction of my neighbor (featured here). My husband and parents have been great, amazing actually, understanding that a humorous poke or a family story told is just my point of view. It doesn't negate their memories, their experiences or how they might see the situation. Other people, I know, have a harder time. At least one person has told me that I may not mention him or her by name in anything I write. I can sympathize; I will honor that request.

Despite sweaty hands and 20 minutes of pacing, I pushed the button yesterday, on a story called "Ruined". We'll see where it goes. Until then, I'll keep writing. Maybe I'll search for opportunities to write profile essays. The advantage of that sort of piece is that the subjects know they're subjects. Even with that knowledge, it's still tough.

Loving my genre, yet secretly wishing I was better at fiction, LT

Rediscovery through teaching

Teaching is an act of rediscovery. 

Land ho ... that's one skinny mitten

Over the past two weeks, I've had the privilege of teaching on leadership, interviewing skills, and writing powerful paragraphs. Each class has reminded and encourage me to renew my commitments to basic things.

A class on leadership stirs me to consider vision and values. How can I help students see who they want to be? How can I help them figure out what's important? In crafting their lessons, I'm reminded of my own vision, values, and goals. I'm challenged to be a better steward of everything in my care.

Teaching interviewing skills keeps me sharp. I sit a little straighter; I speak a little more clearly; I strive to not just 'come across' as humble and confident, but to be truly 'be' both these things. I see the students battle through their nerves during a mock interview and am encouraged to push myself a little further.

Finally, what could be more refreshing than explaining how to write a basic paragraph? I find myself considering each simple form I present, wondering how I might be able to use it in my work.

It's been two weeks. I've got two weeks to go. I'm looking forward to the opportunity to influence young lives, of course, but it is not simply altruistic: I'm gaining.

A post a day

I've signed up for the 4th Annual WordCount Blogathon. I'm looking forward to the challenge of posting every day in May, in the spirit of the following quote from the amazing screenwriter of Network:

Artists don't talk about art. Artists talk about work. If I have anything to say to young writers, it's stop thinking of writing as art. Think of it as work.

PADDY CHAYEFSKY

As quoted at Advice to Writers.

For more of my thoughts on Network, read my October 2010 article at Curator Magazine.