Jo Knowles's Blog, page 23

Snow day

Photos taken this morning.

The pond...




The garden...


The poor blueberries (we didn't get the netting off in time)...


And, well, this bush DOES look awfully pretty...


But it's so EARLY.

Anyway.

I have been assured the sun will come out today and melt it all away.

Just in time for the next snow predicted for the weekend.

Here we go, friends. Bundle up!

And the winner is...

Well. There are TWO winners!

George wanted to help.



And the winners are...



That's "rosefiend" and "blackeyedsue21"

Congratulations!!!

Please send me an e-mail at jo @ joknowles dot com with your snail mail addy and how you'd like me to sign your book!

And thanks everyone else for playing and helping me spread the word about JUMPING OFF SWINGS!

xo

Jo

Oh, I can't resist. Here's how you guys make me feel:



HAVE A GREAT WEEKEND!!!!!

Last day to win a signed copy of JUMPING OFF SWINGS! :-)

Hi everyone!

Just a reminder that I am giving away a personalized, signed copy of THIS...



...to celebrate its paperback release!

Leave a comment here to win! It's that easy! And, if I get 50 entries, I will give away a copy to TWO winners! :-)

For MORE chances to win, share the link on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and/or your blog. For every place you share, let me know and I'll add additional entries for each. Entries close TODAY at 11:59pm. I'll draw the winner tomorrow morning! :-)

THANKS for spreading the love about Jumping Off Swings!!!!

xo

Jo

Jumping Off Swings is jumping into paperback! Do you want one?

Hi everyone!

My 2nd book, JUMPING OFF SWINGS is coming out in paperback TOMORROW!

I MUST HAVE A CONTEST TO GIVE ONE AWAY. AHHHHHH. *jumps up and down*



Leave a comment below to enter to win a personalized, signed copy!

For MORE chances to win, share this link on Twitter, Facebook, Tumblr and/or your blog. For every place you share, let me know and I'll add additional entries for each. Entries close THIS Thursday at 11:59pm. I'll draw the winner on Friday morning! :-)

THANKS for spreading the love about Jumping Off Swings!!!!

xo

Jo

Dear Anonymous: Keep on Shining

This morning I received an e-mail notification that someone had commented in my recent blog post called, "Where is the light?" Here it is:

"If you are so desirous of shedding light, then why don't you have a Bible
in your library and recommend it to your students? The book of Esther
would have asked the same question to which you referred from The
Chocolate War. You librarians are all the same....it's your right to
corrupt, without allowing the true light into your collections...how much
Christian fiction do you have on your shelves? how many inspirational
biographies are on your shelves? You are very one-sided."

Because it was anonymous, it was a screened comment. And I admit I was tempted to keep it that way. But when I shared it with a few friends, saying I didn't plan to reply, Maureen, who I highly respect and admire, said, "I think you write the reply AS a blog post."

So, that's what I'm doing.

Dear Anonymous,

I am not a librarian. I do own three copies of the Bible in my private library. Thank you for the recommendation to review the Book of Esther. (I see some interesting connections between her and Jerry, the main character in The Chocolate War—though the Book of Esther is far more bloody and violent.) I'm not sure about Christian fiction because I admit I'm not sure what you mean by that term. Do you mean fiction with characters of a certain Christian faith? I'm sure we have plenty of that. We also have fiction with characters of lots of other faiths, too. And oh yes, lots of inspirational biographies. The ones about Gandhi and Rosa Parks are my favorites.

When I look at my bookshelves, I see a lot of light. Not just in the books you describe, but in all books. Hope can be anywhere, if you are willing to look closely. But I realize you and I define light in different ways. For me, light is love and hope. Maybe for you, light is God. I don't know. I think there is room for all kinds of interpretations. And I think, again, if we look closely, we'll see how similar they really are.

My mom, sister and husband are all librarians. When you said, "You librarians are all the same" I admit, that made me smile. These three couldn't be more different. Ask anyone who knows them. But they do have one thing in common, and I know it has nothing to do with their "right to corrupt." What they have in common is their desire to share great books.

My husband is an archivist at an ivy league college, and he gets to share beautiful illuminated manuscripts, including biblical ones, with students. He also gets to share the darker part of the college's history with students, such as its racist treatment of Native Americans, and the horrific way in which many male students treated women when the school went coed. But each time he shares these stories, he spreads light. In seeing the past, the students can understand the mistakes that were made and be inspired by the individuals who risked all to make things better.

What my mom and sister (both children's librarians) have in common is their mission to help kids see beyond their front door. To be inspired, to be humbled, to be entertained and maybe enlightened. All by good stories. These stories may be adventure stories. Humorous stories. Tragedies. Inspirational biographies. Some may seem light. And some may seem dark. It's all up to the individual to interpret. But by providing lots of different kinds of books, with all kinds of stories of love and struggle and humor, one is surely going to connect with the reader. And that reader is going to be inspired. Or feel less alone. Or get excited by a new idea. Or want to travel for the first time. Or decide maybe there's a reason the person they see as a bully acts the way he or she does. Or decide to talk to that kid who always sits alone. Or laugh for the first time in a long while. Or cry. Or decide life is worth living. Or decide to be more kind. Books really can do that. All kinds of books. Christian ones, and non-Christian ones. Providing a variety of books is far from one-sided.

Like nearly every librarian I have met, my mom and sister are loving, kind people. They do good work every day. And I can say with absolute conviction that they do not give any book to a reader with the intent on corrupting them.

No.

I have never met a librarian on that kind of mission.

I don't know the statistics on how many "Christian" books public libraries contain. I did do a quick search on "WorldCat" to see how many libraries in the U.S. hold copies of the Bible. It lists 39,812 (and that is just for libraries who use WorldCat). According to the American Library Association, there are an estimated 16,671 public libraries in the U.S. I hope this math looks promising to you.

Anonymous, I am sorry you have the impression that librarians have anything but the best intentions in mind. But I believe that they do. Librarians gave me books that changed my life for the better. Mine, and so many others.

To me, that is light. That is love. That is hope.

Keep on shining.

It finally happened...

I made a tumblr for my cat.

This could only mean I am facing a major revision.

Or that I've simply lost my mind.

Either way...

There you go, Fred.

Sometimes the Universe delivers messages in the most peculiar ways...

Last night, when I looked under my bottle cap of Magic Hat, I received this blunt and entirely true note:



You know? I have been telling myself this a lot lately, as life seems to be taken over by carpools and soccer games and homework horrors and replacing mouth guards, water bottles, coats, and lunch boxes on what feels like a weekly basis. It's so easy to put writing aside for everything else.

What is it I've said a hundred times now? If I treated my writing as if it were a real job I would have been fired a long time ago?

That's actually not funny.

Because it's true.

And I really don't want to be fired.

So.

Thanks, Magic Hat, Universe, Fate, whoever. For the reminder.

You're right.

I do.

Do you?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Monday Morning Warm-Up:

If you could send yourself an important message, one short enough to fit on a bottle cap, what would it be?

Run like the wind... or a very slow, gentle breeze

All my life I've hated running.

I was always slower than everyone else. Always pushing too hard to try to keep up. Always trying to run at someone else's pace. I'd end up getting stomach cramps and ear aches (weird, I know) and shin splints and horribly sore muscles and most of all, a feeling of total defeat.

When I was on the ski team in high school, I was always one of the last runners to make it back to the coach when we were training.

On the crew team in college, I always seemed to be the last one to get to the boathouse (we had to run from the Simmons campus to the BU boathouse before practice. Being the coxswain, I was a lot shorter than all the athletes, so it makes sense they were a lot faster than me. Instead of acknowledging this, I tried to keep up. Predictably, I was constantly pushing too hard, never finding my own pace.

I quit. And never tried to run again. The math? It's been 23 years.

Over the summer, I saw someone post about the Couch to 5K Challenge. Curious, I went to the site and looked at the schedule. For some reason, I was inspired. I have no idea what I was thinking. I've never liked running so I don't know why I thought this would be any different. But I have been trying to figure out what kind of exercise I could do that doesn't cost any money and this seemed to be the obvious choice.

I asked my son if he wanted to try with me and he said yes. Hey, we're the same height, so maybe I could keep up! Sure enough, each time we started to run he would bolt ahead of me, and I felt too slow. But when it was time to walk, he'd turn back and meet up with me, and we'd go again. I figured we were both getting desperately-needed exercise, and even though it felt a bit torturous always falling behind, I kept at it.

When my son started school, I was determined to keep going. This was the first time in over 20 years I was getting real exercise and I was not going to give up. The first day I went out, I noticed how quiet it was. Just me, my breathing (panting, gasping) and the distant sounds of the farm down the road. It was hard. Really. Really hard. But each day I met the goal. I started posting my progress on Facebook. The cheers there kept me going. Not only that, other friends got inspired to try it too! And now we e-mail each other with our progress and tips, and we've got a supportive community. (Does this sound familiar, JoNo-ers?)

Every day I run, I think about how hard it's going to be. And it is. I feel like I'm doing some kind of old lady shuffle more than I'm running. But I'm moving. And I'm outside. And I've enjoyed the fall this year more than I can remember ever enjoying it. It's amazing how my little world changes every day. The trees change color. The air smells thicker and thicker of dried leaves. The sounds from haying switch to sounds of fertilizing to just quiet. Quiet enough that now I can hear the cows mooing in the distance. The fields are changing from green to brown. It's all just.... well it's just lovely.

Every time I go out, I feel like I am sharing this very private moment with the space around me in a way I never have. I know it sounds silly, but that's the way it is.

On Wednesday, I start the last batch of runs before I reach the goal: Running thirty minutes or three miles. So far, I am running the alloted time but not quite reaching the distance. So, I'll just keep going until I do. Running a bit farther each week, seeing a bit more of my road close up. The trees. The birds. The chipmunks. The sweet cows. The occasional dog walkers. And I will do it at my own pace.

Everything changes when you are not trying to keep up with someone else. Everything changes when you are doing something just for you. In your own way. When you stop focusing on your pain or pace or heart rate and simply move forward.

Yes, yes. I'm sure you can tell I am slowly finding a connection to writing. I can't help myself. It's all there! And it's so wonderfully obvious! Run your own run. Don't compare yourself to the rest of the pack. Well... I don't need to spell it all out. But every time I put on my sneakers and feel a bit of doubt or like I just don't have the energy to get out there, I remember that's what I thought the last time. But I still did it. It was hard, and exhausting, and there were moments I thought I'd give up. But... I still did it.

And you can, too.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Monday morning warm-up:

Take a walk (or run!) down your road with new eyes. New ears. New nose. What do you see? Hear? Smell? Write a list poem or paragraph to tell us all about it.

Snapshot

1. Find a photo that makes you happy.


Photo stolen from my friend Katy. :)

2. Describe the scene by making a "list poem" of the feelings, thoughts, smells, sights, tastes, etc. of the captured moment.

a table spread with warm dishes
from 7 different homes
piles of boots and shoes by the door
6 guitars
2 ukeleles
song books scattered across the coffee table
a plate of pumpkin whoopie pies and cake balls
balanced on a copy of Rise Up Singing
there is a carefully-guarded glass of pomegranate cosmos under the chair
and someone is sipping whiskey from a coffee mug
a glass of wine keeps the cosmos company
and all over, there are scattered juice boxes left half full
by the herd of children that runs upstairs
downstairs
upstairs
downstairs
there is singing off key
on key
off key
the children stop to dance
and sometimes sing
then off they go back upstairs
downstairs
they sneak a cake ball from the table
upstairs
downstairs
and a hug from a parent
heads gather around an ipad screen
searching for songs on YouTube
or is that Angry Birds they're playing?
someone doesn't admit she still isn't sure what that is
we date ourselves with songs from the 80's
there might have been Guns N Roses
and Neil Diamond? No, not possible
but there is laughter
and the warmth from a wood stove
and from the arm of a friend slung tight around a shoulder
there is music loud
and music quiet
a boy gets brave and sings his favorite song to loving ears
there are hugs good-bye
and promises for another gathering
soon
there's an open door
and black sky
and spits of white
and jokes that it can't be what we know it is
there is a quiet drive home
and talks of how nice it is
to have such dear friends

3. Share yours on your own blog. Leave a comment with the link so we can find it! :)

Where is the light?

Yesterday, I gave my first "featured author" speech at the NH Library Association's first conference just for young adult librarians! It was a very special day. My mom and sister, both librarians, were in the audience. I shared my journey to publication, specifically tying in how one particular book followed me pretty much every step of the way. And since it's Banned Books Week, I thought I'd share part of that story here.

When I was in graduate school, a classmate and I had to present The Chocolate War through a Marxist Lens. (No, I have no recollection of what that really means. I admit it.) But I was thrilled to get the assignment because as a teen, this was the book that turned me into a reader. This was the book that helped me survive high school.

So, you can imagine how shocked I was when several students complained that the book was too dark. Too depressing. Too hopeless. "Show me one place in that text where there is any hope" one person demanded. "Where is the light?"

I remember standing at the front of the room and looking back at them in amazement. In my mind, the very nature of the book—the very fact that it dared to exist—meant that it shed light.

Later, on a children's literature list serve, the same discussion started up. I tried, unsuccessfully, to defend the book again. "There is no hope in that book" was the general sentiment. And even though I knew there was, I struggled to explain. And failed.

Years have passed. Looking back at my path to here and now, I think about how that one book helped guide me year after year. How its one question, "Do I dare disturb the universe?" helped influence the choices I made, and the risks I took. How it helped a shy, scared teen, young woman—and even adult—be brave.

And I think about the person who demanded that I show her where the light is in The Chocolate War all those years ago. I think about the people who dismissed the book—and lots of other books, too—because they were "hopeless." I wish I could find them now, because I finally know how to answer.

I would say:



"Look at me."

I am the light and the hope in that book.

Every kid who reads that book and feels less alone and more open minded because of it, is the light in that book.

Authors of so-called "dark" books are attempting to shine light on the darkness, not throw a curtain over it. Censorship does that.

One way a child can find his or her way out of the darkness is through a book. But only if that book is on the shelf. Only if a librarian is brave enough to put it there. Only if a librarian is thoughtful enough to recommend it. Only if a librarian cares enough to put it in that child's hand.

I am very proud to have been able to stand in front of that wonderful group of NH librarians yesterday and know that each one of them is that librarian.

Each one of them, in their unique way, dares to disturb the universe every day. And I am very grateful.