I finally finished reading Dorothy Scarborough's The Wind, a novel that caused quite a stir in West Texas when it was published in 1925. I say I finally finished it because I started it months ago and then stopped reading right in the middle. It was not that I had lost interest in the story … Continue reading Literary Texas: Dorothy Scarborough
Tag: Literature
Wild and Sweet the Words Repeat
As a child and a teenager, I had little memory of a time when the Vietnam War was not raging, a time when the draft hung precariously over the heads of young men, their futures hard to plan. Of course, through the years, many such times have existed. The world can be a dark and … Continue reading Wild and Sweet the Words Repeat
A Time to Read
Fall has come to North Central Texas. Fall is finally here in my part of the world, and I couldn't be happier. The picture above is of the burr oak outside my window, which has one or two colorful leaves and gray skies peeking through the still green leaves. Add to that, damp conditions and … Continue reading A Time to Read
Make Your Own Writing Retreat (or any retreat)
Writing is a challenge for me, and a joy, and darn hard work, and an accomplishment. I've spent a considerable amount of time writing the last few years, writing what I want to write about and getting back to the creative bent of my younger years before a husband, two sons, gainful employment, housework, social … Continue reading Make Your Own Writing Retreat (or any retreat)
“THE PAST IS A FOREIGN COUNTRY”
A few nights ago, my husband and I were scrolling through some movie possibilities on Amazon Prime and came across a period drama called The Go Between, a 1971 film based on the novel of the same name written in 1952 by L. P. Hartley, an accomplished British author. The story, set at the turn … Continue reading “THE PAST IS A FOREIGN COUNTRY”
Tsang Tzu
I have been rifling through my desk and file drawers lately and came upon a manuscript from some years ago. I always have manuscripts here and there. Some are complete but desperately in need of revision that I can't or don't want to get to, others I am trying to polish a bit, and still … Continue reading Tsang Tzu
Literary Texas: Sandra Cisneros
I am a woman, and I am a Latina. Those are the things that make my writing distinctive. —Sandra Cisneros In 2015, Texas State University's Alkek Library acquired Sandra Cisneros’ literary archive. The archive, housed at the Wittliff Collections, includes manuscripts, correspondence, diaries, journals, and numerous other items pertaining to her life and work, a … Continue reading Literary Texas: Sandra Cisneros
Nature’s Art
A slender petal venturing into the world. Look deep into nature, and then you will understand everything better. --Albert Einstein While we are in the last throes of spring in my part of the country, I cannot help but marvel at nature's beauty ("God's handwriting"--Emerson.) As I've written already, lush grasses and colorful wildflowers sweep … Continue reading Nature’s Art
O Captain! My Captain!
Today I would like to celebrate Memorial Day by posting a couple of poems by Walt Whitman, long considered one of America’s foremost poets. The following poem," O Captain! My Captain!", was written contemporarily to memorialize the death of Abraham Lincoln in 1865. I think it is a fitting poem for Memorial Day in commemoration … Continue reading O Captain! My Captain!
Why We Write
The very reason I write is so that I might not sleepwalk through my entire life. Zadie Smith I have just completed the Pike’s Peak Writer’s Conference in Colorado Springs. No, it was not atop the famous mountain. I am high-altitude and deep drop-offs averse, though admiring the snow-crested Pike’s Peak with my feet firmly … Continue reading Why We Write