New Year's Eve I finished reading Girls of a Tender Age, a compelling and disturbing memoir. Mary-Ann Tirone-Smith writes about her childhood and the murder of a childhood friend. The story would've caught me even if a classmate of mine* hadn't been murdered back when I was in the eighth grade. She was not my …
Category: writing
the pain of it
A pain expands in my chest when I read or hear great writing I wish I had written. This is not a metaphorical pain. And like wishing for money to solve financial problems or for a pill to vanquish food poisoning, I wish to have written something brilliant. Why does it matter?
It elementary–character.
I've watched this new Sherlock series--and enjoyed greatly. Since childhood I've loved mysteries: Sherlock Holmes, Perry Mason, Agatha Christie,... Scooby-Doo. But anyway, Sherlock is possibly the most filmed literary character ever. What makes this character fascinating? And when I watch the new Sherlock dash across the screen, I wonder about the ability of Sir Authur …
Everyone’s Past
I have finished my rough draft of this year's NaNoWriMo novel, and I started with the first three chapters and notes my mother wrote before she died. The story is about a relationship she had. A couple years ago I made contact with this man from her past and he wrote me a letter about …
Is it only time travel if you go with your body?
So, I'm participating in NaNoWriMo again--to write a novel and to see writing friends. But mostly to write a novel. And this novel is the one my mother started before she passed away. The novel is autobiographical, and to continue the story, I've read her letters and spent time thinking about a particular time in …
Continue reading Is it only time travel if you go with your body?
Mind Your Manners
When I was 15, my mother wrote me this. You're approaching adulthood. Neither boys nor girls automatically know how to behave. Manners will get you through. That's what social manners are for. The other night a young woman sharing a table with me burped loudly. She didn't say excuse me or look around as if …
you know the unicorn is there
In April of 1989, seven months before she passed away, my mom wrote this. You'll probably call this weekend, but I wanted to ask you how your reading went. Talk about being on the spot! To just say "I enjoyed your poetry" sounds rather insipid. I wish I were not your mother so I could …
you can judge
On my 19th birthday, my mom wrote me this. I really appreciate your sending me the copies of your poems; I know that took some courage. I enjoyed them, as poems. As a mother, of course, I have to wonder about contentm but I work at not doing that. Parents are never the ones to …
reading the past
Since I've decided to write my mother's novel, ahem, I'm rereading her letters. Letters she saved from other people and letters she sent to me. The novel she started is, after all, veiled autobiography. My mother once wrote me, A la M [the ex-boyfriend], I just decided to go ahead and write a novel, as …
The answer is 42.
I've no ideas for blogging. I've ideas for stories, for art, for conversation, and no time to pursue them. My laptop won't accept any discs and so I can't get my scanner to work because I can't use the start up disc. One camera is broken and the other camera needs batteries. My writing time …
Marta Bacon 