Maribeth Boelts's Blog, page 2
February 4, 2012
Ditto
Children's book author, Daniel Pinkwater:
"My method and theory of art: I have this desk. When I spend a number of hours per day seated at it, I usually end up having written or drawn something. When I do't sit, I don't write or draw because when the writing or drawing comes around, I am fooling with the dogs, talking on the phone or fixing the stairs. My artistic production is of higher quality than my imagination, skill, or intelligence would suggest, which leads me to believe that those faculties have very little to do with it. I would not take a million dollars for that desk."
"My method and theory of art: I have this desk. When I spend a number of hours per day seated at it, I usually end up having written or drawn something. When I do't sit, I don't write or draw because when the writing or drawing comes around, I am fooling with the dogs, talking on the phone or fixing the stairs. My artistic production is of higher quality than my imagination, skill, or intelligence would suggest, which leads me to believe that those faculties have very little to do with it. I would not take a million dollars for that desk."
February 1, 2012
Woot!
Happy Like Soccer (May 2012) is a Junior Library Guild Selection for Spring! What a team effort! Thanks, JLG!
January 15, 2012
Words
On long, dull road trips, we sometimes play a game with country music. Each of us picks a word common to country songs, such as beer, honky-tonk, bar, pick-up, girl, etc. Points, along with hoots and hollers are awarded every time a person's word is mentioned. It's not a particularly exciting game, but we do have some good laughs as we hear the same words re-hashed and served up in a new tune. All you country music lovers out there, I like Taylor Swift. I do.
I just finished reading Markus Zusack's book, "The Book Thief", which is right up there in my top ten books of all time. Maybe in the top three. They're wrestling right now for position. Talk about evocative writing, a thrilling, tragic plot and some of the most unique and thoroughly real characters you'll ever meet in a book.
Here are a few quotes...
"It's a small story really, about, among other things:
* A girl
* Some words
* An accordionist
* Some fanatical Germans
* A Jewish fist fighter
* And quite a lot of thievery"
______________
"Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness."
______________
"A DEFINITION NOT FOUND
IN THE DICTIONARY
Not leaving: an act of trust and love,
often deciphered by children"
_______________
"Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day. "
_______________
"...he stood around the bed and watched the man die-- a safe merge from life to death. The light in the window was gray and orange, the color of summer's skin, and his uncle appeared relieved when his breathing disappeared completely.
"When death captures me," the boy vowed, "he will feel my fist on his face."
_________________
In The Book Thief, one of the major themes of the book is how Hitler used and manipulated words to evoke terror and hatred. Those words seeped in and festered, and lead to the action of the annihilation of six million Jews.
To contrast, Martin Luther King, Jr. used words to lift the veil and expose the fracturing of the nation. He used words to spur love and courage and risk. Through words and fury, his dream became our dream. Can I tell you how happy I was when I heard they were changing one of MLK Jr.'s quotes on the memorial to be his exact words, rather than a paraphrase?
All of our words, however chosen and arranged, written or spoken, have power. We can make them count, or throw them to the wind or to the gutter.
One last quote from my new hero, Markus.
"I like that every page in every book can have a gem on it. It's probably what I love most about writing--that words can be used in a way that's like a child playing in a sandpit, rearranging things, swapping them around. They're the best moments in a day of writing -- when an image appears that you didn't know would be there when you started work in the morning."
I just finished reading Markus Zusack's book, "The Book Thief", which is right up there in my top ten books of all time. Maybe in the top three. They're wrestling right now for position. Talk about evocative writing, a thrilling, tragic plot and some of the most unique and thoroughly real characters you'll ever meet in a book.
Here are a few quotes...
"It's a small story really, about, among other things:
* A girl
* Some words
* An accordionist
* Some fanatical Germans
* A Jewish fist fighter
* And quite a lot of thievery"
______________
"Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness."
______________
"A DEFINITION NOT FOUND
IN THE DICTIONARY
Not leaving: an act of trust and love,
often deciphered by children"
_______________
"Imagine smiling after a slap in the face. Then think of doing it twenty-four hours a day. "
_______________
"...he stood around the bed and watched the man die-- a safe merge from life to death. The light in the window was gray and orange, the color of summer's skin, and his uncle appeared relieved when his breathing disappeared completely.
"When death captures me," the boy vowed, "he will feel my fist on his face."
_________________
In The Book Thief, one of the major themes of the book is how Hitler used and manipulated words to evoke terror and hatred. Those words seeped in and festered, and lead to the action of the annihilation of six million Jews.
To contrast, Martin Luther King, Jr. used words to lift the veil and expose the fracturing of the nation. He used words to spur love and courage and risk. Through words and fury, his dream became our dream. Can I tell you how happy I was when I heard they were changing one of MLK Jr.'s quotes on the memorial to be his exact words, rather than a paraphrase?
All of our words, however chosen and arranged, written or spoken, have power. We can make them count, or throw them to the wind or to the gutter.
One last quote from my new hero, Markus.
"I like that every page in every book can have a gem on it. It's probably what I love most about writing--that words can be used in a way that's like a child playing in a sandpit, rearranging things, swapping them around. They're the best moments in a day of writing -- when an image appears that you didn't know would be there when you started work in the morning."
January 5, 2012
This is what happens when you give stickers to thousands of kids
I have looked at this so many times, but as part of my New Year's resolution, I will not use the overused words "awesome" or "amazing". Instead, this is SPECTACULAR.
http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2012/01/yayoi-kusama-obiliteration-room/
http://www.thisiscolossal.com/2012/01/yayoi-kusama-obiliteration-room/
January 3, 2012
Unleash the Writer Within
This title should be followed by a growl or roar, eh? A writing friend of mine, Kristi Holl, blogged about this new book by best-selling author Cecil Murphy. I ordered it right away and have been reading it uncharacteristically s-l-o-w-l-y. It's the kind of book that invites writers to ask themselves some pretty big questions, like...
"Why do you write?"
"Whom do you wish to please?"
"What would it do to your writing if you could appreciate yourself as you are and see that your weaknesses are as important as your giftedness?"
"What if your inner critic has something valuable to say?"
And so on. See why it's a slow read? I'm highlighting like there's going to be a test and contemplating my answers because I think they may have some power. One of Murphy's assertions is that the deeper you know yourself, and the more you're willing to reveal yourself, the more authentic your writing voice will be. Actually, he says that everything we write reveals who we are, even our attempts at self-concealment. Whoa.
Thus concludes my initial review, and I'm only a few chapters in. More to follow!
"Why do you write?"
"Whom do you wish to please?"
"What would it do to your writing if you could appreciate yourself as you are and see that your weaknesses are as important as your giftedness?"
"What if your inner critic has something valuable to say?"
And so on. See why it's a slow read? I'm highlighting like there's going to be a test and contemplating my answers because I think they may have some power. One of Murphy's assertions is that the deeper you know yourself, and the more you're willing to reveal yourself, the more authentic your writing voice will be. Actually, he says that everything we write reveals who we are, even our attempts at self-concealment. Whoa.
Thus concludes my initial review, and I'm only a few chapters in. More to follow!
December 27, 2011
Yay for 2012!
Rather than catch up on 3 months of life, and bore you with all the gory details along with some not-so-gory ones, let us launch head-first together into 2012 with a little inspiration from Mr. Twain.
"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do, than by the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Explore. Dream. Discover."
Yep. Made the bathroom mirror.
"Twenty years from now, you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do, than by the things you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Explore. Dream. Discover."
Yep. Made the bathroom mirror.
September 26, 2011
What do you want to write?
So I wanted to write a story with a theme of "found riches" and I had it in my mind that I MUST break free from the realistic fiction I love and try my hand at quirky animal characters. For three laborious days I messed around with Duck, Chicken, Cow and Goat. They find a box of money in a pasture, they plan, they dream, they say and do quirky things, etc. I had a middle with some tension and an only mildly satisfying ending. At the end of the third frustrating day, I said to myself, "This is horrible stuff. No kid would ever want to read this. What is the story I really want to tell?"
I thought for a while, and it hit me. "I want to write a story about found riches that involves a real kid. Not a duck. I kinda hate writing about ducks. Other people are really good at writing about ducks. Let them do it."
The floodgates opened, and the story poured out. A real kid in a big city. I knew exactly what he looked like, what he would have in his lunchbox, how his black, curly hair hit his collar and curled. I could hear his voice and I think I understood the size of the problem I was asking him to solve.
Tell the story you want to tell. Don't make the mistake I did and think you "should" be writing something other than what you really want to write. Experiment--yes. But know when to fold 'em. Or in my case, close the barn door.
I thought for a while, and it hit me. "I want to write a story about found riches that involves a real kid. Not a duck. I kinda hate writing about ducks. Other people are really good at writing about ducks. Let them do it."
The floodgates opened, and the story poured out. A real kid in a big city. I knew exactly what he looked like, what he would have in his lunchbox, how his black, curly hair hit his collar and curled. I could hear his voice and I think I understood the size of the problem I was asking him to solve.
Tell the story you want to tell. Don't make the mistake I did and think you "should" be writing something other than what you really want to write. Experiment--yes. But know when to fold 'em. Or in my case, close the barn door.
Margaret Wise Brown
"In this modern world where activity is stressed almost to the point of mania, quietness as a childhood need is too often overlooked. Yet a child's need for quietness is the same today as it has always been — it may be even greater — for quietness is an essential part of all awareness. In quiet times and sleepy times a child can dwell in thoughts of his own, and in songs and stories of his own..."
Margaret Wise Brown
August 24, 2011
The Shadow
"Between the Idea and the Reality,
Between the Motion and the Act,
Falls the Shadow..."
T.S. Elliot The Hollow Men
The launch of fall and a new school year always makes me crave a crave a crisp notebook filled with new ideas and goals, new schedules that make so much sense on paper, new approaches to old problems I've worked years to figure out. The key word here that invigorates is NEW.
So I make lists, goals, schedules. I shoot arrows into the future of where I want to be, say, next year at this time, 5 years from this time, and even further. Darwin and I set some goals as a couple, too. He does not get as excited about this session as I do, but he rides the wave with me. : )
I read this quote from T.S. Elliot a few weeks ago and keep thinking about how true it is. The "shadow" that fills the space between my great and lofty and noble intentions and my action is the way real change gets derailed. It happens every fall. It happens every January, too, with New Year's resolutions. After establishing my best-laid plans, the shadow creeps in. The shadow is where I decide my goal is too big. The cost is too high. The risk is too great. The shadow is where I get lulled back into doing only what I know, doing what is safe, doing what is easy.
So because of you, Mr. Elliot, I'm trying something different. Along with the goals, I'm identifying, naming and dealing with the shadow that accompanies the particular goal. Okay, here's an example. I would like to be able to jog 3-5 miles at a nice pace. Darwin is joining me in this one. I set the goal, hoping to run a 5 K in October. (I ran a half-marathon 10 years ago but no real running since then.) We started with a few gruesome times around the track. Yesterday, we ran 2.5 miles. And when I say "ran", I mean "slogged my way down the trail" counting down the seconds of when it would be over. IT'S HARD WORK. All you marathoners out there, including my newly buff brother-- I bow before you. How do you do it? During yesterday's run, I was keenly aware of my shadow the whole time. My running shadow likes to yawn and say, "You like walking. You like riding your bike. You don't like running. You like to sit on a soft couch and watch "The Dog Whisperer". This is hard on your knees. Shouldn't you be writing?"
I slogged on despite it's siren song, swatting the thoughts away and discovering at the end of this little jogging experiment, I actually felt... not bad. Almost alive, even. Tomorrow, we'll run three miles. And I'm assuming, I'm hoping, I'm planning, that in a few weeks, we'll run five.
A good quote...a big difference.
Between the Motion and the Act,
Falls the Shadow..."
T.S. Elliot The Hollow Men
The launch of fall and a new school year always makes me crave a crave a crisp notebook filled with new ideas and goals, new schedules that make so much sense on paper, new approaches to old problems I've worked years to figure out. The key word here that invigorates is NEW.
So I make lists, goals, schedules. I shoot arrows into the future of where I want to be, say, next year at this time, 5 years from this time, and even further. Darwin and I set some goals as a couple, too. He does not get as excited about this session as I do, but he rides the wave with me. : )
I read this quote from T.S. Elliot a few weeks ago and keep thinking about how true it is. The "shadow" that fills the space between my great and lofty and noble intentions and my action is the way real change gets derailed. It happens every fall. It happens every January, too, with New Year's resolutions. After establishing my best-laid plans, the shadow creeps in. The shadow is where I decide my goal is too big. The cost is too high. The risk is too great. The shadow is where I get lulled back into doing only what I know, doing what is safe, doing what is easy.
So because of you, Mr. Elliot, I'm trying something different. Along with the goals, I'm identifying, naming and dealing with the shadow that accompanies the particular goal. Okay, here's an example. I would like to be able to jog 3-5 miles at a nice pace. Darwin is joining me in this one. I set the goal, hoping to run a 5 K in October. (I ran a half-marathon 10 years ago but no real running since then.) We started with a few gruesome times around the track. Yesterday, we ran 2.5 miles. And when I say "ran", I mean "slogged my way down the trail" counting down the seconds of when it would be over. IT'S HARD WORK. All you marathoners out there, including my newly buff brother-- I bow before you. How do you do it? During yesterday's run, I was keenly aware of my shadow the whole time. My running shadow likes to yawn and say, "You like walking. You like riding your bike. You don't like running. You like to sit on a soft couch and watch "The Dog Whisperer". This is hard on your knees. Shouldn't you be writing?"
I slogged on despite it's siren song, swatting the thoughts away and discovering at the end of this little jogging experiment, I actually felt... not bad. Almost alive, even. Tomorrow, we'll run three miles. And I'm assuming, I'm hoping, I'm planning, that in a few weeks, we'll run five.
A good quote...a big difference.
July 29, 2011
A love letter to a library
I am forever grateful for the role a library and a dedicated librarian can play in a life, and this beautiful, touching, informative tribute to a public library in San Francisco made me appreciate them even more...
http://therumpus.net/2011/05/meanwhile-the-san-francisco-public-library/
http://therumpus.net/2011/05/meanwhile-the-san-francisco-public-library/
