She Writes

Editors Picks
Editor's Picks--Week of August 16

This week's highlights from The Community Blog. Why Do Something If It Can Be Done: Quoting Gertrude Stein #52 by Renate Stendhal After the marker of 5O Stein blogs -- talking about Stein’s one and only writing block –- did I contract one myself? No, for me, too, writing went on, on another page. Finishing a novel, writing about opera. Stein was writing her detective story during that ominous summer in 1933, when success caught up with her. She was troubled by questions of identity (“I am I because my little dog knows me.”) Some part of her seemed unreachable, dead. It must have been soothing to mirror her inner troubles outside, in the provincial life around her. Lots of shady things right then are happening in her village and the nearby little town Belley with its proud hotel – adultery, betrayal, feuds over money. There are even deaths that could be murders or suicides or accidents… The wife of the hotelier has fallen to her death from a window of the Hotel Pernollet. Bizarre incidents happen at her own house. Stein becomes the Miss Marple of the village Bilignin, listening to gossip, bringing up suspicions, doubts, theories. She does exactly what Stein scholars today are doing with her texts: contextualizing. Finding a context to understand what is happening within a sentence, a paragraph, a book. Read more here. Sometimes a Book Signing is More Than Just a Book Signing by Kathy Jordan I was doing a Q&A session at a book signing event last week when a member of the audience—let’s call her Molly—made this comment: I’m very creative, but when I’m in a job I find myself hiding my creativity, because a lot of businesses don’t seem to appreciate it. Tomorrow I’m going on a job interview, and I feel like I have to be careful to present myself as a conservative, normal person. Read more here. Grandma's Room by Gwen Morrison My daughter has moved back home and is now living in what we have always called “Grandma’s Room.” In the room that we knew, when looking at this house, would be perfect for Dave’s mother who stayed with us here in Atlanta during the winter months. I hadn’t spent much time in that room since Marrion passed away, nearly a year ago. When I walk into the room now to see my daughter I feel an overwhelming sense of astonishment because her absence is still so incomprehensible. It hits me like a brick wall. Tissue boxes and Merle Norman face cream are still tucked away under the sink, just like they always were. And I tell Robyn to leave them there. It’s where they belong. Read more here. On Lindsay Anderson by Kevin Camp While the gossip mags speculate about Queen Latifah's same-sex relationship, here's my addition to the debate. A particularly looming influence on my art and writing is Lindsay Anderson. Better known for his work on the stage than behind the lens, Anderson did direct two films which I still watch frequently, 1968’s If... and 1973’s O Lucky Man!. In addition to that, he was an eloquent and influential film critic, much in keeping with British and French New Wave directors of the period. Aside from the content and the themes of both cinematic works, I am utterly fascinated by the director’s unusual personal life which in some ways is similar to mine. I understand what it is like to feel afraid to be honest with the rest of the world, but I have never taken these fears to such extremes as he did. Though the identities I claim are slightly different from his, I do understand his quandary. Read more here. The Mystery of the Anasazi by Linda Weaver Clarke The mystery of the Anasazi Indians boggles the minds of many archaeologists. Who were they? What were their beliefs? How did they live? Indian art painted or engraved in rock gives us an idea who the Anasazi were, their beliefs and lifestyle. Carved into the desert varnish, the Indians left behind their heritage, their legacy. Many people wonder why the Anasazi Indians disappeared, leaving behind their belongings and valuables. Where did they go and why? No one has the answer. There is much speculation about what might have happened to them. Read more here. We're always looking for new, fresh ideas and strong writing to inspire and indulge. Keep writing!