Friday, June 29, 2012

Entry # 72 - "The Emotional Power of Objects for Readers & Writers"

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In our recent workshop, we talked about the power of objects in effective fiction to convey tension and emotion. And this week in reviewing my writing workshop notes, I’ve thought again about the amazing power of objects to convey emotion. As a writer, I need to keep that idea close to me as I revise my work.
The Famous Rock at Hollins University - June 2012
Objects in fiction, and in particular, objects repeated within the limited confines of a short story are there for a reason. To paraphrase the often-used (and perhaps abused) Chekhov quote, if a gun appears in the opening scene, it needs to go off by the closing scene, or the reader needs to know why it did not go off.

Objects convey information, and raise expectations and tension. When used effectively in limited patterns, relevant objects provide links to emotions and lend credibility. I am reminded of Tim O’ Brien’s (1990) collection of linked stories about Vietnam, The Things They Carried, which provides a masterful use of objects to build tension and emotional connections. For example, First Lieutenant Jimmy Cross and his men carry objects for love and for war.  They carry love letters, malaria tablets, Bibles and dope. They carry guns and mine detectors, binoculars and maps. Jimmy Cross carries a compass and a 45-caliber pistol that weighed 2.9 pounds fully loaded.  Everything they carry is a necessity both for survival and for war; everything carried is real, and provides emotional weight and ‘real’ weight that is factored into each story as it builds tension, establishes reality and connects deeply with the reader’s emotions.  
Writers Leave 'The Rock' to GO OUT & WRITE

Francine Prose has said that she used to tell writers the first thing that came to her mind when asked for important writing advice.  “The most important things were observation and consciousness.  Keep your eyes open, see clearly, think about what you see and then ask yourself what it means.”


A Phone Booth in SCOTLAND - Jan Bowman - May 2012
She later said that she had cause to rethink that advice.   


But I suppose some parts of this advice are appropriate, for readers as they look to connect to the emotional heart of story narrative; for writers who appreciate the power of objects to convey emotions that help readers connect to the rich possibilities for meaning. 


Jan Bowman’s work has appeared in Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, Broadkill Review, Trajectory, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes, and others. She won the 2012 Roanoke Review Prize for Fiction. Her stories have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Best American Short Stories and a story was a finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories and currently shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. She has nonfiction work pending publication in Spring 2013 Issues of Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at:


Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Entry # 71 - "Camera Obscura: Reflections on Magic"

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What is a camera obscura and what on earth does it have to do with writing? These are fair questions so I’ve done a bit of research that suggests this device has relevance to thinking about the writing process.
Hollins University has a small camera obscura room on campus that our group visited while at the Tinker Mountain Writers Workshop. I’ve been there before, but never stayed long enough for my eyes to fully adjust to the light.  But this time I went several times and spent at least 10 minutes each time in the small room that’s about the size of a walk-in closet. It’s located outside, near stairs along the Moody Center walkway.

Pinckney Benedict  at the  Camera Obscura - June 2012
And what did I see in this dark room?  Clouds, sky, tree limbs swaying in the breeze and people walking along the sidewalk, reflected through a small hole onto a white wall. "Yes." (as Pinckney would be likely to say) "You might be tempted to say – “SO WHAT!”- but pause a moment - and imagine.  "Yes" Imagine going into a dark room on a sunny day.  If you make a small hole in a window cover – like a window shade, and look at a white wall opposite the pin hole, you will see the outside world – written large – all the light, color and movement – magically reproduced – but it is upside down

Example of a Camera Obscura View

“This magic is explained by a simple law of the physical world. Light travels in a straight line and when some of the rays reflected from a bright subject pass through a small hole in thin material, they do not scatter but cross and reform as an upside down image on a flat surface held parallel to the hole."  Like this upside down photo.



Poinciana Tree - Florida 2012 - Photo Alex Dunn & Jim Wilson

This basic law of optics was known as early as the 5th century BC and mentioned by a Chinese philosopher, Mo-Ti who called this effect in a darkened room a ‘collecting place’ or the ‘locked treasure room’ that suggested magic and mystery that while understood and explained, still produced a surreal effect upon the viewer.”  - From The Magic Mirror of Life: an appreciation of the camera obscura - by Jack and Beverly Wilgus.

When thinking about what a writer does in viewing and describing the physical world, the writing task has the same kind of magic and mystery – the writer uses words rather than light. And the ‘truth portrayed’ is truth turned – perhaps upside down to suggest other ways to make the connections between what is assumed to be real and that which is – for lack of a better word – surreal.


“Aristotle understood the optical principle of the camera obscura and he reportedly viewed the crescent shape of a partially eclipsed sun projected on the ground through holes in a sieve, and the gaps between the leaves of a plane tree.”  - From The Magic Mirror of Life: an appreciation of the camera obscura - by Jack and Beverly Wilgus.

My Failed Photo of Scene - Flash Disrupts Process
Hollins University’s Camera Obscura – according to the faded plaque and a search of the internet - was designed and made possible by Nancy Dize Spencer (’69) and Eric Renner, who were the Frances Niederer Artists-in-Residence in the spring of 2002. Both are internationally recognized pinhole photographers. 

For more information see:

- The Pinhole Camera by Brian J.    
   Krummel
- Under the Blue by Nancy Dize Spencer
- On Deaf Ears by Nancy Dize Spencer, Eric Renner, Barbara G. Walker
- Pinhole Photography by Eric Renner
- The Pinhole Journal - published 3 times a year  
- Camera Obscura illustrations in the 1817 encyclopedia
  from the Wilgus Collection
- for more on altered perspectives, see unrelated black & white photos: 
   www.Ketleyphoto.com

The World As We See It - Perhaps - Not As It Is

Special Note:  The Poinciana Tree photograph was altered by flipping it upside down using the computer to demonstrate how such a camera obscura view would look.  Thanks to Alex Dunn and Jim Wilson for letting me use it.  It's a perfect photo to demonstrate altered beauty.

It's All About Perspective. 

Jan Bowman’s work has appeared in Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, Broadkill Review, Trajectory, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes, and others. She won the 2012 Roanoke Review Prize for Fiction. Her stories have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Best American Short Stories and a story was a finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories and currently shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. She has nonfiction work pending publication in Spring 2013 Issues of Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at:


 

Friday, June 22, 2012

Entry # 70 - "Inside a Writers Workshop"

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Hollins University - June 2012 - Photos: Jan Bowman
Last week I was at the Tinker Mountain Writers Workshop at Hollins University in Roanoke, VA.  This was my fourth visit to this wonderful workshop set in the rolling hills and mountainous terrain of North Western VA, on the beautiful Hollins campus, and once again, it did not disappoint.   

Hollins University offers a wonderful setting for workshop participants to escape the modern world's distractions. Writers can devote their time and thoughts to serious writing. The workshop includes classes in poetry and prose, for nonfiction and fiction. 
Classes and Dorms Surround a Shady Quad - photo: Jan Bowman
Pinckney Benedict’s “Dreaming Fiction” class looked at ways to improve fiction, both generally and specifically, according to our need. Seven of us in our class, all able, competent, experienced “journeymen” writers read, wrote, and provided thoughtful comments and encouragement to each other, led by the insights of our instructor, writer Pinckney Benedict. I believe we’re all stronger writers this week than when we arrived last week for our workshop. 


Early Arrivals for Panel on Publishing
My friends have asked, "What happens at a week-long writers workshop?" So I thought I would give readers an overview.  A typical day at 'writers camp' - as I like to call it - begins with a walk.  After some breakfast, it's back to your room or the library to do assigned readings and writing exercises; then around eleven most workshop participants attend a one hour seminar which explores a topic in depth, presented by one of the workshop teachers.  After a break for lunch, writers go to their selected workshop class for three hours of focused work which includes readings and critiques of participants' work, as well as exercises and instruction that explore ways to strengthen the works presented by students in the class. 

After a short break writers gather for dinner and then go back for prose and poetry readings and panel discussions presented by the writing faculty.  Later - back at the dorms - writers talk about their writing and readings. Being totally submerged for a week with other writers is a great way to grow rapidly in 'writerly skills' and build confidence.  So here's a broad look at the process that duplicates the patterns and process I've experienced at summer workshops at Iowa - Summer Writing Festival, Gettysburg Review Writers Conference, and Tinker Mountain Writers Workshop in recent years.

Hollins Univ. Porch Rockers Attract Writers & Readers
It's fair to say that all the workshops I've ever attended have helped me grow as a writer at a much faster rate than I would have grown on my own.  Also - while new participants are often terrified that their work will be judged harshly or misunderstood, I have always found the instructors, who are - after all - writers themselves, kind and honest and tactful in finding the strengths in each writer's work, respecting each writer and that writer's vision for the full development of the potential in each piece of writing.  And finally and perhaps, most importantly, in organizing and setting a positive tone for classroom discussions.  First time participants are usually somewhat fearful and several 'first-timers' in my class expressed reservations prior to the first day of class, but quickly realized that our instructors were intent on providing a safe and positive experience. But it is safe to say though that all workshops are not equal and all are not positive experiences, so it's a good idea to shop around.  Talk to previous participants to find a good workshop fit for your writing needs.

Here's a list of craft seminar topics at Tinker Mountain this year - just to give you an idea of the range of these presentations:  

o  Jim McKean:  "Creative Research and the Art of Facts"
o  Pinckney Benedict:  "Things Writers Can Write Besides
                                         Just Stories and Novels"
o  Thorpe Moeckel:  "Looking at You: Using Second Person - in Poetry"
o  Fred Leebron:  "From Page to Screen"
o  Dan Mueller:  "Turning to Literature for Writing Prompts: 
                               An Exercise in Reading as a Writer"
o  Akiko Busch:  "The Written and the Made: Thoughts on Ceramics and Writing" 

Publishing Panel
Next week I hope to write more specifics about the content of my workshop for those who won't get to a workshop this summer, but who might plan to look for a suitable one for next year. 

Wednesday (6/20/12) I read a New York Times Restaurant Review by Pete Wells, and the following quote, which he applied to cooking, made me laugh but then I began to think about whether it applies to the process of writing. 
 Pete Wells said, "Creative people should never explain their process to anyone except their biographers, who care, and their spouses, who have to listen.  The rest of us ought to be left guessing." 
The more I think about it - the more I think writers would be at a loss if other writers did NOT share their knowledge about process with each other.  A community of writers provides richness far beyond that which one finds in a good cream sauce.
What do you think?  Feel free to comment.    


Jan Bowman’s work has appeared in Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, Broadkill Review, Trajectory, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes, and others. She won the 2012 Roanoke Review Prize for Fiction. Her stories have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Best American Short Stories and a story was a finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories and currently shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. She has nonfiction work pending publication in Spring 2013 Issues of Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at:


Saturday, June 9, 2012

Entry # 69 - "Looking Closely at the Writer's World"

Praying (for rain) Mantis - Photo by Jan Bowman  - 2012

This week I have thought about how the writer must learn to look closely at the world.  I was reading some work by a budding, unpublished writer and noticed the attention to detail that brings the fictional world to life.  To look closely at everything is one of several essential elements in effective writing.  I don't think this means the writer must describe every detail.  That can become tedious, but I do think being aware of the real world allows a writer to move beyond the tangible into the ephemeral, in much the same way that a painter looks and then selects.  

I took a walk in my little garden yesterday and I was struck at how quickly change can occur.  Weeds were everywhere. And I noticed an interesting praying mantis.  It's a bit early for them, but we've had an early spring here in Maryland.    So look closely and see if you can see the praying mantis in these two photographs.  And I wonder - would people be as likely to see it if I had not pointed it out.  Once we know what to look for - it's somehow easier to see a thing we might have missed.

Look Closely - Photo by Jan Bowman - 2012
 
I am happy to say that modern medicine is amazing when you think that two weeks ago I was laid low by a bout with pneumonia and I have almost fully recovered from my illness. SO I will be away at a writers workshop next week, and have given myself permission to skip a blog entry next week if things are too busy.

I found this poem that I like about a praying mantis.  Looking closely at the world adds to daily pleasures.


                     “Emergence”

                                               by Robert Francis, (American. 1901-1987)

If you have watched a moulting mantis
With exquisite precision and no less
Exquisite patience, extricate itself
Leaf-green and like a green leaf clinging
Little by little, leg by leg
Out of its chiton shell, you likewise know
How one day coaxes itself out of another
Slowly, slowly by imperceptible degrees
Of gray, and having fully emerged, pauses
To dry its wings.

Jan Bowman’s work has appeared in Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, Broadkill Review, Trajectory, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes, and others. She won the 2012 Roanoke Review Prize for Fiction. Her stories have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Best American Short Stories and a story was a finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories and currently shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. She has nonfiction work pending publication in Spring 2013 Issues of Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at:


Tuesday, June 5, 2012

Entry # 68- WRITERS TALK - Mary Bowman-Kruhm - Nonfiction Author of More Than 30 Books


Background Notes:
After a first career in education, where she wrote about 5,692 memos, lesson plans, and curricula guides no one ever read, Mary Bowman-Kruhm decided to write for kids. Maybe they’d read what she wrote!   Sure enough, her first book was I Hate School: How to Hang In & When to Drop Out (Harper & Row, 1987). It was named by the American Library Association on its lists “Best Books for Young Adults—1986” and “Recommended Books for Reluctant Young Adult Readers—1987” and by the National Council of Teachers of English in Books for You (recommended under “Self-Help” and “Easy Reading” categories).  Mary has authored or co-authored over 30 nonfiction books for children, YAs, and adults and two picture books.  She is a contributor to Children's Book Insider and a faculty associate at Johns Hopkins University, School of Education.  Past positions include school administrator, reading specialist, and English teacher. 


In her spare time Mary likes to read, travel, and knit. Current passion:  Digging wells for the Maasai village of Oltorotua, Kenya.  Visit her web site: www.marybk.com and blog: The Maasai, the Mara, Musings, and a fresh water well for Oltorotua, Kenya at http://digthiswell.com




Jan:     Mary, thank you for agreeing to this interview.  Few writers have had the diverse writing and publishing experiences that you’ve had. You’ve enjoyed great success in writing over 30 books in a range of content areas for all sorts of audiences. You’ve written books for teens, elementary age children and adults. You’ve successfully published books across genres with many different publishers. And yet, you have acknowledged that few people know your name.  What’s the “best-kept secret” of your ongoing success?

Mary:     Do you remember who authored your high school history book?  Few students notice, even while they are holding the actual book in their hands.  It’s the curse of writing nonfiction! 

A study by N. K. Duke in the Reading Research Quarterly about five years ago reported that in elementary school classrooms the author observed, only 3.6 minutes out of every day was spent on reading and talking about nonfiction books.  Yet nonfiction is what most adults read and what young people like to read and need to read for success in post-school education and in the workforce.  I think my “ongoing success” is because I love nonfiction myself and am naturally curious, especially about people’s lives.

Jan:     Congratulations on your companion books, Busy Toes and Busy Fingers, the latter of which won the Oppenheim Toy Portfolio Best Book Award – Gold Seal in 2005, written with Wendie Old (under the pen name C.W. Bowie). Both are available in Spanish. What led you to write books for the 2-year-old crowd? 

Mary:     Claudine Wirths, my co-author for many books, and I were riding with Wendie Old on our way home from a Philadelphia conference for children’s writers.  The rain turned icy.  To take our minds off the weather, Claudine told us her father taught her to write with a pencil held between her toes and we started making a list of what we could do with our toes.  Once we got safely home, we turned the list into a rhythmic manuscript.  Sixteen publishers rejected What Can You Do with Your Toes? A writer friend said the title needed to be action-oriented, something, for example, like Busy Toes.  Publisher #17 sent us a contract!

Jan:     Tell our readers about your 9-book series – A Day in the Life of – written for beginning readers, grades 1-3 to explore careers, for example: Firefighter, Coach, Architect, and others.  How did you select the various jobs to describe and how did you go about researching the materials for these books about “grown-up” jobs?

Mary:     Rosen (the publisher) asked us to write them for a flat rate rather than royalty and, because we felt these books would be absolutely delightful to write, we said we would.  But we did ask that the photographs be taken in the MD/DC/VA area because we had researched books about community helpers and found all the books at that time were photographed in New York City or Philadelphia.  We wanted suburban and rural young readers to be able to relate to the photos and we also wanted to tell the stories of a diverse group of people.  Rosen agreed and consequently my husband Carl, grandson, niece, dog, among others, are pictured in them.

The Frederick (MD) chief of police recommended a Latino officer who had a German shepherd patrol dog named Bruno.  Perfect!  We met Officer Morales and he was indeed a Latino—with blond hair and blue eyes.  Our editor approved and, in fact, the editorial team made a poster for their wall of a photo from the book—Bruno in the driver’s seat playing a trick on Officer Morales by turning on the patrol car’s lights.
  
Jan:     You’ve written two well-received biographies about Margaret Mead and The Leakeys.  Tell us about the path that led you to write biographies, and in particular, these two books.

Mary:     I saw an announcement that Greenwood was planning a series of biographies and sent a query letter and some samples of my writing.  The editor assigned me Margaret Mead and I delved into researching her life.  Then the editorial board pulled the contract because they felt my books were written for less able readers and feared I couldn’t write for the target audience of competent readers.  I was incredibly disappointed and asked the editor to let me write a sample chapter.  She did and they reissued the contract. 

I love writing biographies and the newest thrust—creative nonfiction—is exciting because it takes nonfiction out of the realm of dull facts and uses the techniques you fiction authors use to tell story.

Jan:     You’ve made numerous trips abroad to conduct research on the work of Margaret Mead, as well as the Leakey family.  What are some unanticipated benefits of your research - for you professionally and personally?

Mary:     Actually, I didn’t travel much to research Margaret Mead because the Library of Congress has her private collection and several adult biographers and friends of Mead shared their insights electronically and I got help from members of an anthropology listserv.  I lurk on a listserv about any topic I’m investigating and then, when I feel competent enough to post a question, I ask for help.  Listservs have provided me with an incredible amount of personal information about a bio subject and I have found authorities to vet what I write.

Writing about the Leakey family has enriched my life immeasurably.  We visited Lake Turkana in northern Kenya and had tea with Dr. Louise Leakey, who is carrying on the tradition of two generations of Leakeys before her, as she scours the hot, barren soil of East Africa for fossils of early humans.  Then, when we spent a few days on safari to see wildlife, we visited a Maasai village.  We thrilled at the curiosity of the Maasai and told our guide that we would never want to change someone’s culture, but to contact us if he found someone we could help with an education. 

Jackson Liaram and Mary Bowman-Kruhm
He e-mailed us about six months later.  
Although we have helped several young Kenyans, we have continued a friendship with Jackson Liaram, a young Maasai warrior herding family cattle while hoping for help to attend safari guide school.  The October 2012 issue of Highlights for Children will have a story I wrote, with photographs by my husband Carl, about Jackson’s life, “Living with Animals.”   

Jan:     You have an abiding interest and commitment to the people of Kenya.  With the help of Rotary Clubs in the US and the Nakuru-Great Rift Valley Rotary Club in Kenya, you’re working for funding to dig three wells and build 100 latrines for the village of Oltorotua, Kenya.  Please tell us how readers can learn more about this important, worthy work? 

Mary:  For sure, they can follow my blog: http://digthiswell.com.  Rotary District 7620 has now approved the grant proposal and it will hopefully sail through The Rotary Foundation process, which will match donations and make fund-raising easier.

Jan:     You’ve written numerous books targeted to the needs of teens and young adults with disabilities.  I’m thinking of titles like:  Coping with Discrimination & Prejudice, Confrontations & Encounters with the Police, Everything You Need to Know about Learning Disabilities and Everything You Need to Know About Down Syndrome.  Of these books, which was the most gratifying to you in terms of your perception of its positive impact on readers? 

Mary:     Most of them have stayed in print for many years, so I assume they help readers.  Again, nonfiction writers are the ‘Rodney Dangerfield of writing—we don’t get no respect’ and no letters from readers telling us our book changed their lives.

Jan:     You’ve successfully collaborated with other writers over the years.  What have you learned about working with another author on a joint project?  Can you describe your process?

Mary:     Their writing styles must complement each other’s.  When writing with Claudine or Wendie, they looked especially at the big picture (i.e., the structure and flow) and I tended to handle details both in the material we wrote and submitting to publishers. 

Jan:     Over the years, you’ve conducted numerous interviews. Is there any one that was particularly memorable? 
 
Mary:     I had an idea for an article after I learned one of our church members, Turner, was President for two terms of the American Sunbathing Association, now the American Association for Nude Recreation (AANR).  So I interviewed Turner and then did more research at the American Nudist Research Library when my husband, Carl and I were in Florida.  I conducted research for my article and arranged to interview two librarians who knew Turner. When I left for the interviews, I told Carl that I had never interviewed anyone in the nude before; he suggested that I not tell anyone that, or they would think I, rather than the librarian was nude. 

The article is out for publication consideration. I’ll let you know if it is accepted, but I don’t expect it to be.  Nudists are very circumspect in talking about nudism and, sadly, I couldn’t get any really lively stories out of any of my interviewees.

Jan:     You’ve certainly worked with a range of publishers.  Do you have any tips for writers about finding the right publisher for a given work?

Mary:     Do your homework.  Go to conferences and network.  Find books like the one you are writing and check out publishers on blogs and websites, in books like Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market and The Best of the Magazine Markets for Writers, in newsletters like Children’s Book Insider or the equivalent in the genre in which you focus.

Jan:     So what’s next?  What projects continue to hold your interest for future work?  Do you have advice for writers conducting research outside the USA?

Mary:     Stay open to adventures. I never dreamed that Kenya would grab my life as it has. We will make our third visit to Kenya in the near future, where Jackson Liaram will be our guide on safari at Amboseli, with over 1000 elephants and other wildlife and Mount Kilimanjaro providing the backdrop.  We will also have lunch, again, with Louise Leakey and visit her family’s vineyard.  Few writers are monetarily wealthy but we reap rewards in other ways, including satisfaction in what we do.

Jan:     What is the best advice you’ve ever heard about writing?  What would you say to encourage beginning writers?

Mary:     I would say be persistent and investigate a variety of outlets for your writing.  The profession is in a state of flux right now, to put it mildly. Investigate and decide what is the best route to publication for you and your topic. And it is important to remember that if you self-publish, hire a good editor, which all, and yes, I mean all, writers need.


Jan Bowman’s work has appeared in Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, Broadkill Review, Trajectory, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes, and others. She won the 2012 Roanoke Review Prize for Fiction. Her stories have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Best American Short Stories and a story was a finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories and currently shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. She has nonfiction work pending publication in Spring 2013 Issues of Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at:


Friday, June 1, 2012

Entry # 67 - "When Clouds Get In The Way"

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North Atlantic Sky #1  - May 2012 - Jan Bowman
This week I bring good news and bad news.  First: The Good News.  I don’t have “jet lag.”  Now the Bad News: I have pneumonia that has been simmering since I got home.   

Apparently, it’s not uncommon in this age of recycled cabin air for stressed passengers on long flights, but it is uncommon for me.  Perhaps I am not invincible, after all.  

North Atlantic Sky #2 - May 2012 - Jan Bowman
So what does any of this have to do with writing?  I’ve been sleeping a lot, drinking lots of fluids, and thinking about clouds.  I took a number of cloud photographs while I was away and in looking at them, I realized that while blue skies are lovely and suggest contentment, I think it’s actually clouds that capture our imaginations, with their variations of light and dark.  Their interesting, recognizable shapes connect at some primal level, just as good fiction does. Dramatic events unfold every day in the skies overhead in whatever place we find ourselves. Weather is everywhere. We only need to look up and think of the complex layered possibilities in cloud structure that also exists in fiction -  as metaphors - in the ways peoples, communities, countries and relationships function. 

North Atlantic Sky # 3 - May 2012 - Jan Bowman
So I decided to find out more about the different cloud types and their significance for weather.  I went to an actual book and I would highly recommend it. Did you know there are ten major cloud types recognized the world over?  I didn’t.  Did you know they have amazing names like:  cirrus, altostratus, stratocumulus, and altocumulus? I didn’t.  Did you know that the tufted altocumulus cloudlets which look peaceful from below, indicate instability at cloud level?  Did you know that a single cumulonimbus, with its distinctive anvil shape can reach higher than Mount Everest?  All of this and more comes from a wonderful book, Clouds by Eric M. Wilcox with stunning photographs and a splendid forward by Gavin Pretor-Pinney.  In much of the world, clouds are viewed with a sense of wonder.  They provide complex mythical links to our greater universe.  However, in the culture of our particular time and place, people tend to spend more time looking down, at their i-phones or the ground,  instead of looking up at the sky. They've become disconnected from the universe.

Scottish Highlands Sky # 4 - May 2012 - Jan Bowman
 Did you know that... 
“In Arabic, to describe someone who is lucky or blessed, they say:  'His sky is always filled with clouds.'  What better way to put it.”  From Introduction to Clouds.

And finally, did you know that there is a Cloud Appreciation Society and that Pretor-Pinney is the founder of it?  I didn't.  Here's the website: www.cloudappreciationsociety.org

Ralph Waldo Emerson called clouds "the daily bread of life."

Jan Bowman’s work has appeared in Roanoke Review, Big Muddy, Broadkill Review, Trajectory, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes, and others. She won the 2012 Roanoke Review Prize for Fiction. Her stories have been nominated for a Pushcart Prize, Best American Short Stories and a story was a finalist in the “So To Speak” Fiction Contest. She is working on two collections of short stories and currently shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection. She has nonfiction work pending publication in Spring 2013 Issues of Trajectory and Pen-in-Hand. She writes a weekly blog of “Reflections” on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers.   Learn more at: