Sybil Baker's Blog, page 15

Review of My Name is Mary Sutter

My rating: 5 of 5 stars


My Name is Mary Sutter is a beautifully written story that is very much of its time, yet the desires of the characters transcend that time. Mary Sutter wants to be a doctor more than anything else in the world, yet in an era when women did not (and often could not) become doctors, Mary must give up much to achieve her goal. Oliveria doesn't shy away from the realities of war--not surprisingly the death count is high, but in the end her beautiful language and strong storytelling allow her compassion and hope for her characters to transcend the reality of the Civil War. I'm looking forward to Oliveira's next work.



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Into This World available for pre-order!

I'm excited to announce that my novel INTO THIS WORLD is available for pre-order from Engine Books at http://enginebooks.org/IntoThisWorld.html!

The answering machine picked up after the fourth ring. "Are you my father?"

On the day Allison Morehouse walks off her job, her sister Mina calls from Korea, frantic and in tears. Determined to discover the truth about her adopted sister, Allison flies to Seoul, yet Mina—and Korea—are nothing like Allison imagines. Over the next three months, Allison and Mina will unearth thirty years of family secrets—and Allison will discover in Mina the sister she never embraced and in herself, the stronger woman she can be.

This story of sisterhood, betrayal, and a tangled history of love and deception will carry you halfway around the world and deep into the hearts of two sisters whose fates were shaped by a long-lost love and the lies it spawned... and the history of a country and a man they never understood.

What are you doing with your life? Part 2

I'm thankful for so many inspiring people in my life who remind me to not fall into a rut and to dream big:

Lorraine Johnson, my mother in law, who climbed Mt. Kilimajaro for her 60th birthday.




She's the tiny woman in the pink hat. And a few days before she was dancing up a storm at her birthday party. See that post here:

http://sybilbaker.blogspot.com/2011/09/what-are-you-doing-with-your-life-part.html
Here's a photo of me and Row out with friends when we lived in Korea--probably Fall 2006. Then:


Now: Ryan is living in Thailand, with no desire to return to the States. Silvia (the gal at the end) was the inspiration for Lucy in my first novel THE LIFE PLAN. She unfortunately is no longer with us, having died in 2009--but she was a close friend who lived life to the fullest and had no regrets. Liz (the gal with the glasses) moved to Kabul and has been a free lance journalist for years, focusing on women's issues. She's living in the country side in Afghanistan now. You can see her discussing Afghanistan in 2010 here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pd_IC8OhW6c
She has an essay on Afghan women in prison in a book available (paper or ebook): Land Unconquerable Lives Contemporary Afghan Women. Heres the link:
http://www.amazon.com/Land-Unconquerable-Lives-Contemporary-Afghan/dp/0520261860/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1325436195&sr=8-1
I've known Beth and Todd since the late 1980s when I was living in Boulder--they met through me and my then boyfriend. I was a bridesmaid in their fabulous wedding in 2002. Last summer they gave up their jobs, sold their house, and downsized dramatically so that they could embark on a 12 cities in 1 year tour. They planned to live in a different city for one month and report on it.
Here's their website:
http://12cities1year.com/
Unfortunately in November Beth was diagnosed with breast cancer and they had to return to Denver for her to begin treatment. They plan to resume their travels when they can. She and Todd also have personal blogs (he made my book trailer for THE LIFE PLAN and films a lot of roller derby) that they often update
http://bethpartin.com/ http://toddbradley.com/
booktrailer:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-RVu8VbHEbY&fmt=18
I'm thankful to these people (as well as many other friends and family) as 2012 starts. They remind me to dream big and enjoy life to the fullest.

Rebecca Skloot on why she teaches structure

Anyone who studies with me or takes a fiction class with me knows I focus a lot on structure. Rebecca Skloot seems to take the same approach, even though she teaches CNF.

Rebecca Skloot on structure:

Any student who has ever studied with me would think, "Ugh. Structure, structure, structure; that's all she talked about." My philosophy is, once you understand what structure is, then you can talk about characters and narrative arcs and how to fill in the story. But for me, structure can just completely make or break something.

From:
http://www.theopennotebook.com/2011/1...

Yale Writers' Conference!

There's a full page ad for the new Yale Writers' Conference this summer from June 12-22. This is a great opportunity to meet and work with some of the top writers in the States (Tom Perrota, Julia Glass anyone?).

I urge all of you looking for a conference this summer to check it out:


http://www.yale.edu/summer/writing/in...

A blog worth checking out

I've been enjoying the blog Perpetual Folly by Prime Number editor and writer Clifford Garstang. He gives reviews of the weekly New Yorker stories and also compiles the "top" magazines to submit your work to (according to Pushcart Prizes). Here's an example of a post here:

http://perpetualfolly.blogspot.com/20...

The blog's main page is here:
http://perpetualfolly.blogspot.com/

Long Time No Post

I realize it's been a month since I last posted. I wanted to a few times but with the new blogger format couldn't figure out how to log into my own account!
Lots of news these days, but here are a few highlights:
Engine Books is having a Christmas book sale and book club sale. Remember books are always a great Christmas gift! For anyone who loves short stories, don't pass up Patricia Henley's Other Heartbreaks: Stories:
http://enginebooks.org/sale.html
My linked collection Talismans (released one year ago) is available from C&R Press on Kindle and as a paperback. If you order directly from the website you'll get free shipping:
http://www.crpress.org/index.html
Love the cover photo of Talismans? Well the talented photographer Sarah Hadley took that photo. Her image of Awnings won first prize in the cityscapes category and will be shown at the Palais de Glace Exhibition in Buenos Aires in 2012.
Please check out her beautiful photography here:http://www.sarahhadley.com
Thoughts and musings to come!

Patricia Henley's Other Heartbreaks: Stories

Fans of Patricia Henley's short stories and novels will not be disappointed with her latest, Other Heartbreaks: Stories available from Engine Books. This stunning collection chronicles characters engaged in struggles with relationships, faith, friendship, and community. Henley's prose shines--there isn't a bad sentence in the whole collection. Her stories feel fresh, never overly plotted or predetermined, and many will surprise you with their compassion and honesty, in their redemptive power for the characters and the reader.

This would be a great Christmas gift. You can of course but the book (or download it as an ebook) from Amazon and Barnes and Noble, but it's even better if you order directly from Engine Books here:

http://enginebooks.org/OtherHeartbreaks.html

William Gay in the millions

Tennessee writer William Gay in the Millions as part of the post 40 bloomers serieshttp://www.themillions.com/2011/10/post-40-bloomers-the-stories-of-william-gay.html

Some Meacham pics! Fall2011

From my buddy George Conley, after the CTC Reading, before Winder Binder at the new German Brew Pub on Frazier



[image error] Rowan and poet Earl Braggs
Kevin Wilson and me--ack, do I have neck wrinkles or what?
Chattanooga writers Aubrey and Catherine
Poet Alex Quinlan and CNFer Catherine Meeks
Poets Emilia Phillips and Gaylord Brewer