Posted by alicia on Jun 12, 2009 in
Daydreaming,
Reading & Writing I saw a friend post this on Facebook and thought it sounded like fun.
Fifteen books you’ve read that will always stick with you. First 15 you can recall in no more than 15 minutes.
- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte
- The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
- The Fountainhead by Ayn Rand
- The Awakening by Kate Chopin
- Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver
- The Guernesy Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Anne Shaffer and Annie Barrows
- Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
- Traveling Mercies by Anne Lamott
- Plan B by Anne Lamot
- Ariel by Sylvia Plath
- East of Eden by John Steinbeck
- Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
- The Journals of Sylvia Plath
- The Complete Poems of Emily Dickinson
- Self Reliance by Emerson
It’s funny to Anne Lamott & Sylvia Plath keep repeating. They’ve been my favorites over the past few years. Now it’s your turn. Leave your list in the comments, or a link to your blog.
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Posted by alicia on May 19, 2009 in
Reading & Writing Yesterday I heard the end of All Things Considered, just in time to catch the You Must Read This segment. Author Jeffery Eugenides shared one of his writing secrets: how to overcome fog brain. I don’t know if you struggle with fog brain, but I battle it most days. And most days I give up and take a nap.
I found Eugenides words to be very inspiring, and wanted to share them here. (Or if you would prefer to listen to the segment, visit You Must Read This.)
There’s a little thing I do when I can’t write: When I’m feeling sleepy, when my head is in a fog, I reach across my desk, digging under the piles of unanswered mail, to unearth my copy of Herzog by Saul Bellow. And then I open the book — anywhere— and read a paragraph.
It always works. Right away I’m restored to full alertness and clarity. Style, in literature, has gone out of style. People think it’s just ornament. But it’s not: The work that goes into a writer’s style, the choices that are taken, the cliches that are chucked, represent a refining of thought and feeling into their purest, most intelligent, most moral form.
Of course, there is a danger, with a great stylist, that the sentences will outclass what the sentences are about. Not with Bellow. Bellow gets the mix between form and content about as right as possible. His sentences pack maximum sensual, emotional and intellectual information into minimum space — all the while generating an involving, deeply moving story.
Published in 1964, Herzog is about a middle-aged college professor, in the midst of an emotional crisis, who begins writing letters: “He had fallen under a spell,” Bellow writes, “and was writing letters to everyone under the sun. . . . Hidden in the country, he wrote endlessly, fanatically, to the newspapers, to people in public, to friends and relatives and at last to the dead, his own obscure dead, and finally the famous dead.” The book zooms off from there. Herzog goes from New York, to Martha’s Vineyard, to Chicago, to the Berkshires, penning his funny, serious, brilliant, self-lacerating, accusatory letters, each one acting like a new screen in a hypertext novel that opens an entirely different piece of his life: his immigrant childhood in Montreal; his indomitable ex-wife Madeleine; his numerous lady friends; his free-falling career, his pain at losing his daughter in divorce. Bellow, the supreme realist, discovered in Herzog a new form — the self-reflexive epistolary novel — without any of the obscurantism or self-preening of so-called “experimental” novels.
Herzog worried that his frantic letter-writing meant he was “out of [his] mind.” But, in the last 45 years, his predicament has become universal. Herzog’s life resembles the way we live now, where we’re forever sending off e-mail and texts, fielding cell phone calls: where we’re no longer any one place but everywhere — and nowhere — at once. Our life in shards, randomly returning.
The mark of a truly original work of art is that is gets truer the older it is.
The impulse here is to quote. Every single page of Herzog teems with jokes, apercus, deep-thinker riffs — little genius moves every other sentence. The impulse is to read the entire book out loud. But I’ve only got a minute here, time to make the pitch but not go nine innings.
So let me say this: If you’re in the market for a safe neuro-enhancer, something to break you out of your foggy-headedness, a pill more powerful than Adderall or Provigil, with no side effects other than pleasure, then pick up Herzog and open it — anywhere — and read.
Sylvia Plath has been my safe neuro-enhancer over the past few years. It never fails that when I’m feeling fog brained and lose sight of why I want to write I can pick up Ariel or her unabridged journals and instantly feel renewed.
Who or what gets you through those moments when you feel exhausted with everything in life?
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Posted by alicia on May 13, 2009 in
Reading & Writing In “Writing Down the Bones”, Natalie Goldberg tells stories and gives tips from her life as a writer. She calls her daily writing “practice” and equates it to meditation and practicing Zen. Over and over she talks about her spiral bound notebooks. Years ago she made a commitment to herself to fill a 70 page spiral bound notebook each month. I’ve heard of other writers making similar commitments. Write everyday for 1 hour each day. Or, as I have done in the past, practice Morning Pages from “The Artist’s Way”, which is writing 3 pages each day. Write 500 words a day. Keep a dream journal. Write the day’s events before going to bed each night. Keep note cards in your purse because you never know when or how inspiration will strike. Share your writing with others. Write all the junk that goes through your head that says you are not a good writer and should be washing the dishes instead - then throw it away.
I’ve tried them all. And here is what I’ve found that works: just write. Find a balance that works for you. If you can write everyday, that’s fine. If you can write one evening a week, that is fine too. Be gentle with yourself, don’t judge and don’t feel guilty for not writing more or better, or without spelling errors. Just write.
My interest in writing grew out of my passion for literature, and I’ve found that writing takes me to places I could not have gotten to otherwise. It is space to explore my emotions, problems, dreams and even boredom. It takes me to the place inside where I store all my truths. I love the experience of pouring everything that I have out onto a piece of paper until I think I have nothing left to give, but then feeling myself become full and whole again. I’ve known nothing else like it. The closest experience I can think is the release and centering that happens after having a good, hard cry.
There is no wrong way to practice writing. Everyone has their own tricks and tips, that is why there are thousands of books and blogs about writing. Also because I think writers often enjoy reading about writing as much as they actually enjoy writing.
Anyway, here are some tips that I do practice with my writing:
- I do not edit while writing.
- I keep a list of topics at the front of my notebook for times when I want to write, but don’t know what about.
- I tend not to set a limit, I just write until I’m done or tired - then I try to write a little more. I’ve got this funny idea that is how I will build up endurance.
- I can’t buy pretty, expensive notebooks - they are too intimidating.
- Sometimes I write, “I don’t know what to write.” Over and over again until something comes up.
- A walk or a few minutes of yoga is a great way to start a writing practice.
- Sometimes a new practice can energize my writing because I like the challenge. For example, for the month of May I’m going to attempt Natalie’s practice of filling up a 70-page spiral notebook.
- I am one who enjoys reading about writing as much as I enjoy writing because I need to be fed. I need the encouragement, the inspiration, the words of wisdom - and the reminder that nearly every writer struggles from time to time.
For those of you who write or journal, what pieces of wisdom have you picked up over the years?
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Posted by alicia on Feb 25, 2009 in
Reading & Writing Rarely do I let my reader(s) now how much you guy(s) mean to me and how wonderful you are.
So, here is a little tribute, just for you.
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Tags: Blog, silly
Posted by alicia on Feb 18, 2009 in
Reading & Writing Last night I went to Refresh Richmond’s monthly meeting. This month they gathered a panel of local professional bloggers. Telling us their stories, we got an pretty good review of the start, growth and success of This Young House, Mac Rumors, and, one of my favorite blogs, Tobacco Avenue.
The discussion got me thinking about my blog, and just blogging in general. If you’ve got a minute, would you mind answering a couple questions about your blogging habits?
What are some of your favorite blogs?
Do you read your favorite blogs for information, inspiration or entertainment?
Do you blog? Why?
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Tags: blogging
Posted by alicia on Jan 22, 2009 in
Create,
Reading & Writing I spent some time reading The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society last night and came across a passage that perfectly showcases why I want to devote my energy and time to writing.
The following passage is from one of the literary society members in letter which he said that he had not really touched a book since he was in school, but in the literary society discovered Shakespeare. He realized the power of words, especially a famous quote from Antony & Cleopatra.
“I wish I’d known those words on the day I watched those German troops land, plane-load after plane-load of them - and come off ships down in the harbor! All I could think of was damn them, damn them, over and over. If I could have thought the words, ‘the bright day is done and we are for the dark’, I’d have been consoled somehow and ready to go out and contend with circumstance - instead of my heart sinking to my shoes.”
Yes, I know, that Shakespeare guy was sort of a genius at storytelling and quite the wordsmith. But, I sill have hope that my words may find the right person, at the right time and give them hope.
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Tags: the guernsey literary and potato peel pie society, Writing
Posted by alicia on Jan 17, 2009 in
Create,
Reading & Writing 
Pretty picture on cover of Skirt's January Issue
Ladies,
If you haven’t already read Skirt! Magazine, I’d like to recommend that you pick it up, or visit their website to read their collections of essays.
Also, maybe you’d like to play around on their site. Maybe create a profile? Or, spend some time reading the Microskirts - which is just like Twittering. Want more to do on Skirt’s site, then you can read some blogs of local ladies.
Really, there’s a lot you can do on Skirt’s site, enough to distract you and keep you from writing your own damn essay and submitting it to Skirt like you’ve been talking about doing for over a year! So…check it out??
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Tags: Writing
Posted by alicia on Jan 7, 2009 in
Create,
Daydreaming,
Reading & Writing Lately I have become a goal-setting, list-making fiend thanks to my business/life coaching. Even before I started my coaching, few things would get me as excited as writing lists. I have often written lists knowing full well that I will not accomplish most of the items in this lifetime. There is power and inspiration inside us that can be unleashed when we give ourselves permission to dream, explore possibilities and color outside the lines.
A snapshot of my first moments in 2009.
So, there, that is my excuse for spending some time today dreaming of what I want to do in ‘09.
1. Take down my Christmas decorations.
2. Give away the clothes that I haven’t worn in the past 2 years. (Don’t forget to sort through unwanted clothes before tossing in Clothes Swap pile - must remove anything that friends will tease me about, like the too-short, baby-pink ruffled skirt that is mentioned nearly every week.)
3. Paint the stray pieces of free, unwanted furniture I’ve been gathering from friends and trash piles.
4. Do not take in any more stray cats, or pieces of furniture (unless it’s really cool and I obviously would be a fool to turn it down).
5. Practice my sewing regularly.
6. Learn new cuss words to yell while trying to sew.
7. Find & return the late library book that I haven’t read.
8. Take yoga regularly so I have an excuse to buy more comfy yoga pants.
9. Earn a bunch more money than I earned last year. (Finding the library book might prove to be a harder task seeing as how I spent the end of of ‘08 on unemployment.)
10. Write everyday. Even if it’s just a list.
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Tags: Daydreaming, lists, new years resolutions
Posted by alicia on Nov 21, 2008 in
Reading & Writing As most of you know, I lost my job a couple months ago in a round of cutbacks. I still remember the pain and confusion I felt as I sped out of the company parking lot for the last time, with my former boss’s luxury sports car in my rear view mirror.
My friends have been great at listening to me vent about losing my job, and they have been so supportive - some bought me coffee, one special gal bought me some grilled cheese & champagne!! But, I felt like they didn’t “really” understand what I am going through.
But today I discovered someone out there really understands what it is like to be unemployed! He even wrote a touching article full of tips to help me get through this time. I highly recommend it. So, check out, “It Sucks to Be You” by Pete Humes over at RVAnews.
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Tags: funny, satire, unemployment
Posted by alicia on Nov 17, 2008 in
Reading & Writing Ladies,
It’s time for another book club gathering! This time we will be discussing the second section of Eat, Pray, Love - so, that would be the “Pray” part. Even if you didn’t make it to our last meeting, feel free to join us for this one.
Eay Pray Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
I will provide plenty of Mimosas and coffee, but am asking everyone to bring something yummy to share for brunch and 1 discussion question/point.
Feel free to invite other friends - just no stinkin’ boyz!
Date: Saturday, 12/13
Time: 11:00 am
Where: My house in Church Hill (email if you need directions)
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Tags: book club, girls only, Reading
