Clifford Garstang's Blog, page 46

Books I’m reading now

[image error]I know a lot of people who only read one book at a time. I’m not sure what’s wrong with me, but I usually have more than one going at a given moment, although at least they’re all in different genres or media. Right now is kind of an extreme case, and I would like to get through a few of these so I can focus better, but I thought it would be fun to record my current reading list:

Novel. The novel I’m reading in hard copy right now is The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead. I bought this last year in hardcover when it won the National Book Award, but had not gotten around to reading it. However, I persuaded my book club to pick it for our January discussion, so now I’ve moved it up to the top of my list. I’m not very far into the book, but so far it is very similar to other novels I’ve read in recent years about enslaved Africans. I gather that it will soon diverge, however, and I’m looking forward to that.

Novel on Kindle. Actually, I’m reading this on the Kindle app on my tablet because Children of the Salt Road by Lydia Fazio Theys is published by Kindle in Motion, so it has some interesting effects (color backgrounds plus moving illustrations) that don’t appear in other formats including my Kindle Voyage. I bought this because Lydia is a friend, but I’m enjoying the story, set mostly in Sicily. So far it’s a little spooky, but it seems that it’s going to get more than spooky in the coming chapters.

Nonfiction—History/Memoir. As I was straightening up my office recently I came across an interesting volume that I bought used last year after hearing about from a Pearl Buck fan, a special 1972 signed edition of Pearl S. Buck’s China Past and Present that is illustrated with lots of black and white photographs. It’s part history and part memoir about her own experience in China, which was extensive.

Nonfiction—History. I’m interested in genealogy and have done a fair amount of research on my own family tree. Last year I visited Lunenberg County, Virginia, because I had learned that the Scott family (the ancestors of a great grandmother on my father’s side) had immigrated there from Scotland. I found records of them in the county courthouse and was also shown a couple of books about local history in the 18th century. I’m reading one of those books now: The Evolution of the Southern Backcountry: A Case Study of Lunenburg County, Virginia 1746-1832 by Richard R. Beeman. It’s well written, but the subject matter is pretty dry. It’s going to take me a long time to get through this one.

Nonfiction—Language (paperback). Given how many books I’m already reading, I shouldn’t have started this one, but I’m fascinated by the study of languages and when a friend recommended Fluent Forever: How to Learn Any Language Fast and Never Forget It by Gabriel Wyner I couldn’t resist. I began reading it last night. I’m going to do a separate post on language study, so I’ll mention this one again.

Nonfiction—Politics (on Kindle). I’m sick of hearing about Donald Trump. I hate the man and wish we had dodged the bullet of his presidency. I was not going to read Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House by Michael Wolff, but the president’s heated denunciation of the book and threats to block its publication basically forced me to buy it. I’m not very far into this one, and I’m not learning anything I didn’t know or suspect, but I feel obligated.

Fiction—Short Story Collection (paperback). I love short stories and usually am reading them either in magazines or collections. This one is by a friend of mine, published by the same publisher that brought out my two story collections. by John Matthew Fox opens with a story that I included in Volume II of my Everywhere Stories anthology, so I had a head start on this one!

Fiction—audiobook. I always have an audiobook going, too. I listen in the car or on the treadmill at the gym. I just finished one yesterday, so I’m only about 30 seconds into its successor, but it’s a book I’ve heard good things about: The Green Road by Anne Enright.

That’s eight. I’m currently reading eight books, which is nuts. I must finish some of them! What are you reading right now?

2018 Writing Goals

[image error]A lot of folks make New Year’s Resolutions. I think that’s a fine tradition, and I’ve got a few that I’ll keep to myself. What I’ll share here, though, are some goals that I’ve set for the year in connection with my writing.

 

Goals, it seems to me, should be realistic and achievable, but ambitious. There’s no point in setting a goal that is impossible, since failure is then inevitable. On the other hand, what’s the point in setting a goal that takes no effort to reach? Goals should be measurable, otherwise how can you know if the goal has been met? And goals should be limited in time, if only to add to the motivation to reach the goal sooner rather than later. Here’s an article that might be helpful in your goal setting for the coming year: Personal Goal Setting: Planning to Live Life Your Way.

In my case, there are two things that MUST get done this year plus a few more that I’d like to accomplish before the year is over. Ambitious, but achievable.

Finish Edits on Novel under Contract. My novel, The Shaman of Turtle Valley, is under contract to Braddock Avenue Books for publication in early 2019. That means I’ll be spending time this year with the editor to get the manuscript into shape.
Compile the Anthology under Contract. Volume III of my anthology series, Everywhere Stories, will be published in the fall. We’ve promised submitters of stories that we’ll make our selections by the end of March, so that’s the first deadline. And then about two months after that I’ll need to deliver the manuscript to the publisher.
Find a publisher for my novel. I finished another novel last year and I’ve begun looking for a publisher for that book. That’s not entirely under my control, of course, but I’ve started and will continue for as long as it takes.
Finish the new story collection. I realized at the end of the year that I had nearly enough stories for a new collection. So I’ve started putting that together and writing a few additional stories for it. I’d love to be done with that by mid-March when I head off to AWP.
Finish the new novel. I’ve been working on yet another novel for a couple of years now. I have some nagging concerns about it, but I think I’m close to resolving those problems and moving forward toward completion. Dare I hope for getting it done by the end of the year?
Query agents. This one depends on finishing the new novel. I am currently unrepresented, but I believe the new novel has more commercial potential than my last novel did, so when it’s done it will definitely be time to shop around once again.
Dabble in the essay form. I’ve become intrigued by the memoir and personal essay forms. I’ve written very little in this genre, but I’m determined to write some essays this year to see what I can make of them. Possibly a memoir or a collection of essays? That’s a longer-term goals, not likely to be finished in 2018

As you can see, my writing goals for the year are ambitious. I think they should be. I’m actually attending a workshop this coming weekend on goal-setting for writers in which I hope to learn either that I’m being unrealistic or I’ve done just the right thing.

But speaking of those goals, I need to get to work.

 

Resolve to be a good literary citizen in 2018

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Need a worthwhile resolution for the New Year? Here’s one: Kick your literary citizenship game up a notch. Some tips:

 

Support your local library. Oh, sure, a writer would probably rather that you buy her book, but libraries are important community institutions. They encourage literacy, and in the long run that’s a good thing for all of us. Plus, libraries buy books for their shelves. If you find that your library doesn’t have a book you want to read, ask them about it. They may be able to acquire it so other readers will also have access to it.
Buy books. Whether or not the library has the book you want, you may be inspired enough that you want to own it. By all means, buy it! When possible, buy it from an independent bookseller or—even better—directly from the publisher. We all know that Amazon has low prices and fast delivery on just about anything, and some small presses depend on Amazon for distribution, the literary world would be better off if Amazon didn’t put everyone else out of business. If your local store doesn’t have a particular title you want and you aren’t in a hurry, let them order it for you. Or, with small presses, check out their website and buy direct. Have too many books already? Buy and then pass them along to friends or family!
Spread the word. If you like a book, there are lots of ways to share your feelings about it with others. Tell your friends. Tell your book club. (Some authors may be available to visit your book club discussion in person or by Skype.) Someone like James Patterson and other writers who sell a gazillion copies of every book may not care, but it is extremely helpful for emerging writers if readers post reviews on Amazon.com and/or Goodreads (or similar social media sites). These reviews don’t need to be long—a sentence or two is often enough—but the number of ratings can be helpful. Formal reviews are a bigger step and can be harder to publish, but that’s worth pursuing, too, even if you only post your reaction on your own blog.
Attend readings. I have frequently given a reading to which only one or two people showed up. I’ve organized readings by other people that had the same result, despite expending effort to publicize. Even other writers I know who could have come did not, for some reason. It’s disheartening when it happens, but it happens often. Go to readings if you hear about them. You don’t have to buy the book, although that’s nice, too. If an author is just doing a signing instead of a reading, stop by and say hello. It’s not an imposition, believe me.
Write a fan letter. No, really. I’ve occasionally received emails or Facebook messages from readers who tell me how much they enjoyed one of my books. Maybe that does nothing for the aforementioned James Patterson, but it’s still a thrill to me. It’s encouraging, to say the least. We write in isolation. It’s a wonderful feeling to know that the work is being read.

There’s nothing particularly new about these tips for being a good literary citizen, but it doesn’t hurt to be reminded now and then.

2017: My Year in Review

[image error]I’m mostly a forward-looking person—possibly this is a function of having a lousy memory—but as 2017 comes to a close I am motivated to look back for a moment at what I’ve accomplished this year. Turns out it was a busier year than I realized.

 

Book Contract Signed. A book I finished a few years ago found a home. I was thrilled to sign a contract with Braddock Avenue Books for the publication of my novel The Shaman of Turtle Valley. Publication date is still over a year away—March of 2019—but that means the coming year will see exciting developments like final edits, cover design, and marketing plans. Definitely the No. 1 news for this year.
Health and Fitness. On August 2, I woke up, got on the scale, and saw a number that disgusted me. I decided that day that I would finally do something about it. That day, I went to my gym (where I’d been mostly absent for months), hired a personal trainer, and changed my diet radically. Since that day, I’ve made the exercise into a habit, mainstreamed my nutrition choices (no sugar!), and I’ve lost over 60 pounds. Now that I’m at a good weight, my blood pressure (which was at borderline hypertension levels) is back to normal. I feel great. I recently had a physical, complete with blood work, had my eyes checked and got new glasses, and had my regular teeth cleaning too. Keeping the weight off is my new challenge.
Non-profit Boards. I’ve been a super-fan of the American Shakespeare Center for as long as I’ve lived in Staunton, VA. (The Blackfriars Playhouse opened the same year I moved year, 2001.) This year, I was invited to join the Board of Trustees, which I was excited and honored to do in November. (I’m also on the Board of Trustees of the Frontier Culture Museum, and between the two organizations I should be kept pretty busy on the volunteer front.)
Politics. Although I’ve never stood for elective office, I’ve been involved in the local Democratic Party Committee for many years. I’ve finally stepped down as an officer of the committee—after several terms as Vice Chair—but because of my involvement there I was named to the county Electoral Board as one of two Democrats. This was my third year on that Board and it was a busy one because we purchased new voting equipment this year and had to administer two elections: a primary in June and the general election in November. It’s a lot of work, but it’s important and rewarding. I’ve agreed to serve a second three-year term. Now more than ever, ensuring the integrity of our elections needs to be a priority.
Reading. I finished reading 80 books this year. I wrote about my year in reading here. A few clunkers, but I read some really wonderful stuff and exceeded my goal (I aimed pretty low) by 60%. I thought it would be harder this year because I was no longer judging the Library of Virginia Fiction Award (after a three-year stint on the judging panel), but as it turned out that just meant I had more say in what books I read so I did a lot of reading for fun.
Writing. In addition to the book that is now under contract, I’ve got another finished novel for which I’m looking for a publisher. (I had an agent but now I don’t, which is a long story worthy of its own post.) But my new writing efforts this year have gone toward a draft of a new novel, one that is pretty ambitious. It still needs lots of work, but I made good progress this year, including a productive three-week research trip to Southeast Asia. Also, toward the end of the year, I realized had enough stories to form the bulk of a new collection, so I’ve spent some time writing some additional stories to fill that book out. And I had an idea for a series of essays that might be a book and I’ve made some tentative steps toward getting that started. Somehow I’ll have to manage my writing goals for the coming year if I’m going to finish anything.
Editing. My publisher at Press 53 gave the green light this year for a Volume 3 of the Everywhere Stories anthology series. In October we opened submissions and I’ve been reading them over the last few weeks. By the end of March, I should have filled the book and will start getting the manuscript in shape for the publisher. Pub date sometime in the fall.

I think that’s it for the big stuff. I also went to AWP in March, moderated some panels at the Virginia Festival of the Book, was on a panel for a James River Writers event, gave a reading and was on a panel at a Queens University of Charlotte MFA Alumni event, continued to facilitate our local writers’ group open mic series as well as a book club that has become popular, etc.

And now it’s time to turn my attention toward the new year. Bring it, 2018!

2017: My Year in Books

[image error]I am surrounded by books. There are bookshelves everywhere in my house–my office, my bedroom, the guestroom, the library (natch!), and the hallway between the library and the guestroom. Not to mention the books that are currently on the floor, displaced by other books and probably on their way out of the house. And also not to mention the 22 boxes of literary magazines I am attempting to get rid of (reluctantly, because many are unread) and the boxes of books in my foyer that will soon be donated. Oh, and the books on the credenza behind me and the ones on my desk. And the ones on the table next to my reading chair. You get the idea.

This is all quite normal, as I am in the business of writing books, so I feel it is part of my job to also read them. And I do my best. In 2017, I have read 80 books. (I keep track on Goodreads and also use their “reading challenge” tool to add some incentive to the reading process, I guess.) Goodreads also creates a handy “My Year in Books” page, so if the picture I’ve posted is a little hard to make out, you can get a closeup of the list here. I know some writers who read far more, but many who read far less. I’ve heard some writers say they don’t read in their genre while writing a book, which has a certain logic to it if one wants to avoid undue influences, but when am I not writing a book?

Anyway, I read some books I truly enjoyed this year. The best in the novel category is probably Purity by Jonathan Franzen. Among story collections–although this is arguably also a novel–is Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout. I read two Ann Patchett books this year, The Magician’s Assistant and Commonwealth. I thoroughly enjoyed them both but had complaints about their narrative structures. There were many others I liked a lot: Dodgers by Bill Beverly, Happy Dreams by Jia Pingwa, Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff, As Close to Us as Breathing by Elizabeth Poliner, The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson, and A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline.  Let’s call that my Top Ten Fiction List.

I read a lot of non-fiction, too. My favorite there is The Existentialist Cafe by Sarah Bakewell. Others I liked very much were White Trash by Nancy Isenberg, Ghengis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford, The End of the World as we Know it by Robert Goolrick, and Thornton Wilder: A Life by Penelope Niven.

I also read poetry, which you can see scattered around my reading list, but I don’t think I read any that really stood out this year, except maybe Copia by Erika Meitner. I also liked Cadaver, Speak by Marianne Boruch.

So that was my reading year. I’ve already begun reading a few books I’ll finish in early January, and I’m enjoying them so far, getting my 2018 reading year off to a great start.

 

Get Back to Work!

[image error]As noted in my previous post, I returned on Friday from a month-long residency at Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. It was a wonderful month. Not only was it inspiring to be around other artists, it was also fantastic to have the time and space to write. As many people commented during my time there, it is a “magical” place and I always get a lot of work done when I’m there. But every residency must come to an end, and I drove home in the snow on Friday afternoon. And then I took the weekend off to read, unpack, do laundry, see a play at the American Shakespeare Center, organize my office, and clean the house (a work in progress). I didn’t even think about my book.

And this morning I took care of a medical matter (bloodwork related to my recent annual physical), then went to my gym for a great workout and stopped by the bank. All necessary stuff.

But now it’s time to get back to the work. Despite my worries about the book I’m working on–can I do it? doesn’t it suck?–it’s time to get back to it. So I’m sitting in a coffee shop with some other writers and I’m stepping back into the writing. Self-doubt is natural, but it’s also paralyzing, and I’m determined to overcome it!

On Stage: The Life of King Henry the Fifth by William Shakespeare

Every year the American Shakespeare Center‘s Touring Company returns to Staunton for the month of December. They perform A Christmas Carol and support the two one-actor shows that the theater produces during the holiday season. And they give local audiences a “sneak preview” of their touring shows that they will eventually bring back to the Blackfriars stage in the spring.

Last night I caught one of those previews, their production of The Life of King Henry the Fifth. I’ll have to wait a couple of months to see the others, but this one is definitely a winner.

It’s one of my favorite Shakespeare plays, anyway, I suppose because young Henry, so recently the mischievous Prince Hal, is in full command, a good guy who also has to be ruthless to survive. He’s also got one of the great inspirational speeches in all of Shakespeare as he leads his soldiers in the Battle at Agincourt, ending with these lines:

We few, we happy few, we band of brothers;

For he to-day that sheds his blood with me

Shall be my brother; be he ne’er so vile,

This day shall gentle his condition:

And gentlemen in England now a-bed

Shall think themselves accursed they were not here,

And hold their manhoods cheap whiles any speaks

That fought with us upon Saint Crispin’s day.

That scene chokes me up when it is done well, as it was last night by Ross Neal as Henry. The whole cast was wonderful, with some of the highlights being Andrew Goldwasser as Fluellen and Tim Sailer as the Dauphin. The scene between Katherine (Zoe Speas) and her attendant (Jessica Lefkow) in which Kate practices her English in anticipation of her betrothal to Henry was also excellent.

One of the wonderful things about this play, for me, is its structure, in which the Chorus guides the audience between England and France and back again and also encourages them to use their imaginations.

O for a Muse of fire, that would ascend

The brightest heaven of invention,

A kingdom for a stage, princes to act

And monarchs to behold the swelling scene!

Then should the warlike Harry, like himself,

Assume the port of Mars; and at his heels,

Leash’d in like hounds, should famine, sword and fire

Crouch for employment. But pardon, and gentles all,

The flat unraised spirits that have dared

On this unworthy scaffold to bring forth

So great an object: can this cockpit hold

The vasty fields of France? or may we cram

Within this wooden O the very casques

That did affright the air at Agincourt?

Taking the part of the Chorus is Josh Innerst who gives that voice energy, popping back in from time to time to keep the audience aware of where they are, and finally bringing the play to a close, but also slipping in and out of the other roles Innerst must play. As Chorus, he occasionally plops into an empty seat in the audience and watches the action unfold onstage. Very well done.

Music is a big part of the ASC experience, and this company is excellent. Not only are there some very fine singing voices–no point in naming names because that covers just about everyone in the cast–but also skill at several instruments, including trumpet, trombone, guitar, bass, flute, drums, and accordion.

It’s a terrific show, and I look forward to its return in the spring, along with The Importance of Being Earnest, Julius Caesar, and Arms and the Man.

2016 Reading: Continuum: New and Selected Poems by Mari Evans

Continuum: New And Selected Poems, Revised Edition by Mari Evans

The poet and activist Mari Evans recently won a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Indianapolis Public Library Foundation, and I had the opportunity to meet her briefly prior to the awards dinner. A couple of weeks later I got a call from Evans, who had been given a copy of my book, What the Zhang Boys Know by the Foundation. She wanted to let me know how much she enjoyed and admired the book. I was thrilled to hear from her. What a kind and generous woman to actually read it and then let me know what she thought!

I confess that I had not heard of Evans before she received that award, but she has indeed had a distinguished career. Wanting to know more about her and her work, I picked up a copy of Continuum: New and Selected Poems. The first indication that this woman has a special talent is the announcement on the cover that the book includes a Foreword by Maya Angelou and an “Afterpoem” by Nikki Giovanni. From Angelou’s Foreword:

“Like any good People’s Poet, Evans is a sharp observer and an honest person. She sees all the people, all the time. Fortunately for us, she does not tell everything she knows. Just as fortunately for us, she is careful that all she does tell is the truth. The whole truth, the poetic truth. The truth for, about and to the people.”

Much of the book is about being black, especially being a black woman. An indicative poem is “I Am a Black Woman,” which begins:

I am a black woman

the music of my song

some sweet arpeggio of tears

is written in a minor key

and I

can be heard humming in the night

Can be heard

humming

in the night

She writes frequently about music and musicians (she’s also a musician and songwriter), about oppression, segregation, and bigotry, about Civil Rights and the Movement’s heroes and martyrs. As Angelou says in the Foreword, this is the whole truth.

For more about Evans and the Lifetime Achievement Award, watch this brief video.

Literary Resolutions, 2016

I won’t bother anyone with my perennial New Year’s Resolutions (lose weight, clear away household clutter, be a nicer person, etc.), but I thought it might be useful–if only to myself–to set forth some writing resolutions. Call them goals. Call them: To Do List 2016.

Blog More, Blog Better. I plan to post a thoughtful blog piece at least once a week. I’d like to think someone reads this stuff; all I have to do is set aside a couple of hours each week. (This will include my reading journal and, maybe, the return of New Yorker story commentaries.)
Finish revisions to novel and send back to agent. (My agent made great comments and all I have to do is make them work on the page.)
Select and edit the stories for the second volume of my anthology series, Everywhere Stories. Submissions are now closed, so all I have to do is read them all.
Write a second draft of the new novel. For that, all I have to do is go to Singapore for a week or two for research, and dedicate several months to the writing.
Look for more opportunities for reading and public speaking. I actually enjoy doing this, and unlike teaching there are no papers to grade! Need someone for your reading series? Need a speaker? I’m your man.
Spruce up the website. I made some changes last year, but I need to do more. Which means, all I have to do is relearn WordPress and sit down at the computer to get it done.

I’m sure I’ll think of more, but this should keep me busy for most of the year.

2015 Reading — Catching Up

In the first part of 2015 I did a decent job of keeping this journal about my reading, but as the year went on and I got busier, I failed. I recorded completed books in Goodreads, but I didn’t say anything about them here. I’d like to rectify that, so that this journal will be more or less complete. In the meantime, here’s a graphic representation of just some of my reading from 2015.