Mary Alice Monroe's Blog, page 18

MASTER CLASS

                                                    

On this, the birthday of Nobel Prize winning novelist Gabriel Garcia Marquez, I'm sharing with you the article written by The Writer's Almanac.  Why this one?  Because the way that Marquez pursued learning writing is a marvelous study of great writers and thinkers.  For all writers and readers-- Enjoy!    *                  *                  *It's the birthday of the Nobel Prize-winning novelist who said, "I've always been convinced that my true profession is that of journalist." That's Gabriel García Márquez (books by this author), born in Aracataca, Colombia, on this day in 1927. He's the author of one of the most important books in Latin American literature, One Hundred Years of Solitude (1967).
He once said, "I learned a lot from James Joyce and Erskine Caldwell and of course from Hemingway ... [but the] tricks you need to transform something which appears fantastic, unbelievable, into something plausible, credible, those I learned from journalism. The key is to tell it straight. It is done by reporters and by country folk.''
He worked for a newspaper in Bogotá for many years, writing at least three stories a week, as well as movie reviews and several editorial notes each week. Then, when everyone had gone home for the day, he would stay in the newsroom and write his fiction. He said, "I liked the noise of the Linotype machines, which sounded like rain. If they stopped, and I was left in silence, I wouldn't be able to work."
He learned to write short stories first from Kafka, and later from the American Lost Generation. He said that the first line of Kafka's Metamorphosis "almost knocked [him] off the bed," he was so surprised. In one interview, he quoted the first line ("As Gregor Samsa awoke that morning from uneasy dreams, he found himself transformed into a gigantic insect") and told the interviewer, "When I read the line, I thought to myself that I didn't know anyone was allowed to write things like that. If I had known, I would have started writing a long time ago. So I immediately started writing short stories."
It was from James Joyce and Virginia Woolf that he learned to write interior monologue, he said, and he prefers the way Woolf did it.
And it was from William Faulkner, he said, that he learned to write about his childhood surroundings. Just after college, he went home to his early childhood village of Aracataca, a place he hadn't been since he was eight years old. On that trip home, he felt that he "wasn't really looking at the village, but . experiencing it as if [he] were reading it." He said: "It was as if everything I saw had already been written, and all I had to do was sit down and copy what was there and what I was just reading. For all practical purposes everything had evolved into literature: the houses, the people, and the memories." And he said: "The atmosphere, the decadence, the heat in the village were roughly the same as what I had felt in Faulkner. . I had simply found the material that had to be dealt with in the same way that Faulkner had treated similar material." His birth town, Aracataca, is the model for the fictional village Macondo in One Hundred Years of Solitude.
It was from his own grandmother that he learned the tone he used in One Hundred Years. His grandmother told stories, he said, "that sounded supernatural and fantastic, but she told them with complete naturalness . what was most important was the expression she had on her face. She did not change her expression at all when telling her stories and everyone was surprised."
For a long time, he had tried telling the fantastic stories of One Hundred Years without believing in them. He said, "I discovered that what I had to do was believe in them myself and write them with the same expression with which my grandmother told them: with a brick face." And he said, "When I finally discovered the tone I had to use, I sat down for eighteen months and worked every day."
One Hundred Years of Solitude begins, "Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice."
His other novels include of Love in the Time of Cholera (1988), The General in His Labyrinth (1989), Of Love and Other Demons (1994), and Memories of My Melancholy Whores (2005).
He started a journalism school in Colombia in 1995. He reads most of the important magazines from around the world each week. He says that he really only feels comfortable in Spanish, but speaks Italian and French. And he said in a 1980s interview: "I know English well enough to have poisoned myself with Time magazine every week for twenty years." He writes from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m., but says he can only "work in surroundings that are familiar and have already been warmed up with my work. I cannot write in hotels or borrowed rooms or on borrowed typewriters."
He said: "One of the most difficult things is the first paragraph. I have spent many months on a first paragraph and once I get it, the rest just comes out very easily. In the first paragraph you solve most of the problems with your book. The theme is defined, the style, the tone. At least in my case, the first paragraph is a kind of sample of what the rest of the book is going to be."
And he said: "Ultimately literature is nothing but carpentry. Both are very hard work. Writing something is almost as hard as making a table. With both you are working with reality, a material just as hard as wood. Both are full of tricks and techniques. Basically very little magic and a lot of hard work involved."
[Note: Gabriel García Márquez quotes are from The Paris Review interview conducted by Peter H. Stone. García Márquez's then-teenage sons translated his answers into English.]

A GREAT SOUTHERN BOOK GIVEAWAY

"...and the Coast, the seductive and sultry Lowcountry where the sea caresses a vast carpet of swaying marsh grass and warm sandy beaches."  

Win a copy! 
That is an excerpt from "A State of Awe and Wonder," the foreword I penned for Reflections of South Carolina, Volume II.  When the director of University of South Carolina Press, Jonathan Haupt, contacted me with this opportunity and I was honored to accept the task.

Reflections of South Carolina, Volume II is a beautiful work of art. We are so fortunate to have so much of the ancient beauty, historical charm, and alluring culture preserved in 250 pages of sterling photographs and poignant descriptions.

When you hold this book, you will sense its value and importance.  The photographs by renowned photographer Robert C. Clark and descriptions by Tom Poland capture more than landscape, but our state's culture, traditions, and the people. They will will take you on a journey to the Upcountry, the Heartland, and the Lowcountry.  Anyone who lives in South Carolina or once called this great state home will treasure this book.  And too--anyone who has visited, wants to visit, or just loves all things southern will thoroughly enjoy this book.

I love how my friend and fellow author Dorothea Benton Frank described the book, "...a gorgeous tour of our state's endless treasured landscape. The words of Tom Poland and the photographs by Robert Clark will thrill you.  It's that good."

I couldn't agree more. I'm giving this book to friends and family for Christmas! And, I'm really excited to share this book with you!  Thanks to USC Press, for the holiday season I am giving away five copies of Reflections of South Carolina, Volume II (one copy each week) through my Facebook fan page.  To enter the giveaway, simply CLICK HERE and follow the instructions.  It's easy and I hope you'll share the contest link with your friends!  http://is.gd/fUHS4q

I'll announce the first winner on November 28th.

Best wishes and Happy Holidays! I know you'll enjoy the book just as much as I do.

DAY OF THE DEAD: A TIME TO REMEMBER

Pumpkin carved?  Nope.
House decorated? Oops, forgot that too. 

Candy bowl loaded and ready? Yes!

I reluctantly confess that I’m not as clever or elaborate with my Halloween decorations as I was when my three children were growing up.  Yet, somehow I still manage to remember to buy a bag of candy for the trick-or-treaters in my neighborhood.  But who am I kidding?  There hasn’t been one child to knock on my door in the last five years!  We all know who is really eating all that candy...

Halloween marks the beginning of the season of family gatherings — Thanksgiving will be here before we know it and Christmas, well, it has already arrived at the major retailers! These are times that families gather to create memories.
Memories... how important they are to help us through both good and bad times.  We--each of us--are the caretakers of our memories.  Will we hoard them in dark recesses of our minds? Or will we dust them off and share them with loved ones?  One holiday that celebrates memories, and is often overlooked or misunderstood, is Day of the Dead.  Widely recognized in Mexico and Latin American countries, this is an annual celebration to remember loved ones who have passed and is observed on November 1st and 2nd, concurrently with All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.  I was raised Catholic, so All Saints’ Day has always been a meaningful holiday.  In the United States, All Hallow's Eve...Halloween...is the big party day we all celebrate.
A few years ago, when I wrote The Butterfly’sDaughter , I learned more about the meaning and traditions of the Day of the Dead in the Mexican culture.  It includes building private altars called ofrendas decorated with bright orange marigolds called cempasùchil (or ‘flower of the dead’) to honor their beloved departed.  These ofrendas can include favorite items of their loved ones—foods, drinks, photos, and other special possessions.  
I love this tradition of remembering and honoring those special family members who have passed.  Also, in Mexico they believe that the thousands of monarch butterflies flying through the region to their winter sanctuary in the mountains this time of year are the souls of their dearly departed. The traditions and the magnificent migration of the monarch butterfly that culminate during the Day the Dead festivities are captured in The Butterfly’s Daughter. 
 I like to create a simple ofrenda in honor of my parents and my father-in-law.  I put their photos up amid bright orange marigolds, a decorated skull plus a few items that they loved and each time I pass it during the day I think of them.  Again, memories...  This, to me, is the power of The Day of the Dead.  We remember and talk about those who've departed, and by doing so, we keep their memories alive in our hearts.

This Halloween, rather than just dress up and eat candy, why not share a meaningful activity with your family?  Create an ofrenda.  Get the kids involved. Display favorite photos and treasured items of those special family members, light a candle and then invite the family together to hear stories of your grandmother, grandfather, parents, uncles, aunts.  The poignant stories, the funny ones--they all keep their memories alive!  These are the real treats of this season.  

A BABY AND A BOOK

Twenty nine years ago I was put to bedrest during my pregnancy.  I faced several months on my back and I felt trapped, like I'd lost control of my life.  My husband gave me a yellow legal pad and pen and told me, "Mary Alice, for as long as I've known you, you have wanted to write a novel but didn't have the time. Now you have the time."

I wrote and wrote and finished the draft of my first novel.  I like to say I gave birth to a baby and a book!

Now all these years later, that baby, Zack, just had a baby of his own!  I'm finishing my twentieth novel and as I gaze at my sweet grandson, I can't help but think how sometimes life does come full circle.

My son and his newborn son
Looking back, I learned a precious lesson.  Back when I was put to bed I was miserable, thinking that I was facing a horrid obstacle.  In fact, it wasn't an obstacle at all.  The experience was an opportunity.  I learned from this that how we face hardship can change not only our outlook, but the outcome.  Each decision we make moves us toward the next, and the next, and the next. 

If I hadn't been put to bed rest, I might have lost not only my son, something I can't even think about without a shudder.  But I likely would not have finished that first novel that was sold and changed the course of my career and life.

We are writing the story of our lives day by day.  My bed rest experience and giving birth to a baby and a book was an important chapter.  Gazing at my sweet Wesley, this one truly has a happy ending! 

Meet my new grandson, Wesley!

JUST BREATHE!

It's been a long summer and as I face the summer's end I've begun additional research on dolphins, the focus animal of the Lowcountry Summer Trilogy. I'm hoping to spark new inspiration as I push through the end of the storyline, The Summer's End.  Writing is a lonely, confined, indoor activity.  For the past several months I've cut out activities and have been spending way too much time locked inside while outside my windows the seasons change.  I feel tense, uneasy, like a balloon about to pop.I miss walking the beach.  I long to go out and stand on the Hunley bridge over Breach Inlet seeking out dolphins.  I miss my sea turtles that have left my island on their solitary journeys in the great sea. My only escape lately is to go out to my butterfly garden.  I rush outside multiple times a day, just long enough to steal a moment from my computer to search milkweed leaves for monarch eggs, feed the growing caterpillars and, perhaps, release a newly emerged butterfly to the garden.  Sometimes I just stand quietly and watch the sweet new monarch join the other butterflies to dance on the flowers, feeling the sun on my face. 
Yet, most of the time I'm  trapped indoors.  And it has been raining...a lot.  I feel a disconnect with nature--with the infinite vast and wild that takes my breath away and fills my soul.  Too much confinement makes me feel uneasy and agitated.  I'm out of sorts.  But... my deadline looms over my head (and I know y'all want the next book!) so I dutifully persevere.   
Which brings me to this morning.
In this grumpy frame of mind, I began prowling my library, digging through tomes for some new inspiration for this trilogy that is set against the adorably intelligent and compassionate dolphins.  I didn't know exactly what I was searching for but knew what I sought would be found in a spiritual realm rather than factual.  My hand fell on Ted Andrew's book Animal Speak. I paused.  Joseph Campbell stated that artists were the shamans of today and I believe this is true.  We must trust our intuition.  
I pulled out this book that is a dictionary of animal symbolism and the spiritual powers in all creatures, great and small.  These symbols are sometimes called totems. Since prehistoric times images have helped us transcend the physical to ascertain the spiritual.  To honor nature and to embody its wisdom in our lives.  Shamans believed that every species, every aspect of our natural world had the power to remind us of what we should manifest in our own lives.  They often dressed in animal costume to elicit the sense of wonder, even magic.  Shamans performed rituals that were tied into the rhythms of the seasons to bridge the natural world to the supernatural and offer richer, deeper meaning to their lives.
I can't say I fully understand how this connection to the spiritual power of nature works.  I do believe, however, that one can gain insights into one's life's journey and purpose by simply paying attention to the powers that surround us in Nature.
I realize some people think this kind of thinking is just silly.  Or "woo woo."  I, too, have second-guessed the messages I've heard, or ignored my intuition and the instincts that flared in my gut.  Too many times I've regretted not paying attention to the signals.  Never, however, have I regretted listening. 
Over the past twenty five years I've worked with many different species and I am confident that our connections with nature--both physical and spiritual--are essential to our well being.  And that they are just as powerful today in our modern era as they were in ancient times, if we only open our minds and hearts to what is possible.  We need this inclusive wisdom, perhaps even more today than ever before. 
So, this morning I grabbed the book Animal Speak for no apparent reason.  Just an intuitive hunch.  I searched for the totem dolphin because I thought surely the dolphin would be my current messenger.  Here is what the passage said:
"If dolphin has shown up as a totem, ask yourself some important questions.  What are your words and thoughts creating for you?  If unsure, when dolphin arises you will soon discover. Are you getting outside and enjoying fresh air? Are you holding in tensions? Are others? When dolphin shows up it is time to breathe some new life into yourself. Get out, play, explore, and most of all breathe."
 Just breathe!
I had to smile, even laugh!  I believe this is no mere coincidence.  Yes, I could easily explain it as such.  But to do so would be to deny the intuitive power that I believe lies within myself.  And within each of us if we open ourselves to possibility and listen.
As Andrews states, "humanity has lost that instinctive tie to the rhythms and patterns of Nature."  I wonder if we are so caught up in our technology that we have lost--even deny and ridicule-- our ancient connection to the natural world?
I am listening. Today I will take a long walk in the fresh air. I will find time to laugh and play.  I will take deep breaths.  And in the quiet I will open my mind to creative ideas.  I smile, because I know the words will flow.

Just Breathe!

 

I'm currently writing THE SUMMER'S END, the final book of the Lowcountry Summer Trilogy .  It's been a long summer and as I face the literal summer's end I've begun additional research on dolphins, the focus animal of the trilogy. I'm hoping to spark new inspiration as I push through the end of the storyline.  Writing is a lonely, confined, indoor activity.  For the past several months I've cut out activities and have been spending way too much time locked inside while outside my windows the seasons change.   I miss walking the beach.  I long to go out and stand on the Hunley bridge over Breach Inlet seeking out dolphins.  I miss my sea turtles that have left my island on their solitary journeys in the great sea. My only escape lately is to go out to my butterfly garden.  I rush outside multiple times a day, just long enough to steal a moment from my computer to search milkweed leaves for monarch eggs, feed the growing caterpillars and, perhaps, release a newly emerged butterfly to the garden.  Sometimes I just stand quietly and watch the sweet new monarch join the other butterflies to dance on the flowers, feeling the sun on my face. 
Yet, most of the time I'm  trapped indoors.  And it has been raining...a lot.  I feel a disconnect with nature--with the infinite vast and wild that takes my breath away and fills my soul.  Too much confinement makes me feel uneasy and agitated.  I'm out of sorts.  But... my deadline looms over my head (and I know y'all want the next book!) so I dutifully persevere.   
Which brings me to this morning.
In this grumpy frame of mind, I began prowling my library, digging through tomes for some new inspiration for this trilogy that is set against the adorably intelligent and compassionate dolphins.  I didn't know exactly what I was searching for but knew what I sought would be found in a spiritual realm rather than factual.  My hand fell on Ted Andrew's book Animal Speak. I paused.  Joseph Campbell stated that artists were the shamans of today and I believe this is true.  We must trust our intuition.  
I pulled out this book that is a dictionary of animal symbolism and the spiritual powers in all creatures, great and small.  These symbols are sometimes called totems. Since prehistoric times images have helped us transcend the physical to ascertain the spiritual.  To honor nature and to embody its wisdom in our lives.  Shamans believed that every species, every aspect of our natural world had the power to remind us of what we should manifest in our own lives.  They often dressed in animal costume to elicit the sense of wonder, even magic.  Shamans performed rituals that were tied into the rhythms of the seasons to bridge the natural world to the supernatural and offer richer, deeper meaning to their lives.
I can't say I fully understand how this connection to the spiritual power of nature works.  I do believe, however, that one can gain insights into one's life's journey and purpose by simply paying attention to the powers that surround us in Nature.
I realize some people think this kind of thinking is just silly.  Or "woo woo."  I, too, have second-guessed the messages I've heard, or ignored my intuition and the instincts that flared in my gut.  Too many times I've regretted not paying attention to the signals.  Never, however, have I regretted listening. 
Over the past twenty five years I've worked with many different species and I am confident that our connections with nature--both physical and spiritual--are essential to our well being.  And that they are just as powerful today in our modern era as they were in ancient times, if we only open our minds and hearts to what is possible.  We need this inclusive wisdom, perhaps even more today than ever before. 
So, this morning I grabbed the book Animal Speak for no apparent reason.  Just an intuitive hunch.  I searched for the totem dolphin because I thought surely the dolphin would be my current messenger.  Here is what the passage said:
"If dolphin has shown up as a totem, ask yourself some important questions.  What are your words and thoughts creating for you?  If unsure, when dolphin arises you will soon discover. Are you getting outside and enjoying fresh air? Are you holding in tensions? Are others? When dolphin shows up it is time to breathe some new life into yourself. Get out, play, explore, and most of all breathe."
 Just breathe!
I had to smile, even laugh!  I believe this is no mere coincidence.  Yes, I could easily explain it as such.  But to do so would be to deny the intuitive power that I believe lies within myself.  And within each of us if we open ourselves to possibility and listen.
As Andrews states, "humanity has lost that instinctive tie to the rhythms and patterns of Nature."  I wonder if we are so caught up in our technology that we have lost--even deny and ridicule-- our ancient connection to the natural world?
I am listening. Today I will take a long walk in the fresh air. I will find time to laugh and play.  I will take deep breaths.  And in the quiet I will open my mind to creative ideas.  I smile, because I know the words will flow.    
 
 

THE GIFT OF READING

This past week I had the honor and joy of speaking to thousands of high school and college students, many of whom had read either SKYWARD or THE BUTTERFLY'S DAUGHTER for their summer reads program.  Bravo to Principal Rodney Graves at Crest High School in Shelby, NC; Principal Jeff Stevens at Spartanburg High School; Dr. Terry Pruitt of Spartanburg School District 7, SC; and Dr. Colleen Keith at Spartanburg Methodist Collegeand their staff and the entire communities for encouraging strong reading programs!  Especially the summer reads program that included contemporary books the students selected. Use it or lose it doesn't only apply to the brains of older folks. 

The students I talked to were excited about reading. The day I visited Crest High School was the culmination of their summer read program. I walked through the halls while 100 classrooms were filled with students all talking about books! Does that even happen anymore?  It was thrilling to witness.  At Spartanburg High I was part of a panel with students discussing my books. I sat back in awe and listened to them debate plot and characters with emotion. At Spartanburg Methodist College, a two-year college, I was impressed by the commitment of the faculty and staff to support their students so that 80% of the graduates continue on to a four-year college.  An astonishing feat that beats the standard. The faculty and staff of all these institutions are spreading excitement about reading, putting books in students' hands, making reading relevant in their communities.
Yet, literacy begins at home.  Encouraging reading is not only the responsibility of our schools.  We parents and grandparents model behavior for our children-- and that includes reading. Many of us read to our children when they sat in our laps as toddlers or very young readers.  Too often, however, as our children get older we relinquish our role as reading mentor to the teachers.

I challenge parents, grandparents, and concerned relatives to read a book that is being read by your child. Then discuss it! Bring the book discussion to the dinner table.  Unplug the electronics and turn off the TV.  Talk about it in the car.  How often do you ask your child, "How was school?"  And then get the dismissive answer, "Good."  Try asking your child who his/her favorite character was in the book, or did he agree with the choice the character made, did she like the ending or what did she think the characters might do after the book ended?

If we want our children to read, we must read ourselves.  If we want to improve communication with our children and each other, we must create a calm and safe atmosphere that encourages discussion.  As parents, we must listen to and respect our child's opinion, even if--especially if--it differs from our own.  My son and I have polar opposite political opinions. But I love that he feels he can share his ideas and thoughts with us. Books that are read together can be a great jumping off point for discussions.  You'll be amazed, as I was this past week, by some of the strong voices and opinions you will hear!

High school and college are golden years.  A time of self discovery and dreams. Of finding one's own voice. Give a child a book and you give him or her the keys to his imagination.  Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis said,

"There are many little ways to enlarge your child's world. Love of books is the best of all."

HOW CAN I HELP THE MONARCH BUTTERFLY?

           The monarch butterfly is back in the news again. The Center for Biodiversity is petitioning the federal government to declare the monarch butterfly an endangered species.  An estimated 90% of the species has been lost over the past two decades.
          Why?  The monarch's migration is unique to this continent.  One small, fragile bug joins millions of others every fall to travel back from the northern area of North America to their overwintering grounds in the mountains of central Mexico.  That covers a vast amount of land! Then again in the spring, this same butterfly heads north, as far as Texas, to lay the first generation of eggs before dying.  Milkweed is the host plant of the monarch butterfly. This is a critical point.  Different butterflies lay their eggs on specific families of plants.  It is the ONLY plant they will lay eggs on, and the only plant the caterpillars will eat.  For the monarch butterfly, the host plant is Milkweed.
          Thus, milkweed in abundance is a necessity for the survival of monarch butterflies. There are over 100 different types of Asclepius or milkweed.  Different types grown in different climate zones of the continent.  It's important to know what native species grows in your area.  Over the past two decades a number of factors have contributed to wiping out the breeding grounds of the monarch.
Urban sprawl.  Open, weedy fields, especially across the Midwest, have been paved over for development.  Estimated loss of summer breeding ground is the size of Texas.
Genetically modified plants kill adjacent "weedy" plants.  These so called "weeds" include milkweed.
In Mexico, continued illegal plundering of the oyamel forests in the monarch sanctuaries are destroying habitat.  Doing this is like punching holes in the delicate microclimate in the mountains where the monarchs overwinter.  Recent storms killed countless monarchs.
Along the barrier island coast, residents cut back the shrubs (groundsel, sea myrtle) for a better view. The migrating monarchs depend on these shrubs as they journey south.

           If you're like me, when you read facts like this, your heart aches and you want to know what you can do to help.  Allow me to make a few suggestions of things we can all do in our own back yard to make a difference.
             In a nutshell, remember this:  SPRING  Plant host Milkweed!  FALL  Plant nectar flowers!
            1.  Plant milkweed.  That's the number one thing you can do.  It's an easy plant to grow, needs full sunlight and that's about it.  The spring and summer is when the monarchs are laying eggs and increasing the population.  In the fall, the migrating monarch goes into diapause, does not mate, and uses its energy to journey south to Mexico.
·       seeds  You can buy seeds on line and plant them in the spring or fall.  In the fall, pods form on the milkweed. They're just beginning now so it's a good time to harvest and collect seeds.  I sprinkle them on tilled soil now and let nature take its course!
·       milkweed plants   You can buy milkweed as plants at many local nurseries now, as well as online.  Here's what is important to ask: Has the milkweed been sprayed with pesticides?  If it has, the plant will kill your caterpillars! If the nursery doesn't know, it probably has been sprayed.  I wash mine thoroughly in the spring and let it sit out of the garden in pots for a month before planting it. And I try to only buy milkweed from an organic source.  Once you have your milkweed patch established in your garden, the plant should survive and seed additional plants.
·       resources for plants and monarchs:
     a.  Bring Back the Monarch  http://monarchwatch.org/bring-back-th...
     b.  Live Monarch: I love this site. Great for getting seeds, plants, supplies!  http://www.livemonarch.com/free-milkw... 
      c.  Learner.org   A major source of information  for butterfly lovers. Great reports on monarch migration. http://www.learner.org/jnorth/tm/mona...
·       The three rules for all milkweed: 1. DO NOT EAT  2.DO NOT GET SAP ON SKIN OR IN EYES. 3. EDUCATE AND PROTECT OTHERS FROM #1 & 2.

I hate it when milkweed is referred to as a "weed."  I find it quite pretty!  I plant milkweed directly in my "nectar" show garden.  See how pretty it looks? Which is the milkweed?


                                                         I have a "rear" garden for host plants that can look raggedy after the caterpillars chew it up.  But that's what its there for! I refer to this patch as my "host" garden.  In the early summer I tossed in a few tomatoes, too.  There is milkweed, passion vine (for the Gulf Fritillary) dill, fennel and parsley (for the swallowtails) rue and paw paw.   
           In my zone I grow turberosa and curassavica "tropical" milkweed.  There is a debate as to whether the tropical milkweed, a non-native, is interfering with the monarch migration by providing a milkweed source for butterflies that, simply put, tricks them to staying and breeding rather than moving south.  I have also heard from local butterfly experts that late travelers stay in our region through the winter in SC and Florida where the weather is mild and nectar sources abundant.
          I strongly support the planting of native species of milkweed.  Here is an informative article to read to help you make your own decision.http://texasbutterflyranch.com/2013/02/25/tropical-milkweed-to-plant-it-or-not-its-not-a-simple-question/
            In my area, a barrier island, however, we are having difficulty finding suppliers of native milkweed.  Frankly, if I lived in the MidwestI'd plant only native species that would die down naturally in the fall.  Here on Isle of Palms, tropical milkweed grows abundantly and I've decided to continue planting it to increase the species. I also cut it back in the winter.
             2.  Plant Nectar plants.  Nectar is the food of butterflies.  They need nectar during the breeding season and the really need it now, as they migrate south.  This one brave butterfly that travels thousands of miles must reach the sanctuary in Mexico having gained weight! Yes, gained enough weight to survive the winter months.            
           My garden looks sparse by September, just when the monarchs are racing through searching for food.  Over the past few years I've planted only those flowers that I know will still be in bloom in the fall.  My favorites here include: penta, coneflower, Joe pyeweed, buddleia, sedum, Mexican petunia.  Even still, I'm going to the garden center this week to buy some "fall stock" for the garden. I'm pumping up the supply for migrating butterflies and boosting the garden's appearance as well.  Learn what plants butterflies prefer in your area, especially those that continue blooming through the fall.

            3.  Don't spray pesticides in your garden!  If it kills spiders, ants, etc it will also kill caterpillars!  I oppose aerial mosquito spraying, especially during the migrating season. Be aggressive in your own back yard to not let standing water stay in your birdbaths, planters, etc.  Try some of the fabulous mosquito "zappers" that use lure to draw the varmints in. There are alternatives to spraying with pesticides.  Your flower/milkweed garden should be a "no spray" zone.
            4.  Urge your local politicians to support the petition to put monarchs on the endangered species list.
              5.  Raise Monarchs   Finally, if you are really interested, and you want to share your passion with your children, try raising monarchs!  If I can do it, so can you!            It's not hard, but it does require daily diligence AND a big supply of milkweed--estimated one plant per caterpillar.  I wrote a children's book-- A BUTTERFLY CALLED HOPE with gorgeous photographs by Barbara Bergwerf to help you see what you should do to raise monarchs.  I find actually "seeing" the process is both educational and a relief. For more detailed information (which you will want) I highly recommend getting MY MONARCH JOURNAL by Connie Muther.  Also online, go to www.monarchwatch.com  for an excellent resource on rearing monarchs and all things monarch.




          Currently in my "nursery" I have 60 caterpillars chomping away! I have a number of swallowtails too.  I'm spending long hours every day alone in my office, finishing a novel. It's exhausting work.  Many times a day I take a break to go downstairs to the garden, with Buster and Maggie trotting faithfully behind me, to check on the nursery.  I replenish food supply then go out to the milkweed to scout for eggs.  I find some every day! This brief connection to nature nourishes my creative self.  I feel an "ahhh" outdoors with the butterflies that is instant gratification in my own back yard.  After my break I go back upstairs to work once more on my novel, my batteries recharged.

          The nursery will continue to grow as more eggs hatch into caterpillars.  I can only raise as many as I have milkweed to feed them.  When the milkweed is gone I must let nature take its course.  But next spring I will plant still more milkweed, and more the following year and share seeds with friends so they will plant milkweed, too. 
                                           If you plant it--they will come!

FOR THE LOVE OF BOOK CLUBS

Since fall is the time many book clubs start gathering again, this is a perfect time to launch a giveaway for book clubs! You--and your book club--get a chance to win autographed books on my Facebook Author page to celebrate book clubs everywhere. Each contest spotlights a different book!

First up for giveaway--THE BOOK CLUB (appropriate, eh?). Re-released with a beautiful new cover. 

This novel was inspired by book clubs I've been in. Each club is different. Some are academic with presentations on author and/or book. Some are more social where the conversation quickly moves from book to the personal. I believe a good book sparks conversations that can be revealing, inspiring, and thought provoking. Plus, there's always good food, great wine and lots of laughs--good for the body, mind and soul. 

Which kind of book club do you have? Why do you love it? I look forward to reading more about your book club!
Here's how to enter: Click on the GIVEAWAY tab on my Facebook Author page located under the cover photo. The direct link is below.  And answer this one question:

 Why is your book club special to you?
It's that easy!  Winner will receive an autographed copy of THE BOOK CLUB for members of the club (maximum 12), bookmarks, and an opportunity to schedule a video or phone chat during a future book club meeting. If you're not in a book club, why not call your friends and family to form one? Books are best when shared. 
Winner of THE BOOK CLUB will be announced on Monday, September 15th.!

Here's the direct link to the giveaway:
https://www.facebook.com/maryalicemonroe?sk=app_228910107186452&app_data

For the love of book clubs everywhere, I'll have more book giveaways with different titles in the coming days. THE SUMMER GIRLS will be the next prize. So keep checking in.  

IN REMEMBRANCE...

Our local writing community lost one of our own recently.  Margot Theis Raven had a gift of crafting stories that preserved the beauty of the past in a way that both educated and captivated readers.


Margot Theis Raven 1950 - 2014
Margot was an award-winning author, and also a talented painter, who told others that she didn’t write children’s books, but rather she wrote historical fiction in the form of a children’s picture book.  If you’ve ever read one of her books then you would agree.

My personal favorite, Circle Unbroken , paid homage to the prized art form of sweetgrass basketweaving here in the Lowcountry of South Carolina.  Raven’s words are lyrical, her stories are emotional, and her work is inspiring. 
Her beautiful life was cut short by the ugly and cruel reality of breast cancer.  It hurt to hear the news.  I knew about her battle, but I had hoped she would pull through and join the growing list of survivors.  I envisioned her becoming one of the many women I met several years ago, when writing Time is a River, at a Casting for Recovery retreat in the mountains of North Carolina.  Gathered at a riverbank just outside of Asheville, breast cancer survivors in all stages of treatment and recovery learned the therapeutic sport of fly fishing through this free retreat. In that cold, mountain water, they shared their stories, their worries, and their support as they re-connected with nature and healed from their battle scars.  I had hoped the same for my friend Margot.  
Margot’s death painfully reminds me though that the road is long in the fight to end breast cancer.  On her website, Margot has a quote posted by Patty S. Hill which states, “The world moves forward on the footsteps of little children.” 
How true that is.  Margot left this world far too soon, but she left us with treasures.  Every time someone turns a page in one of her books, a little bit of herself lives on--moves forward--through young readers and those young at heart.   
Thank you, Margot, for sharing your gifts with us.