Show & Tell Saturday: A Girl on a Horse, Books, & a Must-See Museum

Please forgive me for the belated Show & Tell post. This past week, my husband lit out for the Mexican border and left me with a rain-addled 4 year-old and a teething 3 month-old.
Just kidding. He had to work out of town. But still.

Not much got done while he was away, except for taking care of the kiddos. And letting my 85 lb black lab sleep on my bed at night. I did take one shower at 1:30 a.m. So that's something.

Anyway ....

Here are some great things to share:

1.) The Storied South by William Ferris
I can't wait to get my hands on this book. Filled with interviews with writers and artists like Eudora Welty, Alice Walker, Pete Seeger, C. Vann Woodward and more, reviewers say that it shows how the power of storytelling has impacted the cultural identity of the South, and all of us.
 





 2.) Museum of the Cherokee in South Carolina

I've not been to the Museum of the Cherokee in South Carolina, but you better believe I'm going to get there as soon as possible. Located across from the courthouse in the cool little town of Walhalla, SC, it only recently opened. The museum is dedicated to preserving and sharing the often little-known history of the Cherokee Indians in the blue hills of South Carolina, where they lived for thousands of years before white encroachment.

This thrills me, because my novel, Keowee Valley, is set largely in this area, and deals with a time period (the mid 1700s) when the Cherokee in South Carolina were still many and powerful. So much of the South has been informed by this incredible nation of people. There's an abundance of history and mystery in those gorgeous foothills; I'm happy the South Carolina Cherokee are finally being celebrated.

Check out the Museum's web site and Facebook page (which posts history tidbits weekly).

3.) A girl and her horse

This is the most incredible thing I've seen in a long time. Shared with me by one of my dearest friends, it's the video of Stacy Westfall, a deaf-mute young equestrienne riding a horse in honor of her father, who recently passed away. She directs the horse via free rein, in the old Native way, using only pressure from her own body.

Seriously, y'all. I sat there and bawled as I watched this. It's an incredible testament to the power of the human spirit--and for that matter, to the power of the animal spirit, too!

Make sure you watch it all the way through until the end, because it just keeps getting better. Trust me: you will be deeply moved.

Artist-in-Residency Part II + Tips for Getting the Most Out of Your Artist's Residency or Retreat Experience

* Continued from last week's post about my stint as the Artist-in-Residence at The Reserve at Lake Keowee in Sunset, S.C.

As promised, here's a bit more about my time at The Reserve, where I stayed for a week with my entire family (minus the dog). Last week I mentioned the talks I gave and the fun we had as a family--and even the actual writing of pages (the few, the proud) I was able to complete. This week I'll finish up my recap and offer some tips from my own experiences about how to best utilize an artist's residency like this one.
 

As mentioned, The Reserve is a private community on Lake Keowee, nestled in the foothills of the South Carolina Blue Ridge mountains. The entire Keowee River Valley was flooded in the 1960s to make the lake; the very land on which my novel, Keowee Valley, is set--especially the real-life settings of the Cherokee village of Keowee Town and the British Fort Prince George, lie beneath those blue waters. Or what's left of them after a couple hundred-plus years, a hurried excavation, time and the sheer tonnage of water and pull of gravity.

 
For a moving, gorgeous and powerful first-person account of the excavation and flooding of the Keowee River Valley, see "History's Mornings" in LOST magazine, by the award-winning author, poet and composer Philip Lee Williams.

 

The Valley is steeped in history, obviously. I was delighted to get to explore two 19th century graveyards on the property. Kathryn Gravely, Director of the Community Foundation, happily took me to each. She and some members of the community have painstakingly cared for these resting places, gently clearing away debris, but being sure not to disturb the graves themselves.

I love old graveyards, like most history nuts. They've never scared me; even as a child, wandering through spooky Lowcountry cemeteries draped in gray, ghostly Spanish moss, I always felt comfortable. There just seemed to be so many stories, so many lifetimes there.

Giving my talk at Orchard House

On our last night at The Reserve I gave a history talk at Orchard House, a lovely and well-appointed room with hefty leather chairs and a huge stone fireplace, located in the Clubhouse. There was a nice crowd, and they asked the most interesting questions. Though I'm certainly no expert, especially when it comes to the Cherokee, I did spend nearly two years--and time since--immersed in research of the period, the people, and the languages and cultures of the place. I'm not afraid to admit when I don't know something.


All in all, it was an amazingly peaceful and productive week--even with my entire family in

Standing outside the Clubhouse

tow! (And that's saying an awful lot.) I'm incredibly thankful to the amazing Kathryn Coleman Gravely, The Community Foundation, and the wonderful people of The Reserve for their generosity. It's impressive to see a community like this one--one that has formed its own collective identity with purpose and grace--place such a high value on the arts, and on nourishing artists. What a gift!

Dessert at the Clubhouse on our last night

So, if you're an artist or a writer like me, and you get the chance to take part in an artist's residency, here are some tips I've found helpful:

1.) Get to know the people in the community where you're residing.

Even if you've got to bury your head in your work, take the time to venture out and meet the people who live in the town, who run the residency, or who live and work nearby. They're part of the makeup of the place, and their stories are priceless. They're happy you're there--and that happiness will carry over into your own work, lighting it from beneath.

2.) Be flexible and full of good humor.

You never know what can happen over the course of an artist's residency. Some residencies last days, some weeks, and some even months. When I was at the Montana Artists' Refuge for a month, the refrigerator in my apartment made a horrible rumbling noise and then groaned as if it was dying every night. At the Vermont Studio Center, where I spent another month, the house I stayed in was haunted. There were heavy footsteps outside my door for several nights in a row. No lie. And at The Reserve, we ended up having to leave a day early because of a scheduling mix-up. The point is, none of these things mattered. They were tiny blips in the grand scheme of what I hope (and pray) will be a long career as a writer. What I gleaned from each residency far out-weighed anything so insignificant as a bump in the road.

3.) Get out and explore.

No matter where you're residing, get out and explore the natural and man-made worlds around you. It can only inform your art, make it richer, more vibrant and true. In Montana, I met another writer who I discovered was also an avid hiker. We hiked in every state and national forest within a three hour's drive of the Refuge. In October. Sometimes in feet and feet of snow. Did I write as much as I could have? Probably not. But I'll never forget those hikes, the talks, the snow-capped Rockies and endless big sky. Trust me: you will feed off these first-hand experiences for months and even years afterward.

4.) Know all the particulars of your residency beforehand.

When are you supposed to arrive? Depart? Is someone picking you up and dropping you off at the airport/bus station/train station? Should you get a taxi? Do taxis even come out to where you're staying? Do you need to bring linens? Is there a washer/dryer? What about food? Do you need to buy groceries or is there a dining hall? Will you need a rental car, or can you walk just about everywhere? What are your responsibilities while you're in residence: do you need to attend readings, give readings, mingle with townsfolk, other residents, etc? And my Numero Uno: is there a coffee maker and does it work?

5.) Suck the very marrow out of your time there.

Use every moment you have, in some way, to inform your art. Read, write, meditate, listen to music, and do it all over again until you are entirely present in the moment. Get up early. Stay up late. Take naps. You have left your world behind: a world that most likely includes work, friends, family, and a myriad of responsibilities that sometimes weigh heavily. Let them go, as much as is humanly possible. They will be there waiting for you when you return. But you will never get this uninterrupted creative time again. Use it, embrace it, luxuriate in it. Sound your barbaric yawp across whatever rooftop you can find.

6.) Be grateful.

Always be truly thankful for this precious time you've been given. Thank the people in charge, like the residency directors, and the people who aren't--like the maids who clean your cabin/apartment/studio space, or the cooks at the dining hall. Write thank you notes. Write letters to the board of the foundation that paid for you to be there. Thank them for choosing you, for taking a chance on you and your art, for shining a light on artists and creativity in a world that too often seems dim.

If you haven't been lucky enough to enjoy an artist's residency, take heart. There are plenty out there, and one will be perfect for you. Keep writing, creating, and applying.

Good Dog

Scout's first hike: Pisgah National Forest

Today, I celebrate the birthday of my dog, Scout. She's 10 years old.

She's played quite a few roles over the years: best buddy, favorite trail partner, baby wrangler, toddler pillow, road trip queen, beach bum, lifeguard, mountain climber, and more.

She is a most boon companion.





So, today, in honor of Scout, some quotes about good dogs:

“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don't know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a

dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring--it was peace.”
~ Milan Kundera

"The dog is the god of frolic."
~ Henry Ward Beecher

 

“A person can learn a lot from a dog, even a loopy one like ours. Marley taught me about living each day with unbridled exuberance and joy, about seizing the moment and following your heart. He taught me to appreciate the simple things-a walk in the woods, a fresh snowfall, a nap in a shaft of winter sunlight. And as he grew old and achy, he taught me about optimism in the face of adversity. Mostly, he taught me about friendship and selflessness and, above all else, unwavering loyalty.”
~ John Grogan, Marley and Me: Life and Love With the World's Worst Dog    

"The dog is the most faithful of animals and would be much esteemed were it not so common. Our Lord God has made His greatest gifts the commonest.”
~ Martin Luther

“If there are no dogs in Heaven, then when I die I want to go where they went.”
~ Will Rogers

Show & Tell Friday: The Pick-Me-Up Edition

* Part II of my Artist-in-Residency recap will come early next week!

I'm wearing a sweatshirt this morning. It's morning, it's 57 degrees, it's August 16, and I'm wearing a sweatshirt.

It's weird.

Actually, it feels amazing. Does this mean we'll finally get snow again this winter after two years without it?

But I digress:

On this fine chilly August morning, I have some good stuff to share!

1.) Coffee-mate's new Girl Scouts Thin Mints Coffee Creamer

Oh, buddy. This stuff is delicious. I'm drinking it now. It really does taste like a big dollop of liquid thin mint in your coffee. And since we all know that Thin Mints are THE best Girl Scout cookie, you can imagine how good it is.

Yes, it's probably not the healthiest thing to put in your coffee. But life is short. You could do as I do--rabidly health-conscious woman that I am (oops, sorry, laughed too hard and choked on my Thin Mints coffee) and save it for the weekends.
 
 
 
2.) The Newsroom on HBO

Aaron Sorkin, the creator of The Newsroom and of my other favorite TV show of all time, The West Wing, is one of my favorite living writers. The West Wing aired its final season years ago, but my husband and I, when faced with the mediocrity of average television, watch all seven seasons all over again. We do this just about every year or two. So when The Newsroom was announced we decided to order HBO to see what it was all about.

In the beginning, I wasn't a fan. I appreciated the language, the dialogue, the drama (I'm a nut for politics and world news and journalism), but I couldn't get into the characters. They seemed stilted, over-the-top. And yes, some critics would say that "over the top" is par for the course for Sorkin. But as we've continued to watch, I've come to like it more--mainly because of Jeff Daniels and his portrayal of Will McAvoy, who's a big-time news anchor for a big-time news network. He makes it fun.

If you get a chance to see this show, I think it's worth it. It's no West Wing. But if you're a writer, especially, listen quick to the dialogue. It's easy to miss the brilliant asides. But when you catch them, they sing.

3.) A new haircut

Most of you don't know this about me, but I'm a haircut chicken. I've had the same hairstyle since the 8th grade, when my one and only perm finally grew completely out and the mocking laughter stopped. Long, straight hair, no bangs. It's been my go-to for, well, a long time.

I tend to only have my hair cut once per year, and twice over the last 9 years I've chopped quite a bit and donated it to various charities. It's a big deal for a haircut chicken like me.

 

7 inches of my hair. The coffee cup's there for perspective.

Yesterday, I had 7 inches cut off my hair. The very cute and sweet girl in the salon who my regular stylist--and it's really important that I use the word stylist since I'm so stylish ... why are you laughing?--recommended did a great job. I had stalked my regular stylist (quit laughing!) while she was on vacation in Mexico, and she made the appointment for me. I, the haircut chicken (bwok bwok) really do like it. I don't necessarily feel like a new woman. It's hard to feel that way when you've still got a second-child post-pregnancy body and are tired much of the time. But it does feel freeing and light. I feel refreshed.

And it'll grow out.

I couldn't have done it without my amazing

New haircut. Little baby.

parents, one of whom took the 4 year-old to swim at the neighborhood pool while the other took care of an unusually fussy infant, who watched my girls for two whole hours so I could get it done. Yes, I still drive to my hometown to get my hair done. It only happens once a year, after all. No, I am not 70 years old.

My advice: if you need a pick-me-up, go get a haircut. It helps. Seriously.

4.) A few quotes from my "Wild Words from Wild Women" tear-off calendar.

The new haircut has me feeling feisty. And check it out: the "newest" of these was written in the 1800s, and they're still absolutely relevant. Ah, the cyclical nature of history.

"I enjoy vast delight in the folly of mankind; and, God be praised, that is an inexhaustible source of entertainment."
~ Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, letter writer of the 1700s (and so much more)

"One wants to be something very great, very heroic; or if not that, then at least very stylish and very fashionable. It is this everlasting mediocrity that bores me."
~ Harriet Beecher Stowe, abolitionist author (Uncle Tom's Cabin)

"I was admonished to adopt feminine clothes; I refused, and still refuse. As for other avocations of women, there are plenty of other women to perform them."
~ Joan of Arc, medieval martyr


Have a great weekend, everyone!

Artist-in-Residence: The Reserve at Lake Keowee (Part I)

I've enjoyed a few artist residencies during my short time as a published writer, and they've all been different: located in different parts of the country, with varying lengths of stay, accommodations, perks, and expectations of the artist. Certainly, my own creative output during each has varied. During one artists' residency, I began a new novel; at another, I researched that novel and wrote poetry; at yet a different residency, I wrote an essay that actually won an award that ended up covering the cost of a rental car and plane fare to and from that residency.

 

At my most recent gig as the very lucky Artist-in-Residence at The Reserve at Lake Keowee in Sunset, South Carolina, where I stayed for a week, I wrote five pages of what I imagine will be the sequel to Keowee Valley.

I know what you're thinking. Five pages--only five pages--in a week's time? Let me explain: my family was there with me. Yep, the husband, the (newly-turned) 4 year-old, and the 12 week-old. Only one absent was the dog.

I know there are writers out there who can write amid professional and familial chaos, but I am not one of them. My brain spins in overdrive and my imagination is as fickle and mercurial as an afternoon thunderstorm over the Southern Appalachians. And if you know nothing about the storms we get around here, they're moody, fast-moving, completely random, and often violent.

 

the Guest House (or, as my 4 year-old says, the "castle house")

So what I'm saying is, five pages is miraculous! Especially since the 3rd trimester of pregnancy and these first few months of my infant's life have been energy-sucking. Wonderful, wouldn't-trade-it-for-the-world wild, and exhausting. To feel inspired to write again was a blessing. And the impetus for the inspiration was entirely because of our gorgeous and peaceful accommodations at the guest house of a pair of incredibly generous members. (Who also happen to be HUGE Clemson fans. Go Tigers!)
 
 

The guest house was set away from the main house across a lovely bridge spanning a little

"our" bridge (my husband's got the infant carseat; my 4 year-old's the
tiny figure sprinting ahead)

mountain cove. Bubbling and gurgling (and full-on rushing, as it was after several days in a row of rain) down the back of that tree-filled cove was a series of small waterfalls. The creek rushed beneath the bridge just below the house, emptying into the lake nearby. Inside, the home was elegant, warm and comfortable--a combination I think can be sometimes difficult to find. Designed with rich wood, stunning stone and completely outfitted with anything a guest could need, it was the perfect place to get my groove back.

Yes, I just said that. Forgive me, Stella.

For most of the days we were there, if the baby and the 4 year-old let me, I would wake at 5 a.m., brew my coffee and head out to the screened-in porch on the second story. The porch overlooked the aforementioned bridge and creek, and so when I looked out all I saw were green trees--all I heard the rush of water through the woods. Heaven.

 

Kathryn Gravely, the Director of the The Community Foundation, had pretty much the absolute perfect week planned for me: one book talk to members of a couple different book clubs in The Reserve, two informal meet-and-greets with members outside The Reserve's Market, and one history talk at Orchard House, a beautiful room with a huge fireplace located at the Clubhouse. Orchard House reminded my husband and me of an inn we'd stayed in when we'd traveled in Scotland several years ago. With a kick of Southern style, of course.

The rest of the week, Kathryn told me, I was to relax with my family at the lake and by the community's fabulous pools (let me just say that there was a grotto), enjoy the natural beauty of The Reserve (the lake, hiking trails, orchard, views, etc), and to WRITE. What a gift!

As a bonus, I met some fantastic people during the week, at the informal gatherings, by the pool, at the Market, and at both my talks. Kathryn--who is as genuine, classy, cool, and savvy as they come (not to mention very, very good at her job)--had assured me at the beginning of the week that The Reserve was home to some of the friendliest people I'd ever meet, and she was right. In addition--and she'd told me this, too--the folks there were welcoming, very casual, inclusive, and fun. This was something I'd not necessarily expected from a place as "exclusive" as The Reserve. Meeting and talking with people from all walks of life is probably, besides the actually crafting of the story, my favorite thing to do as a writer.

In addition to all the good fellowship, let me just say that this was an incredibly generous artist residencies in so many other ways. And I'm truly grateful to have received it.

 
** Next time, I'll talk about some of the other things I got to do at The Reserve, including exploring a couple of early 19th century graveyards, hiking around an "Indian cave," and answering questions about local Cherokee history and culture. I'll also share my thoughts about how to best enjoy and utilize an artists' residency like this one.

2013 Birchwood Book & Author Fair - Table Rock Lodge, SC

Hey, y'all.

I’m back from my week as the Artist-in-Residence in The Reserve at Lake Keowee, a community literally sitting on top of the land where Keowee Valley is set. More on this to come in a post next week!



Table Rock Lodge, SC

For now, I want to remind y’all–especially if you live in the area or nearby–about the 2013 Birchwood Book and Author Fair at the Lodge in Table Rock State Park, Sunday, August 11th from 2 – 5 p.m. The event is FREE and open to the public, and will feature authors including myself (smile), Dot Jackson, Susan Tekulve, George Singleton, and many more. Greenville’s independent bookstore, Fiction Addiction, will be on hand to sell books. We (the authors) will be signing books, visiting with folks, and reading from our works out on a porch with one of the prettiest views in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

For more information, check out the summer edition of the Birchwood Post.

Table Rock State Park, SC

I really hope I’ll see you there!

Show & Tell Friday: Monster Turtles, Mountains & More

Happy August, everyone!

What a July it was--hot, muggy, rainy, busy and fun. My baby girl is officially 3 months old, and I can hardly believe it. When you were a kid, didn't it annoy you how grown-ups used to always talk about "time flying"? Then, of course, you yourself become a grown-up and realized, Daggum it--they're right.

Some good stuff to share today:

1.) A year in the life ...

Have you seen this video from a father in the UK who took video clips of every day of the first year of his son's life and put them all together? Each day is a second, and it's adorable. You don't have to know the baby or the family to appreciate the wonderful, precious and fleeting nature of life.

2.) Monster turtle

This is random. And creepy. But I had to share. Look what's been hanging out under the dock at my family's lake house in the South Carolina Blue Ridge Mountains:

 

Yep. Right under the dock, next to the steps where we--and the dogs and kiddos--enter to the water, swim, and hang out. It's a prehistoric mega-turtle. And it had babies. Gulp. And check out my goodlookin', and very brave cousin, Toly. He's a rock star.

3.) What I'm reading now ...

This week, I'm finishing up Diana Gabaldon's A Trail of Fire and am dipping my toes into A Hundred Summers by Beatriz Williams. It's set in the '30s on a New England beach. Here's what bestselling author Elin Hildebrand has to say about it: "An intricately woven tale of friendship, betrayal, old families, and closely guarded secrets. It is what every beach book should aspire to be--smart and engrossing."

Yes, there are a lot of summer novels about old New England families on old New England beaches staying in old New England beach houses. But being a Southerner and unfamiliar with the terrain, I can't get enough of them. Plus Ms. Williams looks young and adorable in her author photo, and I'm always impressed with young successful writers. Check out her author website and more about A Hundred Summers here.
 

3.) Artist-in-Residence at The Reserve at Lake Keowee

Saturday I'll be headed to Sunset, South Carolina and The Reserve at Lake Keowee to begin my week as an Artist-in-Residence. I'll be meeting with book clubs reading Keowee Valley, giving history talks about the area, and enjoying informal time with community members. I can't wait!

Additionally, at the beginning of the next week--Sunday, August 11--I'll be one of the featured authors at the 2013 Birchwood Book and Author Fair at The Lodge at Table Rock State Park in S.C. I'll be meeting readers, signing books, and reading some from Keowee Valley. I hope if you're in the area, you'll join me!


4.) "Play On" ...

Not to make y'all too jealous, but this is where I live. Tough, right?

Check out this short video of Transylvania County and Brevard, North Carolina, put together by several folks in town. It'll make you want to hop in the car and get yourself to our mountains as quickly as possible.

On a side note, so much of this area is the setting and inspiration for Keowee Valley. I obviously love it, and loved walking my main characters, Quinn and Jack, through such a gorgeous and awe-inspiring landscape. Take a look here.

Happy August, all!