Beads on a string...

I love language, the way words taste on my tongue. The way words can be strung together like beads on a string. This is a beautiful way to think about writing stories and, I must admit, this is how my mom described it to me once. She talked about her love for language and how with thousands of words to choose from, it's how you string them together that makes a sentence, a paragraph, a story. It's how words come together in a wonderful way. My writing mentor, Anita Riggio, described it in the same fashion. Or did she say pearls on a necklace? I love this thought and I love the image it portrays.

When I teach poetry, I call it bumping words together. Colliding words together in a new or unusual pattern. For example, honey rouge, strawberry bark, apple moon, ocean tangerine, lavender parsnips.

Now you try it...

A Cape Cod state of mind...

I just got back from a week on the Cape with my college friends. We've been renting a house in Eastham since our kids were little, for about 15 years or so. There have been different configurations of people, adults and children, each year, depending on jobs, finances, conflicts, etc. At our peak, I think there were 11 kids with 5 moms. In ONE house! Can you imagine? The house belonged to a childhood friend's brother who rented it out in the summer. It was a huge place, with an assortment of bedrooms (it would have to, right?), a large kitchen, a patio out back, and a massive beech tree in the front. One of my most vivid memories is taking pictures of the kids draped in the branches of this gorgeous tree.

Now fast forward to 2010. Four friends without kids, at least most of the week (some of the kids came out for the weekend), in a quaint two-bedroom cottage, within walking distance to the bay. Quite different from years' past and quite relaxing. We always talked about what it would be like when the kids were grown and now it's here. We trudge down the dozens of steps over the dunes at Marconi Beach in Wellfleet, chairs and umbrellas in tow, in search of the perfect spot to catch some rays and tell beach stories. We meander through the shops in Martha's Vineyard after taking a wind-blown ride on the ferry. We find "our" deck overlooking Provincetown Harbor and sip summertime favorite cocktails while taking pictures of the fabulous view. Some of us ride the waves in the frigid ocean on boogie boards at low tide. It's a week that we look forward to all year.

Cape Cod - a beachy, casual, adventurous state of mind.

My Lovely Writer Friend

Dark clouds hovered as rain splashed on thirsty summer leaves. The beginning of a novel? No, the setting for a lovely brunch at my writer friend, Kim Fusco's house recently. Several other writer friends and I had a delicious potluck while catching up on our latest writing projects and the kids' newest adventures. Kim even read the first page of her second novel, The Wonder of Charlie Anne, which debuts on August 10. As Kim describes it, a story of triumph over adversity. It's a middle grade novel set in the 1930's in a rural New England town during the depression. I had the pleasure of reading it last summer when Kim was in the last revision stage and needed advice on the teaching of reading to a child who has difficulty in that area. Something I know lots about. It's a beautifully written book with characters that sing to each of us. If you haven't already, you must check out Kim's first book, Tending To Grace, which was hailed as "stunning."

Summertime and the reading is easy...

Now that it's almost summer, it's time to pick out some good beach reads. I have several already piled up on the hand-painted cupboard by my bed. Summer is the best time to read for pure enjoyment. To get into a great book and be able to read for hours is wonderfully satisfying. I hope to instill this love of reading in my students. Some of them step into my classroom loving books, while others struggle to decode words and have difficulty comprehending what they've read. Some would rather play video games and watch TV. It's my job, as a teacher, to help make reading come to life for these kids. When I can achieve this, then I feel like I'm making a difference in their lives.

A very special student who I've had the pleasure of working with this year, is finally beginning to enjoy books. We discovered together that he likes to read about history, about events that happened in the past. I think he became fascinated by the fact that these people lived before us. "Before me?" he would ask. "Before you?" I would nod and say, "Yes, before us." We would do the math together and discover how many years ago these events took place. And he was intrigued by the fact that these events really happened, they weren't just made up stories. This was quite a revelation to his parents and me, and quite exciting for him. He finally asked to keep reading. And his parents finally began to read to him and to realize the benefits of just reading for the pleasure of it, not only to read to decode words and to become more fluent but to take pleasure in the act of reading. How wonderful for them. How satisfying for me.

My own three children are readers and this, as you can imagine, is a thrill for me. Maybe I didn't do everything right, but I gave them a love for reading. Being readers ourselves can be one of the best gifts we can give to children. It may take time for some, but eventually they come around. Like I wrote about in an earlier post, I didn't read often for pleasure as a child. I read because I had to. I read for tests and book reports and to write papers. My parents read by lamp light every evening, and my siblings read a lot, as well. Eventually, I, too, became a lover of books and reading. A natural progression.

By the way, what are your summer reading picks? I just started "The Murderer's Daughters" by Randy Susan Myers. A book recommended by my brother, Dell, as he knows the author. He has taken writing courses with Ms. Myers at the Grub Street Writers' Center in Cambridge, MA. It's quite compelling so far. As a matter of fact, it's calling me right now...

Packing Up...

I'm in Florida with my brother and sister-in-law helping my parents pack up their belongings. My parents are moving back to Cape Cod. My sister is staying in Florida but moving to the next town over. My parents are both in their 80's and miss their kids, grandchildren and friends, and want to move back to the place they love best. I guess I shouldn't be surprised. My parents have loved the Cape since as far back as I can remember. When my sisters and I were very young and living in Lansdale, Pennsylvania, my parents decided to check out a place they had been doing some research on. They were looking for the perfect place for my father to write "the great American novel." So, in the middle of winter, they drove to the small man made island of Cape Cod where they stayed in an old haunted Inn called The Orleans Inn. It was here they fell in love with the raw beauty of the Cape with its acres of scrub pine, grassy dunes and endless sandbars. Quiet in winter, bustling with tourists in the summer, the Cape is like nowhere else in the world. It's a haven for writers, artists, and antique dealers, and anyone who loves being close to the water. It was here that we moved.

When I was 14 and about to enter high school, my father moved the whole family to New Jersey, where he opened up a book store. That lasted about 10 months. We were all homesick for the Cape and moved back. Luckily for us, my parents hadn't sold our house but instead had rented it out to friends. We stayed in the extra rooms in the barn for the summer. Then, about five years later, my parents moved to Ithaca, NY where they opened up an antique and book shop. Surprise. Surprise. My dad went to Cornell University and loved the college town. I was at Elmira College at the time so it was nice to have my family so close. They stayed in Ithaca about two years before, you guessed it, moving back to 'ole Cape Cod. They rented a house in S. Orleans while in the process of building a passive solar house in Brewster. My parents lived in that house for about 15 years and then went on to rent several condos. Four and a half years ago, my sister, Cindy, decided she wanted to move to Florida and take my parents with her. She convinced them to go with her and they liked it. I mean, like my dad says, what's not to like? It's warm and close to the beach. Well, it didn't take long for them to start thinking about the Cape and missing its beauty and everyone there. So, here we are, getting them ready to move back to the place they call home. And I am very happy about that.

Labels for Unfocused Writers...

I must be ADD, ADHD, have severe attentional issues, hard time focusing, etc. I can say this because I work with kids with these labels and though I hate labels and labeling these kids, they might just be the right labels for us adults who can't focus. Adult writers, in particular. When it's time to get down and write, I can be so unfocused, it's ridiculous. I start to do laundry, clean the cabinets, bake some muffins, talk to my friends on Facebook, walk into the next room looking for something I can never remember. You name it, I find it and do it. And, like many writers, I have a day job that takes up much of my time. So, when I can find time to sit in front of the computer, I should be focused on my story. Or my blog. Why do I have such a hard time?

I can think about my characters and what might happen next in the story, never really knowing, of course, until I sit down to write. But as soon as I put my butt in the chair, as my mentor, Anita Riggio, used to say, my mind wanders to every place but where it should be, my work at hand. I know I'm not alone in this so perhaps we should label this phenomenon. Let's see...MW for Mind Wanderer, UIC- Unfocused In Chair, JURTC- Jumping Up Ready To Clean, BFL-Bounding For Laundry, WTCH- Walking To Clear Head, MML- Mood Music Listener, MHM-Mental Health Meanderer, CC-Closet Cleaner, PP-Patchwork Painter, and last but not least, AFB- Addicted to Facebook. I'd love to hear yours, if you're focused enough to name it.

Perspectives...

Putting things in perspective and reflecting on what is important is common this time of year, but with the news of the tragic earthquake in Haiti, it takes on even more significance. I feel grateful for what I have and try to live my life by squeezing in everything I possibly can. I know that love and family are essential pieces to a happy life and have been given a second chance to make it work. For this, I feel blessed. I view my friends as emotional sounding boards and my true life lines. Without friends, who would we have to share secrets with or to act fiercely crazy with?

There are perspectives to think about in writing, as well. Who is telling your story? Which character can best relay the story you want to tell? Several years ago, I read a book with a very unique perspective, The Lovely Bones. It was told through the point of view of a young girl, Suzie, who had been brutally murdered by her neighbor as she looked down upon her friends and family from above. She told the story of her family's unraveling with grace and beauty. It's one of my favorite books. It would have been a completely different story had it been told from the dad or sister's perspective. When I watched the movie based on this story, on the big screen, I wasn't sure what to expect. I mean how do you show a girl in the after world watching life unfold below her? Not an easy task. But somehow it worked.

Another book with a fascinating perspective is The Book Thief. This story is told from the point of view of Death in Germany during WW ll. As morbid as this premise may sound, it's a poignant story. The language...poetic. The characters...genuine. It follows the life of a young girl, Liesel, whose little brother has died and whose mother has given her up to a foster family. She discovers books and begins stealing them whenever the opportunity presents itself. This is truly a book about the power of words; how words can feed a soul.

What is your perspective? Have you read any books lately with a unique point of view?