Monthly Archives: October 2008

the last day of October

Posted on October 31, 2008 by cynthia

“The weather was unusually warm for the last day of October.  We didn’t even need jackets.  The wind was growing stronger, and Jem said it might be raining before we got home.  There was no moon.”  To Kill A Mockingbird  by Harper Lee  … Continue reading →

Posted in Harper Lee | Tagged | 2 Comments

family history

Posted on October 30, 2008 by cynthia

Dani Shapiro is one of my all-time favorite writers.  She knows how to tell a story–how to slowly release details in order to build tension and lure the reader forward. The first book of hers I read was Family History, published in … Continue reading →

Posted in Dani Shapiro, craft of writing, details, family, favorite writers, first sentences | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

circularity

Posted on October 28, 2008 by cynthia

The Lucky Ones is Rachel Cusk’s fifth book.  In it, there is a Contents page, which announces five sections.  Each section stands by itself.  There is a passing reference in each section to at least one character in another section.  With … Continue reading →

Posted in Rachel Cusk, reviews, schedules, shapes, truth | Tagged | Leave a comment

all its rich hours

Posted on October 27, 2008 by cynthia

Pine Mountain Trail Pine Mountain, Georgia October 26, 2008 23 miles 11hours, 7 minutes The day grew light, then dark again– In all its rich hours, what happened?   from Apple by Jane Hirshfield Given Sugar, Given Salt Share this … Continue reading →

Posted in Jane Hirshfield, journeys, leaves, poetry, the day | Tagged , | 2 Comments

a day in the woods

Posted on October 26, 2008 by cynthia

Today, Sunday, October 26th, I’m walking.  It’s a day in the woods.  An autumn ritual (because of spring snakes).  A 23-mile hike, which last year took 11 hours.  We choose the date by trying to maximize the chance of cool weather with enough daylight … Continue reading →

Posted in Jane Hirshfield, fall, journeys, leaves, poetry | Tagged | 1 Comment

out of her head

Posted on October 25, 2008 by cynthia

Pam Houston is one of my all-time favorite writers.  She is a master at getting it out of her head and onto the page.  Take for example this bit of dialogue from her novel, Sight Hound: “You know,” she said, “I’m … Continue reading →

Posted in Pam Houston, dialogue, favorite writers, stories, truth | Tagged , | Leave a comment

word-smitten

Posted on October 23, 2008 by cynthia

Charles Frazier‘s second book,Thirteen Moons, is narrated by Will Cooper, who has a friend named Bear, a Cherokee Indian chief.  “I cannot decide whether it is an illness or a sin, the need to write things down and fix the flowing world in one … Continue reading →

Posted in Mark Doty, memory, shapes, truth, why I write, words | Tagged | Leave a comment

the kitten

Posted on October 22, 2008 by cynthia

marry tale #2:  the kitten   Once upon a time there was a man and a woman, who decided to become the husband and the wife.  They were very new at being the husband and the wife and had no … Continue reading →

Posted in my writing | Tagged | Leave a comment

what’s in a novel

Posted on October 20, 2008 by cynthia

In a 1921 New York Times article entitled, “What is a Novel, Anyhow?”, Henry Kitchell Webster, writes “A novel is defined in the Concise Oxford Dictionary as a fictitious prose narrative of sufficient length to fill one or more volumes.  … Continue reading →

Posted in Elizabeth Strout, form, novels, reviews, stories | Tagged , | 2 Comments

collaboration and commitment

Posted on October 18, 2008 by cynthia

The Oxford American Dictionary defines collaboration as “working jointly, especially in a literary or artistic production.” It defines commitment as “the process or an instance of committing oneself.” And committing as “pledging or binding oneself to a certain course” Something … Continue reading →

Posted in movies, words | Tagged , | Leave a comment