My mother, Jeanette Marie Snyder, passed away early this morning, and though I am very sad to lose her, I am relieved that her long-suffering with cancer has also passed. And she picked a remarkable day for it is also the date on which Miguel de Cervantes and William Shakespeare died. And it […]
Breathing In, Breathing Out. Read More »
Adrienn von Speyer is a 20th century Swiss pediatrician and a remarkable mystic (she received the stigmata.) She had visions, particularly of the Triduum, and her spiritual writings are dense, complicated, and utterly breath-taking. Today is a celebration of the Annunciation in the Catholic liturgical year. And I return to read again from
The Light of Assent: The Annunciation Read More »
The maze of Labirinto in The Innamorati (and reappearing in Zizola’s story) is a work of alchemy and fantastic art. It has an organic nature, the twisting pathways lined with walls of densely packed trees. From the outside, it appears solid, immutable. But once inside, it expands and contracts, and once on the path, one
Fantastic Life in the Maze Read More »
Yes…because sometimes writing just feels like this, right before working, in the middle of working, and for the rest of the day after working. It's not scary — but adjustments do have to be made. Probably better not to do anything involving knives or automobiles. Véronique La Perrière M., Dissolution et recommencement (swan), 2011.
Letting Go When Writing Read More »
I was immediately drawn to these two fabulous images from Finnish artist Samuli Heimonen because they remind me of how I feel when I am in that gestating almost there stage of writing. The first is called "Hiding Place" — where story hangs out, where my confidence hangs out, where anticipation hangs out. It feels
Hiding While Thinking About Writing Read More »
Penelope Writes to Odysseus I am still in awe of these amazing little Medieval illustrations of the classical Greek and Latin heroines of Ovid writing imaginary epistles. Ovid’s work was translated into French by poet Octavien de Saint-Gelais, and it so delighted Louise of Savoy (1476-1531), mother of the future king Francis I of France,
When Heroines Write Their Own Stories Read More »
I seem to be pulled in too many different directions to get much done on the blog…but one thing I have to say, is how much amazing art I have been collecting to keep my thoughts cooking with the novel. Sometimes, that's the best I can do for a while, build up an interior vision
Sometimes the Best Part About Writing a Book is First Collecting All the Art Read More »
Have you even noticed how it feels like your characters are peering over your shoulder as you write? Making sure, no doubt, that you will properly represent them. So many authors have written on that weird sensation that characters take over one’s life, that they refuse certain manipulations, that they interrupt the flow of writing
I’m Being Watched: Characters Weigh In on the Progress Read More »
Can I just say how much I love these two etchings by 18th century artist Thomas Rowlandson? The first is a woman diving into the water from a wagon pulled into the surf to serve as a diving platform. "Venus Bathing" is vigorous, round and robust as she takes a "Fashionable Dip" into the ocean
Falling Into Water and Rising Swimming Read More »
"Many Siberian fairy tales tell of the deadly clash between criminals and representatives of the government, of the risks people run every day with dignity and honesty, of the good fortune of those who in the end have got the loot and stayed alive, and of the 'good memory' that is preserved of those who
The Dark Fairy Tale World of the Siberian Urkas Read More »
