The Bookity Book & Tall Grass Salon

I've never read Lives of a Cell, but it is on my big list.

Do you want to be famous? I have to say, that has never been on my radar as a goal. But then, I have far less ambition than most people I know.

Good writing to you, Lacy.

Famous, not really. I'd just like to sell a damn book...I suppose I could deal with it being a best seller. But considering the market and what I write, it's probably not a big concern!

Good morning, infamous, unfamous, or otherwise....

The Writer's Almanac for November 26, 2014

Raymond Carver's poem this morning is just about perfect.

Birthdays noted today are those of Eugene Ionesco, Marilynne Robinson, and science writer Jonathon Weiner.

The snippet quoted from Robinson, I bet we'll all relate to: "I grew up with the confidence that the greatest privilege was to be alone and have all the time you wanted. That was the cream of existence. I owe everything that I have done to the fact that I am very much at ease being alone. It's a good predisposition in a writer. And books are good company. Nothing is more human than a book."

I had the pleasure of hearing this installment on my way to work this morning. I agree with you about Carver's poem.

Good morning, and Happy Thanksgiving. Did you know we have the author of "Mary Had A Little Lamb" to thank for Thanksgiving becoming official? Neither did I!

The Writer's Almanac for November 27, 2014

The poem -- oh that "unbearable solo moment"!

Along with Thanksgiving, we can celebrate the anniversary of the day Bobby Burns borrowed a pony to ride to Edinburgh, a ride which apparently became something of a triumphal procession, much to Burns' surprise and delight.

Have a splendid day, stay safe, stay warm, and don't eat too much.

That poem is actually quite sad.

I don't know much about Burns, but reading that little sketch I find myself wondering: what became of his girlfriend?

Best wishes to all.

jeffo20 said:

That poem is actually quite sad.

I don't know much about Burns, but reading that little sketch I find myself wondering: what became of his girlfriend?

Best wishes to all.

Click to expand...

Yes it is sad, but sometimes that kind of sad makes me grin at all the similar painful memories.

As for Bobby Burns' girlfriend, all I know is I grew up with a picture over the mantle that was of Bobby Burns and Highland Mary, the two of them sitting in front of a cottage fire, he looking at her ardently and she looking modestly down at her folded hands.

It's quite a nice picture, actually.

The poem limns why so many of us sing in the shower.

Burns' letter was hilarious. But I was thinking about the mother of his illegitimate child - a servant in his family home. I guess all those movies and novels were based on some truths. I do know in my hubby's family - they were from Hebden Bridge in west Yorkshire - the story is that all the girls went into the weaving industry to avoid being sent into service with all those empowered boys.

Happy Thanksgiving! One of the things I'm thankful for is the camaraderie of you all.

Hi everyone--

Just wanted to toss out at quick Happy Thanksgiving to everyone. Having this place to hang out in is one of the things I'm grateful for, so thanks to all of you who make it fun and interesting.

Good morning and happy day after.

The Writer's Almanac for November 28, 2014

The poem today is a complete wonderful delight, even if it is "a sort of lentil -- neither pea nor bean."



It's William Blake's birthday today as well as that of Nancy Mitford and Alan Lightman.

I'm in need of breakfast so I'm going to make this short.

That poem had a lot of heart, yet at the same time was light-hearted enough to be fun. I don't know if I exactly �� �� or �� the poem, but it was heartening.

And guess who found a new set of icons on his tablet? ��

Eta: Oh, crud, they don't display on AW! And guess who thinks the smileys on AW are a PITA to insert using a tablet?

I also learned that the real Sloppy Joes Bar is quite the famous hang out in Key West, Florida. Shadow, is that the inspiration for the coolest hangout on AW?

Chris, that was why Ferret named this place Sloppy Joe's, yep.

Now that is a fun poem - perfect to counteract day after lethargy from too many carbs. I particularly liked that it rhymed but not in a sing-songy way.

I have to admit the first thing I thought of when you mentioned the birthdays was "The Mitford Wives." Hmmm. "Stepford." Where's my brain this morning.

And yes, Chris, this is the coolest hangout on AW.

Good morning, oh quiet little corner of the Universe.

The Writer's Almanac for November 29, 2014

The poem this morning is especially layered and lovely. The language really pleases me.

Today is Louisa May Alcott's birthday and also the birthday of her father, Amos, who also wrote books. Who knew?

And, it's Madeleine L'Engle's birthday. I seem to recall having read and posted here about this very article on L'Engle's birthday, a year ago. Once I've posted this I'm going to peel back the pages and see.

I remember being delighted that it was theoretical physics and particularly Einstein's views about the Universe that inspired L'Engle to write her children's novel, A Wrinkle In Time, which I have always adored.

ETA: No, it is not so. I must be remembering an entry about the publication of the book, or something else. Because our hangout here only opened for business in February of this year!

Ah Louisa May. I was addicted to her books. I think my favorite was Rose in Bloom, although I read Little Women more than 10 times. One year, when I was an adult, my mother gave me an antique set of most of her books. They are among my treasures. I never read A Wrinkle in Time. Guess I'd better get cracking!

Oh, and the poem. Just wow, both the language and the meaning.

Happy Saturday.

The poem took me a few times to get, which if I'm willing to read it several times I can usually tell it's a good poem that means something, even if I can't decipher what. But to me it seems to be the poet's desire the seasons not to change. Poems like that always make me think of The Last Rose of Summer by Thomas Moore. That poem always brings me down, as the last rose obviously had all sorts of aspirations and hopes for blooming, but alas it was too late and the effort was futile. I can almost hear the poet saying "What was it thinking?"

I really enjoyed Little Women (the book was good too! Har! Har!) My shortest girlfriend ever was 4'10". My ex-wife was 5'1", but my first girlfriend after the divorce was 5'9", so that first kiss was preceded by some awkward nose and head positioning. My tallest girlfriend was 5'11", and although a 6'2" woman and I batted some eyelashes at each other, nothing came of it. But back to the book, I read it as an adult and was struck by how much I would have enjoyed reading it as a kid, too.

Wrinkle in Time was on a list of books we could choose from in a class I took in high school, but the library was always out when I tried to get it. I read it too as an adult, and although I don't remember much about it I remember I liked it.

Good morning.

The Writer's Almanac for November 30, 2014

Today's almanac is pure delight, for me, with a poem I bet Chris will find no trouble getting the message of (seemed transparent to me anyhow). The poem is just lovely.

And it's Mark Twain's birthday and so the whole rest of the almanac is stories from Mark Twain's life.



Happy Sunday!

Okay, so this week begins the week of secrecy and panic preparations.

In April, my wife and I decided to take the family on a trip to Disney World. We've done this the last few years -- the kids are the right age for it (7, 7 and 10), and they won't be for long. So we planned it. I don't know if you've been to Disney, but these days Disney is a planning-intense experience -- dinner reservations have to be made six months out (and not six months, but at midnight on the night of exactly 180 days out, fast passes (reservations for rides) have to be done the same way 60 days out, and I've spent nights actually worried the kids won't be able to meet Anna and Elsa (I know, stupid, but still) or whether we should get the colored bands or the plain gray ones. Airline tickets, all that stuff, and it all comes to fruition Saturday.

But we haven't told the kids. So the plan is that we're going to wake them Saturday morning and say "hey, let's go to Disney World!" But we've got to get them packed and all the various stuff done without them knowing -- telling their teachers they'll be gone and getting any homework they need without having the teachers let it slip -- and then leaving. Plus, you know, Christmas prep.

So that's my week. Wish me luck. It would suck to keep a promise for eight months and then give it away with days left.

PS -- I posted the first chapter of my new WIP in SYW if anyone want to take a look and say kind things.

Just returned from a non-trad Thanksgiving. We, my Kansas daughters and I, decided to try for something different in a holiday: peace, no boozy menfolk, no bickering and actually having fun. We talked about it all fall because it would be expensive, the car trip to KCK is a little over four and a half hours, and of course we were apprehensive about breaking with the traditional family feast at my sister's house. My sister was agreeable. she and her husband could use the time to strip wallpaper but warned us that we might go hungry on Thanksgiving.

We were not sure that we could even find a restaurant open on Thanksgiving but agreed that foregoing the feast would be worth no cooking, no dishes, no football and no political rants from our asshat uncles. (One actually warned us--three women and a child-- not to go to Missouri because of impending race riots.)

We had a great non-trad time swimming, working out, visiting outside of a kitchen, shopping. Best of all, we lucked out on Thanksgiving dinner. There was a restaurant nearby that offered a family style turkey dinner. It was great and having the courses served with some time in between gave us about an hour and a half to visit and dine like the guests not the maidservants.

The catch was that the family style meal was geared for 4-6 large adults. We were left with serving bowls of suucotash, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, mac & cheese, (yeah--no lie--mac and cheese with little bacon bits) a giant turkey leg untouched, slabs of white meat, stuffing, pumpkin pie and apple cobbler. Six big boxes of leftovers and the turkey leg--we packed it up and took off for home.

By the time we reached my bachelor brother's town we were a little worried about him. Since my sibs and I had all agreed to do what we wanted for the holiday, he had gone to Colorado for the weekend but was at home alone on Thanksgiving Day. We stopped by his house; the kitchen was bare, no holiday food. We called him. He was out in the garage disposing of some souvenirs he had brought back from Colorado. We surprised him. Boy did we surprise him. He came to the back door in a cloud of noxious smoke and was very glad to see us. and the six boxes of holiday food. He was planning on having cereal for dinner; the same thing he had for lunch.

I will never forget my 62 year old baby brother's joyful, if bleary, face, as he tore into that turkey leg with one hand and the pumpkin pie with the other. We left him to his dinner and took off for home. Magnolia did remark that Uncle John was wearing some funny smelling after shave lotion. To each his own this holiday and it was a good one for all---s6

! Shakes, what a hilarious story!

And I'm delighted you all had such a fine Thanksgiving. (Guess your brother didn't save any of those souvenirs for you, eh?)