N1W1-SEEKING A CURE
My friend, children's book author and fellow VCFA grad, Barb Crispin sent the following note in response to our weekly group check-in:
Does anyone else notice the "no writing" virus that has infected us? N1W1 spreads through the ethernet. I'm sorry I gave it to Sharry and Kelly. Seems like Trinity has had it lately. Who's next? There doesn't seem to be any way to protect yourself.How wonderful to have friends here who will hold our hands as each of us suffers the pain of N1W1-- fear, avoidance, guilt. Once it is past, each writer picks up a manuscript thankful to be able to focus on some cherished story idea once again.
If only there was a vaccine!
Ahhhhhh, so that's what this is...
Help! Someone out there must know a cure!
TRUTH IN PROGRESS
“If you support the founding document [The Constitution of the United States of America] then you must also support giving equal rights to all U.S. citizens”--Marilyn Alexander and Gil Caldwell, founders of Truth in Progress, a national project created to promote cross-cultural understanding around issues of race, sexual orientation, and religion. The struggle for equality often gets pushed to the background when personal issues demand our time and attention. Pushing equality to the background is especially easy to do if you are Caucasian, straight, and gainfully employed, easy to do if you—by law—are receiving the benefits and the rights you deserve as a tax-paying U.S. citizen BUT…
That BUT is huge. And like all HUGE butts, especially when our own, we want to ignore it, we try to ignore it, it’s easier to ignore it, because doing something to change it requires honesty, effort, and commitment.
Fortunately for us, for the United States of America, a country founded on the principle that all people have certain purportedly “self-evident” and “unalienable rights” BUT where—for reasons of economics or bias or non-separation of church and state—all of our tax-paying citizens “unalienable rights” are not recognized, Marilyn Bennett and Gil Caldwell are not ignoring that huge BUT. The team, long-time friends and activists, have launched a three-year multi-media educational project, Truth in Progress, which aims to link gay rights and civil rights through a common interactive platform. “The fight for civil rights, and acknowledging equal rights, is always the same story,” Caldwell notes.
Truth in Progress continues what began in 2003 as an “extensive email exchange” during which Montana-based author Bennett and Caldwell, a retired United Methodist minister, shared “their personal life experiences of being black/white, straight/lesbian, older/younger, with cane/without cane, and male/female.” With the help of a $15,000 seed grant from the Rhodes and Leona Carpenter Foundation and the Montana Human Rights Network, their conversation is expanding to include interviews with activists and community leaders in cities significant to the Black Civil Rights and LGBT Rights Movement. (A feature length documentary will be released in 2013.) “Their common fight is a push to realize the full potential of the U.S. Constitution. It’s a document, they agree, that grants equality to all people regardless of race and sexual preference.”
“BUT we are the United States of America” we say, popping our heads out from under our cozy king-sized comforters. “Here, everyone is created equal. It’s written right there in our Constitution. Everyone is “...endowed by their Creator the same unalienable Rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” Isn’t that enough? Can’t we all just go along and get along? Live and let live?”
Sure we could, if this were the case BUT…
As a nation, we pledge allegiance to the Constitution, we support its tenets civically and fiscally, with our lives and our tax dollars, BUT we apply it selectively. We deserve the capital letter E brand of Equality, granting the same rights for every citizen to lawful union; rights to benefits; rights of survivorship; rights to dignity and respect.
We need this conversation to continue; support Truth is Progress.
*In 2007, some of these exchanges were published in a limited edition, Truth in Progress: Letters in Mixed Company.
2009 Recap-Redress-Review-Resolve
I'm delighted to be back home in Jakarta. It was an eventful, joy filled holiday season. I relished the time with family and friends. I am ready for some this-is-my-space-my-time-is-my-own-and-I-can-do-whatever-I-want time. (And, frankly, I was sick of every thread in the five+ mix-and-match outfits I had been lugging around for the past month and was perilously close to jettisoning the whole mess and buying new when the truth is more winter clothes are definitely not what I needed to cart back to my muggy close-to-the-equator, fabric eating/molding/decimating cupboards.) And I am eager to be where I have the time and space to write more than blog postings. Although I am puffed up proud to report that I, Kelly Bennett, kept my 2009 New Year’s resolution to begin a blog and to post at least one blog posting each week. My official posting count as of Dec. 31, 2009: 65 notes: 8 announcements: 4 drafts; some photos (not enough, but I’ll fix that in 2010). I not only met my goal, I surpassed it. Yeah!!!!!
This won't be a long stay in Jakarta as I return to the states Feb. 1st. I'm presenting at the IRA regional conference in Oklahoma City and spending a few days after in Tulsa with friends (Lexi is meeting me there.) The Bright Sky folks are supposed to be setting up promotional events for my picture book Dance Y'all Dance in the Houston area from the 10-18th, but I haven't heard a word— so no clue what is happening with that. I'm not going to sweat it; what will be will be. My mom isn't feeling well, so if worse comes to it, I'll use that time to go to Reno and visit her. The hardest part about this being a published author biz is this constant pressing feeling that I am supposed to be promoting/visiting schools/organizing all the time--while I enjoy sharing my books, the organizing takes so much time and energy, and even more of both is spent coping with the worry that I am not doing "my part." Now here is where I lapse into my version of the “in my day we had to walk 7 miles to school" bit: Back in the 80s and early 90s, when I was first published, aside from autographing at stores on occasion, authors were not expected or encouraged to do promotional stuff--because childrens' book publishers primarily sold to school and library markets--sales reps did the work. The author's "job" was to write more books. What luxury compared to this market or perish publishing world of today....Enough already.
2011 Resolution:
Be grateful I am physically able to write. Be grateful I am mentally capable of stringing letters into sensical order. Be grateful I have the time and support I need to write. Be grateful others want to read what I write. Be grateful that on some certain days, when the mood is right, the muse is willing, and the stars are just so, I write magic.
Singapore's Can-Can-Can Do Attitude
I am just back from Singapore. Curtis and I stopped off on our way home to Jakarta from the states to visit our doctors. Singapore, this tiny, progressive country clinging to the southern tip of Malaysia rivals any other—Germany, Switzerland, France—when it comes to being clean and well-organized. Their medical care is phenomenal. In the morning I stop in at the lab to give blood and urine for analysis, zip over to radiology for my mammogram and bone density, grab a snack, and by the afternoon my doctor has the results and is ready to take charge of my health management. More often than not, I leave the doctor’s office with several months’ worth of maintenance meds and an appointment for my next visit—having spent about a third less money and countless weeks less time than I would have in the United States! (Health Care reorganizers: take note!)
And to think that Singapore has only been an independent nation since 1965!
Singapore hasn’t always been so well-organized or clean. When independence was declared, it was self-admittedly (so the tour guides proclaim) a smelly, festering, disease-riddled, tropical eyesore. Then, in the mid-70’s Singapore began a mega clean-up campaign. And now, a mere 30 years later, even the reclaimed gray water is pure enough to drink. Why has Singapore been able to accomplish so much in such a short time? What do they have that others do not? I think it’s attitude.
Westerners use “sure,” “fine,” “all right,” “Okay,” “that’s a plan" and various other seemingly positive but not definitive phrases to say “yes.”
Indonesians (and native of some other Asian countries) say “yes” or “hai” to everything, whether they mean it or not, because to do otherwise is to lose face.
To give an affirmative response, Singaporeans answer “can” at least three times, quickly, strung together in affirmation: “can-can-can,” while vigorously nodding their heads.
When I informed my doctor's receptionist that another doctor's appointment was running late and could she squeeze me in later she said, "can-can-can" followed by a 7 pm call later that night saying Dr. Nair was just finishing up for the day and if I could rush over he would stay to see me.
Our cab driver answered the phone, listened and muttered before finishing with "can-can-can, okay, bye."
Waiters asked to substitute this for that, add this, do that answers, "can-can-can." There is no hesitation. There is no beating around the bush. It’s can-can-can and they do-do-do and keep on doing until a thing is well-done.
I am going to adopt this Singaporean Can-do attitude—maybe you should, too. Who knows what we can accomplish by deciding we CAN—not just once, either, or twice while we dance around the subject, but at least 3 times! Toulouse Lautrec watch what I can do when I CAN-CAN-CAN!
Two Stepper Unite--Time to Fight for our Dance Halls
Texas Dance Halls are facing extinction as more and more of them are closing due to "decay and disuse" says Patrick Sparks, president of Texas Dance Hall Preservation, Inc. The best way to save our dance halls is to "Dance in them" Patrick says. But some Texans are doing more--and you can too. Read/hear about it in this January 4th NPR report by John Burnett:
Saving Texas Dance Halls, One Two-Step At A Time
If the link to NPR doesn't work go here: www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122009049
If you haven't made your 2o10 resolution yet, now is the time: come on y'all help save our dance halls--fight for your right to two-step! Dance on!
Nothing is Something
Henry David Thoreau wrote: “A man has not everything to do, but something…” I get so caught up in getting through my to-do lists that sometimes, like today, I get mad when I catch myself doing nothing. But doing nothing is something.
Years ago, at an SCBWI Conference in Los Angeles, E.L. Konigsburg discussed creativity and how we need negative space—white space, blank space—in our minds, in our lives, in order to allow new ideas to emerge. The only author to win the Newbery Medal and a Newbery Honor in the same year (1968), with her 2nd and 1st books respectively: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler and Jennifer, Hecate, Macbeth, William McKinley, and Me, Elizabeth, and then 27 years later win a second Newbery Medal (The View from Saturday, 1997) Elaine Konigsburg is my hero. She is who I want to be when I grow up: a brilliant, accessible, prolific writer. All this being said, you would think that I would take her advice to heart and embrace the white space, allow myself to make nothing that something—sometimes, anyway.
Occasionally, when I consciously try, I give myself that nothing space…really I do. But often, like today—right now—instead of giving my mind time to empty, and the extra time needed for my imagination to kick up to high gear, and even more time to see where it leads me, I take over and get busy doing something—say writing a blog entry.
Earlier, when I was supposed to be doing nothing, I stumbled upon this passage by Brenda Ueland. I believe Julie Larios shared it at a Vermont College residency:
Long, Happy Dawdling
The imagination needs moodling--long, inefficient, happy idling, dawdling and puttering. These people who are always briskly doing something and as busy as waltzing mice, they have little, sharp, staccato ideas, such as: "I see where I can make an annual cut of $3.47 in my meat budget." But they have no slow, big ideas. And the fewer consoling, noble, shining, free, jovial, magnanimous ideas that come, the more nervously and desperately they rush and run from office to office and up and down stairs, thinking by action at last to make life have some warmth and meaning.
And so, on this the 31st day of the old year, at the dawning of a new year, 2010, with the hope of allowing for plenty of "moodling" I make this bold and italicized resolution:
The next time I catch myself daydreaming or look back after an afternoon spent…how? and I feel those raging Puritan Ethics Monitors shaking their scabby heads over the wasteful way I spent my day I'm going to set them straight: “Nothing is something! It is what we are supposed to do. ..Elaine said so! ”
I opened with Thoreau, so it feels fitting to close with his blessing. And now, as soon as I post this, I'm going to get busy doing nothing, promise!
"Go confidently in the direction of your dreams. Live the life you have imagined.”
Happy Moodling!
Have Ourselves a Hope-filled Holiday and New Year!
Max, my son, graduated from Prescott College, Sunday, with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Environmental Studies with an emphasis in Research Ecology and Studio Arts. A long hoped for, joyous occasion for which 16 family and adopted family members gathered. Prescott College is an extraordinary college, peopled by students, staff and faculty oozing purpose. And, as befitting the school, this was no ordinary listen-for-your-name-march-across-the-stage-take-a-diploma-shake-hands-leave….throw-your-mortarboard-you-did-it-yeah! graduation. This was a weekend long celebration. Forty one students officially graduated Sunday; 37 attended the ceremony. Each of those 37 students was honored with a one-minute speech by her or his faculty adviser and then spoke for one-minute. You can share a lot of information, experiences, reflections, gratitude into a minute. It was a long, emotionally-charged ceremony. I left feeling the way I did after watching It’s A Wonderful Life for the first time—and I sooooooooo wanted to be a student again. During his welcome speech, Prescott College President, Dan Garvey, said (and I paraphrase):
“We can live about 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, 3 minutes without oxygen...but we can’t survive for even a second without hope…”
HOPE: It is why we do….everything! Because we have hopes for the next second, the next minute, the next day, the next year and after that…
As mothers, we hope to see our children grow up to live the lives they dream for themselves. I am blessed to see my children, Max and Lexi, doing exactly that.
As writers, we write with the hope of transferring our ideas into words on a page. Some hopes are simple: let me write it down so I won’t forget. Some are complex: let me arrange these words in a lyrical, provocative, entertaining order. Many go beyond: after I dredge up the best words to convey my ideas, set these words on the page, arrange them and rearrange them, pleeeeease let someone else read them and understand and feel and connect with the thoughts I am hoping to convey. Some are even loftier: let an editor connect so strongly with my writing that she/he wants to publish it and thus make my ideas accessible to others.
We breathe, eat, drink, strive, because we hope to live. We write because we hope to make connections. To twist a phrase from my family’s favorite holiday movie: Hope is all you need!
May ours be a joyful holiday and hope-filled New Year!
What the Heck is "Real" Reading?
My friend and writer, Marty Graham was in a bookstore reading through picture books to see what was out there, when she overheard a mother talking--lecturing--her son about his choice of preferred book. This is what Marty heard the mother say:
"That's not a real book."
And then Marty heard something behind her being moved back to a shelf. She wrote:
"By the time I turned to sneak my peak, mother and son were gone. The closest display was of paperback middle grades. I could have gone through them, or looked further (where had her voice come from? what shelf? what display?). I could have spent time looking for clues. Maybe it really hadn't been a book? But then...."
This is what Marty thought:
"I will never know. I stood a moment, thinking, 'that's what occurred in the children's book section at the Barnes and Noble Bookstore?. Fun to wonder, but So scary. So mysterious. Do you remember the famous line in the movie Crocodile Dundee, when Dundee unsheathes an incredible Australian wackywoo to a couple of NY Bronx street thugs?? He said: "That's no knife.........................THIS is a knife."
What the heck is a real book anyway? And should we really care what our children read as long as they are reading? My brother and I used to read the back of cereal boxes during breakfast--would the mother Marty overheard consider that "real" reading or "fake" reading? Honestly, what difference does what each of us chooses to read in our spare time make? Even pornography--if you, me, we- want to read it, or trashy romance, or comic books who cares? (And if we tell the truth, isn't learning a someone reads odd/surprising stuff fun?)
Isn't our goal to teach them: our children, our citizens, our tax payers, our fellow humans--all of them--to read? So they can comprehend/access information themselves...learn the facts...judge the situations (healthcare in the U.S. included)--and make informed decisions? To that end, isn't it more beneficial for children to be entertained by reading--"real" and not "real" books alike (cereal boxes even)--so they will want to keep reading and by doing so learn to read better?
What is "real" reading? What is a "read" book? Should "real" really matter?
Oh my gosh! Look there! It's a book...with words....pictures...ideas....help! Quick! Someone....everyone....
LET THEM READ IT!