Hi All. We've been moving our schedule around a bit this summer, so I thought I'd get a few dates out there for your calendars.
Tuesday, July 12: 2:30 pm, possibly at Lori's invalid garden (recovering from appendectomy). Call
Monday for exact details. (:
Tuesday, July 19: 2:30 pm, Village Green, LAH Village
Thursday, July 28: 4:00 pm, Redlands (call for exact location)
I also thought you might like this writing idea from Michael Josephson:
Ethical Wills
In Jewish tradition, people write "ethical wills" in which they pass on to the next generation, especially their children, the gift of wisdom and good wishes. This legacy is far more profound and permanent than bequests of property.
An ethical will is often a personal letter to the most important people in our lives. It conveys our values, convictions and hopes. An ethical will is also an autobiography - not of events and dates, but of the insights and intuitions that define who we are and tell the world what we stand for and what we think is important.
These documents provide a priceless and prized source of loving advice and can become treasured family heirlooms. Because they are about ethics, they also can become a moral compass that helps loved ones navigate their way to worthy and happy lives.
Yet no matter how highly cherished these letters can be for those who receive them, the process of writing them can change your perspective and cause you to readjust your own priorities.
What would you put in your ethical will? When you can, begin writing down everything you might want to pass on to the people you love. But know this: Once you start, it will be hard to stop as you'll experience a surge of thoughts that will engulf you with all the subconscious beliefs that make you who you are and what you will be.
According to Socrates, the touchstone of wisdom is to first know thyself. Try it, and you'll see why.
The Writing Life. Focus on Fiction, YA, Adult, Poetry, Nonfiction, Historical Fiction, and Literary.
About Me
- Rachel Lorene "Lori" Johnstone Pohlman
- Lake Arrowhead, California, United States
- I live for my family, teaching, reading, and the joy of every new day, and I write to live! I've written both non-fiction, and adult and young adult fiction, and am currently working on a novel set in both California and London. This means I get to travel! Qualifications/Education: M.F.A., Creative Writing, 2009 Goddard College, Vermont. California Single Subject Teaching Credential Program, English, 1996 University of Redlands, Redlands, CA. B.A., English Literature, 1996 California State University, San Bernardino, CA.
Writer's Sites
- AWP- Association of Writers & Writing Programs
- http://primaryaccess.org
- http://www.howstufffworks.com
- http://www.lexipedia.com
- http://www.libraryspot.com
- http://www.newseum.org
- http://www.publishersweekly.reviewsnews.com
- http://www.writersmarket.com
- Joyce Carol Oates On Writing Characters
- Neil Gaiman's Blog
- Writer's Digest Monthly Contest
Saturday, July 9, 2011
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Bodies of Smoke
From Bodies of Smoke
"The day was suddenly quieter, or maybe it just seemed to hush as Jan witnessed the spectacle of ashes falling all around him, slowly turmbling out of the sky, carried on the soft breeze from some unknown fire. He looked toward the forest, thinking of a wildfire, but the sky in that direction was serenely blue. The wind was blowing from the other direction, anyway. It was coming from town. Oswiecim. There was a railroad station there, and a camp.
Jan continued to stand, face upturned, wondering what was happening. What new calamity might this foretell? Maybe the whole world was going to light itself on fire. Maybe it already had.
Ashes continued to float down on his face, his head, his shoulders, cradling themselves in his outstretched hands. Finally, ashes covered all of the roses."
Bodies of Smoke
"The day was suddenly quieter, or maybe it just seemed to hush as Jan witnessed the spectacle of ashes falling all around him, slowly turmbling out of the sky, carried on the soft breeze from some unknown fire. He looked toward the forest, thinking of a wildfire, but the sky in that direction was serenely blue. The wind was blowing from the other direction, anyway. It was coming from town. Oswiecim. There was a railroad station there, and a camp.
Jan continued to stand, face upturned, wondering what was happening. What new calamity might this foretell? Maybe the whole world was going to light itself on fire. Maybe it already had.
Ashes continued to float down on his face, his head, his shoulders, cradling themselves in his outstretched hands. Finally, ashes covered all of the roses."
Bodies of Smoke
copyright protected, R L Johnstone-Pohlman, March 14, 2010
What Are You Reading? The Two-Minute Book Review Series
- Wallace, David Foster. A Supposedly Fun Thing I'll Never Do Again.
- Foer, Jonathan Safran. Everything is Illuminated and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close.
- Irving, John. A Widow for One Year
- Didion, Joan. The Year of Magical Thinking.
- Dunn, Mark. Ella Minnow Pea.
- Donnelly, Jennifer. A Northern Light.
- Kingsolver, Barbara. Prodigal Summer. This is one of my favorite novels; it's lush and filled with nature imagery, humorous and thought provoking. Entirely wonderful.
- Knapp, Caroline. Drinking: A Love Story. For anyone wondering about the alcoholic experience, here's your book. Exceedingly readable and feels absolutely honest.
- Salinger, J.D. The Catcher in the Rye
- Gaiman, Neil. Neverwhere
- Zusak, Markus. The Book Thief. As my writer friend says, "This is the book I wish I wrote." A book narrated by Death about a little girl living in Germany during WWII. This book will always live in my library!
- Selznick, Brian. The Invention of Hugo Cabret. YA Graphic Novel. Some of my teen readers loved it, others found it too simple.
- Colfer, Eoin Colfer. Airman. This book was voted favorite of the year with my middle school age book club.
- du Maurier, Daphne. Rebecca
- Card, Orson Scott. Ender's Game
- Proulx, Annie. Brokeback Mountain
- Spinelli, Jerry. Milkweed
- King, Stephen. On Writing
- Hamilton, Edith. Mythology
- Lamott, Anne. Bird by Bird. My favorite book on writing!
- Gilbert, Elizabeth. Committed.
- Skibell, Joseph. A Blessing on the Moon. An amazing Holocaust tale..this book stays with me. I want to read it again for the first time!
- Anderson, M.T. The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing
- Harris, JoAnne. The Girl With No Shadow
Poetry Corner
"August in Waterton, Alberta" by Bill Holm
Above me, wind does its best
to blow leaves off
the aspen tree a month too soon.
No use wind. All you succeed
in doing is making music, the noise
of failure growing beautiful.
"Lincoln by Vachel Lindsey"
Would I might rouse the Lincoln in you all,
That which is gendered in the wilderness
From lonely prairies and God's Tenderness.
Imperial soul, star of a weedy stream,
Born where the ghosts of buffaloes still dream,
Whose spirit hoof-beats storm above his grave,
Above that breast of earth and prairie-fire--
Fire that freed the slave.
Above me, wind does its best
to blow leaves off
the aspen tree a month too soon.
No use wind. All you succeed
in doing is making music, the noise
of failure growing beautiful.
"Lincoln by Vachel Lindsey"
Would I might rouse the Lincoln in you all,
That which is gendered in the wilderness
From lonely prairies and God's Tenderness.
Imperial soul, star of a weedy stream,
Born where the ghosts of buffaloes still dream,
Whose spirit hoof-beats storm above his grave,
Above that breast of earth and prairie-fire--
Fire that freed the slave.
Read!
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