My First Critique Group Experience

Since I've decided to bring my writing out of the closet and get serious at the age of 36 years old, I took a leap and have joined a critique group with people I barely know.  Not that I don't want to know them; I just haven't had the chance.  Sure, I've written in college and was critiqued by my professors and/or possibly group project members.  But, please keep in mind, my degree is in Economics.  And, I've written for my high school yearbook, neighborhood newsletters, training manuals, and other business communications.  Still, this is on a whole other level. 

Last night I went to my first EVER critique group meeting.  I think it takes "big ones" to be in the company of such talented writers.  So, for that, I'm patting myself on my back... Did you hear my shoulder cracking?  It's humbling and makes me want to run for cover.  The rules of our game was to have positive feedback.  It probably wasn't one of the tougher groups as these writers, especially, were gracious and merciful.  Yet, it still was a nerve wracking experience, at least for me.  

For this session, we were given a sentence in advance that needed to be used as our first sentence.  However, from there, the stories varied widely.  I was in awe with the creativity and all of the different treatments with the same first sentence.  As for me, well, I didn't finish my short story due to some trips my mind was taking me on this past week.  Yet, I did bring my 514 typed written piece, handed it out, and read it out loud.  It was a rewarding experience; first, to walk over another hurdle and add to my psychological armory, and second, I received very valuable feedback.  I'm sure it was heavily laced with mercy, but one really good comment that I received from two members was about a paragraph that had a POV switch.

Although it was scary, I'm going to continue and learn all that I can from my fellow writers.  They have so much to offer.

And, if you have a passion or a dream--be it writing or anything else--go out and, to borrow from Nike tm, just do it! 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - One of My Favorite Books

I wrote this review many months ago on a plane and am just now getting this into digital print. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte rivals Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen for my affections, if not surpassing it. I was drawn in by the depth and passion exhibited by the characters. There were moments in Jane Eyre where I was holding my breath and at other points I was sobbing. Jane Eyre made me question my mores and invited me to ask myself, "What would I do if I experienced what Jane Eyre, the protagonist, experienced and who would I be?" After I read this book, I felt full as if I had just dined on an eight-course meal.

The story is told from the heroine's point of view. Jane illustrates the hardships she endured living with her aunt, Mrs. Reed--not a blood relative--who despises her and treats her with less affection than a servant. Mrs. Reed justifies her cruelty by inventing falsehoods about Jane being an insolent and violent child when her own kids are abusing Jane. Although the abuse is rarely physical, Jane certainly is abused emotionally. During this time, Jane's only ally, if you could call her that, is her nurse, Bessie. Mrs. Reed eventually sends Jane to Lowood, a boarding school. This school is essentially an orphanage. Their food is rationed and they have strict studying habits. At Lowood, Jane befriends an older child, Helen. Jane cannot understand how Helen can endure hardships and still be a pillar of strength and be a young girl of honor and grace. Even though the reader only experiences a glimpse of Helen relative to the length of the rest of the story, Helen is still a pivotal person in Jane's life.

A new chapter in Jane's life is soon introduced after a brief glimpse into her life as a teacher at Lowood. Because of her training and experience at Lowood, Jane is able to procure an occupation as a governess for a French child, the ward of an Englishman who may or may not be her father. A mutual attraction and respect is soon developed between Jane and her master, Mr. Rochester.

The relationship between the two becomes the major plot with many agonizing twists and turns that does come to a satisfying conclusion. Through it all, Jane is painted as a woman of substance and strength. She's learned, intuitive, and enigmatic. Yet, she doubts her abilities and, at times, her vision is tunneled by her bouts of weakness. This shows a beautiful dichotomy between the two major layers of her personality.

This work delves into the dark side of human emotion and, likewise, is where Emily and Charlotte Bronte's famous pieces, Wuthering Heights and Jane Eyre, are similar. It also reaches the very pinnacle of passionate love. It challenges what is acceptable to feel even in today's society.

While I love nineteenth century literature because it defines story telling with its originality, I can often get hung up on the language. However, I encourage any reader to wade through the nineteenth century language because of the raw emotion played out on the pages. Jane Eyre has been elevated to my top ten reads of all time. This book helped me to put my life into proper perspective and taught me to have a little more fortitude. And, isn't the reason for reading good literature, in part, to help sculpt a person's worldview?

A Classic Reviewed - Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte

I don’t think one can matriculate without having to have read Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte at least one time be it in high school or college. In fact, I believe it was mandatory in my high school to watch the 1939 Hollywood treatment starring Lawrence Olivier in addition to reading the book. Being that I’m on this personal quest to read, and in many cases, re-read the classics, I picked up this torturous novel yet again. I remember it being intense, dark and gut wrenching, but I could not remember why. To be quite honest, I thought it was because of the unrequited passion and love triangle between Heathcliff, Catherine Linton nee Earnshaw, and Edgar Linton. Upon the second or maybe third reading, I realize (at my more advanced age from seventeen years old) that it is because of the savagery visited upon the characters by Heathcliff and, in some cases, every other character in this work of fiction.

In short, Mr. Earnshaw (Catherine’s father) brings home a gypsy waif from the streets of Liverpool to live at their country house, Wuthering Heights, situated amongst the craggy moors of Yorkshire. The master dies leaving Catherine’s brother, Hindley, as heir to the home. Hindley is harsh and cruel to Heathcliff, treating him as a servant. Catherine and Heathcliff form an alliance and deep attachment to each other. However, Catherine does not give into this attachment sensing the low station in life Heathcliff may ultimately settle into. Catherine sets her sights on Edgar Linton of Thrushcross Grange, across the way, with the hopes of a higher station in life. Catherine marries and Heathcliff runs off to amass wealth the means by which is never fully explained. Heathcliff returns to The Heights and Hindley becomes indebted to Heathcliff mortgaging The Heights to Heathcliff. Heathcliff visits Catherine and, out of spite, seduces her sister-in-law, Isabella Linton, into marrying him. With that, Heathcliff levels all of his anger and hate onto Isabella. Isabella eventually leaves The Heights pregnant with Linton Heathcliff and settles in the south of England. Meanwhile, Catherine gives birth to a daughter, Cathy Linton, and dies the same day. After twelve years, Isabella dies and Edgar goes to get Linton Heathcliff (a frail young man). Heathcliff learns of this and sends for the boy to be brought to The Heights. Cathy forms an attachment for her cousin and is despondent in not having the opportunity to explore her friendship with Linton. Approximately, three years later, Cathy eventually learns her cousin is living at The Heights. Heathcliff forces her to marry Linton to exact revenge on Edgar. Edgar, Heathcliff and Linton die. Cathy eventually marries, Hareton, Hindley’s son and peace settles in the family. The village people rumor to see Heathcliff and Catherine haunting the moors and The Heights.

Wuthering Heights is considered by critics to be a masterpiece and fit for a place of honor amongst the classics. The story is multi-layered and told in several points of view originating from a tenant’s journal entry to a story of gossip from the nurse, Nelly, to the re-telling of events from Isabella’s point of view. There are quotes and phrases that are memorable and the brutality leaves a scar on the reader’s psyche. So, in that respect, the fact that this work can invoke such deep feelings would make it a piece to consider. However, I find the Yorkshire servant colloquialism in some dialogue, especially by Joseph (a servant), to be cumbersome to decipher and the constant shifting of points of view to be distracting. I, for one, am a fan of 19th century English literature; yet find this piece to be disjointed. Will I read it again? Maybe in ten yrs or so.

Book Review: "Queen of the Road" by Doreen Orion

I recently finished a refreshing and fun read, “Queen of the Road” by Doreen Orion. This book was lent to me by a co-worker who had no idea who owned it, nor how she acquired it. I perused the back cover and decided, “O.K. why not?”

From the beginning, I was enraptured by the honest humor and the idea of “chucking it all” and traveling across the U.S. for a year. But, what I didn’t expect were moments of introspection and a time of learning from mini history lessons about the various destinations the author and her husband visited. These elements were all bundled together for one of the most delightful books I have come across in a long time. I was dry and thirsty looking for my next good book. “Queen of the Road” did not fail to deliver.

In a nutshell, the author is somehow convinced, or rather coerced, into taking a year off and traveling in a converted Prevost bus. Now, to be fair, this bus was decked out with the finest accoutrements that a converted bus can have; from the ultra expensive Blue Bahia granite countertops, to the chef kitchen, to the built in washer/dryer combo. The bus sounded nicer than my house! However, this Princess from the Island of Long (as she likes to call herself) did have to stuff her 200 pairs of shoes, 2 cats and a standard poodle into this bus for a year. What would you decide to pack?

Along the way, this dynamic psychiatrist duo meet up with long lost friends and family members; experience the highs and lows of traveling by bus and all that can go wrong; learn valuable life lessons about their own psyches and experience the amazing landscape along 47 U.S. states, to include Alaska. When it is all said and done, they have a lifetime of memories and a new view on life.

This book is definitely worth someone’s time and money; I'll probably read it again!

Julie and Julia

For better or for worse, I promised my take on the book "Julie and Julia" several months ago. Below is my attempt to deliver.

After viewing, what I consider to be one of the most entertaining and charming movies of 2009, "Julie and Julia," I immediately checked out the book "Julie and Julia: 365 Days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen," thinking that the book is always better than it's screen adaptation.

For my money, the movie is much better!

Writer/Director Nora Ephron never fails to deliver on witty, mesmerizing, and idealistic alternate realities that captivates the viewer and makes him yearn to live in that created universe. I should have remembered that little fact.

I have to give props, however, to author Julie Powell for her courageous and well written memoir. There were moments of hilarity and she did reel the reader into her world so that, as a reader, I felt like I knew Julie. This is not surprising, though, as Julie Powell double majored in Creative Writing and Theater. Some of the antics that were in the movie did happen in the book with which she so eloquently described. Plus, and I feel this is one of my major draws into reading the book, I could relate to Julie. Here was a talented young lady, around my age, stuck in a dead end job, not realizing her artistic goals, certainly not using her college degrees, who seeks to better her life through a project like cooking her way through Julia Child's book, "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" and blogging about it. Through her project she had an outlet and she learned about herself and life in the process. What could be better?

As a conservative who does tend to vote Republican, I felt like I was not welcome to read her book or peer into her world. She is unabashedly honest on her feelings about Republicans, which are very negative, and uses her book somewhat as a soap box. She even discusses how she dropped this beautiful dessert on a gritty sidewalk of Manhattan and scoops it up to leave for the Republicans in her office.


The book is dry in several spots and Julie tries to weave a cohesive work by inserting very crude thoughts on sex, infidelity, and comparing her father's porn to Julia Child's recipe masterpiece. And please, don't get me started on the language for which she is very proud.

In the end, the book was a colossal waste of time and I received all that I needed merely by watching the movie. However, academically, I felt the need to finish what I had started so that I can compare and contrast and hopefully use it in a blog post someday!

Curve balls!

Yes, Yes, I know! I have made the statement that I will blog at least twice a week. Well, life has thrown me a few curve balls the last couple of weeks. It figures! I have had a somewhat upsetting report from my doctor, one of my cats has some issues, my husband has been sick, and work has been, well, work!
Lots of exclamation points, huh? I like them!
So, I do plan to check back shortly.
Until then...

Trying, Really, I'm Trying

Last post I vowed, promised, whatever you want to call it, that I would post two entries per week. This is entry number one for the week. I may get another entry in on Sunday. Does that count? This certainly is not what I anticipated when I cavalierly declared to the world (or who ever is reading my little corner of cyberspace) that I would have witty repartee twice a week.

This week has been crazy, as I'm sure everyone has that pat excuse card in their back pocket waiting to be thrown down. But, seriously, it has been busy or rather exhausting. My husband has been sick with bronchitis all week which has contributed to my droopy eyes, slow movements and fatigue. Dragging myself to work this week was all I could accomplish. Every night/morning around midnight or one o'clock, my husband would start this coughing jag that would last until around five a.m. About that time, I was ready to get up anyway. One night or rather morning, I woke up and took his temperature. He was boiling. I had to change the sheets in the middle of the night, get a cooler comforter, and medicate with some OTC cold medicine. Friday morning, he started coughing at one o'clock. Around four thirty a.m. he decided he wanted to go to the emergency room. We were there for about two hours, then we ran to get the scrips filled, I came home, showered, ate breakfast, and went to work.

So, there you go. My excuse for the week on why I have not posted.

Still, stay tuned for my take on "Julie and Julia." Not that the book hasn't been reviewed millions of times before, and I probably don't have a new perspective, but I've got an opinion. And, really, isn't that what blogging is all about?

A bientot...Until another time.