tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35146002628263891372024-03-05T05:05:22.293-05:00Jan Bowman WriterJan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.comBlogger209125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-43939373115537142362016-02-01T15:47:00.001-05:002016-02-01T15:47:12.064-05:00Entry 242 - Margaret Mackinnon on Poetry's Connections Between Obscurity & Mystery<h1>
Entry 242 – Margaret Mackinnon on Poetry’s Connections Between Obscurity & Mystery</h1>
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By Jan Bowman <strong style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Margaret
Mackinnon, winner of the Library of Virginia 2014 Poetry Award and
winner of 2011 GERALD CABLE BOOK AWARD for THE INVENTED CHILD, talks
with Jan Bowman about connecting the lines between the obscure and the
mysterious. <br />
</strong><span style="color: red;"></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong><em> </em></strong></span><a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/41tCNxHp2dL._SX330_BO1204203200_-200x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="41tCNxHp2dL._SX330_BO1,204,203,200_" border="0" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1165" height="300" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/41tCNxHp2dL._SX330_BO1204203200_-200x300.jpg" width="200" /></a><span style="color: red;"><strong><em>“In THE INVENTED CHILD,
Margaret Mackinnon can say of a tiny child’s appearance in a fairy tale
‘the air shimmers as this miracle unfurls’ and be speaking also of the
way her poems appear on the page. Whether in celebration or grief, she
presents poem after poem alert to history and family—poems that unfold
with equal felicity to the heart’s ‘infinite and intricate discernments’
and the lucidity of a mind alive to the world’s stories.”</em></strong>— Gregory Orr</span><br />
<br />
<strong>Jan: First, let me say thank for taking the time for this
interview. Second I want to tell you how much I love your poetry. You
have said, <em>“If I have a goal for my poetry, it is to explore that
point of connection between what is clear and observable and what is
infinitely obscure and mysterious.”</em> I was reminded that Louise
Gluck said that a poet must be surprised by what the mind is capable of
unveiling. What most surprises you about what your mind unveils? Tell me
more about this process.</strong><br />
<strong style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/images-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="images-1" border="0" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1166" height="194" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/images-1.jpg" width="259" /></a> </strong><span style="color: blue;"><strong style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;">Margaret:
At a reading I did last year, someone in the audience commented that I
seemed to emphasize a “sense of balance” in my work. At first, I was
surprised by the comment, but then, I thought the speaker understood
something I hadn’t realized. I do think I am constantly searching for
that balance between “the clear and observable” and the “infinitely
obscure and mysterious.” Poems to me are always acts of faith, or acts
of meaning and imagination. Wallace Stevens, among the poets I love
most, writes, “We feel the obscurity of an order, a whole.” I think I am
most interested in creating art (in my own small way) that meets at
that intersection of obscurity and wholeness, which is where I think
faith resides.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Margaret: I do try to write out of a
sense that art and faith, as acts of imagination, always intersect. I am
the daughter of a Presbyterian minister—and I was a religion and art
history major in college—and I view my poems as ways of thinking about
what it means to be a person of imagination, observation, conscience,
and history.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<strong><br /></strong>
<br />
<strong>Jan: I am thinking now about your poem about Marianne Moore, <em>At the Rosenbach Library: Afternoons in the Archives</em>. You have said, <em>“The poems I have worked on in recent years often feel like little research projects.”</em> Where do you begin? And where do you end? With the poem’s imagery or the idea that you are exploring?</strong><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Margaret: Like many people
who teach, I was someone who always loved school. As much as I love
books that reflect years of research—I am a huge fan of literary
biographies—I realized at a certain point that I wasn’t a “scholar” in
the contemporary sense. However, I do love approaching a poem as an
opportunity to integrate history, theory, observation, and reflection.
Perhaps a bit like someone writing a novel set within a specific
historical context, I do a lot of reading before I actually start a
poem.</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>The poem on Moore came out of
the great affection I have for her as a person and as a writer; I had
also learned that it was possible to read in the archives on Moore at
the Rosenbach Library in Philadelphia without having any recognized
academic credentials, so I spent several wonderful days reading Moore’s
letters, looking at her notebooks, and marveling over postcards and
notes from people like Wallace Stevens and Elizabeth Bishop.</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Though Moore was not a mother,
she was closely bound to her own mother; she also had what I would call a
very maternal connection to several younger women, including Bishop. I
set out with the vague idea of looking at the idea of “maternal love” in
Moore’s work—and what I found resonated deeply with me. What came out
of this experience is one of my most personal poems—both as a mother and
as a daughter—so even if it’s not a poem that speaks to a wide
audience, I am very glad I wrote it.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<strong>Jan: Tell me a bit about <em>Meditation on Three Landscapes</em>?</strong><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Margaret: Perhaps because I
teach Emerson and Thoreau in my working life, I have thought a lot about
how nature can offer us a transformative experience, one that connects
equally to both loss and redemption. This is the idea I wanted to
explore in this poem. There are three actual landscapes in the poem: the
Lake Tahoe area of California (which I experienced at the Squaw Valley
Writers’ Conference), Vermont (with a reference to an artist at the
Vermont Studio Center, where I had a fellowship), and northern New
Mexico (where we had rented a house). To speak quite honestly, this was
my attempt to reflect on the losses I had experienced as a woman—in
terms of pregnancy losses—and equally, the resurrections I know in my
life—and have found reflected in my amazing daughter, my fortunate
marriage, and many loved landscapes.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<strong>Jan: I loved this collection and many of poems about your
parents resonate with me still. Which among those was the most
difficult to discover?</strong><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Margaret: All of these poems
were a challenge. I wanted to honor my parents’ stories, but I also
wanted to think honestly about what those stories meant to me. Alice
Munro’s complex stories on her relationship with her mother helped set
me on the path toward writing these poems. Greg Orr’s encouragement also
helped. “For My Father, Buried under Other Trees” is a poem I am proud
of because I think I did honor the complex tragedy of my father’s
childhood—and to the way he needed to remember this story. With my
mother, I struggled with deciding whether I could write her story in “My
Mother’s Photographs,” which is about learning, after my mother’s
death, that she had had an affair during my teenage years. In both
cases, writing the poems became an exercise in stepping back and
thinking about how rich my parents’ lives were, apart from their
connection to me.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<strong>Jan: Which of your current poems in <em>The Invented Child</em> (2013) are among your favorites to read before an audience? And I wondered how do you select particular poems to read aloud?</strong><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Margaret: Not that I do so
many, but readings used to be events I dreaded. However, I think they’ve
now become opportunities that feel like the best moments in my
classroom: a chance to talk about my enthusiasms and to share my
observations. When I go to an intimate concert, I enjoy having the
performer talk about what he or she is playing; in the same way, I like
reading poems that have a bit of a back story. “The Invented Child,”
which is based on my reading of Justin Kaplan’s biography of Walt
Whitman, is a favorite poem to share at readings for these reasons.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<strong>Jan: Who are among your favorite contemporary poets?</strong><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Margaret: I have so many! And
I’m a great believer in loving a poet for one magnificent poem—or even
one magnificent line. Deborah Digges is a writer whose work I’ve studied
to learn how she can follow a line of connection that unites in an
unexpected way; her poems “Laws of Falling Bodies” and “Ancestral
Lights” are what I would consider close to perfect. Like many people who
write, I keep a notebook. Along with my own thoughts, I also collect
specific poems I admire for the writer’s ambition and sense of craft.
Among the poems I’m currently reading for ideas and inspiration are
“Giving and Getting” by Tony Hoagland, “Still-Life With Turkey” by Diane
Seuss, and a wonderful poem by Ron Smith called “The Beauty in the
Trees.”</strong></span><br />
<br />
<strong>Jan: So what are you working on now and what is your next writing project?</strong><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Margaret: I’m currently
working on several poems that came out of a trip my husband and I took
to Scotland last summer. My father’s family came from the Isle of Skye
in Scotland and then settled in eastern North Carolina (which is hot and
humid and nothing like the Highlands) in the late 18<sup>th</sup>
century. Though none of them ever saw Scotland, they had a strong sense
of pride in their roots. I’m hoping these new poems will be a way of
digging deeper into my family’s past—and also a way to celebrate a
country and a landscape that enchanted me.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<strong>Jan: What is the best writing advice that helped you most in your writing?</strong><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Margaret: I’ve been fortunate
to take several summer classes with poet Gregory Orr, and some of his
ideas have become central to what I want to do with my writing. In <em>Poetry As Survival</em>,
he states, “The essential point is that for a poem to move us it must
bring us near our own threshold.” For me, this idea of “threshold” is as
true for the writer as for the reader. I think of this as taking the
poem—its emotions, its subject matter, its rhetorical choices—to the
point where it begins to feel a bit risky, and therefore most rewarding.
Of course, I’ve realized that we all have different thresholds, so what
might seem risky to me would be quite tame to a writer like Sharon
Olds. But Greg’s theory has encouraged me to push what I think I can do
in a poem. And in a similar vein, in a wonderfully rewarding class at
the Tinker Mountain workshop, Thorpe Moeckel (who was Greg Orr’s
student) told us all to risk trying those things everyone in a workshop
might tell us we “can’t do.”</strong></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Background Information</span></strong><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Poetry. Winner of the Library
of Virginia 2014 Poetry Award. “In THE INVENTED CHILD, and 2011 winner
of the GERALD CABLE BOOK AWARD, Margaret Mackinnon can say of a tiny
child’s appearance in a fairy tale ‘the air shimmers as this miracle
unfurls’ and be speaking also of the way her poems appear on the page.
Whether in celebration or grief, she presents poem after poem alert to
history and family—poems that unfold with equal felicity to the heart’s
‘infinite and intricate discernments’ and the lucidity of a mind alive
to the world’s stories.”—Gregory Orr</strong></span><br />
<br />
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<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/images.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="images" border="0" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1169" height="210" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/images.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Through
her poems, Margaret MacKinnon lets us enter the inner lives of writers
and artists from other ages—figures like Mary Shelly, Grant Wood, Walt
Whitman, and Nathaniel Hawthorne. Her rich imagination creates vivid,
concrete scenes in which to set her “characters,” as well as persuasive
inner landscapes that make distant and stately figures recognizably and
empathetically human. More than a parlor trick, her ability to dwell so
fully in other times, places, and minds becomes a way of enlarging the
world, and of bringing us along for the journey as she pursues the
connection between, in her words, “what is clear” and “what is
mysterious.” From lives we know mainly through their artistic output,
she draws the ordinary worries and joys of marriage, children, financial
cares, old age, and loss. Rather than making these luminary figures
less, she makes our own lives deeper and richer through the possibility
of connection. Her poetic language is quietly musical, with a carefully
executed use of form and line and a generous delight in the five senses.
She paints a vibrant natural world of sensations and phenomena that
constantly attracts and draws us on, and that keeps the spiritual,
intellectual, and narrative dimensions of her work continually grounded
in the physical world.</strong></span><br />
<strong>You can view Margaret Mackinnon’s work in IMAGE issue 71 <a href="http://imagejournal.org/page/journal/articles/issue-71/mackinnon-poem">here</a>.</strong><br />
<strong>You can read Margaret Mackinnon’s poem, “Writing on the
Window” winner of Shenandoah’s (2012) Graybeal-Gower Prize at this
link: <span style="color: blue;">http://shenandoahliterary.org/blog/2012/01/graybeal-gowen-prize-results/</span></strong><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>Current Projects</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>In “Final Soliloquy of the
Interior Paramour,” Wallace Stevens describes a moment when he senses
“the obscurity of an order,” which, for him, becomes “light” and is
“enough.” If I have a goal for my poetry, it is to explore that point of
connection between what is clear and observable and what is infinitely
obscure and mysterious. The poems I have worked on in recent years often
feel like little research projects: they take time to construct and are
often based in hours of reading. But I am also trying to write poems
that themselves move in different times. My poem on Whitman, for
example, came out of thinking about his “invented child” and how his
experience linked to my own feelings about my daughter.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Recently, I have been working
on a series of poems about my parents, both now deceased. I am also
drawn to poems reflecting on writers and artists whose work has touched
me in different ways: Mary Shelly, Grant Wood, and Whitman, among
others. Marianne Moore, whose rigor and complexity I love, is a subject
for a future poem, I hope. What interests me in looking at the lives of
other people—whether well-known artists or the members of my own
family—is the way the specific details of a life, of the world, can take
us right up to the edge of understanding—and then leave us with a
recognition of the boundlessness of all we can love and appreciate but
never fully understand.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><em><strong>Biography</strong></em></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Margaret Mackinnon grew up in
the South, influenced by a lush landscape and a family that emphasized a
deep connection between language and meaning. Her mother wrote poetry
as a young woman (and generously encouraged all her earliest literary
efforts). Her father was a Presbyterian minister, so every Sunday, she
watched him try to give shape to beliefs and questions through the words
of sermons, prayers, and creeds.</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>In college, at Vassar and the
University of North Carolina, Mackinnon studied art history and
religion, thinking about how image and pattern intersect with what we
see as significant. And then came five years in Japan, where she taught
English and studied textile design in a small circle of Japanese women
artists. She learned something there about the discipline of a craft,
and how that kind of focus can take one into a deeper attention to the
everyday world. Back in the United States, she entered the graduate
program in creative writing at the University of Florida.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Margaret Mackinnon’s work has appeared in Image, <em>Poetry,
New England Review, Georgia Review, Quarterly West, RHINO, Poet Lore,
Shenandoah, Southern Humanities Review, Valparaiso Poetry Review</em>,
and other publications. Her awards include the Richard Eberhart Poetry
Prize from Florida State University, a Tennessee Williams Scholarship
from the Sewanee Writers’ Conference, and a residency at the Vermont
Studio Center. She teaches at a private girls’ high school and lives in
Falls Church, Virginia.</strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>====================================================================== </strong></span><br />
<br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><strong>ABOUT JAN BOWMAN</strong></span><br />
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<strong>Winner of the Roanoke Review Fiction Award, Jan’s stories
have been nominated for Best American Short Stories, Pushcart and
Pen/O’Henry awards. Her fiction has appeared in Evening Street Review,
Uncertain Promise: An Anthology of Short Fiction and Creative
Nonfiction, Roanoke Review, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday,
Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, and
others. Glimmer Train named a story as Honorable Mention for Short Story
Awards for New Writers Jan’s stories have been finalists or short-
listed for the Broad River Review RASH Award for Fiction, The Phoebe
Fiction Contest and So-to-Speak fiction</strong> <strong>contest. She is working on a new story collection, working title, <em>Life Boat Drills for Children</em>.
She has nonfiction publications in Atticus Review, Trajectory, and
Pen-in-Hand. She writes a regular blog on her website on the writing
life and interviews writers and publishers. </strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Learn more at: www.janbowmanwriter.com</strong></span><br />
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Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-63559329190861813372016-01-12T15:52:00.000-05:002016-01-12T15:52:53.645-05:00Entry 241 - Linda Trice - on KENYA'S ART, KENYA'S WORD - And Are Agents Necessary?<br />
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<b>JAN: Your new picture book for ages 4-8, Kenya's Art
(Charlesbridge Publishing) is now available from all booksellers as of
Tuesday, January 12, 2016. It's such a heart-warming story. The daddy in
the story helps his daughter Kenya find something wonderful to do
during spring vacation. When school begins again Kenya inspires her
multicultural classmates and her teacher, Mrs. Garcia to use recycled
materials to make art. Some readers may remember their grandparents’
tales about making quilts and toys from recycled materials. This is your
third book in the Kenya series and joins Kenya's Word and Kenya's Song.
What inspired you to write Kenya’s Art?</b><br />
<br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/07a67a4c6b6c962da54cd362c671987b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="07a67a4c6b6c962da54cd362c671987b" border="0" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1120" data-mce-src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/07a67a4c6b6c962da54cd362c671987b.jpg" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/07a67a4c6b6c962da54cd362c671987b.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>LINDA: Two things inspired me.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>FIRST
GRADE STUDENTS: I taught a group or remarkable students in a New York
City public school. Their parents were involved, supportive and helpful.
I asked my students to tell their classmates about their spring
vacations. Cecile went to the Bahamas, showed us some of the shells she
collected and told us about each one. Brian told us about each of the
three books he’d read, Diane showed us her science project and Imani
read her one page report about Martin Luther King.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>STUDIO
MUSEUM OF HARLEM: Elan Ferguson, a teaching artist gave weekly
workshops for children and parents at the Studio Museum of Harlem. Each
workshop was inspired by one of the museum’s exhibit. Once Elan helped
the children turn old postcards into 3 D art. Elan has advanced degrees
and has worked in helping children create art for more than fifteen
years. Her bio and some of the projects she’s helped kids develop are on
her <i>Diverse Art for Kids </i> blog: http://diverseart4kids.blogspot.com/</b></span><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>Five-Year old Bryce Simmons & her finished art project. </b></td></tr>
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<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b> <span style="color: black;">JAN: What were your favorite childhood books?</span></b></span><br />
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<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>LINDA:
There weren’t stories that I could relate to when I was a child. The
books I read had rural and suburban white children in them. When Black
people were included in a story, which was rare, they were often
offensively portrayed.</b></span><br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>The
result of this was that in elementary school, when I started writing
stories, I wrote about white people who lived in the suburbs in homes
with, believe it or not, white picket fences. I lived in Brooklyn, New
York and had never even seen such houses.</b></span><br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>I’ve
recently read about other Black writers who had the same experience
when they were children. Some of them like me wrote stories about white
suburban families and not portrayals of families like their own. We
wrote stories like the ones that we were reading. There were no books
for children that reflected the diversity of Black life.</b></span><br />
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<b>JAN:
You have written books that have strong historical connections. What
about your background and experience influences topics that you choose
for your writing projects?</b><br />
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<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>LINDA:
I took Black studies courses when I was a student at Howard University.
I earned advanced degrees and taught Black Studies on the university
level. Many believed and hoped that when modern Black Studies programs
began in the 1970s the information would be included in mainstream
courses from pre-K to graduate school. Regrettably that has not
happened.</b></span><br />
<br />
<b><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">I
often write about famous Black people because few Americans know about
them. I wrote an article about Charlotte Forten (1837-1914) for <i>Pockets</i>,
a children’s magazine. Charlotte was the daughter of a socially
prominent, wealthy, Black abolitionist family in Philadelphia. During
the Civil War she went to South Carolina’s Sea Islands to teach the
newly freed people. Had she been captured she could have been killed or
sold into slavery. According to the National Women’s History museum she
was <i>“the first African-American teacher to be hired in Massachusetts
(and) probably was the first in the world to teach white students.”</i></span></b><br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>I also write for adults. In my article for the magazine, "Black Women Entrepreneurs" that was published in the magazine, <i>Opportunities for the Minority College Graduate</i>,
I included Maggie Lena Walker (1864-1934). This Black woman was the
first female bank president of any race in the United States.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>One
of the objectives of my written work is to show the economic and
cultural diversity of African Americans. For instance the children in <i>Kenya’s Song</i> have grandparents who embrace their Caribbean culture.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b><i>Kenya’s Art</i>
and other books in the series show a loving and encouraging middle
class two-parent family. Kenya is a strong and creative girl who lives
in a multicultural community and whose culturally diverse classmates are
kind and supportive of each other.</b> </span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b><span style="color: black;">JAN: What writing advice do you have for adults and in particular, beginning writers?</span></b></span> </b></span><br />
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<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>LINDA: I’ve been teaching adults how to write for some time now. I was on the faculty of several colleges and at the <i>Institute of Children’s Literature</i>.
I gave writing courses in adult education programs and had columns
about writing in newspapers and magazines. I am invited to speak at
regional conferences of the <i>Society for Children Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)</i>. Often attendees sign up to get my critique of their work in progress.</b></span><br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>Many
beginning writers want to start off writing a book. I suggest they
start by getting published! I suggest that they write and send letters
to the editor of their local paper about something they care about. They
can write for community newsletters or the newsletters of their church,
library, even the one for their job. They may not get paid, but will
get good experience in the writing world.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>I
like to remind beginning writers that book authors do the same thing.
For example, I work on my books during the week and on weekends I work
on articles, poems, and stories. Some are good enough to submit to
magazines and newspapers, while others still need work. So the next time
I have a few hours I work on them and continue until they are polished.</b></span><br />
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<b>JAN:
What can you tell readers about your experiences working with agents?
How did you get your first agent? What's it like to work with and
without an agent?</b><br />
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<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>LINDA:
Well, let me tell you how I found my first agent. I was at a new
friend’s party for her five-year old daughter and met a woman who wrote
screenplays for a television soap opera. She asked what I had published.
Although I hadn’t had a book published yet, my articles and short
stories had been. She gave me the name of her agent, Sally Wechsler.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>Sally
looked at my published articles and short stories and then took me on.
By that time I’d written articles for the United Methodist Church and
reviewed children’s books for them too. The United Presbyterian Church
had hired me to write stories for their Sunday schools. I’d also done
some articles for neighborhood newspapers. They didn’t pay, but I did
get a byline.</b></span><br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>Sally
told me that McGraw Hill was doing a series of books for ages 9-12 and
needed someone to do a biography of Charles Drew, MD, the Black surgeon
who had discovered a way to preserve blood. The American Red Cross asked
him to set up America’s first blood banks. He did and they saved lives.
Dr. Drew had been a hero to my parents and one of Drew’s daughters had
been my classmate at Howard University’s Law School.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>McGraw
Hill was considering two other writers. I was persuasive in my letter
to McGraw Hill and got the contract. The book was a success and, with
the help of my sister, the first edition quickly sold out.</b></span><br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b><br /></b></span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPASWmlV2Yi2Q8pI6SqmBRQQMvTcH7WbFAyk66WctvZR70jjFA5x-_YNzIf6HSX6mm2E0Jc5OmGIvwGCK_15mWSnebFD4N8DybjNwKzzULp0a_qVhPODEpv9Mhyqp5RQ62yq7ucOsUFrEF/s1600/Charles+Drew.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPASWmlV2Yi2Q8pI6SqmBRQQMvTcH7WbFAyk66WctvZR70jjFA5x-_YNzIf6HSX6mm2E0Jc5OmGIvwGCK_15mWSnebFD4N8DybjNwKzzULp0a_qVhPODEpv9Mhyqp5RQ62yq7ucOsUFrEF/s400/Charles+Drew.jpg" /></a><span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>Many
of my writer friends have found publishing success without an agent.
After Sally Wecksler died I was able to find another agent. But she
didn’t work out. And working without an agent won't prevent writers from
success. For example, <i>Highlights Foundation</i> gives workshops
for people who want to write and for writers who want to take advanced
workshops in writing. I was at one of them when I heard Yolanda Scott,
the executive editor of <i>Charlesbridge Publishing</i> speak. I sent my new manuscript, <i>Kenya’s Word</i> to her and she accepted it. I had no agent. Once again my sister helped and the first edition sold out. <i> </i></b></span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b><i>Charlesbridge</i>
was so pleased that they offered me a contact for two more books about
my character Kenya. I have been invited to speak at schools, community
centers, churches, and book fairs.</b></span><br />
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<b>JAN:
You have won numerous awards for your writing over the years including
the Pewter Plate Award from Highlights for Children for your profile of
Harlem Renaissance painter, Jacob Lawrence and you wrote a wonderful
book about Charles Drew: Pioneer of Blood Plasma. Which of your many
awards has touched you the most?</b><br />
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<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>LINDA:
Writing awards are appreciated because they tell an author that her
talent and achievements have been recognized. As you mention, I have won
several. Among my favorites: the Delaware Diamond because kids voted
for it. Also another of my favorites is a profile of author Walter Dean
Myers that won an award from Parenting Media Association. I especially
appreciate these two because these are the people who publish magazines
that parents and teachers read.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>Sometimes
what touches me most are the heart-felt letters I find in my fan mail. A
woman wrote that my article on Black Women Entrepreneurs inspired her
because, although she is Black, she had not known about Black women
business owners.</b></span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>Writers
try to express what is in people’s hearts. We write the words that
people often wish they could say. One of my professors once told me, <i>
“Linda, you will be a voice of your people.” </i>I hope he was right and
that other people will write about the concerns of their communities
too. Writers can educate, console and inspire their readers. And isn’t
that why we read?</b></span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>Walter Dean Myers, was a noted and prolific author was the Library of Congress’ Ambassador for Children’s Literature.</b></span><br />
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<b><span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;">ABOUT LINDA TRICE</span></b><br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Author Linda Trice</td></tr>
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<b><i> Linda Trice was born and raised in the Bedford-Stuyvesant section of
Brooklyn, NY. She received an undergraduate degree from Howard
University in Washington, DC, and a Master of Fine Arts degree in
Creative Writing from Columbia University. She also holds a Ph.D. in
Black Studies and is a member of Pi Gamma Mu, the international honor
society in social studies. She was a Fellow at the following artist
colonies: Millay, Alfred, Hambidge and The Virginia Center for the
Creative Arts.</i></b><br />
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Before making writing her full-time
career, Linda taught lower grades in public schools in New York City,
Connecticut and Washington, DC. On the college level, she taught
undergraduate, graduate and adult education courses and workshops in
writing and Black Studies. She was a columnist and book reviewer for
Comcast, The Hartford Courant, QBR Kids, Black Enterprise, The Bulletin
of The Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators and other
periodicals.<br />
<br />
Please tell your friends about Kenya's Art. AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW. Ask them to visit <a data-mce-href="https://www.scbwi.org/display-book-launch-party/?id=366968" href="https://www.scbwi.org/display-book-launch-party/?id=366968" rel="nofollow" target="_blank" title="https://www.scbwi.org/display-book-launch-party/?id=366968 Ctrl+Click or tap to follow the link">https://www.scbwi.org/<wbr></wbr>display-book-launch-party/?id=<wbr></wbr>366968</a><br />
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<a data-mce-href="https://www.scbwi.org/display-book-launch-party/?id=366968" href="https://www.scbwi.org/display-book-launch-party/?id=366968" target="_blank"><img alt="" class="CToWUd alignright" data-mce-src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhX-PrhqUcHCM3InTidPHBw0IBG2n2QYZUASd8YK6C18uz81SE4Hm53fZ_LSqBWO4xT3iZF3_NOSJinRtW3ISLBf6EAc1w0f6kbmxEJUM-xmAEqOWMcTarf659x30GcNhnmM3_IEFFRj5FUZJFu5ctQuV9kcxAtGtlZXB9FSM94GR76F-hhQ6BsvD0IDqGACSK4Euqk6FWw=s0-d-e1-ft" height="170" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEhX-PrhqUcHCM3InTidPHBw0IBG2n2QYZUASd8YK6C18uz81SE4Hm53fZ_LSqBWO4xT3iZF3_NOSJinRtW3ISLBf6EAc1w0f6kbmxEJUM-xmAEqOWMcTarf659x30GcNhnmM3_IEFFRj5FUZJFu5ctQuV9kcxAtGtlZXB9FSM94GR76F-hhQ6BsvD0IDqGACSK4Euqk6FWw=s0-d-e1-ft" width="250" /></a></div>
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<a data-mce-href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_0345.jpg" href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_0345.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="IMG_0345" class="size-medium wp-image-1000 alignright" data-mce-src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_0345-225x300.jpg" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/IMG_0345-225x300.jpg" height="300" width="225" /></a><span data-mce-style="text-decoration: underline;" style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>ABOUT JAN BOWMAN</b></span><br />
<br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>Jan’s story collection, <i>Flight Path & Other Stories</i> published by Evening Street Press. Available online for immediate shipment. </b></span><br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>Order it here: http://eveningstreetpress.com/jan-bowman.html</b></span><br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>For group or store orders contact Barbara Bergmann, Managing Editor Email: editor@eveningstreetpress.com</b></span><br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;">Soon Available: Amazon, Barnes and Noble, & GoogleBooks (print & e-books)</span><br />
<br />
<b>Winner
of the Roanoke Review Fiction Award, Jan's stories have been nominated
for Best American Short Stories, Pushcart and Pen/O’Henry awards. Her
fiction has appeared in Evening Street Review, Uncertain Promise: An
Anthology of Short Fiction and Creative Nonfiction, Roanoke Review, The
Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio,
The Potomac Review, Musings, and others. Glimmer Train named a story as
Honorable Mention for Short Story Awards for New Writers Jan’s stories
have been finalists or short- listed for the Broad River Review RASH
Award for Fiction, The Phoebe Fiction Contest and So-to-Speak fiction</b> <b>contest. She is working on a new story collection, working title, <i>Life Boat Drills for Children</i>.
She has nonfiction publications in Atticus Review, Trajectory, and
Pen-in-Hand. She writes a regular blog on her website on the writing
life and interviews writers and publishers. </b><br />
<span data-mce-style="color: #0000ff;" style="color: blue;"><b>Learn more at: www.janbowmanwriter.com</b></span>
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Entry 240 – Laura Shovan – on Poetry, Pitch Wars, Book Vines & A Thousand Poets for Change Conference in Salerno, Italy</h1>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laura Shovan </td></tr>
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By Jan Bowman <b>Laura Shovan is poetry editor for <i>Little Patuxent Review</i>. Her newest book <i>The Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary</i>, her novel-in-verse for children, debuts in April 2016 (Wendy Lamb Books/Random House).</b><br />
<b>Laura’s chapbook, <i>Mountain, Log, Salt and Stone</i> (CityLit Press 2010), won the inaugural Harriss Poetry Prize. She edited Maryland Writers’ Association’s <i>Life in Me Like Grass on Fire: Love Poems</i> (MWA Books, 2011) and co-edited <i>Voices Fly: An Anthology of Exercises and Poems from the Maryland State Arts Council Artists-in-Residence Program</i>
(CityLit Press, 2012), for which she is a longtime teacher. Laura spoke
at the 2015 100 Thousand Poets for Change World Conference in Salerno,
Italy. She is a Rita Dove Poetry Award finalist and winner of a <i>Gettysburg Review</i>
Conference for Writers scholarship. A member of the Poetry Friday
blogging community, Laura has judged for several literary contests,
including the Children’s and Young Adult Bloggers Literary Awards
(CYBILS).</b><br />
<b>After graduating from NYU’s Dramatic Writing Program and
receiving a Master of Arts in Teaching from Montclair State University,
Laura taught high school, worked for the Dodge Poetry Festival and as a
freelance journalist, and now coaches teens with learning differences.</b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Jan: Thanks for the interview. Your new book coming out in April 2016 is described as a <i>whimsical novel-in-verse</i>, The
Last Fifth Grade of Emerson Elementary (Wendy Lamb Books/Random House).
What inspired you to write this book and how did you arrive at the
decision to use this particular poetry form?</span></b><br />
<br />
<b>Laura: The idea for THE LAST FIFTH GRADE came from an
intersection of two things. The first thing was my admiration for the
classic American verse novel <i>Spoon River Anthology</i>, by Edgar Lee Masters. <i>Spoon River</i>
is a collection of interwoven persona poems, all spoken in the voices
of one town’s citizens. Together, the poems create a complex picture of
what small town life was like during the turn of the century. The second
point of inspiration was my work with students as a Maryland State Arts
Council Artist-in-Education. I became interested in the classroom as a
small community. Why not create a version of <i>Spoon River</i>, set in a modern fifth grade classroom?</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: What do you love about this book and will there be a sequel?</b></span><br />
<b>Laura: After working on this book for seven years, I am quite
attached to the characters. Each one has his or her distinct personality
and voice. To me, they are a fun group of kids to spend time with. I am working on a second stand-alone children’s novel
with my editor, Wendy Lamb, but we may be seeing more of Ms. Hill's students in the future.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: I was intrigued to discover that your book is <i>travelling around America on a book field trip</i>. Is this a new approach to marketing? Tell me more about this project.</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Laura: It’s not a new approach! In fact, I’ve read books
that were out on ARC (Advanced Reading Copy) tours too. The tours are
sometimes called <i>book vines</i>. Bloggers or readers – in my case,
members of my 2016 debut author group – sign up to read the ARC and
write a review or blog about the book. The book travels from
reader-to-reader. The Sweet 16s group has authors all over the country,
so my ARC has gone from coast-to-coast as it travels between the members
of that group.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: You have taught high
school students, worked for the Dodge Poetry Festival, and now coach
teens with learning differences. You mentioned a quote from Mary Jo Bang
that <i>Poetry is a shared social space.</i> How does this connect
to your personal philosophy as a poet and how has that influenced the
way that you write poetry with children? What touches you most about
teaching poetry to children?</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Laura: What touches me most about writing poetry with
children is how humanizing it is. When I visit a classroom, the students
can briefly forget about grades, rubrics, and standardized tests. I am
there to write poetry with them. That’s it! This gives them the freedom
to write about their lives: their likes and dislikes, family traditions,
and favorite memories. In the process of sharing their poems, the
students begin to learn new things about one another and to see each
other as full, interesting human beings. Often, children who struggle
with writing for academic tests have the opportunity to shine as poets.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: In your work with the Maryland State Arts Council artist-in-residence, you are described as a <i>poetic master chef</i>. What ingredients are essential as you prepare tasty morsels of words that even reluctant readers and writers will enjoy?</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Laura: Ha! At the time, I was teaching an introduction to
poetry course for CityLit Project called “Poetry Café.” After years of
teaching, and reading so many wonderful poems by young writers, I have
come to believe that children (and adults) already have the essential
ingredients of poetry in our pantries. Much of my work is showing
children that they already know how to create similes. Who hasn’t looked
at the sky and seen a cloud that looks like an animal? They are adept
at using onomatopoeia and hyperbole in their everyday speech. My job is
to show them how to take what they already know and make a space for it
on the page.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: Tell me about your experience with the <i>2015 Thousand Poets for Change World Conference in Salerno, Italy</i> this year. How did you become a participant? What amazed you the most about this conference?</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Laura: It’s a long story. The short version is that I have
been a 100TPC event organizer since the program’s inception in 2011.
Every year, Michael Rothenberg, a California poet, invites people from
around the world to host poetry events in their own communities during
the last weekend in September. The events are streamed, photographed,
and uploaded on YouTube for everyone to view and share.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Michael and his partner Terri Carrion invited me to attend
the first gathering of 100TPC organizers this June. What amazed me most
goes back to the Mary Jo Bang quote you shared. Despite our differences
in culture and language, more than 60 poets from around the world came
together to talk about poetry activism in our home communities. That was
our common ground, something all of us were passionate about. I formed
friendships with many remarkable people at that conference. I love
waking up in the morning and seeing a Facebook message from a 100TPC
friend in Malaysia, Israel, or India.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: Someone told me you have story and advice for anyone involved in <i>Pitch Wars</i>. What is the story and what do you know now as a result of your experience?</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Laura: I participated in the Pitch Wars author-to-author
mentor program right before I signed with my agent. You can read the
full story here:</b> <a href="http://www.brenda-drake.com/2014/07/another-pitch-wars-alum-success-story-laura-shovan-joy-mccullough-carranza/">http://www.brenda-drake.com/2014/07/another-pitch-wars-alum-success-story-laura-shovan-joy-mccullough-carranza/</a><br />
<br />
<b>Online pitch contests aren’t always the best venue for
quieter books. A flashy logline or premise tends to catch the agents’
eyes. But I’d encourage any submitting author to give Pitch Wars a try.
Having an author who coaches you through an intense revision is
invaluable. So is the sense of camaraderie among the Pitch Warriors.
There’s a real feeling of “we’re all in this together.” When alumni of
the program sign with agents or sell books, the whole community is there
to cheer them on.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: In your work as an
editor of Little Patuxent Review what useful things have you learned
that continue to enrich your current work as a poet?</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Laura: Being on the editorial staff of <i>Little Patuxent Review</i>
for the past five years has taught me countless things. Reading the
submissions stretches me to think past my own poetic style and subject
matter, because I want readers to stretch in the same way. When they
open an issue of LPR, it’s because they are willing to try new things
and be surprised by a poem, essay, or story. Editing the journal was
also on-the-job training in the art of putting a full-length manuscript
together.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: What advice can you
offer to a budding poet that would encourage him or her? What should you
know if you want to be a poet?</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Laura: Staying engaged with the literary community is the
best piece of advice I have for any writer. Writing friends will be your
beta readers and sounding boards. They offer a shoulder when you think
you can’t handle one more rejection, and they are the people you’ll
celebrate with when a poem is accepted or when you sell a book.
Perseverance is important too, but a supportive literary community can
help a writer find the stamina to keep working on his or her craft.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: And finally, would you
say a bit about your work this year with Howard County’s high school
students through the HoCoPoLitSo writers-in-residence program?</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Laura: HoCoPoLitSo’s long-running education program has
brought many wonderful poets, people whose work I admire like Michael
Glaser, Lucille Clifton, Derrick Weston Brown, and Joseph Ross, into our
local schools. I am very excited about working with Howard County’s
high school students this year. It is an honor to be part of that
tradition.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: How can people find your books, website, and blog?</b></span><br />
<br />
<b>Laura: Here are some links that should help. My new website should be up soon. It will be</b> <a href="http://www.laurashovan.com/">www.laurashovan.com</a>.<br />
<br />
<b>My blog will be moving to that site. For now, it is “Author Amok”:</b> <a href="http://authoramok.blogspot.com/">http://authoramok.blogspot.com/</a><br />
<b>My books are available on Amazon:</b><br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Life-Like-Grass.jpg"><img alt="Life Like Grass" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1087" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Life-Like-Grass.jpg" height="160" width="160" /></a><br />
<br />
LIFE IN ME LIKE GRASS ON FIRE: LOVE POEMS: <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-Me-Like-Grass-Fire/dp/0982003218/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1443043310&sr=8-3&keywords=shovan">http://www.amazon.com/Life-Me-Like-Grass-Fire/dp/0982003218/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1443043310&sr=8-3&keywords=shovan</a><br />
(Also available through Maryland Writers Association: <a href="https://marylandwriters.starchapter.com/catalog.php">https://marylandwriters.starchapter.com/catalog.php</a>)<br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Mountain-Log.jpg"><img alt="Mountain, Log," class="size-full wp-image-1088 alignright" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Mountain-Log.jpg" height="160" width="160" /></a><br />
MOUNTAIN, LOG, SALT, AND STONE:<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Salt-Stone-Laura-Shovan/dp/193632802X/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1443043310&sr=8-14&keywords=shovan">http://www.amazon.com/Mountain-Salt-Stone-Laura-Shovan/dp/193632802X/ref=sr_1_14?ie=UTF8&qid=1443043310&sr=8-14&keywords=shovan</a><br />
<br />
THE LAST FIFTH GRADE OF EMERSON ELEMENTARY (pre-order):<br />
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Last-Fifth-Grade-Emerson-Elementary/dp/0553521373/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443043310&sr=8-1&keywords=shovan">http://www.amazon.com/Last-Fifth-Grade-Emerson-Elementary/dp/0553521373/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1443043310&sr=8-1&keywords=shovan</a><br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Last-Fifth-Grade.jpg"><img alt="Last Fifth Grade" class="size-full wp-image-1089 alignleft" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/Last-Fifth-Grade.jpg" height="160" width="160" /></a><br />
<br />
All three are also listed on my Goodreads author page: <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3564024.Laura_Shovan">http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3564024.Laura_Shovan</a><br />
<br />
<br />
============================<br />
<b>About Jan Bowman</b><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/FullSizeRender.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="FullSizeRender" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1026" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/FullSizeRender-236x300.jpg" height="300" width="236" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Jan Bowman</td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<b>Jan’s upcoming story collection, <i>Flight Path & Other Stories</i> will be published by Evening Street Press, October 2015.</b><br />
<b><u>Brief Biography for Jan Bowman</u></b><br />
<b>Jan Bowman is winner of the Roanoke Review Fiction Award. Her
stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short
Stories, a Pen/O’Henry award. Her fiction has appeared in Evening Street
Review, Uncertain Promise: An Anthology of Short Fiction and Creative
Nonfiction, Roanoke Review, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday,
Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, and
others. Glimmer Train named a story as Honorable Mention for Short Story
Awards for New Writers. Jan’s stories have been finalists or short-
listed for the Broad River Review RASH Award for Fiction, The Phoebe
Fiction Contest and So-to-Speak fiction</b> <b>contest. She is working on a new story collection, working title, <i>Life Boat Drills for Children</i>.
She has nonfiction publications in Atticus Review, Trajectory, and
Pen-in-Hand. She writes a regular blog on her website on the writing
life and interviews writers and publishers. </b><br />
<br />
<div class="details">
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Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-45474106160153309682015-10-21T15:50:00.002-04:002016-01-12T15:54:15.918-05:00Entry 239 - Tony Deaton - on Practice, Podcasts, & Talking to Your Performing Self<h1>
Practice, Podcasts, & Talking to Your Self </h1>
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/TonyDeatonphoto1.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-1060 size-full" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/TonyDeatonphoto1.jpg" /></a>By Jan Bowman <br />
Tony Deaton is currently associate professor of music at Lee
University, where he teaches applied voice and vocal literature. In
addition to his teaching responsibilities at Lee, Deaton continues an
active performance schedule through the southeast. His new book, <b><i>STOP! LOOK! LISTEN! A Practical Guide to Vocal Technique and Performance </i>was just released and offers down-to-earth tips to anyone involved in vocal performance</b>.<br />
<br />
When I first met Tony Deaton at a Tinker Mountain Writers Workshop a
few years ago, I was impressed with his clear distinctive speaking and
reading voice. Later I discovered his vast experience as a vocal artist
and learned that he was writing a book about techniques to improve vocal
performances. In this age of Podcasts, more and more writers are
reading their work to audiences. The spoken arts, such as giving a
public reading require different skills from those language skills that a
writer usually uses. I wanted to know more about this skill, so I
interviewed Tony Deaton.<br />
<br />
<b>Jan:</b> So tell me about your new book, <b><i>STOP! LOOK! LISTEN! A Practical Guide to Vocal Technique and Performance</i></b>.
Who is your intended readership for this book that speaks to vocal
training to improve speaking and singing performance? And what led you
to write this book?<br />
<br />
<b>Tony: My book is intended for use by singers on all
levels from beginner to professional. I’ve been a student of the singing
voice most of my life and I performed in opera, oratorio, recital, and
musical theatre for more than forty years. I began teaching on the
college level twenty years ago. I love teaching, but it has its
challenges. In an effort to be a better teacher, I read a lot of books,
as well as articles in music journals. While these were interesting, I
found myself bogged down in too much jargon with charts and discussion
regarding physiology. I wanted to write a book that is easy to
understand and is immediately applicable to a singer. </b><br />
<br />
<b>Jan:</b> You have spoken about the differences
between those who have natural talents versus those who have marginal
talent, but who understand the value of practice. Successful writers
learn how essential practice is to the art and craft of writing. As a
teacher of both individual vocalists and choral groups, you have seen
this make a difference. How could this same idea be useful to someone
doing public readings or speeches?<br />
<br />
<b>Tony: At one of my very first voice lessons many years
ago, a teacher said something I’ve never forgotten: “Singing is speaking
with music around it.” The point is the muscles, and for the most part,
the use of those muscles in singing and speaking are the same. I
emphasize to my voice students the use of a mirror and a recording
device. Many of the technical errors and bad habits can be fixed simply
by watching and listening. That’s two parts of the title I chose, Stop!
Look! Listen! Watch yourself. Watch others. Listen to yourself. Listen
to others. By watching and listening, a singer or a speaker can observe
good points of vocal technique and good habits, as well as bad technique
and bad habits you do not want to copy.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Jan: </b>What do you see as some of the biggest hurdles for someone who is learning to become a singer, actor, or vocal performer?<br />
<br />
<b>Tony: That’s a very good question and one that is a
little complex. It almost has a Jekyll/Hyde answer. What I mean is that
on the one hand you have to work, work, work. Learn the basics of
technique and continue to refine those for the rest of your singing
life. On the other hand, you have to trust your voice. Let it sing
freely. Vocal technique is very important. But technique should serve to
enhance and support the natural talent and ability. It’s important to
believe in yourself and respond to that burning passion to perform.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Jan:</b> Let’s talk a bit about <i><b>stage fright</b></i>. I bought and read your book because I am going to do some readings for my new collection of short stories, <b><i>Flight Path & Other Stories</i></b>
soon, and I find public reading terrifying. I got some good tips. As a
writer I see myself as somewhat quiet and introverted. Stage fright is a
real problem for me. What can I do to manage my stage fright and
maximize my reading performance?<br />
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_1062" style="width: 121px;">
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/TonyD3.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="" class="wp-image-1062 size-full" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/TonyD3.jpg" height="166" width="111" /></a><br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">
<b>Tony in a performance of <i>Die Fledermaus</i></b></div>
</div>
<br />
<b>Tony: I used to be scared to death of auditions. Once
onstage, I could hide behind the role/character I was portraying and
feel very comfortable, but in auditions I felt completely exposed,
vulnerable, and helpless. Every performer knows if you want to work, you
have to audition. To connect and to feel comfortable with an audience,
it’s important for performers to connect and feel comfortable with
themselves. </b><br />
<b>It may sound crazy, but I suggest finding a private space,
looking at yourself in the mirror and repeating words and phrases of
calm assurance. Remind yourself of who you are, what you are, your
accomplishments, the fact that you have had excellent training and
experience. You are a professional. Also remind yourself that your
audience came to hear you. They believe in you; that you are someone
special. They are your fans. They love you. Love them. Reach out to
them. If you feel nervous, tell them. Stating the obvious is a good way
of dealing with it. Just saying it often minimizes the threat.</b><br />
<br />
<b>Jan: </b>You have talked about the need for efficient articulation. What exactly is efficient articulation?<br />
<br />
<b>Tony: I must have read that term, “efficient
articulation” somewhere. It sounds too good to be an original. When I
said it in our workshop class, I think what I meant was to cut out the
fluff. To say what you say with integrity. A minister from my youth used
to say, “Plain talk is easy to understand.” An audience, whether it’s a
live group of listeners, or those who read our work, can spot a fake.
They see right through the “bull.” Just tell the story as
straightforward as possible. </b><br />
<br />
<b>Jan: </b>You have worked with such renowned artists
as Gian Carlo Menotti, Carlisle Floyd, Robert Ward, Bodo Igesz, and
Marni Nixon, among others, and performed many times on public and
commercial radio and television. Who has most influenced you?<br />
<br />
<b>Tony: The names of those renowned artists sound good in a
bio sketch, and I feel fortunate to have had the experience of working
with them. But when I think of who influenced me most, my mind
immediately goes to my teachers. My high school choral teacher,
Henrietta Brandt, made a huge impact on me. Through her constant
encouragement, I was made aware of my talent. In time I believed in my
talent and in myself. She instilled a love of great music in me and I
was given ample opportunities to perform. Jim Burns, my undergraduate
teacher, and Edward Zambara, my teacher in graduate school, were also
both very influential in my vocal journey. </b><br />
<br />
<b>Jan: </b>When did you know that music would be your life?<br />
<br />
<b>Tony: There was never any doubt for me. I knew in high
school that music would be my life’s endeavor. After my collegiate study
I expected to return to my hometown and take over from my beloved
choral teacher, Miss Brandt. Originally I wanted to be a high school
choral director and a minister of music. Sometime during my freshman
year of college I got the bug to be a performer. A few years later I did
a role in an opera, and I knew then there was no turning back. </b><br />
<br />
<b>Jan: </b>And what are your favorite pieces of music to sing and to teach chorally?<br />
<br />
<b>Tony: I have about three roles that are favorites. Count Almaviva in <i>The Marriage of Figaro</i> is a role I have performed many times and always love it. Tevye in <i>Fiddler on the Roof </i>is another, and Reverend Olin Blitch in <i>Susannah</i>
is the third. All three roles have unique vocal, musical, and emotional
demands. I could be very happy given an opportunity to perform those
three roles every week for a long time. </b><br />
<br />
<b>In the past I directed church choirs, but most of my training
and experience is in vocal solo performance. Occasionally I am asked to
work with the men’s section of a choir, but I haven’t taught a choral
group in many years. My choral performance experience is as a soloist in
choral masterworks. Two very different, exquisite works, <i>The Mozart Requiem</i> and <i>Carmina Burana</i> come to my mind as favorites.</b><br />
<div class="wp-caption alignleft" id="attachment_1061" style="width: 235px;">
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/TonyD2.jpg"><img alt="" class="wp-image-1061 size-full" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/TonyD2.jpg" height="166" width="225" /></a><br />
<div class="wp-caption-text">
<b><i>Tony with his award-winning students.</i></b></div>
</div>
<br />
<b>Jan: </b>Finally, what advice do you have to
encourage people struggling to develop their talents, whether they are
musicians, writers, singers or others dedicated to a life in these arts?<br />
<br />
<b>Tony: Thanks. What a good opening for me to plug my book, <i>Stop! Look! Listen! A Practical Guide to Vocal Technique and Performance. </i>It’s available on Amazon. </b><br />
<b>Although I said it a little differently in my book, I will use the same catch phrase, Stop! Look! Listen! </b><br />
<b><u>Stop</u></b><b>. And ask yourself if you are you
maximizing every opportunity given you to grow, study, and learn. Stop
wasting your time. Work! The real reward comes in the fulfillment of
work.</b><br />
<b><u>Look</u></b><b>. Observe others in your
discipline. What are the successful people doing as they produce quality
work? Look and learn. You can also learn as much of what to avoid by
watching the pitiful efforts of others.</b><br />
<b><u>Listen</u></b><b>. To yourself. As a performer,
record yourself. Be your own teacher and critic. And, I know it’s a
cliché, but listen to your heart. Will you ever be truly happy and
fulfilled if you deny the love of this art?</b><br />
<br />
<b>I write in my book, “Follow <i>your</i> passion. Not someone else’s passion for you, but <i>your</i>
passion.” Shakespeare said, “To thine own self be true, and it must
follow as the night the day. Thou canst not then be false to any man.”<br />
</b><br />
<br />
<b>Contact Information:<br />
</b><br />
B.A., Lee College<br />
M.M., University of Tennessee, Knoxville<br />
Email: <a href="mailto:tdeaton@leeuniversity.edu">tdeaton@leeuniversity.edu</a><br />
<span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Background:</b></span>
Tony Deaton made his New York debut at The International Festival of
the Arts in the title role of Punch in Harrison Birtwistle’s avant–garde
opera, Punch and Judy. He has performed at The Kennedy Center in
Washington D.C., at Spoleto USA in Charleston, S.C., and with symphony
orchestras and opera companies throughout the United States.<br />
He has worked with such renowned artists as Gian Carlo Menotti,
Carlisle Floyd, Robert Ward, Bodo Igesz, and Marni Nixon, among others,
and has performed many times on public and commercial radio and
television. Deaton created the role of Major William Lewis in the world
premiere performance of Rachel, produced by the Knoxville Opera Company,
and was chosen by American composer Richard Maltz to premiere his song
cycle Seeing With The Heart. As a member of North Carolina’s
distinguished Visiting Artist Program, Deaton presented hundreds of
recitals, workshops and master classes. He received a Bachelor of Arts
in Music from Lee College as a voice student of Jim Burns and a Master
of Music in Vocal Performance from the University of Tennessee, where he
studied with Edward Zambara. Deaton has taught on the voice faculties
of Appalachian State University and Methodist College. He is currently
associate professor of music at Lee University, where he teaches applied
voice and vocal literature. In addition to his teaching
responsibilities at Lee, Deaton continues an active performance schedule
through the southeast. He is married to the former Suzy Venable,
originally of Knoxville, and is the proud grandfather of grandsons
Spencer and Andy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;">===============================</span><br />
<span style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><b>About Jan Bowman:</b></span><br />
<div class="paragraph">
<b><span style="font-size: medium;">Jan Bowman’s new story
collection, Flight Path & Other Stories (October 2015) Evening
Street Press is available (for pre-order) online:<br />
</span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: blue;">http://eveningstreetpress.com/jan-bowman.html</span><br />
</span></b><br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/seriousJan.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="seriousJan" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-1024" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/05/seriousJan-300x240.jpg" height="240" width="300" /></a><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: medium;">Jan Bowman</span></b>
is winner of the Roanoke Review Fiction Award. Her stories have been
nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short Stories, a
Pen/O’Henry award. Her fiction has appeared in <i>Evening Street
Review, Uncertain Promise: An Anthology of Short Fiction and Creative
Nonfiction, Roanoke Review, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday,
Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings,</i> and others.<br />
Jan’s stories have been finalists or short- listed for the <i>Broad River Review RASH Award for Fiction, The Phoebe Fiction Contest and So-to-Speak</i> <i>fiction contest. Glimmer Train</i> named a story as <i>Honorable Mention for Short Story Awards for New Writers</i>.<br />
She is working on a new story collection, working title, <i>Life Boat Drills for Children</i>. She has nonfiction publications in <i>Atticus Review, Trajectory, and Pen-in-Hand</i>.
She writes a regular blog on her website on the writing life and
interviews writers and publishers.
Photo by ELAINE RAKSIS<br />
Learn more at: <a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/" title="">www.janbowmanwriter.com</a></div>
<hr />
<div class="paragraph">
The stories in<b><span style="color: blue;"><i> Flight Paths & Other Stories</i></span></b>
reveal the power of kindness. In difficult moments of human contact,
explored from childhood through old age, this collection provides a
window into the kindness all people seek in moments of sorrow. In her
poem <i>Kindness</i>, Naomi Shihab Nye writes that when you know sorrow as <i>“the
other deepest thing . . . then it is only kindness that makes sense
anymore.” from – “Kindness” in Words Under The Words: Selected Poems
(1995) by Naomi Shihab Nye.</i><br />
<br />
The dynamic mix of characters in these stories, know much about
sorrow. They know it in the burden of a wife looking after her
war-damaged husband and the son who confronts her more than 35 years
after she abandons them. They know it in the struggle to hide from
violence of the world, even though violence finds them. But they do know
kindness, too. They know it in the unspoken understanding between a
young man and his elderly aunt in the aftermath of a violent murder.
They know it in small gestures between friends, and even strangers,
after a sudden death, as well as through the unexpected connections
found on the other end of the phone or a shared meal.<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><i>What others are saying:</i></span><br />
For years I’ve been reading, admiring, and learning from Jan Bowman’s
short stories. Her stories explore what we mean to one another, what is
discovered, often only in moments of hardship and duress. These stories
tread and plummet over rough terrain. That they do so with unflinching
candor and searing vision is one reason to read them. The characters,
each so distinct and nuanced that together they form a community, will
be forever etched onto your memory. But the reason I keep returning to
them? It’s the hope they provide, the unexpected paths they suggest,
consoling me when I feel lost by enlarging and enriching what it means
to be human. —Daniel Mueller, author of <i>How Animals Mate </i>and <i>Nights I Dreamed of Hubert Humphrey</i></div>
Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-89193842981152047172015-08-06T15:47:00.001-04:002015-08-06T15:47:52.276-04:00Entry 238 - Interview with Author Tom Glenn<h1>
Entry 238 – The Trion Syndrome – Interview with Author Tom Glenn</h1>
By Jan Bowman <a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/517F-mrnzGL.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="517F+mrnzGL" class=" size-medium wp-image-983 alignright" height="200" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/517F-mrnzGL-251x300.jpg" width="167" /></a><strong><span style="color: blue;">Tom Glenn’s newest novel, <em>The Trion Syndrome</em>
is slated for publication November 2015. Tom has worked as an
intelligence operative, a musician, a linguist (seven languages), a
cryptologist, a government executive, a care-giver for the dying, a
leadership coach, and, always, a writer. <br />
</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Many</span></strong><strong><span style="color: blue;">
of his prize-winning short stories (sixteen in print) came from the
better part of thirteen years he shuttled between the U.S. and Vietnam
as an undercover NSA employee. His writing is haunted by his five years
of work with AIDS patients, two years of helping the homeless, seven
years of caring for the dying in the hospice system, and Post-Traumatic
Stress Injury, a consequence of his time in Vietnam.</span> <span style="color: blue;">T</span></strong><strong><span style="color: blue;">hes</span></strong><strong><span style="color: blue;">e days he is a reviewer for <em>The Washington Independent Review </em></span></strong><strong><span style="color: blue;"><em>of Books </em>where he specializes in books on war and Vietnam. His Vietnam novel-in-stories, <em>Friendly Casualties</em>, is now available on Amazon.com. Apprentice House of Baltimore brought out his novel, <em>No-Accounts</em> in 2014.</span></strong>
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Jan: Previously you have
written about your experiences in Vietnam during the fall of Saigon and
about your hospice work helping AIDS patients in the early years of the
AIDS crisis. Tell us about your newest novel, <em>The Trion Syndrome</em>. What do you hope will draw readers into this novel?</span></strong><br />
<strong>Tom:</strong> <strong> I am fascinated by the image of a
strong, passionate, and gifted man brought to his knees by his own past,
and I’m hoping readers will be drawn to his story. I want to lead
readers into the world of Post-Traumatic Stress Injury (PTSI) so they
can understand and be moved by the plight of a man unable to face his
own combat memories.</strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Jan:</strong> <strong>What do readers need to know about <em>The Trion Syndrome</em> and its connections to Greek mythology?</strong></span><br />
<strong>Tom:</strong> <strong>When my protagonist’s story took me
over, I searched Greek mythology for an apt metaphor for his struggle. I
found none, so I invented a myth about a demigod named Trion, the son
of Ares (the god of war), who disembowels his own infant son to prove
his ferocity. The gods are appalled and curse him with the inability to
love or be loved. That tale caught for me the dilemma of a man who has
participated in the gruesomeness of armed combat and comes away afraid
that he’s destroyed his own capacity for love. That was my story. I
worked undercover providing signals intelligence support to army and
Marine combat units on and off for thirteen years in Vietnam, then lived
through the fall of Saigon escaping under fire after the North
Vietnamese were already in the streets of the city. I witnessed and took
part in acts so brutal—such is the nature of men fighting each other to
the death—that I doubted I was even capable of love.</strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Jan: You have mentioned the
wisdom and power of Greek mythology to bring about healing. How is it
redemptive for you personally, and in this particular novel?</strong></span><br />
<strong>Tom:</strong> <strong>When I returned from Vietnam in May
1975 after the fall of Saigon, I was an emotional wreck. My marriage
crumbled, and I was afraid I would lose my children, my reason for
staying alive. I held top-secret-codeword-plus clearances and couldn’t
seek psychiatric help—I would have lost my job. Through writing I was
able to confront my unspeakable memories, but to find peace I
volunteered to help others less fortunate than me and turned to my
language studies, especially German, for solace. Then I remembered the
quiet wisdom in Greek mythology. I reread Robert Graves’ <em>The Greek Myths</em>
in the complete two-volume version. As I pondered each of the wonderful
stories, the gentle insights embedded in each slowly came into my
consciousness. I saw the unsentimental lessons inherent in the stories
and found metaphors for my own life.</strong><br />
<strong>The story of Dave, my protagonist in <em>Trion</em>, is in
many ways my own story. He is all but destroyed by a past he has
quarantined from his consciousness. For reasons he himself doesn’t
understand, he’s drawn to the myth of Trion, the child killer, and sees
himself. At his lowest point, he remembers what happened: he killed a
child in Vietnam. When another child, his illegitimate son he tried to
kill, through abortion, finds him, Dave learns that Trion’s fate,
drowning, is not the only way out. Dave is not Trion redux unless he
chooses to be. He realizes that Trion’s choices are the lesson of the
myth—he could have saved himself but didn’t. Dave’s son leads him to
understand the myth at last and shows him the way home.</strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Jan: The protagonist Dave
Bell of Trion discovers a connection between his life and an unpublished
novella by German author, Thomas Mann. Does this unpublished novella
exist or is it a necessary fictional literary device to propel plot?</strong></span><br />
<strong>Tom:</strong> <strong> The novella, like the Trion myth, is
fictional. I needed to have another angle on the Trion tale. Mann is one
of my favorite authors, and he frequently used myths as the basis for
his stories. I drew on his greatest work, <em>Doctor Faustus</em>, to
select the lessons I wanted the Trion novella to demonstrate and
incorporated them. I deliberately changed the Trion story, in the Mann
version, to include Trion’s suicide by drowning. That suggested to Dave
what he should do.</strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Jan: Once again you explore
the power of repressed PTSI and the emotional wreckage of so many lives
from wars and clandestine intelligence operations. Why do you think it
has taken so long for our government to acknowledge the damage?</strong></span><br />
<strong>Tom:</strong> <strong>Our American culture stresses
masculine virtues—courage, strength, self-reliance. We look askance at
anything that resembles softness or vulnerability in men, and we
deemphasize nurturing and gentleness as masculine traits. Besides, a
segment of our population considers psychology as suspect at best. And
even today in many military circles, PTSI is dismissed as a cover for
cowardice. All that’s changing, but change takes time. And while we
wait, the victims suffer in silence. I’m doing all I can to speed up the
change. That’s why I painted my protagonist as a brave virile man
undone by his repressed memories. PTSI is not cowardice. It takes
strength and courage to face the past and comes to terms with it.</strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Jan: You worked for many
years as a US Intelligence Operative for NSA. Are there still
limitations on what you are free to say about that work?</span> </strong><br />
<strong>Tom:</strong> <strong> Yes. Most of what I did in my career
is still classified. I had to personally request declassification of my
work in Vietnam. And I was only partially successful. Everything after
Vietnam cannot be discussed publicly.</strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Jan: How long have you worked on <em>Trion</em>? When did you experience a breakthrough, an insight as to how you would end it, or did you always know the ending?</strong></span><br />
<strong>Tom:</strong> <strong> As with most of my books, I spent about fifteen years writing <em>Trion</em>.
The story had been kicking around in my head ever since I came back
from Vietnam in 1975, but it took time for all the pieces to fall into
place. I didn’t know the ending until I wrote it after finishing the
rest of the manuscript. But that’s standard practice for me. What I have
to do is use something like meditation techniques to unleash my
subconscious mind. It’s like watching a movie and writing down what I
see. That’s why I make no attempt to write an outline for a novel until
I’ve finished the first draft. Then I look at the outline and spot
weaknesses, dull spots, and inconsistencies. In short, I rely on
something deep inside me to tell the story. For example, I make no
pretense that I understand women; they continually surprise and mystify
me at the conscious level. But a large part of <em>Trion</em> is written
from the point of view of Mary, Dave’s wife. Women who have read the
book tell me I got it right. So some part of my subconscious is able to
get into a woman’s head and write from her point of view. I have no idea
how I do it.</strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Jan: What are your particular satisfactions on seeing <em>Trion</em> published at this point in your life?</strong></span><br />
<strong>Tom:</strong> <strong> Two real satisfactions. First, I’m
proud to have finally mastered the craft of writing fiction to the point
that I turn out finished story telling. I’ve spent my life learning how
to do it, and I’m still learning. Second, and more important, I yearned
to bring to readers the story of a man spiritually crippled by combat
and show how he managed to survive. I want people to know and understand
how our past can lacerate us. When I came back from my many trips to
Vietnam, I and the troops I was travelling with were jeered and spat
upon. Even now I ache to hear the words, “Thank you. And welcome home.”
Maybe my readers will cry a little with me and say those words to Dave,
and therefore to me.</strong><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Previously I interviewed Tom Glenn about his book, <em>No Accounts</em> on my website as Entry # 220 in July 2014. Here is the link:</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>http://janbowmanwriter.com/entry-220-tom-glenn-talks-about-his-new-novel-no-accounts/</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>To find out more Tom Glenn’s web sites are:</strong></span><br />
<a href="http://tom-tells-tales.org/">http://tom-tells-tales.org</a>;<br />
<a href="http://vietnam-tragedy.org/">http://vietnam-tragedy.org</a><br />
<a href="http://friendly-casuatlties.org/">http://friendly-casuatlties.org</a><br />
<a href="http://no-accounts.com/">http://no-accounts.com</a> and<br />
http://the-trion-syndrome.com<br />
(under construction)Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-67689034101182295112015-06-30T11:52:00.004-04:002015-06-30T11:52:59.069-04:00Entry 237 - "In Everything, Birds" - Interview with Santa Fe, NM Poet Debbi Brody<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/51hMVu-HL8L._AA160_.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="51hMVu+HL8L._AA160_" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-966" height="160" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/51hMVu-HL8L._AA160_.jpg" width="160" /></a><strong>Jan: Thanks for the interview Debbi Brody; your newest book of poetry, <em>In Everything, Birds </em>will be released at the end of May, tell readers about yourself.</strong><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Debbi: </strong></span> I
consider myself a poetry activist, bringing poetry in wherever I can.
This includes conducting poetry workshops and readings at festivals and
other venues throughout the Southwest to writers age five through
eighty-five. I publish frequently in regional and national literary
journals. My work has appeared in the <em><strong>Santa Fe Literary Review, Broomweed Journal, Poetica, Sin Fronteras</strong></em> and many others literary journals and books of note including numerous anthologies. My first full length collection, <em><strong>“Portraits in Poetry,”</strong></em> (Village Books Press, Oklahoma, 2006), as well as my chapbook, <strong>“FreeForm”</strong> (2003, self published) are out of print. My new chapbook, <em><strong>“Awe in the Muddle”</strong></em>
is almost sold out, but available through artqueen58@aol.com. As well
as being active in the poetry community, editing, writing and reviewing,
coordinating readings and judging art shows and recitations for the
National Endowment for the Arts annual high-school Poetry Outloud State
Finals, I work full-time for a small scientific research and development
company. I have lived in Santa Fe, NM with my husband since 1992. We
have one grown, married son.<br />
<strong>Jan: Tell me about your new poetry collection “In
Everything, Birds.” I like the title. What inspired you and what is the
significance of the title?</strong><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Debbi: </strong></span>
Birds are traditionally, in the arts, a symbol of
communication-including communication with the spirit world, as well as a
symbol of the spirit, the soul, and of diplomacy. These are all
subjects I regularly address in my writing, both head-on as well as
sideways. It is infrequent that birds themselves are the actual subject
of a poem, but they are flittering about within the work. I have been
fascinated and comforted by their constancy in real life, even feeding
one with an eyedropper, bringing it back from the brink of death, when I
was eleven years old, skipping school to do so. I discovered,
accidentally that birds are a constant in my real life and in my
writing. How did I learn this? One day, when completing the title poem
of this collection, as I hit save, the computer asked if I wished to
replace a document of the same name. Without meaning to I said yes and
realized I had lost a gritty poem from ten years previous of the same
title. It was my Eureka moment for this collection.<br />
<strong>Jan: Which of your current poems are your favorite poems
to read before an audience and how do you select particular poems to
read aloud?</strong><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Debbi:</strong></span> I
did a CD of the collection, which covers about half of the 80 or so
poems. I learned a lot about my reading style making the choices. I like
poems that ask questions of the reader, that don’t provide answers,
that have strong musicality. Different audiences require different
choices; if I am reading at a gallery, museum, or university, I veer
towards the more “intelligent, narrative, less visceral” poems. If I am
reading at a Festival I steer towards the theme of the festival and more
lyric and surreal pieces. I truly enjoy reading in tandem or
collaboratively and will choose poems that I think will complement my
co-reader (s). For many authors, writing is a solitary pursuit. For me,
writers are my community, my family, my tribe. I belong to two
bi-monthly writing groups. We feed off of each other’s lines at 5 minute
intervals, to push our minds and pens to unexpected places.<br />
<strong>Jan: What happens when a poet reads her work aloud before
an audience? Based on audience reactions, tell us about how that
experience best empowers your resolve to write?</strong><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Debbi: </strong></span>
Funny you should ask this question because I wrote a letter to myself
last night asking why I have no fear of reading in public to an entire
theater full of strangers. Am I some kind of sociopath? Even the most
renowned writers I know suffer stage jitters. Then of course, I realized
I have this fabulous tool of suppression. Generally, I smoke 4
cigarettes a day. That’s all I want. But as the date of a big reading
comes up, such as the first release of this new book, a week from the
day of this writing, I am smoking seven a day!<br />
I feed off audience reaction and participation. I encourage heckling.
After reading, naturally, people approach and volunteer their favorites
and I always ask why. This helps me make choices for future readings.<br />
<strong>Jan: When did you begin to write poetry? Do you remember
the first poem you ever wrote? How does it “stack up” next to your
current work?</strong><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Debbi: </strong></span> You
can laugh as you wish, but I began writing as soon as I could write. I
was a bit precocious and taught myself to read, via the backs of cereal
boxes and Dr. Seuss books by the time I was three. I have a very
distinct memory of going out on to the driveway with a piece of blue
chalk, writing “ that fat cat hat,” then running inside to show my
mother that I knew not only how to read, but how to write. Something my
big sister (4 ½) couldn’t do! I don’t believe my first “poem” stacks up
well to my current work, but strangely I still feel Seuss in my bones,
although my rhymes are all slant and/or enjambed – unless I am writing
in a form which requires a rhyming pattern.<br />
<strong>Jan: What “rules” for poetry do you reject as too
constricting? Are there any particular “rules” that you believe are
essential for the full development of your work?</strong><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Debbi: </strong></span> Yes,
I firmly believe that all writing must follow the same rules, no matter
the form. But in poetry, if it does not have some scheme of rhythm, it
is just an essay shaped as a poem. Use complete sentences, avoid
superlatives, create images in the reader’s mind. Remove the distance
between self and reader wherever possible. Did I say <em><strong>image image image</strong></em>,
to tell a story and/or to create a visceral response? The joy of poetry
for me, versus the other kinds of writing I do, lies in the non-linear
nature of the genre. I can go from a dream, to under a tree, to a
remembered conversation all in under 30 lines, and it feels natural and
right to do so. That is an on-going thrill!<br />
<strong>Jan: Who are among your favorite poets alive and writing
today? And of course, I must ask who are your favorite poets who are no
longer with us?</strong><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Debbi:</strong></span>
Currently, I am hooked on Joan Logghe, poet laureate emeritus of Santa
Fe. She has had a big influence not so much on my style, but on my
process. I am a devotee of Sharon Olds and Dorianne Laux. But it was a
visit to the Chicago Public Library as a little girl, when I heard
Gwendolyn Brooks read that everything fell into place. This was before
she became Illinois’ poet laureate in 1968. So here’s my poetic lineage
post <strong><em>Seuss and Brooks: Ginsberg, Yevtushenko, Gerald Stern,
Dickenson, Langston Hughes, CK Williams, Maya Angelou, John Muir (I say
everything he wrote was poetry), Rumi, Plath, Miribai, Cummings and
Leonard Cohen.</em></strong> <em>Wow, reading that list, I see I am a weirdo even for a poet.</em><br />
<strong>Jan: What are the greatest obstacles to your writing at
this point in your life? And of course, what do you know now about
writing, poetry and the poet’s world that you wish you’d known when you
were twenty?</strong><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Debbi: </strong></span> You
ask some wonderful tough questions. I was saying to a friend at a
reading this afternoon that life gets in the way of poetry. I work full
time at a fairly intense office. I am the only full-time employee there
who is not a scientist, and I do everything except science. This
includes the occasional midnight alarm call <em>(a window in the laboratory has been broken into!)</em>
I also find that while waiting for a new book to come out, it is
difficult to write, it’s like having sex at the end of a pregnancy, no
purpose, no desire. In those moments I turn to flash fiction and
socio-political essay as well as close content edits for friends and
customers who write nonfiction.<br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/11401573_408443282685832_3146710083622327730_n.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="11401573_408443282685832_3146710083622327730_n" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-965" height="160" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/11401573_408443282685832_3146710083622327730_n.jpg" width="160" /></a><strong><span style="color: red;"><em>“I
wish I knew when I was twenty that not everyone, in fact very few, will
hear your words the way you intend them; this is one of the joys of
writing. It is not a problem of execution!”</em></span></strong><br />
<strong>Jan: And what advice do you offer to a budding poet that
would help and encourage him or her? What should you know if you want to
be a poet?</strong><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Debbi:</strong></span> You
should know that if you are an organic and tasty poet versus pedantic
and scholarly poet, this will always be your avocation, not your bread
and butter, even if you acquire great success.<br />
“First thought, best thought,” as Ginsberg said, may be a great way
to find your initial draft, but in reality, first thought is much like
the first pancake on the griddle, not as pretty as the next one. Clichés
come to exist for a reason, so “revise, revise, revise,” as Ginsberg
said. Think of poetry more as a process than a product and you will be
happier every step of the way. Play with your stanzas, invert them,
subvert them! What words are unnecessary to the picture you are
painting? Get rid of them, don’t love your own words too much; you are a
poet, or as Shakespeare says, “Brevity is the soul of wit!” You will
still write long poems. Most importantly, don’t take yourself too
seriously.<br />
<i><b><span style="color: red;">Lastly, there is no such thing as writers block for a poet, only an
unwillingness to look outside yourself and record what teases your mind
and sparkles.</span></b></i><br />
<br />
<b>Jan: How can people contact you and learn more?</b><br />
Please find me at <a href="http://www.facebook.com/pages/Debbi-Brody">www.facebook.com/pages/Debbi-Brody</a> And of course at your local independently owned bookstore, barnesandnoble.com, and amazon.com <a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/1.jpg"><img alt="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" class="size-medium wp-image-967 alignleft" height="225" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/06/1-300x225.jpg" width="300" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
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Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-25975574935882623732015-06-30T10:00:00.000-04:002016-01-12T15:55:01.490-05:00Entry 236 - "Do Writers Have a Code of Ethics?"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQ2pu72QWp8CpPMvZ5VHCJFdumLKdRfhzCar-742sZgJ5u_n1uEzXyS4b1dFnsaEML3uAhfRvyXE0iFnzVH8xifnnNqS49fylQogQyUDfz3L2x6jKwG2JlkRSQdHsakY-ic2RlfAL1pvO/s1600/Jan236.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaQ2pu72QWp8CpPMvZ5VHCJFdumLKdRfhzCar-742sZgJ5u_n1uEzXyS4b1dFnsaEML3uAhfRvyXE0iFnzVH8xifnnNqS49fylQogQyUDfz3L2x6jKwG2JlkRSQdHsakY-ic2RlfAL1pvO/s320/Jan236.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Stephanie Spector of </b></span><span style="color: blue;"><b>Roanoke Review (online) spoke with me (January 2015) about my thoughts about Eth</b></span><span style="color: blue;"><b>ics
in Writing. As I said, I can’t speak for anyone but myself. But here
are a few thoughts that I shared with her. To read more of this
interview, go to Roanoke Review’s beautiful new squarespace online
website for more.</b></span>
<br />
<div id="yui_3_17_2_5_1423492363288_12239" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div id="yui_3_17_2_5_1423492363288_12239" style="text-align: justify;">
<b id="yui_3_17_2_1_1432412798601_477"><span id="yui_3_17_2_1_1432412798601_476"><span style="color: blue;">Stephanie: </span> Do you think there is a code of ethics in writing?</span></b></div>
<div id="yui_3_17_2_5_1423492363288_12240">
<b><span style="color: blue;">Jan: </span></b>
I would hope that writers, just like good people in any line of work,
have an inner compass that causes them to use their talents for good and
ethical behaviors. John Gardner had some lovely things to say about
that in his Art of Fiction. I can’t speak for others, but I am a writer
who believes, for example, that writers have an obligation to dig deep,
find truth as they can tell it, and help people feel more connected,
alive, compassionate, and relevant. I believe writers have an obligation
to share their knowledge. Writers are privileged when they can help
other writers grow in their writing skills. I try to do that on my
website and when I teach or attend workshops. I believe we have an
obligation to help each other on this planet.</div>
<br />
<div class="details">
This entry was posted by Jan Bowman on Saturday, May 23, 2015.<br />
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Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-86215371424602873062015-03-18T16:35:00.001-04:002016-01-12T15:55:59.897-05:00<h1>
Entry # 234 – GOOD NEWS</h1>
<br />
By Jan Bowman<br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/mermaid01.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="mermaid01" class=" size-medium wp-image-314 alignright" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/mermaid01-300x203.jpg" height="203" width="300" /></a><b>Evening Street Review</b> will publish Jan’s story, <i><b>“Kindness”</b></i> in the <b>May 2015 Issue</b>.<br />
The <b>Editor</b> of a press (later to be named) read one of Jan’s stories and wants to read her story collection, <i><b>MERMAIDS & Other Stories</b></i>, for possible publication.<br />
The <b>Roanoke Review</b> debuts a beautiful newly designed website posted Jan’s <i><b>(2012
Issue) Fiction Award Story, “Mermaids” in the Archive section and an
interview with Jan from Fall (2014) in the Interview section. <span data-reactid=".2.1:3:1:$comment540164909455901_540172849455107:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1"><span data-ft="{"tn":"K"}" data-reactid=".2.1:3:1:$comment540164909455901_540172849455107:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body"><span class="UFICommentBody" data-reactid=".2.1:3:1:$comment540164909455901_540172849455107:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0"><span data-reactid=".2.1:3:1:$comment540164909455901_540172849455107:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$text1:0:$0:0">Link
for Roanoke Review story Mermaids. Click within story sidebar for an
Interview with Jan. Might need to copy & paste to browser.</span><br data-reactid=".2.1:3:1:$comment540164909455901_540172849455107:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$text2:0:$1:0" /><a class="" data-reactid=".2.1:3:1:$comment540164909455901_540172849455107:0.0.$right.0.$left.0.0.1.$comment-body.0.$range2:0" dir="ltr" href="https://roanoke-review.squarespace.com/mermaidsjbowman" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://roanoke-review.squarespace.com/mermaidsjbowman</a></span></span></span><br />
</b></i><br />
Jan had a recent story on the <b><i>short-list for the</i> Folio Fiction Award.</b>Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-89774083826539560542015-01-03T12:37:00.001-05:002015-01-03T12:37:28.554-05:00Entry # 233 - "More Than I Could Ever Know: How I Survived Caregiving" - by Dale L. Baker<h1>
“More Than I Could Ever Know: How I Survived Caregiving” – by Dale L. Baker</h1>
Interview By Jan Bowman December 29, 2014<br /><a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/dentist-pic-2-e1419888364896.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="dentist pic 2" class="size-medium wp-image-886 alignright" height="300" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/dentist-pic-2-e1419888364896-225x300.jpg" width="225" /></a><strong><span style="color: blue;">Dale
L. Baker is an award-winning author. She was born in Ohio, completed
high school in California, graduated from college in Oregon and now
lives in Hawaii and Arizona. She retired from county social services in
2003 to take care of her husband full-time. Her book More Than I Could
Ever Know: How I Survived Caregiving” (a best seller in the AZ
retirement community of Westbrook Village) is usually read in one
sitting, then passed on to another caregiver, if not kept for reference.
Often gift copies are bought. More Than I Could Ever Know: How I
Survived Caregiving is a BRONZE MEDAL WINNER in the 2014 Living Now Book
Awards and a FINALIST in the 2014 USA Best Books Awards. For more
information about her writing career see her website
http://msdaleLbaker.com or just Google “Ms Dale caregiver.”<br />
</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Interview by Jan Bowman – December 29, 2014</span></strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Jan: Thank you, Dale, for
writing this important book and agreeing to talk about it with me.
You’ve said, “Every caregiver needs a support group. You might think
that you don’t, but you do.” At what point in your husband’s illness did
you come to that reality?</strong></span><br />
<strong>Dale: That phrase comes from a man in my old support group in
Portland who was taking care of his wife. It was advice that he had
been given from a colleague—“guy talk” around the water cooler. “Support
group? You think you don’t need one, but you do.”</strong><br />
<strong>I didn’t think I needed one either until I had a melt-down at
a grocery store. My husband and I had made it through the rigors of his
first cancer together but when he was diagnosed with a second
untreatable cancer I felt alone and overwhelmed. Helping him get better
so we could go back to living happily ever after was one thing. But,
watching him slowly deteriorate until I was left a widow was something
entirely different. I was at a loss.</strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Jan: What do you wish someone had said to you and to your husband when he got the second cancer diagnosis?</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Dale-Baker-Cover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Dale Baker Cover" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-892" height="160" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Dale-Baker-Cover.jpg" width="160" /></a><strong>Dale: No words would have helped me. A hug would have been
better. People would say “let me know if I can help” but I didn’t know
what to ask for at the time. Then they disappeared, waiting, I guess,
for me to call them. What I needed was for someone to call me on a
regular basis and say “what can I do to help today—pick up
groceries?—wash a load of clothes?—sit and have a cup of tea with you?
If you really want to help a caregiver, keep in touch. Be available to
do little things. They are SO appreciated. Don’t wait for a crisis call.</strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Jan: Chapter 19 of your book
offers five tips for surviving. To what do you credit your own survival
in the face of the daily stress of caregiving?</strong></span><br />
<strong>Dale: Participating in a weekly support group changed my
caregiver life. The other life-saving tools—breathing, yoga,
respite—came later, after my mind had cleared. I had bottled up emotions
that needed to be expressed and on-going decisions that had to be made.
The support and practical knowledge that I received from other
caregivers kept me focused on my job of taking care of both my husband
and myself. Even though I was not interested in joining in at first, the
time came when it was essential for me to participate. I encourage all
caregivers to seek out a group that’s a comfortable fit. I gladly
facilitate one in my community.</strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Jan: What was your initial
reaction when your husband began to help you put together a “To Do” list
before he died? How did that help you?</strong></span><br />
<strong>Dale: I was deeply touched with his thoughtfulness. In fact,
from that moment on, his focus was on my well-being rather than his. He
was my hero again—the proud strong man I married who wanted to protect
and provide for me. He felt useful again. Our “To Do” activities took us
away from the grind we were in of illness and pain management. It was
uplifting for me—a time of joy that softened the tragedy of losing him.</strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Jan: How do you feel about the current “right-to-die with dignity” movement in this country?</strong></span><br />
<strong>Dale: Having lived in Oregon for most of my adult life, I am
very aware of and have contributed to the death with dignity movement. I
was a supporter even before I came face-to-face with loved ones in
their declining years. None of my people (husband, Mom, Dad) considered
ending their lives early but watching them struggle cemented my own
wishes to have a different ending for myself. If I were diagnosed with a
terminal illness I would not want to be the “one in the bed” for very
long. It’s too hard on the “one bringing juice and pills.”</strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Jan: Do you plan to write about this topic or a related topic in the future?</strong></span><br />
<strong>Dale: Poetry is my first love. I am close to finishing a very
personal book of photographs taken by my niece who is a professional
photographer (Tamara at Every Emotion Photography). My poems open and
close the book and are sprinkled through the middle. I also want to
gather all my poems (many about caregiving) into one collection. In
addition to the poetry work I am writing short stories again. Fans have
been asking me for the full story of the long black dress and tango
night that I mention in Chapter 19. It will appear in my humorous online
dating manual for widows.</strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Jan: Is winning two book awards the highlight for you as an author?</strong></span><br />
<strong>Dale: Actually I can think of two experiences that thrilled me as much as the literary recognition.</strong><br />
<strong>The first one happened in my dentist’s office. When I slipped
into the dental chair I saw a copy of my book lying on a table
separating me from another patient on my right. My book had only been
released a few weeks earlier so I was thrilled and shocked that anyone
who was reading it would be having their teeth cleaned the same time I
was. Not only did I have a wonderful chat with the woman who was reading
my book, but my dentist took pictures of both book and my smile for her
website.</strong><br />
<strong>The second heart-warming experience happened recently. “I
survived caregiving,” a reader wrote. “This book helped.” I have
received many lengthy 5 star reviews on Amazon, but this brief one sums
up my mission.</strong><br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Jan-at-Corolla-House.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Jan at Corolla House" class="size-medium wp-image-890 alignright" height="232" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/Jan-at-Corolla-House-300x232.jpg" width="300" /></a><span style="color: red;"><strong><em>About Jan Bowman</em></strong></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Winner of the <em>2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award</em>,
Jan’s stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American
Short Stories, and a Pen/O’Henry award. Glimmer Train named a story as
Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New
Writers. Jan’s stories have been finalists for the 2013 Broad River
Review RASH Award for Fiction, 2013 finalists in the Phoebe Fiction
Contest, 2012 “So To Speak” Fiction Contest.</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Jan’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, <em>Roanoke
Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus,
Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes</em>
and most recently, Uncertain Promise: An Anthology, Edited by Von
Pittman. She is working on two collections of short stories while
shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection, <em>Mermaids & Other Stories</em>. She has nonfiction publications in <em>Atticus Review, Trajectory</em> and <em>Pen-in-Hand</em>. She writes a weekly blog of <em>“Reflections”</em> on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers. Learn more at: <a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/" style="color: red;">www.janbowmanwriter.com</a> </strong></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-46591687292438278572014-12-12T15:12:00.000-05:002014-12-12T15:12:54.609-05:00Entry # 232 - "Interview with Deepan Chatterjee" <h1>
Entry # 232 – “Interview with Deepan Chatterjee”</h1>
<h1>
<span style="font-size: small;">By Jan Bowman</span> </h1>
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/b22aea_4bc5c21faebd4b1e8f9fefea55a8ebb1.jpg_srz_p_196_320_75_22_0.50_1.20_0.jpg" style="clear: right; color: blue; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="b22aea_4bc5c21faebd4b1e8f9fefea55a8ebb1.jpg_srz_p_196_320_75_22_0.50_1.20_0" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-872" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/b22aea_4bc5c21faebd4b1e8f9fefea55a8ebb1.jpg_srz_p_196_320_75_22_0.50_1.20_0-183x300.jpg" height="300" width="183" /></a><span style="color: blue;"><b>Interview with Deepan Chatterjee – <i>“The First Propetical: A collection of poetry and short fiction.”</i></b></span><br />
Dr. Deepan Chatterjee is a <b>Licensed Clinical Psychologist</b>
in Maryland. He has over fourteen years experience (eight of them
postdoctoral) in providing diagnostic evaluations, individual, family
and group psychotherapy, crisis counseling, psychopharmacological
consults, as well as psychological assessment services to children,
adolescents, adults, couples, geriatric adults, families and criminal
offenders. Dr. Chatterjee’s writing has appeared in several newspapers,
online blogs and literary magazines, including <b>The Statesman</b>, <b>The Telegraph</b>, <b>The Tower</b>, <b>The Harbinger</b>, <b>The Daily Kos</b>, <b>Altarum Institute’s</b> <b>Health Policy Forum</b>, among others. His poetry has also been featured in art exhibitions, including “<b>Poets and Painters</b>” at <b>The Artist’s Gallery</b> in Columbia, Maryland. He is the author of a recently published collection of short fiction and poetry entitled “<b>The First Prophetical</b>.” Dr. Chatterjee lives with his wife in Columbia, Maryland. Learn more about him at <b>www.drdeepanchatterjee.com</b>.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: For whom did you write this book? Who would be your ideal reader?</b></span><br />
Deepan: I wrote this book for a variety of readers – those who grew
up in a foreign country (like I did) and then immigrated to the United
States, those who reside here and wish to learn about other cultures and
traditions, and anyone in general who loves reading short fiction and
poetry. I have tried to include a variety of stories, including a murder
mystery, a O’Henry type short story with a twist and a story with a
psychologist as the narrator. Also, there are a variety of poems that I
feel reflect many different moods. As such, I do not have an “ideal”
reader in mind.<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Jan: How does your background as a Clinical Psychologist influence your writing? And why do you write?</span></b><br />
Deepan: I think my profession has a lot to do with my writing. I see
writing as a sort of therapeutic catharsis, if you will. I write to
relieve the stress and anxiety that inevitably comes with my job. I also
write to escape the everyday mundane world of work and family life.
Writing brings me great joy, and I would love to do it full-time if I
could.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: Many of the short prose
pieces are listed as fiction, but seem more like they could be regarded
as creative nonfiction. Why did you decide to write them as fiction?</b></span><br />
Deepan: The stories are actually fiction. I have been asked by some
readers and friends who have read my book if the characters depicted in
the short stories are any of my patients in real life. My answer has
always been that all the characters in my stories are fictional. They
are part amalgams of different patient narratives, as well as part
creative imagination.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: This collection combines both fiction and poetry. Which do you prefer to write?</b></span><br />
Deepan: Both, actually. I used to write poetry a lot at one time in
my earlier life. I have started writing short stories again after a long
time, and feel like I am really enjoying the process. I might go back
to poetry again, who knows? However, I am thinking of writing another
collection of short stories in the near future.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: You have three poems on
the topic of “Perfection” that are separated by short prose works, tell
me about those poems and why you’ve positioned them as you have in the
collection?</b></span><br />
Deepan: That is a great question.The three parts of Perfection are
interspersed between a story with a shocking ending, a reflective short
piece, and a murder mystery. I think I was trying to evoke a variety of
emotions in the reader, going from shock to a neutral pondering to the
thrill of a “detective” story. If you read the three parts of
perfection, they act as buffers between the different emotional states.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: I try to take at least two
intensive writers workshops each year, mostly in the summer to build
connections with other writers and to help me grow in my development as a
writer. Have you explored taking intensive summer writing workshops,
and if you did, what would you consider the most valuable thing you
could gain from that experience?</b></span><br />
Deepan: I have considered participating in intensive writer workshops
before. The only thing that prevents me from doing so is my full-time
job as a Clinical Psychologist. I am also a Partner in our practice, and
between my full clinical caseload and the added administrative
responsibilities, I haven’t had the time. However, I am hoping to make
some time in future for workshops. It would be really nice connecting
with other writers.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: Who are among your favorite authors? What are you reading now?</b></span><br />
Deepan: As far as prose goes, I love Ernest Hemingway, Paulo Coelho,
Satyajit Ray, and Amitav Ghosh. My favorite poets are Rumi, E.E.
Cummings, Rabindranath Tagore, and Walt Whitman. Right now I am reading
“Beyond the Pale Motel” by Francesca Lia Block.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: How can readers find out more about your new book and perhaps order it?</b></span><br />
Deepan: Here are links to my website. <a href="http://www.drdeepanchatterjee.com./"><b>www.drdeepanchatterjee.com</b></a>.<br />
<div class="wysiwyg_viewer_skins_page_BasicPageSkinp2-inlineContent">
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<span style="font-size: small;"><i><b><span style="color: red;">About My book</span></b></i></span></h2>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">
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<h4 class="font_5">
<span style="font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: red;">I have written
and published a collection of my short stories and poems. This
collection includes many stories that draw upon my own experiences as an
immigrant and as a psychologist. I have tried to include several genres
in the writing, including minimalist styles, abstract postmodern
styles, as well as a murder mystery. All the stories and poems have a
common psychological thread running through them. In keeping with the
Eastern philosophy of “daana”, I have decided to donate all the proceeds
from the sale of the book to charity. Please visit the following
websites to buy this book:</span></b></span></h4>
</div>
<div class="wysiwyg_viewer_skins_button_ShinyButtonIISkinStBttn4-m3z_hpbm8ow3 focusable" id="StBttn4-m3z" tabindex="0">
<a class="wysiwyg_viewer_skins_button_ShinyButtonIISkinStBttn4-m3z_hpbm8ow3-link" href="http://www.lulu.com/shop/deepan-chatterjee/the-first-prophetical/paperback/product-21316001.html" target="_blank"><span class="wysiwyg_viewer_skins_button_ShinyButtonIISkinStBttn4-m3z_hpbm8ow3-label font_8">Lulu</span></a></div>
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<a class="wysiwyg_viewer_skins_button_ShinyButtonIISkinStBttn2-43j_hpkmue9g-link" href="http://www.amazon.com/The-First-Prophetical-Deepan-Chatterjee/dp/1304304698/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1387858146&sr=8-1&keywords=the+first+prophetical" target="_blank"><span class="wysiwyg_viewer_skins_button_ShinyButtonIISkinStBttn2-43j_hpkmue9g-label font_8">Amazon</span></a></div>
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<a class="wysiwyg_viewer_skins_button_ShinyButtonIISkinStBttn1-y8r_hqmzzrm3-link" href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-first-prophetical-deepan-chatterjee/1117955328?ean=9781304304698" target="_blank"><span class="wysiwyg_viewer_skins_button_ShinyButtonIISkinStBttn1-y8r_hqmzzrm3-label font_8">Barnes and Noble</span></a></div>
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Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-291535842281927532014-12-04T16:24:00.001-05:002014-12-04T16:24:54.672-05:00Entry # 231 - "Tips to Beat Block & Banish Fear - using Pat Schneider's Writing Alone and With Others"<h1>
<span style="font-size: small;">By Jan Bowman </span></h1>
<span style="color: black;"><em><strong>Pat Schneider’s <span style="text-decoration: underline;">Writing Alone and With Others</span>,
is a fourth entry in a series about craft books that I have reread
recently and found useful. And while many wonderful books on the
writer’s craft are available, sometimes when the flame of inspiration
flickers, it helps to read practical books on craft. In recent blog
entries I have given my impressions about four books that offer ideas
that have helped me improve my writing. Perhaps these will be useful to
you.</strong></em></span><br />
<br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/PatSchneiders-book.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="PatSchneider's book" class="size-full wp-image-858 alignright" height="250" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/12/PatSchneiders-book.jpg" width="166" /></a><strong><span style="color: #3366ff;">Schneider’s craft book is divided into three sections.</span></strong><br />
<strong> — <span style="color: #3366ff; text-decoration: underline;">Part 1 – The Writer Alone </span>-
explores a range of topics essential to the individual writer, whether
facing fear, finding your voice, or practicing your craft and working
toward a disciplined writing life. A final topic in this section
examines ethical questions writers face, whether they are concerned
about spirituality, privacy and the politics of what they write.</strong><br />
<br />
<strong> — <span style="color: #3366ff; text-decoration: underline;">Part 2 – Writing with Others</span>
– guides writers through the process of working in workshops or in
small writing group settings to promote healthy growth experiences. The
last topic includes an insightful discussion of ways to empower the
silenced, so that writers who find the process of working with others
intimidating, feel empowered to grow and risk in a place of safety.</strong><br />
<br />
<strong> — <span style="color: #3366ff; text-decoration: underline;">Part 3 – Additional Exercises</span>
– offers more than 60 pages of writing exercises and story starters
designed to address specific problems writers face in writing and
revising. This section alone is worth the price of the book.</strong><br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/IMG_0139.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="IMG_0139" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-329" height="225" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/IMG_0139-300x225.jpg" width="300" /></a><strong> </strong><br />
<strong>Craft books can help writers grow. Truman Capote said, <em>“Writing
has laws of perspective, of light and shade, just as painting does, or
music. If you are born knowing them, fine. If not, learn them. Then
rearrange the rules to suit yourself.”</em></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: red;">Special Note: I have turned
off the comments section temporarily. Am having hundreds of
inappropriate email/comments from websites unrelated to writing. </span></strong>Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-86448297356156332014-11-26T15:28:00.002-05:002014-11-26T15:28:46.825-05:00Entry # 230 - Some Thoughts on the Craft Book: Leaving a Trace: On Keeping a Journal by Alexandra Johnson<h1>
Entry # 230 – Leaving a Trace: On Keeping a Journal by Alexandra Johnson.</h1>
By Jan Bowman <a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/LeavingATrace.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="LeavingATrace" class="size-medium wp-image-841 alignright" height="300" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/LeavingATrace-186x300.jpg" width="186" /></a><span style="color: red;"><strong>Entry # 230 – Week Three – Leaving a Trace: On Keeping a Journal by Alexandra Johnson.</strong></span><br />
<strong><em><span style="color: blue;">Here is a third entry in a series about craft books that I
have found useful.</span> And while many wonderful books on the writer’s craft
are available, sometimes when writers face a temporary lag in their
productivity, when the flame of inspiration flickers a bit, it helps to
read practical books on craft. I offer my impressions about these four
books in no particular order, other than the order in which I plucked
them from my reading desk. I hope to offer just enough information to
whet your appetite for more. For the next four weeks, I will present
some thoughts on each of four books that I recently reread.</em></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">A quick scan of the contents of <em>Leaving a Trace</em>, reveals an inviting organization of three parts that explore: <em>Part
1 – The Successful Journal: Practical Inspiration, Part 2 –
Transforming a Life: Patterns, and Part 3 – Meanings, Crossover: Moving a
Journal into Creative Work</em>. </span>Johnson’s book inspired me to dig
through dozens of my old notebooks to see what kinds of things I had
recorded in more than thirty years of writing journal entries about my
life and what I have seen and done. </strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: red;">Part One</span> – explores ways to use past journal entries to
trigger memories of events and to increase our observational skills of
the world around us. Whether writers decide to use single purpose
journals dedicated to topics like travel or books read, or whether they
combine a range of experiences in daily journals, the journal is rich
soil to replenish the imagination when we feel depleted and come up
empty in our writing.<br />
</strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: red;">Part Two</span> – looks at finding hidden patterns in journal
entries that can only be recognized as writers see anew those topics and
descriptions recorded over time.<br />
</strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: red;">Part Three</span> – moves forward describing methods for using
journal information in both fiction and nonfiction. Mining the journal
data allows writers to “leave a trace by regaining a past and imagining a
future.”</strong><br />
<br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/StMichaels.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-842" height="225" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/StMichaels-300x225.jpg" width="300" /></a><strong></strong><br />
<strong>I did not reread the chapters in order. Instead I dipped into
some that were particularly relevant to my current projects. And am
pleased to say that after a couple of days of reading only two of my old
journals I gleaned three ideas that I will use in three stories that had
stalled to a crawl. </strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: red;"> Special Note: I have turned off the comments section
temporarily. Am having hundreds of inappropriate email/comments from
websites unrelated to writing.</span><br />
</strong><br />
Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-87305509782054866352014-11-17T10:59:00.001-05:002014-11-17T10:59:14.645-05:00Entry # 229 - More Crafty Essays About Notebooks<h1>
Entry # 229 – More Crafty Essays About Notebooks</h1>
By Jan Bowman <strong>Week Two – Entry # 229 – looks at a collection of craft essays, <em>Writers and Their Notebooks</em>, edited by Diana M. Raab and with a Foreward by Phillip Lopate.<br />
</strong><br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/writers_and_their_notebooks.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="writers_and_their_notebooks" class="size-medium wp-image-827 alignright" height="300" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/writers_and_their_notebooks-200x300.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<strong><em>During a recent blog entry #228, I mentioned that many
wonderful books on the writer’s craft are available and useful.
Sometimes writers face a temporary lag in their productivity and the
tiny flame of inspiration flickers a bit, and at those times, it helps
to read good books on craft. I offer my impressions in no particular
order, other than the order in which I plucked them from my reading
desk. I hope to offer just enough information to whet your appetite for
more. For the next four weeks, I will present some thoughts on each of
four books that I recently reread. </em></strong><br />
<strong>Essays in Diana Raab’s (editor) <em>Writers and Their Notebooks,</em>
explore a diverse group of writers who use journals to develop their
writing craft. Section essays examine five topics. Here are my favorite
essays in each section:</strong><br />
<ol>
<li><strong> The Journal as Tool – Kim Stafford’s essay, <em>“the Place of No Limit”</em>
examines her journal methods as she uses intuitive pocket journal notes
that move from the personal into poetry (upon reflection), and her
methods recording notes on her computer into files that evolve into
prose. Stafford offers examples of each and sample poetry and prose that
came from those notes. </strong></li>
<li><strong> The Journal for Survival – Zan Bockes’ essay, <em>“Musements and Mental Health”</em>
speaks candidly of using the journal as a tool for therapy. Bockes’
entries deal personally with her own struggles with mental illness and
her attempt to use journals to cope and reach catharsis.</strong></li>
<li><strong> The Journal for Travel – Bonnie Morris’s essay<em>,”Writing in Public Places”</em>
describes the process of writing in public places and the rich insights
writers can gather in observational notebooks. Whether journaling at a
local coffee shop, doctor’s office, or a train in China, the writer’s
notebook captures specifics of essential human behaviors in particular
times and places. </strong></li>
<li><strong> The Journal as Muse – Rebecca McClanahan’s <em>“Thoughts on a Writer’s Journal”</em>
explores multiple purposes for writing journals in the development of a
writer’s life. Journals function as compost bin, life record,
confessional booth or playroom for ideas. </strong></li>
</ol>
<ol start="5">
<li><strong> The Journal for Life – Kyoko Mori’s <em>“Forgetting to Remember–Why I Keep a Journal”</em>
describes his memory of his grandfather’s notebook, in which details of
culture, language and ancestors were carried from the old world to the
new world. It’s a profoundly touching essay.</strong></li>
</ol>
<strong> <a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/1.jpg"><img alt="-1" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-830" height="300" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/1-225x300.jpg" width="225" /></a> <a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/2.jpg"><img alt="-2" class="size-medium wp-image-831 alignright" height="300" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/11/2-225x300.jpg" width="225" /></a> </strong><br />
<strong>=========================</strong><br />
<strong>The following review of this collection appeared in the Midwest Book Review.</strong><br />
I did not write it. Wish I had.<br />
<br />
<strong><em>“Writers And Their Notebooks is an anthology of essays by
established and professional writers, discussing the value of simple
notebooks to collect ideas, play around with words, discover new
insights into evoking emotion with language, and much more. From sample
journal entries that evolved into published pieces, to valuable advice
for aspiring writers, to individual approaches to notebook keeping and
much more, Writers And Their Notebooks is filled with tips, tricks, and
techniques for getting creative juices flowing. An excellent
supplementary reference for any would-be writer’s shelf.”</em></strong><br />
<strong><em>~Midwest Book Review</em></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Please note that I have closed my blog comments sections - temporarily - because I was getting hundreds of inappropriate posting attempts from unpleasant sources. Until further notice, if you wish to contact me directly try this email address: email: janwriter@comcast.net </span><em> </em></strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-33636888778382929292014-10-18T17:05:00.001-04:002014-10-18T17:05:03.315-04:00Entry # 228 - "Crafty Readings for Beginning Writers"<h1>
Entry # 228 – “Crafty Readings for Beginning Writers”</h1>
By Jan Bowman <a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Sail021.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" class="size-medium wp-image-817 alignright" height="225" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Sail021-300x225.jpg" width="300" /></a><strong>Writers
who want to grow in their writing do well to spend their time actually
writing. But sometimes when I’m feeling burned-out in my keyboard work, I
take a break and read books on the writing craft. Yes. Writing requires
attention to details, just as painting or carpentry does, but writing
also requires stepping back from work and looking at the resulting
efforts from a distance to see how even and whole it is.</strong><br />
<strong>During a recent lull in my productivity I turned to four
splendid books on craft and I can recommend them highly. For the next
four weeks, I will present some thoughts on each of these books. Here
they are in no particular order, other than the order in which I plucked
them from my reading desk. I offer just enough information to whet your
appetite for more, I hope.</strong><br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Steering-the-Craft.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Steering the Craft" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-814" height="160" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Steering-the-Craft.jpg" width="160" /></a><strong> </strong><br />
<strong>Week One: <em>Steering the Craft</em> by Ursula K. Le Guin. <br />
</strong><br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Sail01.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="OLYMPUS DIGITAL CAMERA" class="size-medium wp-image-818 alignright" height="300" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/Sail01-225x300.jpg" width="225" /></a><strong>This week let’s look at the craft book, <em>Steering the Craft</em>
by Ursula K. Le Guin, because this is a wonderfully useful book filled
with common sense discussions and exercises whether you are, as Le Guin
says, <em>“the lone navigator or the mutinous crew”</em> in a writers’
group seeking to improve a story. She says that the title comes from a
workshop she gave by the same title in 1996 and that <em>“. . . exercises are consciousness raisers: their aim is to clarify and intensify your awareness of certain elements of </em></strong><strong></strong><strong><em>prose writing and certain techniques and modes of storytelling.”</em><br />
</strong><br />
<strong>In ten short chapters, Le Guin deals with setting your sails, sheets, and jibs for keeping your writing – <em>on course</em>.
She offers the usual attention to basic writing elements, such as
grammatical issues, but explores more complex issues like point of view
and voice, with great humor and examples from master writers that can
help even more experienced writers stay their course. I found that
Chapter Ten, “Crowding & Leaping” – and the exercises – “A Terrible
Thing To Do” helped me take a new look at one of my current stagnant
writing projects.<br />
</strong><br />
<strong>Le Guin says, <em>“Some people see art as a matter of
control. I see it mostly as a matter of self-control. It’s like this: in
me there’s a story that wants to be told. It is my end; I am its
means.”</em></strong><br />
<br />
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<strong><em><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6uLfDeDKwQuJ6M2B_d3qqdmq6Nl72mDYo5S7f8TTAfgTyxHu4Azp5T5VbUcEt8PTD_rlWcZ52r5SLAMS41MYhEMa4hBzGuYiiODv09DImRy7XebEDmDQ61WPqyTZIe_gjYiPmutwokoI/s1600/JanMay14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT6uLfDeDKwQuJ6M2B_d3qqdmq6Nl72mDYo5S7f8TTAfgTyxHu4Azp5T5VbUcEt8PTD_rlWcZ52r5SLAMS41MYhEMa4hBzGuYiiODv09DImRy7XebEDmDQ61WPqyTZIe_gjYiPmutwokoI/s1600/JanMay14.JPG" height="220" width="320" /></a></em></strong></div>
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--></style></em></strong><b><span style="color: purple;">Jan’s fiction has appeared in
numerous publications including, </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Roanoke
Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo
Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and others.</span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><span style="color: red;">She is working on
two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed
story collection, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Mermaids & Other
Stories</u></i></span><span style="color: purple;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has nonfiction publications in </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Atticus Review, Trajectory</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Pen-in-Hand</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. She writes a weekly blog of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">“Reflections”</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> on the writing life and posts
regular interviews with writers and publishers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span> Learn more at: </span></b><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b>www.janbowmanwriter.com</b></a><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b> </b></a><b><span style="color: purple;"></span></b></div>
<strong><em> </em> </strong><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-30407933611741458532014-10-08T18:04:00.000-04:002014-10-08T18:04:00.101-04:00Entry # 227 - Breadloaf - 2014 Notes from Julie Wakeman-Linn<h1>
<i><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: small;">By Jan Bowman </span></span></i> </h1>
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Breadloaf.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Breadloaf" class="size-medium wp-image-756 alignright" height="300" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Breadloaf-194x300.jpg" width="194" /></a><span style="color: blue;"><strong><em>In
my previous Entry # 226 – Interview with Julie Wakeman-Linn, we spoke
mostly about her experiences as an Editor of the Potomac Review. Today
my blog entry presents a post she shared with me – written about
Breadloaf Conference on day four in August 2014.</em></strong></span><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Jan:</span> In August you returned for the third time to the
Breadloaf Conference. Please tell us about your experiences there. Who
taught your workshop and who impressed you in the craft talks. What new
things did you discover about your own writing?</strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: red;">Julie:</span> Ursula Hegi, who is amazing, taught me a lot about
point of entry into fiction. Andrea Barrett gave an incredible craft
talk on Point of View. And as for my own writing? <em>Breadloaf</em> is
so much fun but it also gave me a nice shot of confidence in my work.
It is a competitive admission conference and being there makes a writer
feel good. Being surrounded by other serious and talented writers leads
to marvelous conversations about the writing life, too.</strong><br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><br /></span></strong>
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: red;">Julie's Blog Notes from Day Four – Breadloaf Writers Conference – 2014 </span></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: red;"> </span> </span><br />
</strong><br />
<i><span style="color: red;"><strong>Vermont, whether cold and rainy or sunny and balmy, is
beautiful. The mountains around us soothe. I am always optimistic but
somehow it seems people check their egos at the bottom of the mountain
before they come up. The US Poet laureate asked my table of regular
writers, if she could join us. She was lovely, by the way. There is a
flood of hope for opportunities, a sharing of information and don’t get
me started on the swapping of books-essays-poems-you must read. I think
only at end of semester English Major parties or in grad school after
the killer comprehensives do you participate in such a sharing of ‘you
must read this. </strong></span></i><br />
<i><span style="color: red;">
</span></i><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<i><span style="color: red;"><strong>I’m studying with Ursula Hegi, an
incredible writer and teacher. The workshop leaders’ credentials are too
extensive to list here. Check out the conference website for that. The
workshop group of ten is acting like old friends, although we’ve only
been together 4 days. Certainly it is a competitive admission conference
and even within that there are hierarchies—the talented hard working
waiters are here on full scholarship. The Scholars have been granted the
competitive tuition scholarships and our Fellows selected for their
publication records and awards. I’m here as a participant. I’m lucky
because my college foots my bills as professional development so I’ve
never even applied for a scholarship and that probably takes away any
concern I have about who is who.</strong></span></i></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/hegi_cropped.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="hegi_cropped" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-798" height="150" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/hegi_cropped.jpg" width="150" /></a><strong></strong><strong><em> ======================================</em></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong><em>Ursula Hegi </em></strong><strong><em>is a bi-cultural writer who has published twelve books. Her Burgdorf Cycle encompasses </em><em>Stones from the River</em><em>, </em><em>Floating in My Mother’s Palm</em><em>, </em><em>The Vision of Emma Blau, </em><em>and </em><em>Children and Fire.</em><em>
Hegi’s work has been translated into many languages. Her awards include
the Italian Grinzane Cavour prize, a National Endowment for the Arts
Fellowship, and the PEN/Faulkner Award. She is on the MFA faculty at
Stony Brook Southampton. She has also taught at Barnard College and at
the University of California at Irvine. She has serve</em></strong><strong><em>d
as a juror for the National Book Award and the National Book Critics
Circle Award. </em></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong><em>online search website link: Ursula Hegi<br />
</em></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/barrett_andreaphoto_9526.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="barrett_andreaphoto_9526" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-804" height="150" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/barrett_andreaphoto_9526.jpg" width="150" /></a><strong><em> </em></strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<strong><em>Andrea
Barrett is the author of six novels, most recently The Air We Breathe,
and three collections of short fiction, Ship Fever, which received the
National Book Award; Servants of the Map, a finalist for the Pulitzer
Prize; and Archangel, which was published in 2013. She has received
fellowships from the MacArthur Foundation, the New York Public
Library’s Cullman Center for Scholars and Writers, the Guggenheim
Foundation, and the National Endowment for the Arts. She lives in
western Massachusetts and teaches at Williams College. </em></strong>search online or go to website: http://andrea-barrett.com</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/PotomacReview.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="PotomacReview" class="alignleft wp-image-758" height="278" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/PotomacReview-227x300.jpg" width="210" /></a><strong> </strong></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="color: red;"><strong>Julie says: <i>As Potomac Review editor, I am looking among the scholarship writers for likely contributors to the next issue. </i></strong></span></div>
<span style="color: red;"><i>
</i></span><strong><span style="color: red;"><i> In a way, I’m here as triple threat– writer, editor and
friend. Yes, I also come to be with writer friends and study with them.
So it’s day four of another great year at Breadloaf, although it is the
coldest of the three times I’ve been here. Here’s contact information
if someone wants to follow up with me about writing, my work and the
Potomac Review.</i></span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: red;"><i> </i></span><br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amy-Holman-Literary-Consulting/507435652643795" target="_blank">Julie Wakeman-Linn</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amy-Holman-Literary-Consulting/507435652643795" target="_blank">Chasing the Leopard Finding the Lion -kindle</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amy-Holman-Literary-Consulting/507435652643795" target="_blank">www.juliewakemanlinn.com</a></div>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amy-Holman-Literary-Consulting/507435652643795" target="_blank">Potomac Review Editor in Chief</a></div>
<b><i>I also met a wonderful Literary Consultant at Breadloaf. Here are her contact links: in</i></b><br />
<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amy-Holman-Literary-Consulting/507435652643795" target="_blank">Professor of English</a>
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Amy-Holman-Literary-Consulting/507435652643795" target="_blank"> Amy Holman</a></div>
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<br />Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-67805947075158676122014-09-26T13:01:00.002-04:002014-09-27T13:54:21.772-04:00Entry #226 - Interview with Julie Wakeman-Linn, Editor of the Potomac Review<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bEWrbnCeej33U2n3v7xmzh7EEz3d_oxeEps8wsDtSM7g2Ycx40D5gNu4z1JOxjs4iFyq3hs04P4uxxF_QzmA2XF6bIrhCgoSEF4ANVFDaeB-PdYRi7p-wREH6L9IIbu1LKssvZooqs6o/s1600/PotomacReview55.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1bEWrbnCeej33U2n3v7xmzh7EEz3d_oxeEps8wsDtSM7g2Ycx40D5gNu4z1JOxjs4iFyq3hs04P4uxxF_QzmA2XF6bIrhCgoSEF4ANVFDaeB-PdYRi7p-wREH6L9IIbu1LKssvZooqs6o/s1600/PotomacReview55.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="color: red;"><b>Julie Wakeman-Linn, Editor of <i>Potomac Review</i>
answers questions about the joys & sorrows of editing a literary
journal and my next post (Entry #227) will share more details of her
experiences at the Breadloaf Workshop<i>.</i></b></span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: Eli Flam founded the <i>Potomac Review</i> back in 1993. How has the <i>Potomac Review</i> changed since those early days and what do you see as the current mission?</b></span><br />
<b>Julie: Our mission is very different. Eli published
quarterly and only accepted submissions from the region (Maryland,
Virginia, West Virginia and Delaware). He also had an environmental
focus. It was a beautiful regional journal.</b><br />
<br />
<b>We, on the other hand, accept submissions from all over the
globe. In our last issues, we have published writers from Australia,
Taiwan, Canada and the U.S. We don’t have a thematic focus—instead we
strive for a combination of styles and content, ranging from formal
poetry to free verse to traditional narrative to experimental fiction.
We also try very hard to represent a variety of writers, balancing the
number of men and women and including people of color.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: How did you get involved in this publication, taking on the role of Editor-in-Chief?</b></span><br />
<b>Julie: In 2004 <i>The Potomac Review</i> was housed in name only at <i>Montgomery College</i>.
None of the faculty or students were participating at all. I
volunteered to re-shape it to include faculty as editors and students as
interns. In fact, the <i>Potomac Review</i> internship is one of the
coolest things I get to do. We select a team of the best, brightest,
most eager creative writing students and teach them the publication
business from the inside. I have an incredible supportive Dean and Vice
President above me.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: Although the guidelines and deadlines are online, what kinds of work are you most interested in publishing at this time?</b></span><br />
<b> Julie: We are on the prowl for more excellent nonfiction.
I, personally, like magic realism, but any story has to go through our
three-tier system, so it’s not just a matter of what I like.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: What kinds of mistakes
do you most often see in submissions that are deal-breakers for you and
your section editors? What advice do you offer to those submitting work
for publication consideration?</b></span><br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/PotomacReview.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="PotomacReview" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-758" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/PotomacReview-227x300.jpg" height="300" width="227" /></a><b>Julie:
Mistakes in writing and in submitting can be deal-breakers. The
funniest one occurs when a writer submits in the wrong genre. If a poet
clicks fiction or a fiction writer selects poetry, the submission often
gets lost in a <i>“no-man-nobody’s-reading-it-land.”</i> A big mistake
in writing is a weak opening line or paragraph. A huge deal breaker is
forgetting to tell us if the piece has been accepted somewhere else,
leaving us wasting our time. That mistake usually puts the writer on our
black list. And yes, editors can block writers from submitting.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: Tell us a bit about the annual <i>Potomac Review</i>‘s involvement in the <i>F. Scott Fitzgerald Conference</i>.</b></span><br />
<b>Julie: We are involved with <i>Barrelhouse Magazine</i> in the lively one day <i>“Conversations and Connections: practice advice on getting published.”</i>
Dave Housley, Susan Muaddi Darraj and I founded the conference in 2007
and it keeps rocking on. We are launching a new variation of it this
January with a one day craft-intensive event at <i>Montgomery College</i>. We are no longer involved with the <i>F. Scott Fitz Literary Festival</i>.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: What are the joys and
sorrows that you’ve discovered about working for a small literary
journal? What is the best advice you have received, and what advice have
you chosen to ignore about editing a literary journal?</b></span><br />
<b>Julie: The joy of hearing that somebody loved something we
published or the joy of meeting an author in person whose work we loved
makes it worthwhile. I was at AWP and this guy walked up to our book
fair table. I saw his name badge and called out<i> “Coyotes”!</i> Will Donnelly! Then I had a great chat about how much we loved his work and how pleased he was with <i>Potomac Review.</i> We’ve had some incredible success stories. Jennine Capo Crucet—I heard her read at <i>Breadloaf i</i>n 2008, published her in 2009, she won the <i>Iowa Review Prize</i> in 2010. Stories and essays we adored have been recognized in the <i>Best American</i> series. We haven’t cracked the <i>Pushcart yet,</i> but we hope to soon. For me, joy comes with success for our authors.</b><br />
<b>The advice I ignored was from David Lynn of <i>The Kenyon Review.</i> We were having a casual chat at <i>Sewanee</i> in 2005 and when I asked his advice about editing a lit mag — he said, <i>“Don’t.”</i></b><br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: blue;">Jan: What is the most useful
thing that you have learned about your own writing as a result of
working with the Potomac Review?</span></b><br />
<b>Julie: Hmm, good question. I’ve learned about having
patience with editors and I’ve gained a much greater understanding that
any editor is only one reader on any given day. Another editor tomorrow
may love a story or have room for it.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: What are you working on in your own writing right now?</b></span><br />
<b>Julie: A new novel is out in circulation even as I type. Next up for me is to polish my novella, <i>Challenges of Non-native Species</i>, and to prepare my African short stories collection.</b><br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Breadloaf.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="Breadloaf" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-756" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Breadloaf-194x300.jpg" height="300" width="194" /></a><span style="color: blue;"><b> </b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan:
In August you returned to the Breadloaf Conference once again; please
tell us about your experiences there. What new things did you discover
about your own writing?</b></span><br />
<b>Julie: Ursula Hegi, who is amazing, taught me a lot about
point of entry into fiction. Andrea Barrett gave an incredible craft
talk on Point of View. And as for my own writing? <i>Breadloaf</i> is
so much fun but it also gave me a nice shot of confidence in my work.
It is a competitive admission conference and being there makes a writer
feel good. Being surrounded by other serious and talented writers leads
to marvelous conversations about the writing life, too.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: What question do you wish I had asked? And what would you say in response to it?</b></span><br />
<b>Julie: My question–Why don’t editors respond immediately to writers? And I’d answer this way: <span style="color: red;"><i>Try
to respect that each issue is also an artifact, an object of literary
art and it takes time and care to do it, if not perfectly, at least as
polished as possible.</i></span> Editors are people, too, usually with demanding teaching jobs, so be patient.</b><br />
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: Finally, thanks so much, Julie for taking time for this interview. Please provide readers with the <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;">Mission Statement of the Potomac Review and relevant links.</span></span><br />
</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>Potomac Review opens windows
into the complexity of literature: in each issue, our selections span
the spectrum of voice and style. We sample realistic and experimental
prose and poetry. Drawing 95 % of our content from unsolicited
submissions, we publish writers at all stages of their careers. Every
issue includes work by emerging and by established writers. The Potomac
Review features award-winning writers and has been recognized in the
Best American series. Our philosophy welcomes variety, and through it,
we create an organic flow of ideas to contribute to the literary
conversation.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>Potomac Review no longer accepts paper submissions. Instead, submit your work electronically via our <span class="darkblue-text"><a href="http://www.potomacreview.org/prsp/" style="color: red;"><span class="darkblue-text">Online Submission Manager.</span></a></span> </b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: blue; text-decoration: underline;"><b>About Jan Bowman</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Winner of the </b><b><i>2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award</i>,
Jan’s stories have been nominated for Pushcart Prizes, Best American
Short Stories, and a Pen/O’Henry award. Glimmer Train named a story as
Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New
Writers. Her stories have been finalists for the 2013 Broad River Review
RASH Award for Fiction, 2013 finalists in the Phoebe Fiction Contest,
2012 “So To Speak” Fiction Contest.</b></span><br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/P5080027.jpg" style="clear: right; color: blue; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="P5080027" class="alignleft size-medium wp-image-292" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/P5080027-300x249.jpg" height="249" width="300" /></a><span style="color: blue;"><b>Her fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, </b><b><i>Roanoke
Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus,
Buffalo Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes</i> and others.</b> <b>She is working on two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed story collection, <i>Mermaids & Other Stories</i>. She has nonfiction publications in </b><b><i>Atticus Review, Trajectory</i> and <i>Pen-in-Hand</i>. She writes a weekly blog of <i>“Reflections”</i> on the writing life and posts regular interviews with writers and publishers. Learn more at: </b><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/" style="color: blue;"><b>www.janbowmanwriter.com</b></a></span>Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-27939379286408710892014-08-30T17:20:00.000-04:002014-08-30T17:20:16.306-04:00Entry # 225 - Interview with M.J.O'Brien, Author of WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED - 2014 Lillian Smith Book Award Winner<strong><span style="color: red;"><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9ImZ-gdl8v38eSwt7isC1j5mhkLHf9bcZS3uPjS_g-TQS546v-BiYNggOnmyTKTjRlHL0O56rlpCljEErN5WwYOpaP5yPDp9hwjTLFLmgHXCo296yR-o6iotE5gz5E5eYmswE4-VbqKT/s1600/mjobrien.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu9ImZ-gdl8v38eSwt7isC1j5mhkLHf9bcZS3uPjS_g-TQS546v-BiYNggOnmyTKTjRlHL0O56rlpCljEErN5WwYOpaP5yPDp9hwjTLFLmgHXCo296yR-o6iotE5gz5E5eYmswE4-VbqKT/s1600/mjobrien.png" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">M.J.O'Brien</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED: The
Jackson Woolworth’s Sit-In and the Movement It Inspired, is based on the
iconic photograph by Fred Blackwell, which captured crisis moments in
the Jackson, Mississippi Woolworth’s Sit-In in 1963. Those moments
sparked major change in the trajectory of the Civil Rights Movement in
the US.</span></strong>
<br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Jan: Thanks Mike for agreeing
to this interview. Congratulations to you in light of breaking news that your book has won the 2014 Lillian Smith
Book Award, a prestigious civil rights book honor and you will be
attending the awards ceremony on August 31 (this very weekend) at the Decatur Book Festival
near Atlanta, GA to receive your award. And I find this book particularly
interesting in light of the recent news stories of the terrible events in
Missouri, New York, Florida and other states in which African Americans
continue to experience violence, often at the hands of those who should
provide protection to all citizens. You have said, “Fred Blackwell’s
iconic photograph of the Jackson Woolworth’s sit-in captivated you.”
Tell me more about what led you to write this book?</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/coverphoto.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="coverphoto" class="alignleft size-full wp-image-741" height="300" src="http://janbowmanwriter.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/coverphoto.jpg" width="200" /></a><br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">Mike: I met one of the main
characters in the book, Joan Trumpauer Mulholland, through her five sons
in the summer of 1977. The kids would always tell me that their mom was
“in a famous picture” and would pull out mom’s scrapbook to prove it.
It wasn’t until 1992 that I came to understand the full impact of that
photo. I visited for the first time the Martin Luther King, Jr. Center
for Nonviolent Social Change in Atlanta, Georgia, and there, off in a
small room, away from the formal exhibits, were all of the photographs
that the King Center deemed important enough to portray the scope of the
civil rights movement. Among those photos—mostly of Dr. King’s stellar
career—was the picture that the Mulholland kids had shown me in their
living room. Suddenly I realized in a flash that this was no ordinary
scrapbook snapshot. This was living history! And I knew the woman at the
center of that photo!</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">I call this my “electric
moment.” A shot of adrenaline pumped through me as I felt called to
explore what this image was all about: “Who took the photo? Who were the
other people in the frame? What did it mean for the city of Jackson?
What was its significance in the long and troubling history of the
Mississippi movement?” If I didn’t know these things, I figured most
people were in the dark about them as well. So I determined that I’d try
and tell the story of this significant moment in civil rights history.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Jan: Your use of elements of
documentary and historical research, combined with photographs and
personalized interviews, provide a fascinating account about a
game-changing day in the Mississippi Civil Rights Movement. In the face
of so much varied material, how did you arrive at the overall structure
for the book?</span></strong><br />
<strong>Mike: Honestly, I started out thinking I’d just tell Joan’s
story and how she ended up at the counter that day. I gathered a deep
trove of interviews with her and studied her substantial archives in
order to tell her story. But as I read more broadly, I began to realize
that her story was just one thread, interwoven with many others, that
formed the impressive yet ultimately tragic fabric of what we know now
as the Jackson Movement. The concept of telling each person’s story and
how they happened to be at Woolworth’s in Jackson on May 28, 1963,
provided the framework for the first part of the book.</strong><br />
<strong>The second section is what I call the “historical section.”
There I provide the background and the footnoted, documented,
data-driven yet highly dramatic account of how the Jackson Movement came
into being and how it gradually pushed the mayor and other city
officials in Jackson to the brink in an effort to secure basic human
rights and dignity for all of Jackson’s citizens. This section details
the three-week period of the Movement’s history from the day of the
sit-in to the assassination and burial of the Movement’s leader, Medgar
Evers. It breaks my heart every time I read that part because this
tragedy was so avoidable, but Jackson’s leadership was simply unwilling
to give an inch, unable to see that the time for white supremacy and
racial segregation was coming to a close.</strong><br />
<strong>The final section provides a coda, if you will, allowing the
reader to find out what happened in Jackson once the dust settled and
the battle ended. It provides an overview of each of the main characters
and what they did with the rest of their lives, after the heat of the
media spotlight had shifted elsewhere. I wanted the reader to know what I
knew about the lives of these individuals whom I had spent so much time
getting to know. I wanted to recognize these heroic individuals who for
a moment stood up against great oppression and then got on with their
lives.</strong><br />
<strong>And the entire book—all three sections—hinge on the central
image of Fred Blackwell’s famous photograph. A full description of
what’s going on in the photo is the center point of the narrative and
actually appears almost at the dead-center of the book. I tell the very
moving story of what happened to Fred Blackwell that day in the
Epilogue.</strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Jan: How do you account for
what caused this moment, and Blackwell’s photographs, to extend the
movement’s power and reach beyond the state’s borders? Many
photographers covered that sit-in and other earlier sit-ins. What made
this moment different?</span></strong><br />
<strong>Mike: It’s really hard to comprehend how this one moment,
this one blink of a camera shutter, has come to represent so much of
what occurred during the civil rights movement. This photograph shows up
in nearly every historical account of the movement. It’s in children’s
books, text books, major retrospectives, scholarly works, and popular
nonfiction. It’s everywhere. At the National Civil Rights Museum in
Memphis, Tennessee, there is a larger-than-life reproduction of
Blackwell’s photograph that looks down upon an entire room filled with
civil rights memorabilia, including a life-sized sculpture of
demonstrators and hecklers at a lunch counter, modeled on that photo.</strong><br />
<strong>I think the easiest way to explain its impact is that the
photograph tells a story. You don’t need to have much understanding of
the civil rights movement to grasp that a small group of citizens—one
black and two white—is being attacked at a lunch counter because they
have chosen to sit down together. The group behind them is jeering them.
One is pouring the final remnants of a sugar container on the white
woman. It is obvious that all three have already been doused with all
sorts of other food products—ketchup and mustard, as well as sugar. You
can tell that these three are nonviolently challenging the “Southern way
of life.” They are suffering because of their beliefs that racial
segregation is morally wrong and an insult to people of conscience
everywhere.</strong><br />
<strong>As I say in the Epilogue of the book, Fred Blackwell managed
to “capture the essence of an era” with this one incredible image.
That’s what great art does.</strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Jan: I understand that you
initially wrote and published a version of this book in the 1990′s. I
had not heard of it until 2013, after the University Press of
Mississippi decided to publish it. Tell us about that. What happened?</span></strong><br />
<strong>Mike: Let me clear up that misconception. The book was never
published until 2013, but ever since 1999, there had been a draft of an
early manuscript that I circulated to various presses and agents. I had
initially been offered a book contract with a small, start-up publisher
back in the mid-1990s. That’s what really provided me with the impetus
to plunge in and seriously get to work on the manuscript. For four
years, I worked every day on this project—all the while holding down a
full-time job and raising a full-time family. But I was just driven to
tell this incredible story. By early 1999, we thought we were ready to
go, but two things happened to stop the book’s release. One, some
knowledgeable sources read the draft and felt it wasn’t quite fully
baked. Two, the publishing firm I had contracted with was shuttering its
doors and going out of business. It just wasn’t making any money. So
even though Publisher’s Weekly had announced the book’s release in early
1999, the book never actually published at that time.</strong><br />
<strong>Instead, I sat on it for almost 10 years, always working to
improve the content and structure while awaiting the opportunity to
offer it to a new publisher who might take on this first-time author
with an important story to tell. That opportunity surfaced in late 2008
when I received word that a revitalized University Press of Mississippi
was expressing interest in telling Mississippi civil rights stories. I
submitted a proposal to the press and within a week, UPM’s director was
on the phone with me encouraging me to send her the entire draft
manuscript.</strong><br />
<strong>In that sense, it’s a Cinderella story, but it took 15 years
of hard work to get to that point! Ultimately, UPM took me on, sent the
draft to a knowledgeable source for comment, and provided me with a
complete critique. I used those comments to rework certain sections and
shore up others. After two rounds of this and a complete copy edit, the
book was ready for publication. The timing was fortuitous. The book was
released in March 2013, just in time for the 50th anniversary of the
Jackson Woolworth’s Sit-In.</strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Jan: I was in the eleventh
grade, living in upper state South Carolina in 1963. I remember the fear
and hatred that I heard on a daily basis in my school and community.
Where were you and what do you remember about the 1960′s Civil Rights
Movement?</span></strong><br />
<strong>Mike: I was in sixth grade in June 1963 at a Catholic school
in Arlington, Virginia. My family had moved from Philadelphia (PA) three
years earlier. The Catholic schools had just integrated, so my
experience, though even in the upper South, was different from most.</strong><br />
<strong> My own experience of the world at that time was much more
informed by the Catholic philosophies and social teachings of the
church. June of 1963 is memorable to me because it was the month that
Pope John XXIII died. I wasn’t tuned into the daily news yet, even
though I delivered The Washington Post door to door during that period.
It wasn’t until college that I began to explore the nonviolent
philosophies of Mohandas Gandhi and Marting Luther King, Jr. And even
here, I became interested in their teachings through the Catholic social
activist Dorothy Day.</strong><br />
<strong>What I remember most of that period is simply how turbulent
it was. I may not have known of Medgar Evers, but I knew about the March
on Washington, particularly since it happened just over the river from
where I lived. I may not have been very socially aware, but I knew of
the Kennedy assassination later that year. We got on our knees in school
and prayed for the soul of the first Catholic president once we heard
the announcement that he had been shot. What on earth was happening to
America that our president could be killed? Five years later, another
Kennedy and a King would be similarly murdered. It seemed as if our
country was pulling apart at the seams.</strong><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>[I wrote a blog post about this
that you might find interesting or want to share w/ your readers:
http://blog.notbemoved.com/post/70860824911/black-christmas-1963]</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>It may seem facile, but my
education about race in America came through the music of the day. I was
drawn to that extraordinarily expressive music of Motown and soul
music. It was through that youthful pursuit that I developed an
overriding empathy for the black struggle for equality.</strong></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><strong>[Here’s my blog post about the
impact of soul and Motown on my early consciousness of race:
http://blog.notbemoved.com/post/75205314799/the-sound-of-young-america-1964]</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Jan: One of my early memories
as a young girl occurred when I went with my father to a Sears store in
Anderson, SC. I must have been about six, and I drank from a water
fountain near the shoe department. A woman yelled at me because I drank
from the “colored” fountain. My father explained that blacks and whites
had to use different water fountains. I was shocked. That was the first
moment I became aware of this inequity. I remember telling him that made
no sense at all. And he agreed.</span></strong><br />
<strong>Mike: Yeah, I never witnessed anything like that. For Joan
Mulholland, however, who is 10 years older than I am and who grew up in
Arlington, exposure to those kinds of racial segregation were
transformative. Although she initially accepted these practices as part
of life, when her eyes were opened to the extreme inequities in that
system, she determined that she would do everything she could to change
her beloved Southland. Her story is explored fully in WE SHALL NOT BE
MOVED, and is also the subject of the documentary film An Ordinary Hero:
The True Story of Joan Trumpauer Mulholland.</strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">Jan: WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED
presents a straightforward account of the terrible personal realities
and tragedies in the public and private response to the Civil Rights
Movement for both blacks and whites. And now 50 years have passed. What
mistakes do you still see in the way people talk about race and
diversity in this country?</span></strong><br />
<strong>Mike: The realities of white privilege and the underlying
currents of white supremacy are still so very present in our daily
interactions and in our cultural and political lives. The fierce and
extreme opposition to President Obama and his progressive agenda is a
clear expression of lingering racism. There is an element of our society
that doesn’t want him to succeed simply because of the color of his
skin. The fact that he is president is an affront to their
sensibilities. It is reminiscent of attitudes during the Reconstruction
period when blacks became enfranchised and some of their more prominent
and skilled representatives were elected to the U.S. Congress. White
Southerners couldn’t bear the indignity and resorted to violent tactics
to overturn elections and to ensure that black elected officials and the
whites who supported them would fail.</strong><br />
<strong>I have a certain amount of empathy for whites who were raised
under segregation. After all, they were taught in school, in churches,
by their political leaders that this was morally and absolutely
correct—the only way things could be. Anything else was an abomination.
There’s an individual whom I profile in my book, D.C. Sullivan—the guy
with the cigarette in his mouth in the famous photo—who even today still
believes in the separation of the races. But I also know that these
individuals have to search their hearts and realize that now, fifty
years hence, they are obstructing progress by holding onto these false
premises. They have to allow their hearts to be softened by honoring the
humanity of their fellow citizens, whatever their racial makeup may be.
Their obstructionism is dividing America and hurting this country that
they hold so dear.</strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Jan: What do you hope readers learn and experience from reading, WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED?</strong></span><br />
<strong>Mike: In WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED I wanted to tell the complete
story of one movement, from beginning to end. I wanted to show how messy
it can be to attempt to change the status quo, but also how complicated
and challenging and invigorating it can be to engage in social
activism. I wanted to recognize the foot soldiers of the movement, as
they are called—the unsung heroes who put themselves on the line for
freedom with no expectation that they’d ever be personally recognized
for what they did—I wanted to put their stories front and center to
honor them for their service.</strong><br />
<strong>I would hope that readers would take from this story an
appreciation for what happened in this country half a century ago—the
fact that in a very real way we were at war with ourselves over the
fundamental principal, outlined by Jefferson in the Declaration of
Independence, that “all men” [and women] “are created equal.” And those
who stood up for that principle deserve our appreciation and respect and
yes, our praise, just as much as the men and women who fight to protect
our country from external harm. In this “domestic war,” as I call it,
people were killed, people were terrorized, people were displaced just
as they are in foreign wars.</strong><br />
<strong>I would hope that through reading WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED,
readers would experience, even if vicariously, what it meant to stand up
for freedom and equality during this extremely turbulent and divisive
period of our history. As a corollary, I would hope that understanding
how troubling those times were, we might work harder to find common
ground to solve today’s issues and challenges. We are so much more than
our differences. Every day we have the opportunity to rise above our
individual preferences and create something wonderful for our future and
for the future of the planet.</strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Jan: Finally, what advice about writing have you found helpful and what advice have you chosen to ignore?</strong></span><br />
<strong>Mike: Writing is such an individual act, it’s hard to
generalize. I was compelled to write this story because of its power and
because of the grip it had over my imagination. I wrote it as honestly
and simply as I could, attempting to give everyone involved their say
and their point of view.</strong><br />
<strong>I would say that the most important thing about writing is
staying true to your creative vision. At one point during the long saga
of getting the book into print, I was offered the opportunity to publish
only the oral histories of the main characters, but not the entire
dramatic developments that make the story what it is. Though the
opportunity to get published was tempting, I had to remain true to my
artistic vision and realize that the individual biographies had to serve
the greater purpose of telling the whole story of the Jackson Movement.
I turned down that offer, uncertain that the book as I wrote it would
ever see the light of day. That was a hard choice. Now that the book is
out, I feel vindicated because so many people have told me how gripping
the story is and how it gave them a sense of what it must have been like
to be on the front lines of the civil rights movement. I am thrilled
that the story is finally out, and out in the way I had originally
envisioned it.</strong><br />
<strong>So persistence and staying true to your vision are my advice. The way will eventually be made clear.</strong><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Jan: Thanks for the interview. How can readers obtain a copy of your book and contact you to speak?</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">Mike: The book is available
through all of the online outlets: IndieBound.com, Amazon.com,
BarnesandNoble.com. It can also be ordered through local bookstores.
And, of course, it’s sold by the University Press of Mississippi
(www.upress.state.ms.us). I’m also grateful to UPM that it is available
in an e-read version for both Kindle and Nook.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">I can be reached by e-mail at
notbemoved.com@verizon.net. Interested readers can also visit my blog
(www.blog.notbemoved.com), which focuses primarily on civil rights and
equality issues.</span></strong><br />
<strong><span style="color: black;">I appreciate the opportunity to tell the story of how WE SHALL NOT BE MOVED came to be. Thanks, and best wishes to you, Jan!</span></strong><br />
<br />
<strong><span style="color: blue;">SPECIAL NOTICE - AS OF THIS POSTING - I HAVE MOVED MY NEWLY REDESIGNED BLOG TO WORD PRESS. ACCESS IT BY GOING TO MY WEBSITE. Thanks for reading. </span><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/">www.janbowmanwriter.com</a></span></strong><br />
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">About Jan Bowman</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: red;">Winner of the </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award</span></i><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">, Jan's stories have been nominated
for </span><span style="color: red;">Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short
Stories, and a Pen/O’Henry award.</span><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><u><span style="color: red;">Glimmer Train named a story as
Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers.</span></u><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jan's stories have been finalists for the 2013
Broad River Review RASH Award for Fiction, 2013 finalists in the Phoebe Fiction
Contest, 2012 "So To Speak" Fiction Contest.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: purple;">Jan’s fiction has appeared in
numerous publications including, </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Roanoke
Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo
Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and others.</span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><span style="color: red;">She is working on
two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed
story collection, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Mermaids & Other
Stories</u></i></span><span style="color: purple;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has nonfiction publications in </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Atticus Review, Trajectory</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Pen-in-Hand</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. She writes a weekly blog of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">“Reflections”</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> on the writing life and posts
regular interviews with writers and publishers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span> Learn more at: </span></b><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b>www.janbowmanwriter.com</b></a><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b> </b></a><b><span style="color: purple;"></span></b></div>
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Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-26958532172125550852014-08-22T10:52:00.003-04:002014-08-22T10:53:53.755-04:00Entry # 224 - Interview with Sue Collins & Nancy Taylor Robson - Authors of OK - Now What? A Caregiver's Guide to What Matters<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<b><span style="color: blue;">Sue</span></b><span style="color: blue;"><b> Collins, R.N. and Nancy Taylor Robson’s new nonfiction book,<span style="color: red;"><i> OK Now What? A Caregiver’s Guide To What Matters </i></span></b></span><span style="color: blue;"><b>is
dedicated to friends, family, loved ones and caregivers past, present
and future. This book asks – What matters most when someone close to you
has been diagnosed as terminal? The authors explore ways people can
address the all-important time and quality of life issues for the
caregiver and the loved ones while coping with the practical and
emotional questions of this challenging passage.</b></span>
<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: Sue, what led you to become a hospice nurse and to continue in that role for 29 years?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Sue:</b></span>
I was working at a Nursing Home when they started one of the first
hospice programs in Baltimore in the early 80′s. I did not transfer to
hospice initially but I noticed the colleagues who did begin to change. I
wanted to know what was happening on the fourth floor. There was
something different about them, they seemed very content, happy and
enthused. Once I made the decision to work in hospice in 1985 I never
looked back. It is very gratifying to help people with the difficulties,
the decisions and validate their choices. They may not have a complete
understanding about what lies ahead but they have a better understanding
which makes this work satisfying knowing I was able to make a
difference in their lives<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: Nancy, as the author of
three other books on a variety of topics, what led you to become a
co-author on this book with Sue Collins?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Nancy:</b></span>
I’m also a gardener, which gives you annual proof of the cycle of life,
the fact that life here is finite. That is one of the things that makes
it all so precious. But it’s also what can be so discouraging and begs
the question: If it’s all going to be gone sometime, what’s the point?<br />
I get discouraged like everyone else, but also firmly believe that there
is something beyond this life. Hospice nurses usually do as well. Sue
and I immediately discovered we were on the same page spiritually, so
the idea of writing about how to walk that last piece here – difficult
though it may be at times — as well and as gracefully as possible
clicked between us. We each came to the project with different but
complementary skill sets, which also helped.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: And tell readers about the title and the significance of the <i><span style="color: red;">red bicycle.</span></i></b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Nancy:</span></b><b> </b></span>A
bike implies transition and forward motion, but it doesn’t move on its
own. We need to get on and pedal; it’s up to us to use our energies, our
intent to keep it (and ourselves) going. The effort builds muscles,
both physical and emotional, and takes us out into the world.<br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><span style="text-decoration: underline;"><b>Sue:</b></span></span>
About half way through writing the book, I became restless about a book
cover and title. One night I had a dream about a bike. Excited I called
Nancy. I love cool colors so I saw a teal ( my favorite color) bike.
Nancy, who enjoys the warm colors, said No it’s red! Immediately I knew
she was right, red felt right. I called a hospice friend and colleague, a
word smith, and we had fun and got a little silly ( because it helps
cope) putting the title together.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: What parts of the book have readers found to be most useful?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red;"><b><span style="text-decoration: underline;">Nancy</span>:</b></span>
I’ve had several people say to me that the explanation of what is
‘normal’ physically as the body is slowly shutting down is very helpful,
but that they most appreciated was hearing others’ stories that are
interspersed in the book. One reader said it was like having a
non-judgmental friend hold her hand through the whole process.<br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Sue:</b></span>
The stories. I believe it is easier to read stories then it is to read
about death and dying in clinical terms. Stories are real and people can
relate.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: <i>OK Now What?</i> presents a straightforward account of the difficult personal reality for caregivers and families of terminally ill people. </b></span><span style="color: blue;"><b>How
do you, Sue, as a hospice nurse and you, Nancy as someone who has been a
caregiver for a loved one, see attitudes in the medical community
changing in both the public and private response to death and dying?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Nancy:</b></span>
I’m not very much in touch with the medical community, though I do go
to doctors, two of whom are friends. In my experience they like many
others wrestle with how to approach this topic effectively yet kindly
and practically.<br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Sue:</b></span>
Some doctors don’t want their patients to feel they have abandoned them
with the reality of a disease progression. And the American Society
generally wants to make sure every possible treatment has been tried no
matter how much things have spread. It often can be a struggle for both
the doctor and the patient. The trend I am noticing, people seemed more
informed, perhaps because of the internet, which results in honest
conversations, and that is a good thing.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: What do you see as
critical mistakes families often make initially in addressing a
terminally ill person? And how can they avoid these mistakes?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Nancy:</b></span> Not getting their paperwork in order in time. It’s crucial. And not that difficult.<br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Sue: </b></span>
Not having straight forwarded discussions about what the dying want,
what is happening and how to approach care. Some folks still want to
avoid ‘talking about it’. I was very fortunate enough to have a
colleague teach me early on to use the words, dying and death in my
conversations with families. “Don’t sugar coat it! she said” I always
encourage families to do the same and they do just fine.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: It seems to me that often people use denial or repression and false hope in dealing with the pending loss of a loved one.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b> What do you see as the long-term effects of this approach?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Nancy:</b></span>
You miss the opportunity to sit with the person and kind of recap that
life with them. When we could see that my mother-in-law was slowly
declining, I stop trying to have discussions with her about politics or
books and instead asked her questions about what her childhood had been
like, things that she had never talked about, at least with me, that
gave me something of an insight into who she was. She was more animated
when she talked about some of that stuff. Even if you try to do this and
don’t get that kind of response, at least you’ve made the effort, so
you don’t end up saying: Gosh, I WISH I had asked how he felt about
being the youngest kid in high school or what it was like to lose your
mom so early, or whatever.<br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Sue: </b></span>
Putting off does not stop what is coming. Unfortunately, I have witnessed
the regret felt when the dying person’s decline has brought them to a
unresponsive state. It can be painful for the families because any
opportunity is lost….except we assume they can hear us even if they
can’t respond which is somewhat helpful…..but “it’s not the same.”<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: How did writing this book help you both deal with trauma and provide catharsis?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Nancy:</b></span>
I actually found parts of this book very difficult to write because
they were so specific, both the physical and mental decline that you are
often witnessing. The pain of losing someone you love and the struggle
to do it with grace and without recrimination for whatever slights or
mistakes you feel you suffered at their hands, or conversely whatever
parts of that relationship you depend on and will sorely miss is a
constant spiritual journey. But at the same time, the stories of those
who have managed this and the flashes of grace and glimmers of hope that
you get kept me writing. And rewriting!<br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Sue: </b></span>
It certainly is not something you get use to, each situation is
different and each loss is different. Again, the stories help put
emotions into perspective. Stories of courage and the generosity of
families to stand behind the dying person choices is inspiring. I find
myself wanting to share the stories in hopes that the reader may finds
some comfort. Meeting weekly to discuss a piece of writing made us
laugh, cry, feel frustrated, empathic, sorry but always energized to
move forward. I enjoyed this writing process and learned a lot.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: What do you hope readers learn from reading this book?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Nancy:</b> </span>
I hope that foremost that it will act as the friend who is always there
to hold your hand even when you can’t get anyone on the phone, or maybe
don’t want to confide in someone else what you’re going through at that
moment. But I also know that the clinical details that Sue has laid out
here are a great help and encouragement – -for example, the chapter on
drugs, which was very thoroughly vetted by a geriatric specialist, are
really helpful in easing someone’s mind about what a huge help drugs,
when properly prescribed and administered, can be to quality of life in
these situations.<br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Sue:</b></span>
I hope they learn to relax a bit and not walk around acting glum and
sad 24/7. I hope they learn to share some laughter and joy, the dying
want that too.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: I was pleased to see a
resource section in this book that addressed dealing with young children
on death and dying issues, but I was also quite </b></span><span style="color: blue;"><b>surprised to see a section devoted to recipes? Tell readers about these sections.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Nancy:</b></span>
One of our editors suggested I add them and when I thought it over,
it made sense. This was specifically for the harried caregiver, who
often neglects him or herself in these situations. I used to write a
food column called Sunday Cooking, which is what I did when my children
were in school. I cooked several things on Sunday (and included them so
they both learned to cook), and we ate well all week. So few people
these days either cook, or even know how to cook easy, wholesome meals,
yet quality food/nutrition is key to our health, especially when you’re
stressed. I wanted to offer some easy, strategies for healthy meals.<br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Sue: </b></span> This was Nancy’s inspiration. The readers have been pleasantly surprised to see the recipes and are grateful.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: What advice about writing have you both found helpful and what advice have you chosen to ignore?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Nancy:</b></span>
I’ve been writing professionally for a long time. The big thing I
learned early on is: Distill, which means hone your work as you would
the edge of a knife – carefully, mindfully and with an eye to its
ultimate use. I’ve written for newspapers and magazines for years, and
it teaches you to get to the point and to write for your audience. You
work really hard to convey whatever you’re writing about clearly,
gracefully, and as engagingly as possible in the space allotted. No
one’s got time or patience to wade through purely self-indulgent prose.<br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Sue:</b></span>
Nurses are taught to write in disjointed statements with the threat of a
lawyer looking over your shoulder. The first piece I sent Nancy I wrote
and re-wrote, woke up in the middle of several nights to change a
sentence or paragraph, it was bit daunting. But when Nancy said it was
‘not bad’ I slept great that night. Meeting weekly to discuss a piece of
writing made us laugh, cry, feel frustrated, empathetic, sorry yet
always energized to move forward. I enjoyed this writing process and
learned a lot. And I discovered what is meant by the book wrote itself.
When we were struggling with a piece a situation always presented itself
and guided us….I loved it.<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: In case I’ve missed something essential: What question(s) do you wish I had asked? Ask it here and add your response.</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Nancy:</b></span>
Who is this book for? Anyone who is going to be primary caregiver or in
some way associate with someone you care about who is walking that last
mile. It will help you understand better what you might see, how you
might help and how not to trip over your own emotions and flaws any more
than necessary!<br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Sue:</b></span> I totally agree with Nancy<br />
<span style="color: blue;"><b>Jan: Thanks for the interview,
Sue Collins and Nancy Robson. Everyone will face the tough issues
addressed by this book. It is not a question of – IF - RATHER - it is a
question of WHEN. How can readers obtain a copy of this essential book,
contact you to speak, or find out more about you both?</b></span><br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Nancy:</b></span> Thanks so much for such terrific, thought-provoking questions and for this opportunity, Jan!<br />
<span style="color: red; text-decoration: underline;"><b>Sue:</b> </span> A BIG thanks to you Jan for this interview. I enjoyed the questions.<br />
<span style="color: red;"><b>To obtain a copy of the book, contact us to speak or find out more about us, visit our website…oknowwhat.net</b></span><br />
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This entry was posted by Jan Bowman on Friday, August 22, 2014.<br />
Filed under: <a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/category/book-reviews/" rel="category tag" title="View all posts in Book Reviews">Book Reviews</a>, <a href="http://janbowmanwriter.com/category/interviews/de-writers/" rel="category tag" title="View all posts in DELMARVA Writers">DELMARVA Writers</a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">About Jan Bowman</span></i></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Winner of the </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award</span></i><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">, Jan's stories have been nominated
for </span><span style="color: red;">Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short
Stories, and a Pen/O’Henry award.</span><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><u><span style="color: red;">Glimmer Train named a story as
Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New Writers.</span></u><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Jan's stories have been finalists for the 2013
Broad River Review RASH Award for Fiction, 2013 finalists in the Phoebe Fiction
Contest, 2012 "So To Speak" Fiction Contest.</span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple;">Jan’s fiction has appeared in
numerous publications including, </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Roanoke
Review, Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo
Spree (97), Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and others.</span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><span style="color: red;">She is working on
two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed
story collection, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Mermaids & Other
Stories</u></i></span><span style="color: purple;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has nonfiction publications in </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Atticus Review, Trajectory</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Pen-in-Hand</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. She writes a weekly blog of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">“Reflections”</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> on the writing life and posts
regular interviews with writers and publishers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span> Learn more at: </span></b><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b>www.janbowmanwriter.com</b></a><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b> </b></a><b><span style="color: purple;"></span></b></div>
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<br />Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-77363224363854288212014-08-01T14:34:00.004-04:002014-08-01T14:34:58.013-04:00Entry # 223 - "Bad-Ass Dudes" in Fiction<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWUSMhiVJnDIVlL6tEt69elexIsq6ceotigHvkD9Ip3eBmMEqkWj4IMsjx-vUF6v6QJ0QlzS0WzhJ_8G2rsmN-Bhdtp7470UgvKjqUZ27trhIFRXMLkmHOzAcsUshIoM0A5nbATamv5lO/s1600/Lizzard.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoWUSMhiVJnDIVlL6tEt69elexIsq6ceotigHvkD9Ip3eBmMEqkWj4IMsjx-vUF6v6QJ0QlzS0WzhJ_8G2rsmN-Bhdtp7470UgvKjqUZ27trhIFRXMLkmHOzAcsUshIoM0A5nbATamv5lO/s1600/Lizzard.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bad-Ass Dude - Iguana - BUT YOU KNOW - He can't read.</td></tr>
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-</style><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">Writing fiction requires writers to explore parts of
what Charles Baxter in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The Art of Subtext</i>,
has called, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"the problem of the
unknowable,"</i> especially as we think about characters.</span> Baxter ponders
whether <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"it makes any sense to
reason from what we do know to what we don't know?"</i><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">I thought about this recently in the context of story
revisions that involve a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">not very Bad-Ass
Dude</i> (BAD) character in one of my stories after a writer friend read one of
my <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">almost done</i> (I thought) stories
and said something to the effect, "Jan, you need more Bad-Ass Dudes (BADs)
in your fiction.</span> Even the bad people are too sympathetically drawn. It's almost
like you want to understand what makes them behave badly and forgive
them." All of which has led me to think a bit about what I know and don't
know about Bad-Ass Dudes (BADs) and the truth is, I really don't know much. So,
what is a BAD and what does one look like?</span></b></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzn63zaCh6_jVnOljAnQUTSenZ6fCb0OucEdoEFXbWIkDibL0mRaqIjvD_w0jLTlE9786fEFwsAeJ3X0p0iLTyb0I5T4IqbkIaYKCdQvNKoweB_kb2yCMia-v7Ve9tFCd-aIqQCFWbWCSQ/s1600/without-fear-1002032.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzn63zaCh6_jVnOljAnQUTSenZ6fCb0OucEdoEFXbWIkDibL0mRaqIjvD_w0jLTlE9786fEFwsAeJ3X0p0iLTyb0I5T4IqbkIaYKCdQvNKoweB_kb2yCMia-v7Ve9tFCd-aIqQCFWbWCSQ/s1600/without-fear-1002032.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maybe BAD - Maybe NOT</td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">In fact, I am not sure what characteristics a BAD
would have. I would imagine a range of possibility. I have been lucky that I
haven't lived a star-crossed life littered with BADs.</span> Even my flawed first (training-wheels)
husband at his worst, was more of a SAD than a BAD. I see and recognize people
who are flawed and who carry a burden of unresolved emotional and physical
pain. I see people who seem driven by ignorance, greed, shame, hatred and fear, yes - especially fear.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">Most of the truly terrible, and what appears to be evil
in the world, I see from a distance in the media coverage of events. But we survive
by developing a filtering system to limit the toxic levels of continuous exposure
to the unthinkable and unknowable that bombard our senses and sensitivity 24-7.</span>
And if we are going to survive in our world, we have to tune some of it out.
The media seems too skewed for me to see the complex layers of what causes people
to be unkind, mean, cruel, and careless. But I am left to consider the question
of cause and effect, on a more personal level, because the BADs seem to be
demonstrating the visible, writhing consequences of pain and ignorance more than
anything else.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">My early years of academic work in cognitive
psychology, and my years teaching, provide the prism through which I view the
world, and while I recognize that there are psychopaths and sociopaths roaming
the earth, I don't feel skilled at capturing them on the page.</span> I am not sure
that I even would want to capture them on the page. It doesn't seem true to the
kind of fiction I write, and for me this seems to be the stuff of bad,
reoccurring dreams. So I am left with the problem of exploring the unknowable
in my fictional BADs. </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">And yet, while I admire work by skilled and successful
writers such as: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Patricia Highsmith,
Joyce Carol Oates, Stephen King, Lorrie Moore, John Cheever and many others, who
demonstrate the subtle ways to present carefully drawn Bad-Ass Dudes, I realize
that I do need to know more as I attempt to fully develop my fictional
characters.</span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><u><span style="color: red;">NOTE: MONDAY LAUNCH</span></u> - August 4, 2014 of my newly redesigned website. Thanks to Angela Render for her brilliant assistance. Training Lessons are planned over the next couple of weeks as I learn how to "drive" this new site.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Also - all next week - <i>I'll be California Dreaming</i> - with family time scheduled. </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">============================</span></b></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEz-MHtguDQPsVTOSin231JN8yApTj0jYFOkMcJGmhw6cLOzSqDOIyrRbkY19i2UsEO-Chht5Bpm6UtFCPsAmUmxPedoD9iq6Ux128rOHuRBRPCS2ZElm5EtLFR8MazaMDI9d0Mm6Yjbah/s1600/JanScotland1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEz-MHtguDQPsVTOSin231JN8yApTj0jYFOkMcJGmhw6cLOzSqDOIyrRbkY19i2UsEO-Chht5Bpm6UtFCPsAmUmxPedoD9iq6Ux128rOHuRBRPCS2ZElm5EtLFR8MazaMDI9d0Mm6Yjbah/s1600/JanScotland1.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Not So BAD - Jan - in Scotland - Once Again</td></tr>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">About Jan Bowman</span></i></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Winner of the </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award</span></i><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">, Jan's stories have been nominated
for </span><span style="color: red;">Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short
Stories, and a Pen/O’Henry award.</span><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><u><span style="color: red;">Glimmer Train named a recent
story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New
Writers.</span></u><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></b></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: purple;">A recent story was a
finalist for the </span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: purple;">2013 Broad
River Review RASH Award for Fiction</span></u><span style="color: purple;">,
another story was a <u>2013 finalist in the Phoebe Fiction Contest</u></span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">; another was a 2012 finalist in
the </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">“So
To Speak” Fiction Contest</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. Jan’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Roanoke Review,
Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97),
Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and others.</span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><span style="color: red;">She is working on
two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed
story collection, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Mermaids & Other
Stories</u></i></span><span style="color: purple;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has nonfiction publications in </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Atticus Review, Trajectory</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Pen-in-Hand</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. She writes a weekly blog of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">“Reflections”</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> on the writing life and posts
regular interviews with writers and publishers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span> Learn more at: </span></b><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b>www.janbowmanwriter.com</b></a><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b> </b></a><b><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span> </span></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple;">blog: </span></b><a href="http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com/"><b>http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com</b></a></div>
<b><span style="color: purple; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;">Facebook: </span></b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><a href="mailto:janbowman.77@facebook.com"><b>janbowman.77@facebook.com</b></a></span>
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Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-43483609854222062322014-07-25T16:00:00.000-04:002014-09-27T17:41:31.561-04:00Entry # 222 - "Even Ruins Have A Particular Beauty"<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBIt5-a81WjmY64QwW1FFuX2v6MmjlsVqCjuBuIGyR3CYm6yqLTaQTd9Aq7TU5OsoybN7grej27bf39Mm_KtGnEyyLUBA8RNcw7QLgBu-ENfeBU3bSBvtIvqdG3bRvUoCp296V6hU_Z6X/s1600/IMG_0591.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiBIt5-a81WjmY64QwW1FFuX2v6MmjlsVqCjuBuIGyR3CYm6yqLTaQTd9Aq7TU5OsoybN7grej27bf39Mm_KtGnEyyLUBA8RNcw7QLgBu-ENfeBU3bSBvtIvqdG3bRvUoCp296V6hU_Z6X/s1600/IMG_0591.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes on summer afternoons my thoughts turn to poetry. Although I see myself as a writer of mostly fiction and a bit of nonfiction, reading poems gives me insights into linguistic effects possible in fiction. This morning I reread Mary Oliver's wonderful poetry collection: <i>American Primitive</i> and all afternoon I hear her words as music - almost as a new language - when I look about me at the ordinary things of a summer day. For example, her short poem, <i>The Roses</i> is running though my head as I look at the ravages of summer heat and Japanese beetles on my roses.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hvReN3x5jetRw_EbtVdtSg94h5d9HDij2byO8WjPV65nMUvo6CkzZZkX6AHUb7AUn66BaF2ltnjDDYAzLMRkXoyAWEa-K_oqRHU2yosInlCBBOEisZK8I-sX2p98bUl33HpDDvJ58HVc/s1600/IMG_0589.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0hvReN3x5jetRw_EbtVdtSg94h5d9HDij2byO8WjPV65nMUvo6CkzZZkX6AHUb7AUn66BaF2ltnjDDYAzLMRkXoyAWEa-K_oqRHU2yosInlCBBOEisZK8I-sX2p98bUl33HpDDvJ58HVc/s1600/IMG_0589.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: large;">Even ruins have a particular beauty. Here is the poem.</span><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: small;">The Roses</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></i>
<i><span style="font-size: small;">One day in summer</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;">when everything</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;">has already been more than enough</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;">the wild beds start</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;">exploding open along the berm</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;">of the sea; day after day</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;">the honey keeps on coming</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;">in the red cups and the bees</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;">like amber drops roll</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;">in the petals: there is no end,</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;">believe me! to the inventions of summer,</span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: small;">to the happiness your body</span></i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><i><span style="font-size: small;">is willing to bear.</span></i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Writing Days often benefit from Reading Days. This seems especially true on days when I must deconstruct and revise a new piece of work in the second or third draft stages.</span>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">About Jan Bowman</span></i></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Winner of the </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award</span></i><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">, Jan's stories have been nominated
for </span><span style="color: red;">Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short
Stories, and a Pen/O’Henry award.</span><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><u><span style="color: red;">Glimmer Train named a recent
story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New
Writers.</span></u><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></b><b><span style="color: purple;"> </span></b>
</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwc948lrQ-74hjZI4eLXKLx1rO-zQD9GRFr6F3VKlpJU-b_wBn-IXJALAWVpLH9BsaGslvXb27I-oENeU1gW9Nqaa7QIhNOVfoxcWx0mVDxMyOeQ-0Axa_J_vu87hjt50mPAW78VOSHhO/s1600/IMG_0592.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVwc948lrQ-74hjZI4eLXKLx1rO-zQD9GRFr6F3VKlpJU-b_wBn-IXJALAWVpLH9BsaGslvXb27I-oENeU1gW9Nqaa7QIhNOVfoxcWx0mVDxMyOeQ-0Axa_J_vu87hjt50mPAW78VOSHhO/s1600/IMG_0592.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a><b><u><span style="color: purple;">A recent story was a
finalist for the </span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: purple;">2013 Broad
River Review RASH Award for Fiction</span></u><span style="color: purple;">,
another story was a <u>2013 finalist in the Phoebe Fiction Contest</u></span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">; another was a 2012 finalist in
the </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">“So
To Speak” Fiction Contest</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. Jan’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Roanoke Review,
Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97),
Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and others.</span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><span style="color: red;">She is working on
two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed
story collection, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Mermaids & Other
Stories</u></i></span><span style="color: purple;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has nonfiction publications in </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Atticus Review, Trajectory</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Pen-in-Hand</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. She writes a weekly blog of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">“Reflections”</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> on the writing life and posts
regular interviews with writers and publishers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span> Learn more at: </span></b><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b>www.janbowmanwriter.com</b></a><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b> </b></a><b><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(note: homepage under revision right now) so visit
blog: </span></b><a href="http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com/"><b>http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com</b></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple;">Facebook: </span></b><a href="mailto:janbowman.77@facebook.com"><b>janbowman.77@facebook.com</b></a><b><span style="color: purple; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"></span>Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-53255214490236844532014-07-18T16:00:00.000-04:002014-09-27T17:40:27.806-04:00Entry # 221 - Interview with Jeanne N. Ketley, Author of Happy Homes: A Consumer's Guide to Maryland Condo and HOA Law & Best Practices for Homeowners and Boards<style>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmlxnA0Wvi3SSNtGhE6eQA_rR2NfMnR2QpkhxhV5abRC3OSU5GG6ZlXeVWVGMNJOTD3V0jdTjTqR3FaBYWOh7qfP3fSUmkbVijGLd489M6mxlf8FKyOrN1pADvNL6WSwih8IBatKHiwQm/s1600/JNK&Belle.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSmlxnA0Wvi3SSNtGhE6eQA_rR2NfMnR2QpkhxhV5abRC3OSU5GG6ZlXeVWVGMNJOTD3V0jdTjTqR3FaBYWOh7qfP3fSUmkbVijGLd489M6mxlf8FKyOrN1pADvNL6WSwih8IBatKHiwQm/s1600/JNK&Belle.jpg" height="320" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><u>Background:</u> </span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">After retiring from the National Institute of Health (NIH), where she worked as a Scientist and Administrator, Jeanne N. Ketley, PhD, joined Maryland Homeowners' Association in August 2004. She served as president of the MHA for the past five years. MHA is a consumer advocacy group dedicated to promoting the rights of unit owners and homeowner associations. She has been chairperson of the MHA Legislative Action Committee and editor of the MHA <i>E-Communicator.</i></span> </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What
inspired you to write <i>Happy Homes?</i></span></b></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbaXl7h9flku6N8Q1T8gArgUol0FcIfcb0Sb6NjoK9stR8BZxA6g2Rx_bZLrFeiepdx7zLg_WND6miBHvMPsbGEM6IF1YiRmZ0f_hYkVl-2a8bmWV8G1KOPKoPXDNErt_N0EDYAV5pSMqz/s1600/-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbaXl7h9flku6N8Q1T8gArgUol0FcIfcb0Sb6NjoK9stR8BZxA6g2Rx_bZLrFeiepdx7zLg_WND6miBHvMPsbGEM6IF1YiRmZ0f_hYkVl-2a8bmWV8G1KOPKoPXDNErt_N0EDYAV5pSMqz/s1600/-2.jpg" height="320" width="200" /></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jeanne:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
need for such a book became apparent to me from my volunteer work with the
Maryland Homeowners’ Association (MHA.) After I retired from NIH, I joined MHA
when I realized that MHA was the only group in Maryland that provided answers
to both Condo and HOA owners and board member questions and complaints.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Vice-President and then President of MHA,
I answered telephoned and e-mail questions from both homeowners and boards and
I came to realize that many in both groups had no idea of what it means to live
in a common ownership community.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></b>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some of
the terms used in the laws of MD and most states are rather daunting to read
and understand. For example what is an HOA and a Condo Association?</span> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jeanne:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although
both are common ownership communities, your ownership of your home is very
different in an HOA (homeowners association) versus a Condo (condominium
association). In an HOA you own your lot and home and the HOA association owns
common property such as green space or a shared swimming pool. In a Condo, you
as a unit owner, own and have use of the space within the walls of your unit, and the condominium association owns the building itself.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What percentage
of MD residents live in these shared communities?</span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jeanne:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Since
most HOAs and Condos are not registered with Maryland, it is hard to get an
exact answer to this question but it is estimated that approximately 20% of
Marylanders live in these communities. Estimates from Community Associations Institute (CAI) data from January 2011 suggested that more than a million Marylanders are owners in Common Ownership Communities. </span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How did
your volunteer work with MHA and your earlier career as an NIH scientist, researcher
and administrator prepare you to write this book?</span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jeanne:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My
work with MHA gave me an idea of the problems that can arise when one doesn’t
understand both the nature of shared communities and the laws that regulate
these communities. My background as a scientist gave me the patience for doing
tedious research into Maryland law.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Who would
benefit from buying and reading Happy Homes?</span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jeanne:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anyone
who owns or rents property in a Maryland HOA or Condo should read Happy Homes.
For most of us, our home is our most important investment. We all need to make
sure that association managers, lawyers and boards are dealing straight with
us. Certainly, since the legal responsibility for the management of an
association falls on the Board of Directors, every board member should read and
refer to it.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How can
people in other states benefit from reading Happy Homes?</span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jeanne:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Many
state laws in this area are the same and certainly the “best practices” for
living in a shared ownership community are identical. The topic headings
address problems commonly encountered by people living in these communities and
most often cause misunderstandings. I believe Happy Homes can help HOA and
Condo owners in other states understand how to best navigate their state laws.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What did
you discover during the process of writing Happy Homes? </span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jeanne:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
discovered it’s really hard to write a book. And I learned what writers mean
when they talk about writers block.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For
example: I must know dozens of examples of each issue mentioned in the book
from people writing into MHA, and yet I spent endless hours staring at my
computer unable dredge one up. My solution? I would go on to another section
and then remember a case that proved a suitable example. Also since I am
scientist by training, I tended to approach my writing like a scientist and put
the evidence first and then identify problem and solutions, but that gets in
the way of writing a readable, user-friendly book.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I had to rethink my writing approach.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I also arranged for very fine editorial help,
secure in the knowledge that while I don't think of myself as a natural writer,
my editors would polish the glitches.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I would
have thought people serving on boards would know all of this. Why do you think
there is such a gap between what people know and what they need to know? </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jeanne:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Board
members are volunteers with real lives and they don’t have the time to take
courses on how to be a board member. However, because board members are
responsible for millions of dollars worth of property, I believe most of them
want to help their communities and do a good job. And<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m hopeful that an easy to read book like
Happy Homes will make their job easier.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And yet,
the laws of most states continue to change. Will regular updates be available
and how can people find out about changes in Maryland laws?</span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jeanne:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I plan
to put yearly legislative updates up on my web site, <a href="http://www.jeanneketley.com/">www.jeanneketley.com</a> as well as update
the book every few years. I’m very excited the Kindle version of Happy Homes is
now available at a bargain price of $4.99 and is accessible to more people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Homes-Consumers-Practices-Homeowners-ebook/dp/B00LR37PZ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1405348791&sr=1-1&keywords=Happy+Homes">(http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Homes-Consumers-Practices-Homeowners-ebook/dp/B00LR37PZ2/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1405348791&sr=1-1&keywords=Happy+Homes</a>)
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The neat thing is that the e-book version has live
links in the Contents page to each section, and if you are connected to the Internet,
live links to the web sites of the organizations referred to in the Resources
section.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks
for taking the time for this interview. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Full disclosure - you are my spouse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But I must say, <span style="color: red;">The Resources section, as
well as the Best Practices Appendices for Hiring a Management Company and Hiring
an Attorney give essential information to Maryland HOA and Condo Boards. Please
provide links and information for readers who need to buy a copy of Happy
Homes, either for themselves or their boards.</span></span></b></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Here’s the link to the print version <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Homes-Consumers-Practices-Homeowners/dp/1497520622/#reader_1497520622">http://www.amazon.com/Happy-Homes-Consumers-Practices-Homeowners/dp/1497520622/#reader_1497520622</a>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyf4vfGrQ_pcqSXeslzAwbJRVHR4X8hGQO2g12AVwy_R5roXh_DpRAyJN-6jelPEjUEsTzkA8b-_ENtw2VRW74s15Q_SuhOxWpk0fF3Pc7JxunQJBGOi21Tm-WIjYUTw0R8OvNa-ezuC0/s1600/JanonShip.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuyf4vfGrQ_pcqSXeslzAwbJRVHR4X8hGQO2g12AVwy_R5roXh_DpRAyJN-6jelPEjUEsTzkA8b-_ENtw2VRW74s15Q_SuhOxWpk0fF3Pc7JxunQJBGOi21Tm-WIjYUTw0R8OvNa-ezuC0/s1600/JanonShip.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">About Jan Bowman</span></i></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Winner of the </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award</span></i><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">, Jan's stories have been nominated
for </span><span style="color: red;">Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short
Stories, and a Pen/O’Henry award.</span><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><u><span style="color: red;">Glimmer Train named a recent
story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New
Writers.</span></u><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></b></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: purple;">A recent story was a
finalist for the </span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: purple;">2013 Broad
River Review RASH Award for Fiction</span></u><span style="color: purple;">,
another story was a <u>2013 finalist in the Phoebe Fiction Contest</u></span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">; another was a 2012 finalist in
the </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">“So
To Speak” Fiction Contest</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. Jan’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Roanoke Review,
Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97),
Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and others.</span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><span style="color: red;">She is working on
two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed
story collection, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Mermaids & Other
Stories</u></i></span><span style="color: purple;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has nonfiction publications in </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Atticus Review, Trajectory</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Pen-in-Hand</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. She writes a weekly blog of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">“Reflections”</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> on the writing life and posts
regular interviews with writers and publishers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span> Learn more at: </span></b><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b>www.janbowmanwriter.com</b></a><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b> </b></a><b><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(note: homepage under revision right now) so visit
blog: </span></b><a href="http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com/"><b>http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com</b></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple;">Facebook: </span></b><a href="mailto:janbowman.77@facebook.com"><b>janbowman.77@facebook.com</b></a><b><span style="color: purple; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
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<br />Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-20709474735121245462014-07-11T16:15:00.000-04:002014-07-11T16:15:00.740-04:00Entry # 220 - Tom Glenn Talks about his New Novel, No-Accounts<style>
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<b><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Tom Glenn</span></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUX48qEyb-08rdwjBJvjJf1ohF0uwbHOfR1GR_Ebnlz964UmI2yXL7-2-w3ozBltfKxYwKqPBiWxTkyK5ykJOuJn2zSnPnPHOJ4vTHLj3ikCOYDLBGg12tp4Da6-T1l4_BDQV3pFfPoKfh/s1600/Tom_Image_for_FC_site.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUX48qEyb-08rdwjBJvjJf1ohF0uwbHOfR1GR_Ebnlz964UmI2yXL7-2-w3ozBltfKxYwKqPBiWxTkyK5ykJOuJn2zSnPnPHOJ4vTHLj3ikCOYDLBGg12tp4Da6-T1l4_BDQV3pFfPoKfh/s1600/Tom_Image_for_FC_site.jpg" height="298" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="clear: right; color: blue; float: right; font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;"></span><span style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/tom-tells-tales\.org\0022 \\o \0022Tom\0027s Homepage\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: blue;">Tom Glenn</span></u></span> has worked as an undercover
agent, a musician, a linguist (seven languages), a cryptologist, a government
executive, a federal budgeteer, a care-giver for the dying, and, always, a
writer. Many of his prize-winning stories came from the thirteen years he spent
shuttling between the U.S. and Vietnam on covert assignment. Nearly all his
writing is, in one way or another, about fathers and children (he has four) and
is haunted by his five years of work with AIDS patients (all gay, all died),
two years of helping the homeless, and seven years of caring for the dying in
the hospice system. His stories have appeared in The MacGuffin, Potpourri, The
Baltimore Review, and Antietam Review among many others. His work has been
nominated for a Pushcart Award and a Baltimore ArtScape Literary award and won
the Hackney Literary Award. Four of his novels have won Maryland Writers
Association awards, including the grand prize in 2004 and first prize for
literary/mainstream in 2010. His web site is <span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022http\:\/\/tom-tells-tales\.org\0022 \\o \0022Tom\0027s homepage\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><u><span style="color: blue;">http://tom-tells-tales.org</span></u></span> </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ID1wnW86Z23azr3M0zGrhmEBeihExYkIDCjetGhWlSCYt06iBig1MRTjyH8oKQzB1qtIS6NxWwPwY1S-vNWg55FPO9MuPJVbRScbuqYDfAcZSIfDnr9cv2r2FydWo2bCSqWTrg0tUC5R/s1600/51wpZ-ICb4L._AA160_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-ID1wnW86Z23azr3M0zGrhmEBeihExYkIDCjetGhWlSCYt06iBig1MRTjyH8oKQzB1qtIS6NxWwPwY1S-vNWg55FPO9MuPJVbRScbuqYDfAcZSIfDnr9cv2r2FydWo2bCSqWTrg0tUC5R/s1600/51wpZ-ICb4L._AA160_.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Tom Glenn's new novel, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No-Accounts</i> published by Apprentice
House of Baltimore describes the bonds that develop between a straight man
(Martin) who acts as a caregiver, and a gay man (Peter) who is dying from AIDS.
Set in the 1980s, before the hope of antiretroviral drugs, the novel explores
the complex nature of love and redemption.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No-Accounts</i>
is described as a novel, I wondered why you chose to write it as a novel rather
than as a memoir since you experienced, firsthand, the inner world of the AIDS
epidemic in the 1980s when you worked as a volunteer caregiver, a role that you've
cast as Martin? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Tom: First of all, I’m a
novelist by trade. That is, I’m an artist rather than a journalist. Second, I
chose fiction as the way to convey the story because it allows me the freedom
to order events and place them in locales that strict adherence to the facts
wouldn’t permit. And I can express what’s going through the minds of the
characters—internal monologues—in ways that would be dishonest in straight
reporting. I see my job as moving the reader and allowing her to understand
rather than to convey information. That said, nothing in <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No-Accounts</i> is invented. It all really happened. I fictionalized
the events to protect real people involved.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What led you to volunteer as a caregiver, an
AIDS buddy, when so many people were shunning people with AIDS? </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Tom: <span class="apple-style-span"><span style="color: black;">When the AIDS epidemic started
in the early 1980s, no one knew how the HIV virus was transmitted. As a result,
nearly everyone, including doctors, nurses, and medical technicians, was
terrified of being in contact with gay men infected with AIDS. A few men
actually died on the street because no one would rent to them or come near
them, let alone touch them. I watched what was happening and couldn’t tolerate
it. So I told my wife I wanted to volunteer to help people suffering from AIDS.
Because we didn’t know how AIDS was transmitted, there was an unknown
likelihood that I’d contract the disease. If I did, then she would, too, simply
because she lived with me. She agreed to take the risk, and I signed up at
Whitman-Walker to be a caregiver to AIDS patients.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And tell us about the title.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Tom: “No-accounts” is a
southern term for a worthless person. Early in the story, Peter, the young man
dying of AIDS, tells his caregiver, Martin, about his mother’s use of the term
and says that he, Peter, is worthless and therefore a no-account. He tells Martin
that he’s a no-account, too. Otherwise he wouldn’t be wasting his time taking
care of “a fag dying of AIDS.” The sub-title, “Dare Mighty Things,” comes from
a Teddy Roosevelt quote talking about the need to take on heroic missions, even
though checkered by defeat. Peter as a teenager found that quote in his
father’s study and concluded that he was a poor spirit incapable of daring
mighty things and that his father, consequently, didn’t love him. By the end of
the book, Peter has taken on mighty things.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No-Accounts</i>
presents a straightforward account of the terrible personal reality of the
medical and social issues in the public and private response to AIDS. What do
you see as critical governmental, medical and social mistakes made initially in
addressing the AIDS epidemic?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Tom: Our mistakes came from
bias. We as a society were so condemning of homosexuality that we were,
frankly, willing to stand by and let gay men die of the “gay plague.” The more
religious among us declared that the disease was God’s punishment for unnatural
and sinful acts. As it gradually became obvious that AIDS wasn’t a gay disease,
that attitude changed. In the beginning, I shared, albeit unconsciously, that
bias. But as the only straight volunteer at the Whitman-Walker Clinic in
Washington, D.C. caring for men dying of AIDS, I discovered that the gay men
working by my side were willing to risk their lives to help others. The only
other place I had seen such bravery was in combat. My bias dissolved.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Previously you’ve written about the Vietnam
War, in particular the long-term impact of traumatic events on the “self.” That
is difficult to write about, whether witnessed or experienced. It seems to me
that most people manage to survive by denial or repression. How does writing
help you deal with trauma and catharsis?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Tom: Soldiers who seek to
survive their unbearable memories by denial or repression only make their
trauma worse, especially as they grow older. That intensifies nightmares,
flashbacks, irrational rage, and panic attacks. We now know that the indelible
experiences must be faced, and we must find ways to come to terms with them.
Writing down what happened forces me to remember and own my responsibility for
the unspeakable things that happened. That allows me to channel my despair into
my writing, not into my living.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you see as some differences and
similarities between an individual traumatized by war versus disease?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Tom: The similarities are far
greater than the differences. After Vietnam, I used writing and public speaking
to make peace with the awful stuff that was in my head. After five years of
taking care of AIDS patients and another seven years working with dying people
in a hospice, the very same symptoms were coming back. The deaths I faced,
particularly in the AIDS epidemic, were sometimes pretty grisly. Those
memories, like the ones from combat, never fade or weaken. They must be faced
and owned. Fiction helps in a way nonfiction can’t. It has allowed me to tell
the stories of what I wanted to do to act out my rages rather than actually
doing it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If you could go back in time now, knowing
what you know, what do you think Martin would want to say to Peter?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Tom: Nothing he didn’t say in
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No-Accounts</i>. Two reasons for that:
First, I wanted to show how Martin learned and grew, just as I had. I let him
make the same mistakes I did. Second, I spent fifteen years writing <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No-Accounts</i>. It went through three
different critique groups and twenty-one drafts. By the time I was finished, I
knew I had said what I wanted to say. That hasn’t changed since.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What do you hope readers learn and experience
from reading <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No-Accounts?</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Tom: Two things really. The
first is how gruesome AIDS is. We as a society romanticize. I wanted to put the
unvarnished truth before the reader, just as I have done in my writing about
war. Second, I wanted to chronicle the profound love that comes when two men
face death together. It happens in combat, and it happened during the AIDS crisis.
The bond that people form when death is imminent are the strongest love I’ve
ever witnessed.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Readers have commented on the straightforward
and yet lyrical style of your writing. I wondered to what degree do you think
your love of opera and musical training has affected your writing style?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Tom: In the broadest sense,
the same aesthetic rules apply to music and writing. In music, simplicity,
economy, directness, and proportion are the hallmarks of greatness. Put
differently, it’s all form and content with a minimum or even an absence of
showiness. Writing uses a different medium, but the rules are the same. One way
to express that in writerly terms is the old acronym KISS, that is, keep it
simple, stupid. Another is show, don’t tell. In both arts, the purpose is to
transport the listener or reader so that one forgets that he is listening to
music or is so wrapped up in the story that she forgets she’s reading. In Bach
and Mozart, there is not a single unnecessary note; in Shakespeare not a single
extra word.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally, what advice about writing have you
found helpful and what advice have you chosen to ignore?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Tom: First, only write about
what moves you to the core. Second, hone the craft. Both are life-long
endeavors. Least useful to me have been admonitions about being
disciplined—write every day, set goals for how many pages you’ll write, work
from an outline. I <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">have</i> to write, so
I don’t need to harness myself. What works best for me is to unleash my
subconscious so that it is as if I’m watching a scene and writing down what I
see as fast as I can. At the best of times, that means I write for fourteen
hours straight. Only later do I bring orderliness to bear. In sum, my sense is
that if one is inspired by a subject or story, the discipline will take care of
itself. That of course assumes that one has perfected writing craftsmanship to
the point that it is second nature and all but unconscious.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Thanks for the interview, Tom. How can
readers obtain a copy of your book, and contact you to speak?</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Tom:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">No-Accounts</i>
is on sale at Amazon.com, BN.com. and Powell’s Books on line and in many
independent bookshops. As for speaking, I do readings from my books, a
presentation on fiction craftsmanship, and another on healing through writing.
But my most popular presentation by far is “Bitter Memories: The Fall of
Saigon.” I was stranded in Saigon doing undercover intelligence when the North
Vietnamese captured the city at the end of the Vietnam War in 1975. I escaped
by helicopter under fire when the North Vietnamese were in the streets of the
city. Since the information about my work was declassified, I’ve given the fall
of Saigon presentation more than thirty times. You can email me at </span><a href="mailto:tomglenn3@comcast.net"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">tomglenn3@comcast.net</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">. My four web sites are </span><a href="http://tom-tells-tales.org/"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">http://tom-tells-tales.org</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">; </span><a href="http://vietnam-tragedy.org/"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">http://vietnam-tragedy.org</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">;
</span><a href="http://friendly-casualties.org/"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">http://friendly-casualties.org</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">; and </span><a href="http://no-accounts.com/"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-bidi;">http://no-accounts.com</span></a><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Thanks for the interview,
Jan. I’m grateful for the opportunity.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "MS 明朝"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-fareast;">Tom Glenn is the author of a new novel, "<span style="mso-field-code: " HYPERLINK \0022https\:\/\/www\.politics-prose\.com\/aff\/gbfestival\/book\/v\/9781627200080\0022 \\t \0022_blank\0022 ";"><span class="MsoHyperlink"><i>No-Accounts</i></span></span>" (Apprentice House of
Baltimore), drawn from his years of caring for AIDS patients and ministering to
the dying in the hospice system.He is also the author of a Vietnam
novel-in-stories, "Friendly Casualties," and 16 published short stories,
many of which came from the 13 years he shuttled between the U.S. and Vietnam
on covert intelligence assignments before being evacuated under fire when
Saigon fell.These days, Tom writes reviews for <i>The Washington
Independent Review of Books</i>, for which he specializes in Vietnam and war
books.</span>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOd5mP6debKMOA4rjTtsWE9bc1ohp9HVrh6VjIwfZqwH46UR3qAeC23lpgOD0ZNmS7KH_CpP6NuDGMYM4ZpBYVTiVY37ZDXnMTNETytnJSDJrIepVlO9n0thLtRCm2APndpvSxS9nECTUt/s1600/JanMay14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOd5mP6debKMOA4rjTtsWE9bc1ohp9HVrh6VjIwfZqwH46UR3qAeC23lpgOD0ZNmS7KH_CpP6NuDGMYM4ZpBYVTiVY37ZDXnMTNETytnJSDJrIepVlO9n0thLtRCm2APndpvSxS9nECTUt/s1600/JanMay14.JPG" height="137" width="200" /></a></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">About Jan Bowman</span></i></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Winner of the </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award</span></i><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">, Jan's stories have been nominated
for </span><span style="color: red;">Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short
Stories, and a Pen/O’Henry award.</span><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><u><span style="color: red;">Glimmer Train named a recent
story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New
Writers.</span></u><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></b></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: purple;">A recent story was a
finalist for the </span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: purple;">2013 Broad
River Review RASH Award for Fiction</span></u><span style="color: purple;">,
another story was a <u>2013 finalist in the Phoebe Fiction Contest</u></span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">; another was a 2012 finalist in
the </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">“So
To Speak” Fiction Contest</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. Jan’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Roanoke Review,
Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97),
Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and others.</span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><span style="color: red;">She is working on
two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed
story collection, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Mermaids & Other
Stories</u></i></span><span style="color: purple;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has nonfiction publications in </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Atticus Review, Trajectory</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Pen-in-Hand</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. She writes a weekly blog of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">“Reflections”</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> on the writing life and posts
regular interviews with writers and publishers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span> Learn more at: </span></b><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b>www.janbowmanwriter.com</b></a><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b> </b></a><b><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(note: homepage under revision right now) so visit
blog: </span></b><a href="http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com/"><b>http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com</b></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple;">Facebook: </span></b><a href="mailto:janbowman.77@facebook.com"><b>janbowman.77@facebook.com</b></a><b><span style="color: purple; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
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Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-1043120722270106142014-07-04T14:23:00.002-04:002014-07-04T14:23:28.495-04:00Entry # 219 "The Phoenix Effect in Revision"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaMqx8txNdwm43SRwA7fDWxhXafNN5K1KCuO1EdRG5EWUhndwZXZ2gZpZU74d8X6QdN3y9wiyBC4DvomFE9_4U0MTCK5ys666hcMxa7owxQuZxHuWAzt0bKnHQS-6xgQ1JIeFwNtaTt1B/s1600/IMG_0357.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilaMqx8txNdwm43SRwA7fDWxhXafNN5K1KCuO1EdRG5EWUhndwZXZ2gZpZU74d8X6QdN3y9wiyBC4DvomFE9_4U0MTCK5ys666hcMxa7owxQuZxHuWAzt0bKnHQS-6xgQ1JIeFwNtaTt1B/s1600/IMG_0357.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Recently I revised a story and the process required the surgical removal of
a character I particularly liked, and as a result, I needed to remove three scenes and find another way to get into the heart of the story. </span></b><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Although I hoped to avoid this
painful process, the reality of what was needed would not let me
rest, until I had altered the focus of the story.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I believe the story is stronger as a result.</span> I still dream about the earlier story, but a Phoenix has
risen from the ashes of that earlier story and I am truly humbled by this
process.</span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></div>
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<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> I often wait - although not as patiently
as I should – to revise and to leave room for those acts of the spirit that
carry a story into a stronger version of itself.</span></b><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b>
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<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In Ursula K. Le Guin’s wonderful essay, “Where Do
You Get Your Ideas From?” Le Guin said: </span></b><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span>
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<b><i><span style="color: red; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Writers have to get used to launching something
beautiful and watching it crash and burn. They also have to learn when to let
go control, when the work takes off on its own and flies, farther than they had
ever planned or imagined, to places they didn’t know they knew. All writers
must leave room for acts of the spirit. But they also have to work hard and
carefully, and wait patiently, to deserve them.”</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> </span>
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<b><span style="color: blue; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I call this “The Phoenix Effect” because out of
the ruins of a story under revision, a newer version rises from the ashes and
it grows beyond anything I might have anticipated initially.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But it’s hard – for me as a writer –
to let go and trust that something stronger and better will rise from those
earlier, well-formed scenes and characters.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Cutting scenes and characters I’ve labored over and come to love is part
of the hardest work in my writer’s day. </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">============================================== </span></i></b></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1a77gZwsW95QBkTcA89ZmUsgM8RjmeMgYRSZgJB27PEsSBq-EtRtK9lFSvnxB0YbTRlaKxTPteCe80NqwmeOk5xt2av7FhCT3wrIzm702sKvBQ2RrZimSlXQSFD9h1GCVKRD7B4moDIzP/s1600/IMG_0283.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1a77gZwsW95QBkTcA89ZmUsgM8RjmeMgYRSZgJB27PEsSBq-EtRtK9lFSvnxB0YbTRlaKxTPteCe80NqwmeOk5xt2av7FhCT3wrIzm702sKvBQ2RrZimSlXQSFD9h1GCVKRD7B4moDIzP/s1600/IMG_0283.JPG" height="179" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">About Jan Bowman</span></i></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Winner of the </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award</span></i><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">, Jan's stories have been nominated
for </span><span style="color: red;">Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short
Stories, and a Pen/O’Henry award.</span><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><u><span style="color: red;">Glimmer Train named a recent
story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New
Writers.</span></u><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></b></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: purple;">A recent story was a
finalist for the </span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: purple;">2013 Broad
River Review RASH Award for Fiction</span></u><span style="color: purple;">,
another story was a <u>2013 finalist in the Phoebe Fiction Contest</u></span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">; another was a 2012 finalist in
the </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">“So
To Speak” Fiction Contest</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. Jan’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Roanoke Review,
Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97),
Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and others.</span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><span style="color: red;">She is working on
two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed
story collection, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Mermaids & Other
Stories</u></i></span><span style="color: purple;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has nonfiction publications in </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Atticus Review, Trajectory</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Pen-in-Hand</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. She writes a weekly blog of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">“Reflections”</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> on the writing life and posts
regular interviews with writers and publishers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span> Learn more at: </span></b><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b>www.janbowmanwriter.com</b></a><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b> </b></a><b><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(note: homepage under revision right now) so visit
blog: </span></b><a href="http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com/"><b>http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com</b></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple;">Facebook: </span></b><a href="mailto:janbowman.77@facebook.com"><b>janbowman.77@facebook.com</b></a><b><span style="color: purple; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span></span></b>Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-85707667933622450892014-06-27T11:21:00.002-04:002014-06-27T11:21:32.950-04:00Entry # 218 - "Surviving & Thriving from Workshop Feedback"
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBFBwBt6Mb9LMuRdEE0FvMv8Z4vXT1ElrVacQpc_FrA9m0ex_blStobabaV5WgGEWuMyEqsVASaxynDN6dctXfj8XtIAw1x0u0v7gkY-IlxKmItCH04ugECViyZuzkuL27zaNCYvVV_uC/s1600/IMG_0221.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBFBwBt6Mb9LMuRdEE0FvMv8Z4vXT1ElrVacQpc_FrA9m0ex_blStobabaV5WgGEWuMyEqsVASaxynDN6dctXfj8XtIAw1x0u0v7gkY-IlxKmItCH04ugECViyZuzkuL27zaNCYvVV_uC/s1600/IMG_0221.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>2014 At Tinker Mountain - Hollins University</b> </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="color: blue;">Often when I get home
from a workshop and look through peer review comments on a draft, I feel
overwhelmed.</span> Having recently returned from a week at the <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Tinker Mountain Workshop</i>, I am once
again faced with the question of how to begin my revision process. Sometimes I
spin around for weeks or months deciding where to begin and what to do. </span></b></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZKUfiuX_sLpRZr6zvF7epWbSLpQ1KnhNXsioeGv4hUVhAJKkZ6V0J0zCQ0OZ19WlTWpS404nXdf98rz6z4hcg9gpiah8pAD9v7h-1LtfobsWA8168uK0N57OXlvb_n2KKuxHGaOj-h4t/s1600/P6130024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg4ZKUfiuX_sLpRZr6zvF7epWbSLpQ1KnhNXsioeGv4hUVhAJKkZ6V0J0zCQ0OZ19WlTWpS404nXdf98rz6z4hcg9gpiah8pAD9v7h-1LtfobsWA8168uK0N57OXlvb_n2KKuxHGaOj-h4t/s1600/P6130024.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>A Beautiful Campus & A Great Group of People</b></td></tr>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Joni B. Cole, has a
wonderful book on the topic: <span class="style11"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Toxic Feedback: Helping Writers Survive and Thrive (2006)</i> that I
have found useful in thinking about the revision process</span>.</span></b></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> One of the topics she
addresses is what to do with the feedback you get from others. </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">In her section, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">Tips for Processing Feedback</span>, </i>she offers
these useful suggestions:</span></b>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Be Open</span></i></b></u></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> - In a workshop setting
– listen thoughtfully and curb your desire to defend your
work. You may - in your heart - disagree and that’s okay, because the
ultimate decisions about your work rest with you.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Resist the Urge to Explain</span></i></b></u></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><u><span style="color: red;"> </span></u>- Remember that readers can only work with what’s on a page
– so you need to know where it’s not working.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Little by Little</span></i></b></u></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> -<span class="style24"> </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“It is easy
to get overwhelmed when processing feedback, especially if you try to take it
all in at once.”</i> Cole suggests that writers sift through all the
comments once then put them away and select one of those things to focus on for
the next revision. <span style="color: blue;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“For example: it
your plot is slow and main character shallow – on your next draft move your
plot forward and tackle the character issue on a next draft.”</i></span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="color: red;"><u>Ignore Feedback</u></span> -- <span style="color: red;">until you’re ready for it</span></span></i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> - <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“The value of
feedback, and then putting it in your mental lockbox as you push forward, is
that this allows your unconscious to quietly process the outside information in
a way that informs your writing in sync with your instincts –without slowing
you down.”</i></span></b></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Try Out the Feedback</span></i></b></u></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> -<span class="style24"> </span>For example: <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">“If
your main character isn’t likable, write a scene inside or outside the story
that shows him doing something endearing. Even if you decide not to use the
scene, this is a great exercise in character development. <span style="color: blue;">No writing is a waste
of effort."</span></i></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><br /></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><u><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Give Yourself Time</span></i></b></u></span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;"> - If
you can’t tell if you’re making things better or worse, Cole says, --- <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: blue;">"STOP! Take a break. Take a
walk. Start something new. Let your subconscious work on it again."</span> </i>You
should be able to see when feedback is useful to improve your vision for the
work. If it’s not helping, wait a while and come back to it.</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Cole makes a strong case
that after finishing a draft and subsequent revisions writers need to find a
suitable reader for the work. <span style="color: blue;">A suitable reader is rarely someone who loves
you unconditionally, but instead, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">the
suitable reader</i> is someone who gets what you’re doing, and who is willing
to give thoughtful, insightful impressions; someone who reads carefully and who
understands the struggles writers face, but who has sufficient tact to be
honest and perceptive; someone who is not inclined to be unkind.</span></span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">Cole's book is a gold
mine of useful insights. Processing feedback effectively means being
receptive to hearing a variety of opinions, but filtering it all through your
own writer's lens. </span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 14.0pt;">============================</span></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">About Jan Bowman</span></i></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Winner of the </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award</span></i><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">, Jan's stories have been nominated
for </span><span style="color: red;">Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short
Stories, and a Pen/O’Henry award.</span><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><u><span style="color: red;">Glimmer Train named a recent
story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New
Writers.</span></u><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></b></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: purple;">A recent story was a
finalist for the </span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: purple;">2013 Broad
River Review RASH Award for Fiction</span></u><span style="color: purple;">,
another story was a <u>2013 finalist in the Phoebe Fiction Contest</u></span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">; another was a 2012 finalist in
the </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">“So
To Speak” Fiction Contest</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. Jan’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Roanoke Review,
Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97),
Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and others.</span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><span style="color: red;">She is working on
two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed
story collection, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Mermaids & Other
Stories</u></i></span><span style="color: purple;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has nonfiction publications in <i>Atticus Review</i>, </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Trajectory</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Pen-in-Hand</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. She writes a weekly blog of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">“Reflections”</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> on the writing life and posts regular interviews
with writers and publishers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> Learn
more at: </span></b><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b>www.janbowmanwriter.com</b></a><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b> </b></a><b><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(note: homepage under revision right now) so visit
blog: </span></b><a href="http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com/"><b>http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com</b></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple;">Facebook: </span></b><a href="mailto:janbowman.77@facebook.com"><b>janbowman.77@facebook.com</b></a><b><span style="color: purple; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
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Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3514600262826389137.post-53708652063131030892014-06-17T16:00:00.000-04:002014-06-18T07:49:10.266-04:00Entry # 217 - Interview with Dr. Eric S. Mondschein, Author of Life at 12 College Road<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rqlDc7pwTVpbWbR9g9Ehj13HT8T8xsCn3wqPe1lt_78ttQ9CQR9CPZ5OwtdCU10m1zZnzXDJx63KAb1POhJdciz0LZtpygjfEDoTvuYD1rhpy0nhqrC8fVxgXgbXlM6fbiy0zRSg3DHH/s1600/-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3rqlDc7pwTVpbWbR9g9Ehj13HT8T8xsCn3wqPe1lt_78ttQ9CQR9CPZ5OwtdCU10m1zZnzXDJx63KAb1POhJdciz0LZtpygjfEDoTvuYD1rhpy0nhqrC8fVxgXgbXlM6fbiy0zRSg3DHH/s1600/-1.jpg" height="320" width="256" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Dr. Eric S. Mondschein is an author and education
consultant. He has taught law and education, worked for the US government,
published and edited numerous articles and books, directed an award-winning
program for the New York State Bar Association, and served as advisor to an
international NGO in Haifa, Israel, on external affairs, government relations,
security, and analysis of human rights. His book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984693831/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984693831&linkCode=as2&tag=wadefranssonc-20"><span style="color: #0950c4; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Life at 12
College Road</span></a> is published by Something or Other Publishing and is
available on Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com. He currently resides in the
Adirondack Mountains of upstate New York with his wife, Ginny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They have two grown children Adam and Emily,
a son in law, Kamal, daughter in law, Yaani, and grandchildren, Annie, Nate and
Eli.<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-Hyy0Vzvuqq9ty38yKyH3ZdqHEwMDzX6NKqAjRDNxfX0lhtFte3yG4gR9DE5e9Fxvcw7d6OyE0RPyb4-nUbvTt8ynL8aqK9QqbmMtkPYC0bEwjqrONeNHspLgBXp1DYt0WpvTWjDJbEh/s1600/41dYznc0CSL._AA160_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4-Hyy0Vzvuqq9ty38yKyH3ZdqHEwMDzX6NKqAjRDNxfX0lhtFte3yG4gR9DE5e9Fxvcw7d6OyE0RPyb4-nUbvTt8ynL8aqK9QqbmMtkPYC0bEwjqrONeNHspLgBXp1DYt0WpvTWjDJbEh/s1600/41dYznc0CSL._AA160_.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tell
me about your new book, <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Life at 12
College Road</span>. Why will readers enjoy reading it?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Eric:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> <b> </b></span><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0984693831?tag=boomercafe&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0984693831&adid=1JSNHJ19T50RNEB479X6&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boomercafe.com%2F2014%2F01%2F21%2Fauthor-eric-mondschein-life-shaping-power-memories%2F"><span style="color: #2178b1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Life at 12
College Road</span></a><span style="color: #434343;"> </span>is a collection of
thirty-three “real life” short stories that, when taken as a whole, paint a
mosaic of a time and place both familiar and distant. Each story can be read
and enjoyed on its own, and each provides a different glimpse into the world of
growing up in 1950s and 60s America.</b> We all have memories—those that make us
smile or laugh, others that bring anger or tears, and some that we’d just as
soon forget. But those memories help to make us who we are today—and in some
ways, who we will become tomorrow. <span style="color: red;"><b>While reflecting upon my past to write the
book, I found that it was not the major earth-shattering events that were truly
significant for me. Rather, it was the small things, many long forgotten until
recently, that deeply touched me. The book is not really so much about me as it
is about those feelings and emotions that we all at one time or another share;
feelings of joy, happiness, sadness, anger, fear — and yes, loss — that each of
us, in our own yet similar ways, do inevitably encounter.</b> </span>And if their
retelling can help the reader connect with similar moments from their lives,
then it was worth the time and<span style="color: #434343;"> effort in my writing
</span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0984693831?tag=boomercafe&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0984693831&adid=1JSNHJ19T50RNEB479X6&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boomercafe.com%2F2014%2F01%2F21%2Fauthor-eric-mondschein-life-shaping-power-memories%2F"><span style="color: #2178b1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Life at 12
College Road</span></a><span style="color: #434343;"> and their reading
it </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan: What inspired you to write this
particular book?</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Eric:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am
glad you asked this question. <b>I had not intended to write this book at all.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was on a mission to write an
adventure/action thriller and was attending a writer’s retreat in Maine several
years ago to do just that. But as fate would have it, I had decided to take a
break, as I was just not getting anywhere and take a short nap. I was either
dreaming, or it was during that period of time just before awakening that the
idea came to me.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #434343; font-size: 14.0pt;">I recalled sitting at the dining room
table where I had shared Sunday dinners with my family growing up. As I sat at
the table, I realized the other three chairs had been tilted forward so that
their ladder-backs rested against it. They were obviously no longer of use. And
it was then that I remembered what had been bothering me: I was alone. You see,
my mom, dad, and younger brother have all passed on without me. They are
exploring new worlds and I have been left behind. Heck, even my dog is gone. It
was that realization, those memories, which formed the impetus for me to
write </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0984693831?tag=boomercafe&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0984693831&adid=1JSNHJ19T50RNEB479X6&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boomercafe.com%2F2014%2F01%2F21%2Fauthor-eric-mondschein-life-shaping-power-memories%2F"><span style="color: #2178b1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Life at 12
College Road</span></a><span style="color: #434343;">.</span></span><span style="color: #434343; font-size: 14.0pt;"> <b><span style="color: red;">So I put my novel on the shelf and
proceeded to write this book. I may in time get back to the novel, as every
once in while I think I hear the characters trying to talk to me.</span></b></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Jan:</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> Why do you
write?</span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: #646464; font-size: 14.0pt;">Eric:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>First, no one makes me write. In professional positions I’ve held over
the years, I have been required to file reports, write memoranda, even
treatises, but I was never required to publish law-related articles, write
poetry, or </span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0984693831?tag=boomercafe&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0984693831&adid=1JSNHJ19T50RNEB479X6&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boomercafe.com%2F2014%2F01%2F21%2Fauthor-eric-mondschein-life-shaping-power-memories%2F"><span style="color: #2178b1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Life at 12
College Road</span></a><span style="color: #646464;">. I wrote those because I
wanted to. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #646464; font-size: 14.0pt;">It certainly was not because I had
nothing better to do. The time spent away from family and the activities that
were sacrificed along the way attest to that. It was more often a feeling of
being compelled to write. Not for others, although most writers do want people
to read their work, but to feed a need or a desire coming from within.</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="color: red;"><span style="font-size: 14pt;">Through this writing experience, I have
come to recognize, dare I speak a universal truth, that even in the solitude of
writing, we are not truly alone. Our memories of loved ones, friends, and those
we admire are always with us, some closer to the surface of awareness than
others, but they are there nonetheless.</span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> <b><span style="color: #646464;">And if we are really willing to listen, they have much to
offer.</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Jan: What do you
need in order to do your best work?</span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Eric:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On one
level I need the peace, quiet and solitude of just being alone. <b>On another, I
need to feel compelled not by others, but from within to write, whether it is a
poem, a random thought or the monograph I am currently co-authoring with a friend,
Ellery (Rick) Miller Jr. on sexual harassment and bullying, or the sequel to <a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0984693831?tag=boomercafe&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0984693831&adid=1JSNHJ19T50RNEB479X6&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boomercafe.com%2F2014%2F01%2F21%2Fauthor-eric-mondschein-life-shaping-power-memories%2F"><span style="color: #2178b1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Life at 12
College Road</span></a><span style="color: #434343;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">As you aspire to improve as a writer where do
you begin?</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Eric:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I read a
lot. I read newspapers. I read professional journals, magazines, short stories
and novels in as many genres as I can. From fiction to non-fiction, historical,
adventures, thrillers, science fiction, children’s stories to yes, even
romance. Never thought I would say that, but I read Phyllis Edgerly Ring’s <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Snow-Fence-Road-Phyllis-Edgerly-ebook/dp/B00DDVB106/ref=dp_kinw_strp_1"><span style="color: #094fb2; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Snow Fence Road</span></a>, and thoroughly enjoyed the story, the plot
and the characters. <span style="color: red;"><b>The more I read the more I learn about writing. What works
and what frankly does not.</b></span> My parents were both prolific readers and would
often share what they were reading during dinner and encouraged my brother and
I to read. I also had a professor in College who told us “if you want to write
you have to read, read, read.” </span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Jan: What
writers do you read?</span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Eric:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I
indicated I read a lot and in many genres, but I must admit <b>I have truly
enjoyed reading books by Dean Kootnz, John Sanford, Gary Pulsen, Dale Brown,
Robert Ludlum, Clive Cussler, W.E. B. Griffen, and Wilbur Smith. And as a young
boy I loved Ian Flemming’s James Bond books and Herald L. Goodwin’s Rick Brandt
Science adventure stories.</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the best advice you ever received
and what advice have you chosen to ignore?</span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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<b><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Eric: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As it
relates to writing, the best advice was to “read, read, read” and the advice I
chose to ignore was that I probably should not try to write.</span></b></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Jan: When you
review your work over the past couple of years what do you notice?</span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><b><span style="color: red;">Eric:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
first thing I notice is that I think that I have now found my voice.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The second is that my writing is still
evolving and improving, and will most likely continue to do so. At least I hope
so.</span></b> I also have learned so much working with other writers and attending
writing workshops and just writing more and learning to accept criticism. That
one I am still trying really hard to learn.</span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Jan:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Finally - What question do you wish I had
asked?</span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Eric:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">When you are not writing what do you like to
do?</span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b>And my answer is that I truly
enjoy being with the love of my life, my wife, Ginny. I also like being with my
son and daughter and their dear families. </b></span></div>
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<span style="color: blue;"><span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Jan: How can readers buy a copy
of your book and contact you?</span></span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/dp/0984693831?tag=boomercafe&camp=14573&creative=327641&linkCode=as1&creativeASIN=0984693831&adid=1JSNHJ19T50RNEB479X6&&ref-refURL=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.boomercafe.com%2F2014%2F01%2F21%2Fauthor-eric-mondschein-life-shaping-power-memories%2F"><span style="color: #2178b1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Life at 12
College Road</span></a><span style="color: #434343;"> </span>is available on
Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com. For those who live in upstate New York you
can also pick up my book from <a href="http://www.northshire.com/northshire-bookstore-saratoga"><span style="color: #2178b1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Northshire Books
Saratoga Saratoga Springs, NY</span></a> and <a href="http://www.thebookstoreplus.com/"><span style="color: #2178b1; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">The Bookstore Plus Lake Placid, NY</span></a>.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Life at 12 College Road</span><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Life-at-12-College-Road/dp/0984693831/ref=pd_rhf_ee_p_d_1">http://www.amazon.com/Life-at-12-College-Road/dp/0984693831/ref=pd_rhf_ee_p_d_1</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">My Website <a href="http://www.ericmondschein.com/">http://www.ericmondschein.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">The Bookstore plus <a href="http://www.thebookstoreplus.com/">http://www.thebookstoreplus.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">Northshire Bookstore Saratoga <a href="http://www.northshire.com/northshire-bookstore-saratoga">http://www.northshire.com/northshire-bookstore-saratoga</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14.0pt;">If readers are interested in some of my other works I
invite them to visit my website at: <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><a href="http://www.ericmondschein.com/"><span style="color: #3366ff;">http://www.ericmondschein.com</span></a></span></div>
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<i><span style="color: #3366ff; font-size: 14.0pt;">Additional Notes on this Author:</span></i><span style="font-size: 14.0pt;"></span><span style="color: #343434; font-size: 14.0pt; mso-font-kerning: 1.0pt;"> <span style="font-size: small;">Dr. Eric S.
Mondschein is an author and education consultant</span></span><span style="font-size: small;">. He has a Doctorate in law and
education from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. He has taught
law and education at the undergraduate and graduate levels of education. He has worked for the US government in
various capacities, published and edited numerous articles and books in various
areas of law and education and written and managed numerous grants from the
private and public sectors. He directed
an award-winning law-related education program for the New York State Bar Association
from 1980 through 1994.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="color: #343434;">From 1995 to 2006, he advised the
governing board of an international non-governmental organization in Haifa,
Israel, in the area of external affairs, including government relations,
security and provided analysis of human rights situations in selected countries
throughout the world in general, and in Iran and the Middle East in particular.
He also served as the citizen representative of The Post Star editorial board,
which won the 2009 Pulitzer Prize for editorial writing.</span> His book, <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0984693831/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=0984693831&linkCode=as2&tag=wadefranssonc-20"><span style="color: #0950c4; text-decoration: none;">Life at 12
College Road</span></a> is published by Something or Other Publishing and is
available on Amazon.com and Barnes&Noble.com. </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;">He currently resides in the Adirondack Mountains of
upstate New York with his wife, Ginny.
They have two grown children Adam and Emily, a son in law, Kamal,
daughter in law, Yaani, and grandchildren, Annie, Nate, and Eli.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqaTgwJRIGHRR7FieJbzrFE5XXrGDcVm8vBjy35CmaMQ6__n3JUDWo6RO9VsyzQRgkpipAyaoJ3pgZ7x-Wwc3gvlTyGF-EQ3oNsd2U2o0pmhtX_dselY6WMCeFGNRg-_q7RtjC9Yq3Ea2/s1600/JanMay14.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpqaTgwJRIGHRR7FieJbzrFE5XXrGDcVm8vBjy35CmaMQ6__n3JUDWo6RO9VsyzQRgkpipAyaoJ3pgZ7x-Wwc3gvlTyGF-EQ3oNsd2U2o0pmhtX_dselY6WMCeFGNRg-_q7RtjC9Yq3Ea2/s1600/JanMay14.JPG" height="220" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">About Jan Bowman</span></i></b></div>
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<b><span style="color: red;">Winner of the </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: red;">2011 Roanoke Review Fiction Award</span></i><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">, Jan's stories have been nominated
for </span><span style="color: red;">Pushcart Prizes, Best American Short
Stories, and a Pen/O’Henry award.</span><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span><u><span style="color: red;">Glimmer Train named a recent
story as Honorable Mention in the November 2012 Short Story Awards for New
Writers.</span></u><span style="color: red; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> </span></b></div>
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<b><u><span style="color: purple;">A recent story was a
finalist for the </span></u></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u><span style="color: purple;">2013 Broad
River Review RASH Award for Fiction</span></u><span style="color: purple;">,
another story was a <u>2013 finalist in the Phoebe Fiction Contest</u></span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">; another was a 2012 finalist in
the </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">“So
To Speak” Fiction Contest</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. Jan’s fiction has appeared in numerous publications including, </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Roanoke Review,
Big Muddy, The Broadkill Review, Third Wednesday, Minimus, Buffalo Spree (97),
Folio, The Potomac Review, Musings, Potato Eyes</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and others.</span></b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b><span style="color: red;">She is working on
two collections of short stories while shopping for a publisher for a completed
story collection, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><u>Mermaids & Other
Stories</u></i></span><span style="color: purple;">.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>She has nonfiction publications in </span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Trajectory</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> and </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">Pen-in-Hand</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">. She writes a weekly blog of </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="color: purple;">“Reflections”</span></i><span style="color: purple; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"> on the writing life and posts regular interviews
with writers and publishers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span> Learn
more at: </span></b><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b>www.janbowmanwriter.com</b></a><a href="http://www.janbowmanwriter.com/"><b> </b></a><b><span style="color: purple;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(note: homepage under revision right now) so visit
blog: </span></b><a href="http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com/"><b>http://janbowmanwriter.blogspot.com</b></a></div>
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<b><span style="color: purple;">Facebook: </span></b><a href="mailto:janbowman.77@facebook.com"><b>janbowman.77@facebook.com</b></a><b><span style="color: purple; font-size: 10.0pt;"></span></b></div>
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Jan Bowmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17620466267012006092noreply@blogger.com0