BIG BIG NEWS-Pushcart Nom!

I still can't believe that someone out there in the ether read my story, Spring Melt and somehow put it together with these words, PUSHCART NOMINATION. I owe Every Day Fiction (and that means Jordan Lapp, Camille Gooderham Campbell, and that tech-whiz Steven Smethurst, the salty one) a huge hug of gratitude for submitting my story. And all my buds at EDF who've been so encouraging to me. I won't list them for fear of leaving someone out in my own excitement, but you know who you are.

Oh, and CONGRATS TO MY FELLOW EDF NOMINEES. I'm honored to be among your number. Find links to their work at EDF:

ONE BRIGHT MOMENT • by Joel Willans
LARRY LEGEND • by Jason Stout
WITHOUT NAPIER • by Michael Ehart
WING MENDING • by Dave Macpherson
WITH LOVE FOREVER YOURS • by Alex Moisi

And if you're thinking, what the hell's a Pushcart? CLICK HERE.

Stolen Link for "New Classics"

Just dropped by Abunchofwords and found this link. Being the bookworm I am (see below) I stole the link: EW 1000: Books The New Classics: Books

A quick review reassures me there is some common ground here, but not necessarily in the same order:


The Road
Beloved
Mystic River
Cold Mountain
A Handmaiden's Tale (I'd add Cat's Eye)
On Writing
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
White Teeth instead of On Beauty
Lonesome Dove
Angela's Ashes (I'd add The Woman Who Walked into Doors too)
Birds of America
I'd pick Tortilla Curtain rather than Drop City
Nickeled and Dimed (this is obviously not a fiction list)
Holes
Atonement
The Giver
Cathedral (do they mean this specific story or the collection? My copy of Cathedral is in a different book)
Kavalier and Clay (but only because there are 100 on the list. This would be in the 90s??? #99? Actually, maybe I like The Yiddish Policeman's Union better. Either way Chabon should on the list. I have to think about this.)
Kite Runner (this should #100)
A Prayer for Owen Meaney and I'd add Cider House Rules
Remains of the Day
The Tipping Point (& Blink)
The Stone Diaries (This belongs way, way up on this list. Not here!!!)
High Fidelity
Close Range



Here's what I'd add. This is just off the top of my head.

The Stand (how can you list The Road and not have The Stand on there somewhere? Or maybe since Cathedral is listed, what about The Shawshank Redemption?)
Middlesex
She's Come Undone
We Were the Mulvaney's
House of Sand and Fog (blew me away)
The Hours
I Know why the Caged Bird Sings
In the Electric Mist with the Confederate Dead (James Lee Burke)
McCullough's Masters of Rome series

Pillars of the Earth (but not the other one)
Something by Michael Connelly but I have to think about it.


I've read all the above and would put them on my list. Now here's what I'd take off the list:

The Corrections (yuck, puke! Sorry but I actually did throw this book across the room!)
The Da Vinci Code????? Are you kidding me? It ain't Treasure Island.
Eat, Pray, Love. I liked this book, but a modern classic? NO.

And of course, there's many on that list I haven't read....

Great News SRR has accepted "Listing Lisa"

I am very excited to find out that the Salt River Review is going to publish "Listing Lisa" in their next issue.

Inching along like any old BOOKWORM

Sent this by Michael of Lazy Thoughts from a Boomer. It's a "Bookworm Award." Have to admit I qualify.

"Open the closest book to you--not your favorite or most intellectual book, but the book closest to you at the moment--to page 56. Write out the fifth sentence as well as the next two or three sentences. Pass this on to five blogging friends."

The closest book to me at this moment is A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens. I have it out because I have a story which uses some of the structure of that book. to give credit to the inspiration, I wanted to borrow certain names, like Madame DeFarge. Only my character is "Fargo." And of course there is a Jack and a Chuck and Sid. I actually haven't worked on this story in a couple of months, so that proves to you just how messy my desk really is. And how whack some of my ideas are.

I can't follow this exactly because a sentence is carried over from the previous page so I'll count from the first full sentence. It's Dickens. So don't blame me if it isn't one of the most exciting parts of an extremely exciting book, but it is funny. Remember CD got paid by the word!

Whatever gloss the various spectators put upon the interest, according to their several arts and powers of self-deceit, the interest was, at the root of it, Ogreish.

Silence in the court! Charles Darney had yesterday pleaded Not Guilty to an indictment denouncing him (with infinite jingle and jangle) for that he was a false traitor to our serene, illustrious, excellent, and so forth, prince, our Lord the King, by reason of his having, on divers occasions, and by divers means and ways, assisted Lewis, the French King, in his wars against our said serene, illustrious, excellent, and so forth; and that was to say, by coming and going, between the dominions of our said serene, illustrious, excellent, and so forth, and those of the said French Lewis, and wickedly, falsely, traitorously, and otherwise evil-adverbiously, revealing to the said French Lewis what forces our said serene, illustrious, excellent and so forth, had in preparation to send to Canada and North America.

Sorry guys, this one is just too fun. I'm passing this bookworm award to the following and invite them to play (but only if it is their wish to):

Jane at Chasing in Circles
KC at Now Playing in Seattle
Kev at Shameless Creations
Katharine at People, Places, and Pasta

Boutique Bust

Yes, it was a bust. Very few people showed up and while most bought something, everyone seemed aware of our uncertain economy. Can't say I blame anyone. People may be waiting to shop for the holidays. Although I know a few people who are "done," most of us have decided there is plenty of time to make that list and check it twice.

That said, I am please with the jewelry I made this year and pleased at how I was able to focus my mind and time on the task. Though I struggled a little when I first sat down in the garage and flipped on my OTT light, by the second day I was in a groove. This tells me that while I am easily distracted, I can still focus when it matters. That's good news for my writing.

My goals for the next six months concern my novel. I wanted to finish it this year, but obviously that isn't going to happen. However, I've painted now for a while and created some nice jewelry, those creative urges quelled, and it's time to get back to the solid pleasure of putting one word after another, building sentences, and playing with the lives of my imaginary people.

I am blessed. There is nothing else to say but that. My son, Nick and his new bride, Mysti, had a wonderful and fun wedding, my husband is getting close to retiring (I've started the honey-do list), Hill is happily ensconced on her mountain with good friends, and Cinder is still wobbling around. And I have my writing.

Boutique Previews

Jewelry COUNTDOWN

This Friday and Saturday, November 14 and November 15, I am participating in a craft show at a friend's house, cozily named "Betsy's Boutique." Now Betsy is a stupendous photographer.
and has put together this "open house" for friends and family for years. This year (and last) she's invited me and a couple other friends to join her.

"Pressed in Time Flowers" is such a cool idea. Lisa and Bev make custom designs from special occasion flowers like weddings, funerals, graduations, etc.

Betsy also invited long time friend Rhea who has come up with a killer idea. Cute and odorless litter box covers.

And then of course there is me with jewelry and paintings.

So I've been busy. After this weekend, it's going to be back to the keyboard for me.

My First Mention in a Blog whose author I don't know!

I'm pretty excited. I just got my first mention in a blog whose author I don't know. This is a milestone for me. My buddies always say terrific things, but you know, they ARE my buddies, and now here is someone out in the ether reading one of my stories and recommending it in her blog!!!

Check it out: abunchofwordz!

Add abunchofwordz to your blogroll!

Deleted!

Wikipedia deleted Every Day Fiction. I understand they have some rules. As a former English professor who had students using Wikipedia as their source material, I understand that the site is trying hard to live down their reputation of not being a genuine place for academic research. I remember chalking on the board, "NO WIKIPEDIA!"

They still have a cloud hanging over them when it comes to hard research so I "get" their dedication to selectivity. However, I fail to see how research stringency affects Every Day Fiction. It is not a resource for term papers nor pretends to be. No student is going to use EDF as a source to take the easy way out of research. The need for citations, references, etc. just isn't there for a fiction e-zine.

For e-zines, the powers that be at Wikipedia use the word "notable" to determine inclusion. Popularity matters not a whit since I'm pretty sure EDF has more hits than other e-zine in the Wiki index. They've been strict with EDF's application. When is a mention in The Wall Street Journal not enough to make EDF notable? It's very difficult for me to understand this situation.

It's sad because Jordan Lapp, the editor of EDF, and Camille Gooderham Campbell are serious about creating a quality e-zine. They treat both the writers and readers with respect. They comment positively on each submission, give clues to why something is rejected, and support and encourage writers at all levels of development. They work hard to publish stories of high quality while remaining open-minded to subject matter and genre. Of course, I am prejudice. They've published four of my stories and selected three to appear in the upcoming Best of Every Day Fiction anthology. I am proud of this. I've seen pages of it and it is beautifully done. I owe much of my newly-found confidence to them and the readers at EDF.

They are professionals and their enterprise will thrive, an article in Wikipedia notwithstanding.

Wiki Every Day Fiction

If you are a reader of Every Day Fiction and appreciate the quality of fiction offered by editors and administrators Jordan Lapp, Camille Gooderham Campbell, and Steven Smethurst, please visit its Wikipedia site which is in danger of deletion.

Apparently the support of the community must come from outside the community so I'm hoping some of you will go to Wiki's Every Day Fiction page and comment on its value to the writing and reading community as well as to the world wide web itself.

I will GET to the wedding, but first...

I am so pleased to announce that three of my stories--One Question, The Breach, and Spring Melt --have been accepted in the Every Day Fiction's Best of the Year Anthology! I am flattered and thrilled. The book is due out before Christmas! I'm not sure about disbursement yet, will let everyone know.

I'm still working on the wedding pictures in between making jewelry, but here's one to hint at what's coming: