M.O.R.E. P.L.E.A.S.E.

I just thought it would be fun to share some bits of life and non-writing projects that often get nudged (gently) to the side when writing my blogs.

My daughter turned 3 recently. She has refused to wear anything but dresses since the first week of May, and has a serious collection of headband and clip-on hair extensions ranging from Rapunzel blonde to green and hot pink. If we try to leave the house without one, she yells, "My hair! I need my hair!" Some days, I wonder if we're on our way to preschool or the senior center. Also, she learned to read the alphabet a few days after her 2nd birthday, and last week she told me she wants to learn how to read this summer. Whether she does or not, I'm proud that she wants to.  

My husband and I have, as of this month, been together for thirteen years, not counting the rehab stint and short -yet effective- jail sentence. (Okay, 2 out of 3 of those are falsehoods.) We make a good team. He stays on the other side of the line when I raise my freak flag and I don't mind his need to "modify" everything. E. Ver. Y. Thing. And, as a rule, we don't ask too many questions. An example phone call from last month:
Hubby -"(Insert name of friend here) is coming over." 

Me -"Whatcha gonna do?" 

Hubby -"Pull my truck out of the pond." 

Me -"It's in the pond?" 

Hubby -"Only part of it." 

Me -"Okay then, see you later." 

Of course we have our faults. I'm sure he's a little dejected that my idea of "sexting" is, "Please feed the kitties. Bitch." And he has a terrible habit of throwing his hat on the bed (BAD mojo). Regardless, I've decided to keep him. (...for now...) 

Among our dog and three cats, we now have three hermit crabs after a sudden end to one hermit crab. My husband brought him home from the beach. My daughter named him Striper. We took him to Petsmart, had him fitted for shells, bought a house and all that entails and -over the course of a week- did every little thing to ensure that his health and mental status remained tip-top. So, of course, on the sixth day the ungrateful little pisher took a bath. Then a dirt nap. I willed him back to life for two more days before succumbing to the truth: You can love a hermit, but he'll die before he lets you in. So we had the talk, and Striper was buried at sea pond. After two ducks (of which we talk not of) and a hermit crab, my husband is banned from bringing home animals.

My daughter named her new hermits Betty Boop (Betty's mug is painted on the back of her shell), little Kiki (who she claims is a boy), and Ricky (the thinker). Since many Internet savvy people agree it's dangerous to post pics of your loved ones on public sites, I have chosen to post likenesses of them (below) to protect Betty Boop, Kiki, and Ricky from predators and potential molesters.       

  

Left to right: Betty Boop, Kiki, & Ricky

Phone call with my husband concerning this project:
Hubby -"Whatcha doing?"
Me -"I'm going to the store to buy pipe-cleaners."
Hubby -"Why?"
Me -(Impatiently) "So I can make pipe-cleaner hermit crabs."
Hubby -"Okay then, see you later."

Moving on, I have promised myself -once a few manuscripts are completed- the project of a lifetime. Since I was a teen, I've wanted desperately to build/refurb a dollhouse and decorate it with things that represent phases in my life: people, places, influences, etc... Miniatures have always been a magnetic force, along with my unruly love of paper products and baby chickens. I acquired a homemade dollhouse from a sale approximately 6 months ago, and have (adoringly) named it The Albatross. Currently, I am collecting furniture and style ideas on one of my boards at http://pinterest.com/bchorpenning/. Once I start the actual referb, I'm sure it will take months to complete. But I'm absolutely positive it will look beautiful...unless I fail miserably. In that case, I will post pics of splintered wood being sacrificed to a wild, hungry flame.

(Picture to be added soon.)

So that's a bit about me that I can safely share without fear of being labeled a ringleader, accomplice, or aider and abettor. Being a fan of the Actor's Studio with James Lipton, I've answered his final 10 below because, let's be honest, this is the only forum that is ever gonna happen in. Just imagine Lipton's voice drawing out every word until next Wednesday, and a hot Rosario Dawson or Taryn Manning answering him. (I can sound like whomever I want. It's my blog.) 

1)  What is your favorite word?
     No.

2)  What is your least favorite word?
     Balls. (As in male anatomy. But I totally find the word 'teabagging' hilarious.)

3)  What turns you on?
     Nice shoulders.

4)  What turns you off?
     Miserable-minded people.
5)  What sound or noise do you love?
     My daughter's voice.

6)  What sound or noise do you hate?
     The screeching of metal being dragged.

7)  What is your favorite curse word?
     Asstastic.

8)  What profession other than your own would you like to attempt?
     Wing walker.

9)  What profession would you not like to do?
     Anything culinary. (It's safer for everyone.)

10) If Heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?
     "You're late."
     "That's right, God. You didn't ask for a miracle."

I love you El Camino Novella!

Coffee Time by Ian Kahn

I've been reading up on novellas as opposed to short stories and standard novels, and have quickly gathered that novellas are the El Caminos of literature. Or the weird kids that sit alone at lunch sipping grape juice boxes and laughing out loud at silent jokes. But why? Unless you're a speed-reader, 17,500 to 40,000 words seems like adequate time to sit and bond with your El Camino novella poquito. Some of the best literature has arrived in the form of novellas: Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad, Animal Farm by George Orwell, The War of the Worlds by H.G. Wells, A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean, Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse, and The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson to name a few. These are not slim young adult novels or cozies, of which people readily embrace. And I'm sure, with so much to offer, the last thing on the minds of readers is, "Wow, what a slack-ass for only writing half a book!"

Though I would never liken my writing to the aforementioned list of wonderful literature, I would like to think there's an audience for the urban fantasy adult novella I'm currently working on. After struggling with the idea of turning it into a novel, I've realized that it has to be what it wants to be. If I force more, it could bury the foundation. What kind of story would it be then? A craptastic spectacle of "I shouldn't haves". That's what.

On the other end of the world, as a mother, writer, multitasker to the nth degree, and devout procrastinator, I have learned to appreciate reading shorter stories. Gone are the days of leisurely reading hour upon hour (at least for a few more years). Surely others are finding themselves in the same time-annihilating predicament. So why are adults hesitant to invest their money, time, and (more importantly) emotions to a shorter read? If it costs the same, consumers might want the brick instead of the feather to feel like they are getting the most for their purchase. Maybe they want to feel that excitement that only a fabulous book can create, and they want it to last for as long as possible. (Psst, I don't blame you.) But after a long novel, a novella might be that spunky sip of espresso you need to refresh. Or it may be that little kick in the ass to get you out of a dry slump because "I've got sooooo much to do I can't possibly stop everything just to read for pleasure..."

The bottom line: If the storyline and characters rock, get tangled, get invested. Don't be a word fascist. Judge a book by its cover, not by its length. Any guy'll tell you, that's just not fair. And you might find a book worth reading twice, which would make up for the low word count...if you don't mind cheating a little. All I'm saying is don't exclude a potentially wonderful read simply for what it isn't.

For a longer list of novellas to jumpstart your brain, click here:
http://www.amazon.com/20-Great-Novellas/lm/R6R2MEIW7EZVJ
or here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_novellas


For more photography by Ian Kahn: http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=283

Call for blogs/articles supporting Meghan Gurdon's "Darkness Too Visible" article

I would like to add some links to blogs and articles that support Meghan Cox Gurdon's Wall Street Journal article. I disagree, obviously, but it seems only fair to offer readers a full spectrum of views concerning the question, "Is YA content too dark?" But i've been looking... And searching... I'm sure there's one out there... Humph...

Okay, if you know of one, or if you've written one, please, please comment with a link.

I've updated this post:
Here you go peoples. A drop of rain on the sun.
"In Defense of Meghan Cox Gurdon, Children's Book Reviewer" by Janice Harayda, novelist & journalist (One Minute Book Reviews):
http://oneminutebookreviews.wordpress.com/2011/06/06/in-defense-of-meghan-cox-gurdon-childrens-book-reviewer/

More responses concerning dark YA content

"My Take on the Wall Street Journal Article About YA" by Sarah Fine, child psychologist (The Strangest Situation blog):
http://thestrangestsituation.blogspot.com/2011/06/my-take-on-wall-street-journal-article.html

"YA Lit; or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Embrace the Darkness" by Shedrick Pittman-Hassett, librarian, author, (Serial Distractions, A Writer's Residence blog):

One of the best rebuttals I have read.

http://serialdistractions.com/2011/06/05/ya-lit/

"There's Dark Things In Them There Books!" by Liz B., librarian (School Library Journal):

TONS of links to other sites concerning this topic are located at the bottom of Liz B's rebuttal.

http://blog.schoollibraryjournal.com/teacozy/2011/06/05/theres-dark-things-in-them-there-books/comment-page-1/#comment-47906

"Books Are Dangerous!" by Donalyn Miller, teacher (an Education Week Teacher blog):
http://blogs.edweek.org/teachers/book_whisperer/2011/06/books_are_dangerous_yasaves.html?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

"Navigating The Darkness: In Defense of Young Adult Literature" by Sheryl Long, professor (Teaching With Zest blog):
http://teachingwithzest.blogspot.com/2011/06/navigating-darkness-in-defense-of-young.html

"...this dark, dark stuff."

According to Meghan Cox Gurdon's article "Darkness Too Visible" in the the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), a simple question addresses a touchy topic. How dark is contemporary young adult (YA) fiction? Ms. Gurdon thinks it is (to paraphrase) too dark and damaging for young adults, and is simply a mechanism by publishers to keep book sales up. Among listed examples are Suzanne Collins' Hunger Games trilogy, Jackie Morse Kessler's Rage, and Cheryl Rainfield's Scars. The article also sites the concerns of Amy Freeman, mother to a 13 year old girl, who was unable to find anything to purchase for her daughter in the YA section of a store because it was all "...vampires and suicide and self-mutilation, this dark, dark stuff."

I have read both the original article "Darkness Too Visible", as well as Jackie Morse Kessler's invigorating blog rebuttal "Making The Darkness Visible". (Links to both can be found at the bottom of this blog.) The WSJ article, as well as Ms. Kessler's response have spurred a #YAsaves hashtag on Twitter, and everyone seems to be weighing in.

My thoughts, you ask? (Said with hand cupped behind ear, head tilted to hear you better.)

The same evils have been around since humanity doubled from one to two. Has the world really changed that much? No. Have our offerings to children and young adults really changed? Absolutely. Especially the presentation. Many generations grew up reading Grimm's Fairy Tales. If you read them -no, not the current panzied versions, but the originals- they were ugly, degenerate-induced, seedy things wrapped in candy shells. But they served their purpose, teaching and reminding us that good is always accompanied by bad, and if we can learn to recognize the different varieties of both, the better our lives will be. So these stories live on. And, as Ms. Gurdon notes, S.E. Hinton did blast onto the scene in 1967 with The Outsiders, spreading the word that it's okay to address social problems because they do, in fact, affect teens. So, by this point in history, we've covered good vs. evil and social issues can be a bitch. Now, what of current YA books?

Young Adult books, as of late, seem to focus more on the bad bits we find in ourselves rather than in others. Instead of purely focusing on social events/consequences, it's okay for teens to put themselves under the microscope to ask questions, find others, and seek answers. Is that so wrong? Meghan Gurdon thinks so. But we do NOT live in past eras that consistently misunderstood some of the more damaging psychoses (such as depression, anorexia, bulimia, self-mutilation, etc...), and mistreated these with atrocities far worse than the diseases themselves. While stigmas may never completely wane, we DO live in a world fueled with technology, communication, and the power to come together as one voice to enforce what we cannot always say as one individual.

In high school, I was one of two actresses in 'Night Mother, a play written by Marsha Norman in 1981 that addressed suicide. My character shot herself at the end of the hour and a half ride, and the audience was left to watch the character's mother, in horror, beat on a closed door, screaming, and finally collapsing in silence before having to make "that" phone call to her son. (Paige, you were awesome!) Many parents argued it was too sensitive a topic for mere high schoolers, while some parents were too busy talking with their suicidal high schoolers that had found power from the play and stepped up, asking for help. No matter the catalyst -whether a play, art, or literature- illuminating ugly troubles -whether severe or mundane- is far healthier than pretending they do not exist. As Ms. Kessler states on her blog today, "Maybe the notion of discussing these issues makes some people uncomfortable. That's understandable; these are not comfortable topics. But that's not a good reason to remain quiet."

To Amy Freeman, mother of a 13 year old girl,

     If you were unable to find anything within those ranges of fiction for your daughter, that she would never be able to identify with any of them... Then you are lucky. But some children do not have wonderful parents or role models or anyone, really, to relate to, or to ask for help. So for those children, these authors of "darkness" offer a flashlight, a hand to hold, and maybe even hope.

To Meghan Cox Gurdon of the Wall Street Journal,

     "Entertainment does not merely gratify taste, after all, but creates it." Individual choices in entertainment also lead to empathy for differences, self-empowerment, and sound sociological bearing. At one time, someone was addressing Judy Blume and S.E. Hinton with the same amount of piss and venom, and now they are beloved authors that most consider lucky to have read because they broke through the "safe" barrier to the truth of things.  

Is it so dangerous to admit we are imperfect?

Should we wait for the ceiling to collapse over our children's heads?

Or should we give them the tools to ask, "what ceiling?"

Censorship is not an answer. Talking to our children is.


Links to:      
Wall Street Journal's article: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702303657404576357622592697038.html
Jackie Morse Kessler's blog rebuttal:
http://jackiemorsekessler.com/blog/2011/06/05/making-the-darkness-visible/