Show & Tell Friday: the Feels Like Fall Edition

It was 57 degrees is my mountains this morning. (Yes, I like to think they’re mine.) The whole family put on sweaters, even if only for a little while. There is a distinct chill in the air that whispers of Autumn, of the Fall. Even though it’ll likely reach the 80s today, the humidity is gone, and the mountains are so starkly blue against the sky it looks as if someone drew them there with a felt-tipped pen.

Happy as I am that we’re headed toward my favorite season of the year, I am tired. Pooped. Plumb worn out.

Wearied.
Dead-tired.
Dog-tired.
Bone-tired.
Ready-to-drop.
Drained.
Fatigued.
Done in.
Bushed.
Zonked.
Tuckered out.
Tapped out.
Fried.
Whipped.
And enervated.

Thank you, Oxford American Writer’s Thesarus.

But seriously: I’ve been taken down by a 4 month-old.

To share:

1.) “The most exciting 25 seconds in college football”

If you read along here, you’ll know that I’m a Clemson University alum and a life-long fan. Saturday we played (yes, I’m one of those people who say “we”) the University of Georgia from the big ol’ bad SEC. And won. My husband and I were at the game, and it was awesome. There’s really no other word to describe it. But when we got home, we found out that ESPN (it was Game Day at Clemson) had done this really cool lead-in to the Tigers “running down the hill,” a Clemson tradition that starts the game.

Even though I grew up going to Clemson games, knew the alma mater and fight songs as soon as I could talk, had a great-grandfather who was mayor of the town, and went there myself, I’d never seen the lead-up to “running down the hill.” ESPN’s Brent Musberger coined the phrase back in 1985, and on Saturday he reiterated just how special this entrance is, saying it’s “one of the great college football traditions” and a must-see for any football fan.

2.) My mama’s tomato pie recipe

With the passing of Labor Day, summer has unofficially drawn to a close. However, lots of good things happen at the end of summer, like the last of the tomatoes blooming on the vine.

I. love. vine ripe tomatoes.

This was originally my mama’s tomato pie recipe, which I’ve tweaked over the years.

Ummm, good.

Tomato Pie

Ingredients:
frozen pie crust (deep dish)
3 fat red ripe tomatoes
a whole bunch of shredded mozzarella cheese (we especially like Kraft’s version with a kick of Philly cream cheese)
Extra Virgin olive oil
fresh basil
2 or 3 cloves fresh garlic (depending on how much you like garlic. I like a lot.)

Directions:
- Slice up your tomatoes and lay the slices on plates covered with paper towels. While you’re prepping, the water will soak the towels, leaving just yummy tomato.
- Cook the crust according to the package directions. (Be sure to poke it good with a fork.)
- Lightly brush olive oil all over the crust.
- Dice up the garlic and sprinkle half over the crust.
- Add a layer of tomatoes.
- Add half the mozzarella.
- Rip up some fresh basil and spread it over the top.
- Repeat, and be sure to top with lots of basil (it’ll cook up in the oven).
- Drizzle olive oil over the top.
- Cook for 20 – 20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Yuuuuuuum. So easy, and oh so good.

3.) My quote for the day, which I’ve sorely needed this week as I’ve done battle with Wilhemina the Conqueror (aka my teething baby). Yes, it’s bad to say “battle.” Let’s just say I’ve been battling her teeth.

“Tomorrow is a new day. You shall begin it well and serenely and with too high a spirit to be cumbered with your old nonsense.”
~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Of course, Ralph didn’t have a teething baby, a writing career, a neglected dog, a messy house, a traveling husband, and a post-pregnancy pot belly that just won’t go away. He took to the woods when he wanted to be alone. But it’s still a darn good sentiment.


No more old nonsense! (She says, holding up her fist like Scarlett O’ Hara.)

seekerville.blogspot.com

Happy weekend, all!

Teething Baby: 100 Billion Trillion. Worn-Out Mama: 0

William the Conqueror
(Doesn't look like such a baddie. But he was.)

It’s been a rough several weeks, my friends. See the title of this post? No kidding. I’m not exaggerating.

Seriously.

My sweet little angel baby (otherwise known as Wilhemina the Conqueror) decided to start teething at 3 months old. I’d write a quirky little ditty about it, right now and for all y’all to read and enjoy, but I’m not enjoying it. Not one bit.

I don’t recall teething being this gawd-awful with my 4 year-old. I think memory loss is the Lord’s sneaky little way to get us to have more kids.

A little 12 lb baby has done me in. Kicked my fanny. Made me want to cry to my granny. Got me beggin’ for a nanny.

Okay, I’ll stop.

You know I love my baby. I’d eat her up with syrup if I could.

Especially when she’s teething.

Show & Tell Friday: the Labor Day Weekend Edition

Happy Labor Day Weekend, everyone!

I love this weekend, for many reasons.

1) Because it makes it seem like we've still got a little bit of summer left, even though everyone's back at school and the air has started to take on that undefinable heading-into-Fall quality.

2) Because we always head to my family's lake house in the South Carolina Blue Ridge mountains for some much needed swim, boat, ski (okay, so I may not ski this year, what with having had a baby almost 4 months ago and all) and down time with family and friends.

And 3) because it's the start of football season.

Clemson.edu

Yes, I am one of those people. I worship at the altar of college football. For me, it's the Clemson Tigers all the way.

 

I'm an alumna. It's in my blood, and it's in my family's blood (my great-grandfather was mayor of the town of Clemson for 17+ years). We even named my baby daughter for the Tigers. Really, her middle name is Tiger, and it's my great-grandmother's maiden name--but still. We're diehards, so it works.

Yes, you may not be Clemson fans. Probably aren't. But you may share my love of college football. Or football in general. Or not. But bear with me.

I LOVE college football! I LOVE Fall! I LOVE college football in the Fall! GO TIGERS!!!!
Okay, all done.


Some cool stuff to share today:

 

1.) A brief history of Labor Day

yourlocalcolor.biz

The U.S. Department of Labor tells it like this: "Labor Day, the first Monday in September, is a creation of the labor movement and is dedicated to the social and economic achievements of American workers. It constitutes a yearly national tribute to the contributions workers have made to the strength, prosperity, and well-being of our country." Started by the municipal courts, Labor Day legislation wasn't passed by Congress until June 28, 1884.

Here's what was really happening: at this time in history, the Industrial Revolution, the average worker worked his or her fanny off over extremely long hours and for little pay--we're talking 12 hours a day, 7 days a week just to eke out a living. Children as young as 5 and 6 years old toiled in factories, mills and mines to help bring in money for their families--for a tiny fraction of the wage an adult would earn (which wasn't much to begin with). Can you imagine your elementary-schooler hauling coal in the pitch depths of a mine? I can't. Most workers lacked access to basic good working conditions, like clean air, water, and toilets. The hardest hit were often immigrants. Labor unions began to form because of this, and the Labor Day holiday was born.

For the real story behind one of the icons of labor workers, the WWII image of "Rosie the Riveter," click here.

Today, we mostly celebrate by going to parades, eating hotdogs, hanging out at the beach/lake/park, and consuming adult beverages. We've come a long way, baby.

* Information gleaned from history.com & the U.S. DOL.

 
2.) For the writers...

There's an interview with memoirist and novelist Joan Wickersham in the September issue of The Writer's Chronicle that I think is definitely worth checking out, especially for those of us who struggle with the dreaded "writer's block" (to put it simply, though I kind of abhor that term). In the interview, Wickersham talks about the pressure we put on ourselves as writers to mine inspiration, especially when inspiration doesn't come, and how that pressure is expounded by the evidence of other writers getting it done.

She says, "Yes, you get stuck. I think for writers, or any kind of artist, to be honest with each other is a gift. Because the fear is that you're going to say 'I had a horrible day,' and the person is going to say, 'I never have horrible days.'"

P.S. I'm a subscriber and big fan of The Writer's Chronicle, which is published by the Association of Writers & Writing Programs. The articles and essays are always top-notch, many written by the best writer-teachers in the field (psst ... the faculty at Vermont College of Fine Arts tends to publish there a lot).

 

blog.laptopmag.com

3.) New board on Pinterest

 

If you haven't discovered Pinterest yet, you're in for a treat. It's like a massive, online pin-up board where you can share and collect anything and everything that interests you about anything and everything. I've posted several boards, and my newest one has to do with the sequel to Keowee Valley, which I'm working on--slowly, but surely; did I mention slowly?--these days. By no means complete, I'm going to add images that I'm using to inspire me, or images that may have something to do with the story. But that's all I'm gonna share.

Because I'm a believer in the "if you talk about your work-in-progress-too-much-the-bad-juju-will-get-you" rule.

Check out my Keowee Valley ... the Sequel board here, and see what sorts of adventures I plan to cook up for Quinn, Jack, Ridge Runner and the rest.

 

blog.sportsbookadvisor.com

4.)  ESPN Game Day at Clemson University

 

I know, I know. Enough with the Clemson. But I can't help it. It's a very happy disease.

Saturday, ESPN Game Day will be at my alma mater, Clemson University, to showcase the biggest opening football game of the 2013 season: Clemson v. UGA, in Clemson's Death Valley. Students waited in line 164 hours to get their football tickets this year! And here's what USA Today had to say about it.

 
I hope you all have a wonderful, relaxing, and well-earned Labor Day holiday!

50th Anniversary of "I Have a Dream"

1963 March on Washington (www.petergreenberg.com)

Today marks the 50th anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s incredible speech, "I Have a Dream."

Have you read or listened to the entire thing? Or, have you done so since elementary school?

Or, were there? Were you struck, in August of 1963, by the passion and truth, the singing clarity--heaven-sent, I believe--of King's now immortal words? Words that hold so much meaning, still today.

Though he was speaking of racial equality when he said, "I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed. We hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal," I think he meant more.

Though he was talking about the desperate, and segregated present-day, and the need to have faith in a changeable future when he said, "With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood," I believe he meant even more.

 

www.npr.com

I believe in my heart of hearts that Dr. King knew we'd still need those words today, when so many of us in the United States still yearn for equality for so many different reasons. When our religions and our politics seem to divide us more than ever, when we are told that there are so few choices about how to live our lives. That it's one way or another.

King was human: flawed and gifted, nuanced and great. It made his passion all the more powerful because of these things.

Great men and women in history, those blessed by God and by the Truth with the words others feel but can't say, seem to be, always, surprising prophets. And while the quest for racial equality has come so very far and though we're not quite there yet, King's words still ring true today, 50 years later. But isn't it amazing how--more than anything else--they are about coming together as a country, as a people, as Americans, as the human race? HIs most searing images are of children holding hands.

If you're a writer, you know that this speech sings. But it does so all the more because of the content. Truly, you may think you've heard this speech, think you know what it's about. I'd just suggest we all consider it again.

And let freedom ring.

For the History Lovers & Fans of Historical Fiction

Or, for you history dorks like me ...

First, here's a new, FREE online course offered by coursera and Bruce Holsinger, an author and professor at the University of Virginia. It's called "Plagues, Witches and War: The Worlds of Historical Fiction," and it features several wonderful historical novelists and their work, including two of my favorites: Pulitzer Prize-winner Geraldine Brooks (People of the Book, March, etc), and bestselling author Katherine Howe (The Physick Book of Deliverance Dane, the House of Velvet and Glass, etc). These novelists will be virtually "visiting" the class.

I have no free time, of course, but this is too good to pass up. My critical thesis for my MFA in Writing program, which I completed last semester (loooong sigh of relief) was a study of the importance of place in historical fiction; in it, I utilized Brooks and her work. I am a big fan. And Howe's The Physick Book ... is a great favorite, too. I reread it over the Spring, and I swear it just keeps getting better.

For more info about the course, click here.

1760 map of the Cherokee country

Second, if you live in the Western North Carolina or Upper South Carolina area (or, heck, North Georgia, too), and you're interested in the Cherokee Indians, I'm teaching a course at Brevard College this Fall that's right up your alley. Called "Cherokee History in the South: the Colonial Period to the Revolution," it explores the fascinating history and culture of the mysterious and once-powerful Cherokee Indians along the Appalachian frontier. Classes will be held once a week for 5 weeks at Brevard College; they're offered through BC's Creekside continuing education programs.

I based the course on the bevy of research I conducted for Keowee Valley, a novel one reviewer called "an exquisitely crafted love letter to a land and culture swallowed up by an encroaching civilization and inescapable change."

Sorry, that was totally a plug for my novel. I couldn't help myself.

For more information, click here.

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.