Monthly Archives: September 2008

Sep 23 2008

Poem

Migration

Why do birds not come anymore
Is it that they don’t like me or
Is it the food I bring
Causing a lack of them to sing

Is it a lack of trees in the yard
Making it too hard
For them to come and perch nearby
Not even a bird in the sky

I fill the feeder with corn and seed
Then return inside to beg and plead
Waiting, watching through the window glass
All I see is the birds pass

Me by
as they fly
pausing briefly on the phone line
not listening to calls of mine

Instead, birds say good-bye
as they fly
away
for winter, in search of warmer days.


Sep 23 2008

Another Review of Stealing Wishes

Fellow author LK Gardner-Griffie posted a review of STEALING WISHES today in her blog…

While not being my usual genre, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Stealing Wishes as it provides a glimpse of a lifestyle outside of my own. It shows modern day relationships as you only learn the first name of any of the characters. The theme of the book is universal as we all contemplate at one time or other what love is, and struggle with the intricacies of relationships, whether gay, hetero, or both.

You can read the whole review here.

Her book, Misfit McCabe, is quickly grabbing the attention of young readers everywhere.

As a writer, it’s always fun to hear readers’ opinions and to see what they bring away from the book or which characters they connect with.  LK is the first reader to have caught some of the Isherwood nuances.  Though Blaine, the main character, loves Isherwood and is elated to find that Edward, his blind date, does too; and despite Blaine quoting Isherwood throughout the book, there are other hidden Isherwood mentions throughout.  LK points out one of the most obvious ones in her review.  Good job, LK!

And thanks again for a great review.  You’ve made my day!

Sep 21 2008

The Last Day of Summer

On this, the last day of summer, I find myself in much the same mood I usually am on Sundays….dreading going back to work tomorrow. 

It’s been a mild summer.  I don’t think the thermometer ever reached triple digits as far as the weather goes.  I judge the weather by a give-away offered by a local radio station….free ice cream when the temp reaches 98 degrees.  I think they only gave away ice cream twice this year.

Despite today officially being the last day of the season, it’s already felt like autumn for a few weeks now.  The nights are colder.  We’ve turned down the air conditioning and put a heavier blanket on the bed.  I’ve noticed my plants and flowers have started to cringe and yellow.  And I’m already thinking about my long sleeved attire, sweatshirts, and hoodies.

J and I perused the Halloween decor at Garden Ridge today, passing up the Xmas decorations that were already front and center.

Autumn is my favorite time of year, and a time when I feel like I still need to accomplish something before the year’s end.  Whether it be a painting or a short story or a book (reading or writing one). Money is tighter.  Work starts to slack off after the busy back-to-school season (we have inventory next month). And I’m constantly reminded of how quickly time is fleeting.

It took so long, all year long, to get here….and the fall colors never seem to last as long.  Mother nature will be dressed in white before we know it.

Sep 20 2008

Palin Doesn’t Like Daddy’s Roommate

Here’s an interesting piece from an article I found in the NY Times on the 13th about how Republican Vice President candidate Palin favors book censorship and was not fond of a book called Daddy’s Roommate which she found on a library’s shelf.  Now Sarah, what did Daddy’s Roommate ever do to you?

“People would bring books back censored,” recalled former Mayor John Stein, Ms. Palin’s predecessor. “Pages would get marked up or torn out.”

Witnesses and contemporary news accounts say Ms. Palin asked the librarian about removing books from the shelves. The McCain-Palin presidential campaign says Ms. Palin never advocated censorship.

But in 1995, Ms. Palin, then a city councilwoman, told colleagues that she had noticed the book “Daddy’s Roommate” on the shelves and that it did not belong there, according to Ms. Chase and Mr. Stein. Ms. Chase read the book, which helps children understand homosexuality, and said it was inoffensive; she suggested that Ms. Palin read it.

“Sarah said she didn’t need to read that stuff,” Ms. Chase said. “It was disturbing that someone would be willing to remove a book from the library and she didn’t even read it.”

“I’m still proud of Sarah,” she added, “but she scares the bejeebers out of me.”

She better keep “track” of this guy’s roommate instead….

Sep 14 2008

Tennessee Hills Take Me Home

I am writing this post from sister’s living room in Fowlkes, Tennessee.  It’s 8:30am, coffee in hand, while everyone else is still silently asleep.  Right now, you’d think Hurricane Ike was hitting us.  There is a giant wind storm taking place outside which has spilled my sister’s aluminum cans across her yard and claimed a neighbor’s tree right down the road.  And yet, there is very little rain falling.

I took a vacation day on Friday to leave St. Louis and come back home to Tennessee to celebrate my mother’s 64th birthday which is today.  I spent Friday taking photos of my niece (I’ve been given the duty of photographer for her senior pictures,) and also took a few of her mom (my sister) and my mother.

Also on Friday, I went to the grocery store with Mom and perused a used bookstore that just opened downtown.  She made white spaghetti which is what we are having today.  It’s always better after sitting over night.  Yesterday, we hit a local flea market which happens here the 2nd Saturday of every month.  Although it was mostly new stuff, there were more guns, warrior-looking knives, and duck calls than you could shake a stick at.  Mom and I bought and shared a back of praline roasted pecans.

Yesterday afternoon, we went to Reelfoot lake for more picture taking of my niece…who complained most of the time about her eyes watering or the sun being in her eyes.  That’s a teen for you.  Then, the whole family joined us to eat catfish at one of the lake’s restaurants…a long time tradition we’ve done for years for birthdays and various holidays.

We are going to church today with my mother, then having an early dinner at her house, and then I’ll be returning home to St. Louis.  But here are some of my best Kodak moments I captured on Friday…

My niece.  One of the best pictures when she really was in the moment, despite that huge necklace around her neck.  I took it in faded sepia and black and white tones for a different effect.

Silly to them, but cute to me because of the bright colors they were wearing.  That’s Mom, my niece, and my sister.

Another good one that I think came out perfectly of her.

Three generations.  There were some good candid ones of them laughing while I was trying to make them pose.

My sister framed this one with a few others as a birthday gift for Mom.

Happy Birthday!  That’s my Momma!

Sep 10 2008

September 11th, 2001

Like many of us, I will always remember where I was 7 years ago tomorrow.  I was at work, peddling away my last days in Memphis.  I was moving to St. Louis in just 4 days.  Tomorrow, many of us will share our stories with others as a way to recall that horrible day.

Check out this interview with Will Entrekin, an author who wrote an essay about being in Manhattan on 9/11/01.

Check out Will’s blog if you’d like to read the essay.  It will be going live later today or tomorrow to commemorate the anniversary.

Sep 6 2008

PODBRAM Review of STEALING WISHES

Floyd M. Orr’s review of STEALING WISHES went live today at the PODBRAM site.  Here’s a taste…

The author has genuinely captured the essence of many of those living in the gay community of a large city. Young adults of all sexual persuasions live through much of the same angst as Shannon’s gay and straight characters. He has presented them all blended together, just as in real life. Stealing Wishes may not strike with the powerful punch of the sort of nonfiction tome that a reader might say changed his or her life, but the flow of the characters’ conversations displays the depth of thought that went into this relatively short book of fiction. The heartfelt poignancy drips from its pages of light comedy.

This review site began in July 2006, solely reviewing books published through iUniverse.  This year it branched out to include other POD facets (and more).  The site was also my own inspiration for starting the Lulu Book Review blog.

Though I consider Floyd to be an internet friend and review colleage, I know that his review of my own book is honest and forthright.  After all, he is a heterosexual married man and since my book is classified as gay fiction, I doubt it is a book he’d pick up from the local bookstore of his own accord for reading pleasure.

Thanks again, Floyd.

Sep 6 2008

New Paintings

I spent most of my 3 day Labor Day weekend working on a painting project which a coworker had asked for me to do for them.  She presented me with a magazine clipping of 3 paintings which she wanted me to try to mimic and paint for her.  Using a mix of acrylic paints, scrap booking paper, stencils, and several glues and varnishes, I think my paintings are actually better than the ones from the magazine.  Needless to say, she loved them!

Here is the magazine clipping…

Here’s my version of the top painting…

And the middle one…

And my favorite…

Sep 3 2008

The Death of all of my Flowers

October is the onset of autumn here in St. Louis.  My spring flowers will die away.  My dining room will become crowded once again with J’s snake plant and my sago palm as we usher them inside to escape the first frost.  My ruby bagonias, purple potato plant, fishnet stockings, and blood grass were a nice splash of fall color, but I doubt they will see Thanksgiving.  I have yet to buy mums and pumpkins for Halloween, but they too will surely pass on soon after skeletons and witches come knocking for sweets. All this death, and I’m looking forward to just one thing come October 1st.  PUSHING DAISIES is back!  Thank you ABC!  I’m so glad it survived the writer’s strike and got nominated for Emmy’s.  It’s the best show on television since…well, since Dead Like Me!