Thursday Show & Tell - The See Ya Soon Edition

Well, folks, I am 38 weeks pregnant. I am an ocean liner. A 90 year-old with permanently creaky hips and questionable navigation.

I am cranky, I am exhausted, and all I want to eat is ice cream. Right now, the only person in my house who does not annoy me is the dog.

That being said, this is my last post for a while. I’m due to have this baby in 6 days. So if you don’t hear from me for a little while, that’s why. I’ll try to at least get a good baby picture up here to share in a week or two, though.

In the mean time, here are some cool things I wanted to share before I head (God willing) into post natal bliss:

Credit: Richard Foreman/CBS

1.) My favorite show currently on television, NCIS, is finishing up its 10th season. That’s quite a long stretch for a TV drama, which means some kudos for the writers who keep viewers coming back week after week. That being said, Tuesday night’s episode ended on a cliffhanger, making me wonder if they’re going to kill off one of my favorite characters, a former Mossad officer-turned NCIS agent, Ziva David.

I can’t take this sort of drama with my pregnancy hormones raging. If they kill off Tony or Ziva–two characters playing ”will they or won’t they?” NCIS agents–I’ll lose it. Anyway, this interview with Cote de Pablo (the actress who plays Ziva) may fill in a few of the blanks. As a writer, I’m especially interested in the way she describes a choice with a certain scene in Tuesday night’s episode, and the way that she thinks Tony’s character is evolving … who he is as a man. Very cool.

Check it out here.
 

2.) I’ve talked about this book, Dirt Work: An Education in the Woods, here before, but I’ve

got to mention it again. Just published this month by Beacon Press, it’s a book of essays about life as an Alaskan “trail dog,” by my friend, the writer Christine Byl. It’s already come out to great acclaim, and has been mentioned as a “favorite Spring read” in places like O Magazine and more!

I hope you’ll check it out; it’s available in hardback and as an eBook from any independent bookstore, and of course online at places like Amazon.com.
 

3.) Today is the birthday of Ella Fitzgerald, the ”First Lady of Song.” Originally from Virginia, she entered a talent contest when she was 16, started to freeze up, and then sang. From there, it’s history.

Ella once said, “The only thing better than singing is more singing.” So in honor of Ella, and of my current physical state caused by the baby in my belly, check out “Cry Me a River.”




That’s all, folks! Happy Weekend, and I’ll catch you on the flip side.

Books, Music & More: Show & Tell Friday

Last week, I inaugurated “Show & Tell Friday” here at The Writing Scott and over at my author website.

I dug it. I’m doing it again.

First up, my dear writer-friend Christine Byl’s debut book of nonfiction: Dirt Work: An Education in the Woods. I was lucky enough to get to know Christine back in 2008, when we spent a month as writing fellows at the Vermont Studio Center. We talked the wonders of Alaska, and she lent me her cross country skis. She is good people.

I know from personal experience reading her work that she’s an incredible talent. This is a book worth buying! It releases April 16, 2013 from Beacon Press, but you can reserve your copy now at Amazon and other stores, including your local independent bookstore.

By the way, that’s her in the wheelbarrow on the cover!

Next, a poem to share: “Waking,” by Stephen Dobyns. This was Monday’s featured poem on my daily dose of The Writer’s Almanac (which can show up in your Inbox, too, dear reader, if you only sign up). I am an awful poet, yet I adore poetry. And this poem just touched me with its gorgeous familiarity. It’s about marriage, and family, and it says so many of the things I’d like to say if I could.

Bradley Carter

Then, for you Western North Carolina, Upstate South Carolina, Eastern Tennessee readers–heck, anyone in the near-enough area–there’s some great music being created in my neck of the woods. This time, by two of my favorite people: Bradley Carter and H.R. Gertner, guys I worked with in my college days at an outdoor adventure camp in the mountains. Back then, I got to listen to these two pick, play, and sing on Sunday nights around a roaring campfire. (They’re also mad climbers and paddlers.) Check them out on Facebook!

Now they’re sharing their talents with the world. Keep your eyes and ears peeled for dates when they’re playing near you. Bradley will be coming home to Brevard, N.C. on April 16, 2013, to play at 185 King Street!

Finally, I’ll be signing copies of Keowee Valley and chatting with readers this Saturday, March 9 at the Oconee Heritage Center in Walhalla, S.C., from 2 – 3 p.m. My visit coincides with Old Time Music Day, so there should be a lot of great sounds coming from this fabulous little museum. (There’re also two incredible 18th century, preserved Cherokee canoes–pulled from nearby rivers–to check out at the OHC, along with all kinds of other cool stuff.)

18th c. Cherokee canoes - Oconee Heritage Center

Happy Friday, everyone–hope it’s a great weekend for us all!

Happy Readers, and the Writing of Friend



Image credit: serc.carlton.edu

Some days the sun just chooses to shine. In reality, in Western North Carolina today our weather's been cloudy and stormy. But the sun is shining in my Inbox. And for that I am thankful.

This morning I woke to two fabulous messages in my email Inbox, which I happened to catch as I was racing through the house trying to get myself and my two year-old ready to head to the Forest with a friend. I was literally skating through our living room in my river sandals, dodging Trigger (my daughter's rocking horse) and Scout (our real dog, who decided she'd be a third leg and make me feel especially guilty that I wasn't taking her with us) when a particular email address on my laptop screen caught my eye.

Here's why: Last night after I'd just finished the new release of a bestselling author I particularly admire--her novels are gorgeous and fabulous and lovely and soulful and with an awesome little Southern (as in the Southern U.S.) - Italian kick--I decided to write to this same author, asking if she'd be willing to read my novel, KEOWEE VALLEY, and if she liked it, to offer a blurb.

Well, she'd written back by this morning, not only graciously agreeing (wooohoooo!) but also congratulating me and encouraging me to "enjoy the moment." Her email was genuine and kind, and I'm still glowing from it.

Then, next to this message was another fabulous little ray of sunshine: A message from blogger Michelle Griep, a writer and reviewer who has an advance review copy of KEOWEE VALLEY. She loves the novel, she said, so much so that she mentioned it in her blog today. She'll be formally reviewing KEOWEE VALLEY for Novel Reviews when it's published late this summer.

Happiness!

Bascially, it's been a good day. Even the dog has forgiven me.

Henry David Thoreau
(photo from Wikipedia)

But before I forget, please check out my writer-friend Christine Byl's blog post at Beacon Broadside, in celebration of the 150th anniversary of Henry David Thoreau's Walden. Christine's debut, DIRT WORK, is forthcoming from Beacon Press in 2013. If you've ever wanted to head off into the woods, or to the beach, or to anywhere, alone, to sit and examine the natural world and your place in it... heck, if you've ever wanted to simplify, Thoreau is to be thanked.

May there be more sunny days ahead for us all.