Lynn M. Dixon's Blog, page 62

Books Say “Try Me!”

Have you ever walked through a library or bookstore and a book seemed to say, “Take me.  I have something to share with you?”  James Brown sang one of his most memorable slow songs when he sang, Try Me.  That’s what can happen to avid readers as they walk down the aisles that are filled with shelves of books in libraries and bookstores,

A couple of times while frequenting the Boston Public Library, I had that experience.  My eyes were on the Bronte Sisters’ works when I was stopped in my tracks.  I saw Anne Bronte’s The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (1848).  I felt like wait.  There was a third sister!  Who knew?  Not Charlotte. Not Emily.  Anne! So, I checked it out and truly enjoyed the ventures of Mr. Huntingdon.  Great writer!

I was in the same locale when I felt a beckoning during another visit. There sat Nina Simone’s book, I Put a Spell on You (1993). In this autobiography,she told about her plans to become a classical pianist and her eventual acceptance of her destiny.  Her deep, melodic voice ended serving as a songstress and voice for the people during a pivotal historical era.  She also talked about her life in Paris.  I felt as if we were actually sitting down on her sofa, having a conversation.. She told her story with such clarity!

Yesterday, I was checking out some items at a dollar store.  This book caught my eye. The picture of Jane Fonda hugging an African-American woman made me pause. I started to leave, but it jogged my memory.  I thought, “Oh yeah.”  I remembered reading about Jane Fonda’s adoption of a child of color when I read her autobiography, My Life So Far (2005).

I  put my bags down at the register.  I went back and picked up a copy. I couldn’t believe that it was only one dollar for this hardback book.  I can hardly wait to hear what Mary Williams has to say as I read The Lost Daughter (2013).  I know that she has a yarn to spin as she too called out, “Try me!”

Lynn M.                                                                                                                            July 10, 2015

Eateries- A Testing Ground

When people dine, they are usually in a relaxed state of mind.  This is where they can enjoy their meals as they converse or they can become easily upset, if they are in the wrong company.  Our stomachs are sensitive by nature and it is important to carefully choose those with whom we dine.  As the old saying goes, “Don’t break bread with the enemy.”  Traditionally, breaking bread is an honor to be shared with friends.

In my first novella, A Golden Leaf in Time Revised, Trey is eating at an Ethiopian Restaurant.  Some of the dishes are wrapped in the Injera or specialized Ethiopian bread. Preparing each bite is a ritual within itself.  Trey has just lost his mother and is in a vulnerable state.  As he is deeply engaged in rolling the bread with its stuffing, a woman he does not know comes to his table.  Flora is forward as she introduces herself and asks to join him. Though she is quite attractive, he is caught off guard. He is not quite sure how to handle her aggressiveness.  She succinctly places herself at his table and ultimately in his life. Things do not turn out well.

Eateries are places where people are partaking in one of the basic necessities of life. Chicago is known for its great food.It is a place where most dates go for good eating, ambience and flowing conversations.  My two characters, Tyre and Phoenix get to know each other in several of these settings.

In the sequel, Warm Intrigues, Tyre (Trey’s real name) lives in Evanston on Chicago’s North Shore.  Phoenix, on the other hand, lives in the South Suburbs.  As they are becoming acquainted, they meet at a variety of restaurants in the city itself, on the North Shore and others places of dining in the South Suburbs.

Their initial date is at an eatery called Leona’s in the heart of Chicago on Taylor Street.  It is known for its outstanding lasagna, seasoned bread and other Italian food choices.  The music videos are captivating and they add to the warmth of the place.  Though Leona’s was their first stop, they continue to expose each other to good dining places throughout Chicagoland.

In route to a Bulls game, they go to Wishbone’s on West Washington.  It is close to Oprah’s old Harpo Studios in the West Loop.  It is known for its grits with shrimp and special hot muffins.  During another date, they go to R.J. Grunts in Lincoln Park.  It is a couple’s dream with its bountiful salad bar and 70’s music as a backdrop.

In Evanston, they go to Dixie Kitchen which is known for its fried green tomatoes and blackened catfish.  In the South Suburbs, they eat at Hamada of Japan in Tinley Park, which specializes in Japanese food.  There, the chefs cook the guests’ selections on the grills at the tables.  They also enjoy Aurelio’s Pizza, a well-seasoned thin crust pizza place out in Homewood.  Almost anywhere that Tyre and Phoenix go is okay because they enjoy each other’s company and conversations.

Though eating is an everyday function, it is a great place to test the waters when making a selection for a mate. One can get a feel for the other’s manners, eating habits and appreciation for diverse  foods. If in the right company, the serenade continues to flow, but in the wrong company, all can come to a screeching halt and everything begins to sound like noise. Restaurants can be a great setting for characters as they decide whether they should take immediate flight or settle in with a true keeper!

                                                                                                              

   Lynn M.                                                                                                                             July 8, 2015

Altered Views

Outside forms of media change us as we regularly go through our personal metamorphoses. Just like the Phoenix bird that dies and is daily reborn, we are always being altered. Alice Walker, states in her book The Same River Twice, “You can never step in the same river twice.” (It is always moving and changing). It is especially true for those of us who continually engage in meaningful conversations, read and try new adventures.

Conversations of substance make us ponder for days. Snippets of the exchange keep playing like a tape in our minds because parts of it linked to our souls. As the saying goes, “There was food for thought.” Growth was taking place. Outlooks were being altered. Former events were being put into perspective.

Think about running into an old friend who has not grown for whatever reasons. In trying to talk with them, it quickly becomes apparent that there is little to say. The weather can only be discussed for a limited amount of minutes. It becomes painfully clear that time has stood still for one while the other has kept it moving while expanding. Both will feel the discomfort because there is no common ground and the meeting will probably be brief, so that everybody can breathe.

Books can help us see life from many viewpoints. New information, cultural mindsets, and historical notes- something inside of every book helps to adjust the lenses of the mind. We try to put ourselves in other’s shoes, realizing that they are not responsible for where or how they were raised. We become more tolerant as we seek to understand and become less judgmental.

I recently read a memoir called At Home on the Kazakh by Janet Givens. She shared her experiences as a Peace Corps volunteer. The main thing that she learned while being steeped in a new culture was not to ask why. One of her biggest challenges was to accept the fact that some things just are and questioning their validity did not minimize the fact that they exist. She became more accepting and made lifelong friends.

Travel and new adventures open us as well. That is, if we are truly aware of our surroundings as we observe people, their customs and their culture. If we want to enjoy the journey, we look for ways to become more acculturated so we can fit in more easily.

We water the gardens of our minds by letting others have their own say and allow them to do things their way. Dr. Wayne Dyer wrote, “When you change the way you look at things, things change.” Actually, we change. We are altered as we add more tick marks to our calendars of growth!

Lynn M.

July 6, 2015

Freedom!

What are you free from today? We should list our freedoms. We thank goodness that we have wiggled free or were graciously supported as we were freed from something. Each year, like a worm, we shed old skins as we get rid of limitations and restrictions.

We move out of the box or we at least expand the boundaries of the box. We can then navigate our lives with greater freedom. We have more space to stretch, flex our muscles and most importantly, to think clearly.

Freedoms can be simple things such as: having time to reflect; walking in the park; reading a book; calling a friend or having a conversation of depth with an understanding loved one. Freedom is having the time to read a newspaper as we slowly and mindfully turn the pages and decide which articles we find appealing.

It definitely includes the freedom to move at an unhurried pace if it is not a work day and no clock to be punched. It could be the freedom to saying no to those people that have exhausted us and exploited our goodness.

We exercise these freedoms every day, though we may not have taken note of them. Freedoms should take us up to higher levels and help us flap our wings like eagles. We should be able to breathe easier as we rise to new heights because it is less populated and there is less strife over space.

Yet, sometimes, we may need to exercise self-discipline as we enjoy our freedoms. This prose speaks to that.

People running to and fro,

Fruitlessly.

Victims of their own freedoms.

Unable to sit still,

Always in motion.

When answers come

From the quiet within.

Stop. Look.

Listen to the still small voice

That guides.

Happy Fourth of July!!

Lynn M.

July 4, 2015

If Not Now, When?

Each year we should look back on where we were this time last year. What have we accomplished? How far have we come? What have we learned about life or people in general?

Doing an honest inventory helps us see that we are still evolving into more wholeness. Each year we figure out more things and more light is emitted. I had an uncle who said, “By the time we figure out how to live, it is time to die.” I understood his meaning. Yes, it does take years to see what is important and what is not.

But, I would like to think that “By the time we figure out how to live, we may be older but we should live life more fully each day.” We should make no small plans and start doing the things that we say that we want to do in life. If not now, when? Nothing is sadder than to see a wasted life filled with regrets.

Grant it, few of us accomplish everything we set out to do, but by George, at least be found trying to knock that “to-do list” down. One of the educators’ mottos is, “Failure is not an option.” Well, we could proclaim individually that “Procrastination is not an option.”

With the advent of the Internet, answers are one keystroke away. We can type in anything that we want to research and get immediate information. So, this July, we should truly let freedom ring and take advantage of the opportunities that are already here. Take the trip; write the book; paint the picture; visit the older relative; build the dream house or whatever it is that is on that list written many years ago.

We must stop putting off until tomorrow what should be done today. As the Spanish Proverb saying goes, “Manana is often the busiest day of the week!”

Lynn M.

July 2, 2015

Happy July!!

I hear the morning birds sing,

As the loud freedom bells ring.

I see the red, white and blue,

Flag of the country wave, too.

July fourth- the holiday,

Of fireworks and some may,

Light candles or picnic out,

Feasting and moving about!

Lynn M.

July 1, 2015

Sharing Art

Will people see our talents or should we constantly sell our wares and say look? Look at what I’ve done or what I can do! I think that people tend to take notice of those subtle artists who have other outlets and mostly other motives for creating art in its varied forms.

Some artists create because they have something to say. William Faulkner said, “If a story is in you, it has to come out.” They write, paint or sketch because there is that inner drive that will not let them rest until it is done. Something needs to be born and if it resonates with others, then great. If not, that is okay too, because it was something that was going to happen anyway.

It is good thing if writers or those other creators of art have other sources of revenue to remain lucrative. Then art can unfold for arts’ sake and not for profit alone. There is less desperation and more true expression.

Art often acts as a healing agent. It can help align the artist’s thinking or it might unearth hidden and long forgotten moments of the past. They may resurface as a tale is being told. Sometimes, we are so busy putting one foot in front of the other and we don’t always get the opportunity to stop, reflect and even take note of what has occurred or been learned. We might be more focused on getting away from the discomfort as we evolve and move to the next level.

There is a Country and Western song called Can’t You See, written and performed by The Marshall Tucker Band. This guy had been hurt by a woman and he said that he would run until the rails of the train track ran out. Life is like that. We are constantly on the move like a river and we may not always realize how many stories or images have been spun until there is time to pause and put it down in some tangible form.

When the running slows down to a halt, then the memories flow. We remember, “Oh yeah. I did go through that.” While we are involved in the creative process, some of those snippets of the past start coming back to life and they show up at the most surprising times. William Faulkner also wrote, “The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”

Many writers write to heal themselves of some cathartic need. If their readers happen to gain some new insight or energy from the piece, that is absolutely great. Dr. Maya Angelou said, “There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside of you.” It is not about the showcasing or grandstanding; it is about sharing what has been revealed while traveling through life and hopefully a few other souls will be touched along the way.

Lynn

June 29, 2015

Designing Your Own Book Covers!

I was able to assist with the design of the covers of my three self-published works. Creative souls are often able to create on many levels of medium. So, I truly had a hand in deciding what would be on the cover of my books. Companies that self-publish may be more receptive to the writer’s input.

I presented my design along with the manuscript to the publishing company and the design team capitalized on that idea. I have found that book covers and titles are extremely important. The images on the cover send an immediate message to the would-be buyer and it has to say something quietly and in a flash.

In A Golden Leaf in Time, I designed the cover by cutting and pasting images from the Internet. I sent them four leaves going from green to gold that went across the page and added notes. The design team decided to take the leaves in an upward position which looked more like a branch from a tree. I was quite pleased.

The green leaf represents Phoenix’s naiveté and the fact that she was ‘in a pickle,’ so to speak. As she matures and takes responsibility for her state of affairs, the colors evolve, as she does. She reaches a golden state at the end of the novella because she has become the best person that she can be, at that point in her life.

The original book had a white background but it was my very first book and there were just too many errors. It bothered me; so almost four years later, I re-invested and wrote A Golden Leaf in Time Revised. This one has a gold background because I wanted to differentiate the two editions.

As a former bookseller, I know the power of an eye-catching cover. Adults still like colors and I have seen many of them pick up and purchase books based on their appearance. An attractive book cover can equate the difference between a sale and no sale.

When I wrote Traveling Streams: A Reflective Journey, I gave the publishing company my cover design idea, again. This book is about living and writing from various places. It can be described as partial memoirs along with poems, prose and short stories. I chose a globe with a route on it and the publishing company took it from there. I was satisfied!

Warm Intrigues is a sequel to A Golden Leaf in Time Revised. With this one, I believe that I simply said that the cover should be something romantic. They chose a tropical scene and it fit because the story ends on the island of Maui. The colors are deep, rich and inviting and it sends the message of warmth.

Publishing companies do have design teams, but I think it helps if the writer lets them know what message they want to convey to the readers. I have seen books with the wrong book covers and that can make customers walk right pass a really good book!

Lynn

June 27, 2015

Choosing Book Scenes

When writing about a place or scene in a book, it works better for me if I have seen the place and it is even better if I have walked inside of the place. Places and locations have vibrations or what we call vibes, just as people have auras.

If a place has a good vibe, it will be positively remembered. A host of adjectives can be used to describe it such as inviting, bustling, busy, active, lively which all give the impression that the place is well-liked by many others who regularly frequent it.

And then there are places that are not well-attended by others because they give off a negative vibe, so to speak. It may be described as austere, cold, unwelcoming or sterile. People do not feel comfortable at that location and they probably will not return.

Places in book scenes should be described to the extent that others can see, feel and touch it as they read. Most writers use favorable places that have left a good feeling. That place should be  revisited, if the place still exists.

Sometimes, due the ever-changing world, memorable places are no longer there. I used a footbridge in my first novella, A Golden Leaf in Time Revised. I had used it for years, but it is no longer there. It sat at 57th Street, which took pedestrians across Lake Shore Drive to the beach.

But my experiences on the bridge remain, so I kept it in the revision of the book. It was always fun to cross because I knew that I was almost there. There meant at the beach, which was the goal.

In spite of the fact that the footbridge no longer exists, I hopefully painted a clear picture of it in the following scene. It was very important to the meeting of two characters.

Phoenix is in a good mood as she is walking across the bridge. She does realize that she is being observed.

Phoenix found parking on Fifty-Sixth Street. She felt fortunate because

parking was difficult to find in the Hyde Park area. She bundled up, zipped

up her jacket, and reached in the back of the seat for her gold scarf. “Lucky

me,” she said, “I match today.” She closed the car door, crossed the street

silently, and started up the stairs to the pedestrian overpass as she chanted

the Prayer of Protection. Once on the walkway, she pranced. “I go to meet

my good.” She descended the stairs dramatically with the grace of a swan,

not realizing that she was being observed.

Tyre looked at her and said, “Hmm. Gold. True gold on gold.”

For those who used that footbridge that crossed over to Lake Michigan, I would say, “Happy Memories!” For the others, I would say, imagine walking with Phoenix as she walked across that bridge to meet her good!

Lynn

June 25, 2015

Capturing the Moment!

Being in the park on Father’s Day was quite special! The weather was beautiful, sunny, and mildly hot. The stars were truly aligned. Families were sitting on blankets on the grass with spreads of delicious delicacies. They were conversing softly among themselves.

It was peaceful and no one was in a hurry. People had plenty of space to enjoy the special day. Some played Frisbee with their children and I happened to be sitting on a bench that faced the scenic, blue Lake Michigan. I could see the quiet sailboats dotting the horizon and I could hear the motorboats as their gunned engines hit the choppy waves.

There was a walking trail right in front of where I was sitting. I saw families moving by at a slow pace as they relished every moment of this glorious day. I thought of the word promenade because the families strolled by slowly as they talked with one another and walked with their beautiful, healthy dogs, as well.

I thought of a painting by Georges Seurat for this was truly a Sunday at the park. His famous work is called A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte. It was his largest piece and it now hangs at the Art Institute in Chicago.

I saw a play on the life of Seurat and I was reminded of how he took a blank canvas and filled it up with memorable images. The backdrop at the play was a huge white blank piece and as he used his artistry to start a work, it ended up being this historic piece of art. It is so large that viewers feel as if they are there at the park with the others.

That is what artists do, successfully. They take an everyday event and recapture the moments in a variety of mediums. The can paint, sing, write, photograph or even pen a poem about what they have seen and heard.

Then their audiences can say, “Oh yes, I remember that day!” Art can start many conversations and others may chime in and share what they recall about the event. Several can enjoy the moment but it takes an artist to provide others with that keepsake which allows them to relive those times that have gone by!

Lynn

June 23, 2015