Thursday, July 11, 2024

 


My writer's group has embarked on various ways to promote the books we've published. This event was organized by Gloria with the library in her town of Exeter.

I arrived early to help set up the room. The expectation was that a Book Group that met in the library would be the audience. At the appropriate time we had two people as guests. The husband of a woman in the Book Group said his wife would be late. There was a fund raiser in town she must attend, but will be here soon.

It was decided I would go first. I introduced myself. I shared the two books in front of me quickly, then read a five minute excerpt from The Donkey Song. Gloria went next.

Gloria told the story of the five books in front of her. Close to the end of her presentation five women showed up, so Gloria stopped and waited until they found seats. She then proceeded to begin again from the beginning to catch the late comers up. It occurred to me, for a second. that going first put me at a real disadvantage.

Then Irene told the stories of her four books in front of her, plus the children's books that she didn't have with her but are available on Amazon. She added that all of our books are on Amazon. 

Judith took over and  presented her books. But just before she started, one of the late ladies interrupted and asked me to tell her my name. So I introduced myself and then did a little presentation, similar to what Gloria and Irene did, for my memoir, But What About the Children. Then I picked up The Donkey Song, and the same lady stopped me mid-sentence.

"I don't want to have the people who were on time have all of this repeated."  

Judith went on with her presentation.

I admit, my feelings were hurt. Gloria had gone through her presentation twice, fully. No one in the room stepped up to help me, and now the disadvantage to me was quite clear. It was shocking. So I sat there listening to Judith, who did the same thing Irene and Gloria did, tell the stories of each book. I thought, I shouldn't have read, just told the story like the others did.

I was not going to sell my books, I thought, because I obviously did not handle this small crowd of people well. Was it because I described the diversity of my family? I didn't think so. There was an Asian woman who was the one woman on time. And she was in their Book Group.

Questions were asked, but only of the others, not me. My humiliation was complete.

The evening was at an end. The guests moved up to the table and were buying from each of the others. And there I sat, smiling, and watched.

The woman who stopped me mid-sentence came to me. "I am sorry. I was rude. I get way too controlling. I was rude. I am so sorry." I responded, "Well, your lucky. I am one who likes very direct people. So I accept your apology," smiling from ear-to-ear, but seething inside. She looked down at my books and asked the price of The Donkey Song. "$5.00."  She handed me a five dollar bill. I signed it to Patty, her name. 

A minute or so later, another of the late ladies stood in front of me. She looked at The Donkey Song and asked the price. $5.00. She handed me the bill, and yes, she wanted it signed, too. Geraldine was her name. I almost told her my new great-granddaughter's middle name was Geraldine, but I didn't say a word. I signed her book, handed it to her and she left. My emotions were rocky and I just didn't feel free to speak. 

I sold two books, which was better than I had thought earlier. So be happy, I said to myself. And I was.

Thursday, February 1, 2024

NORA

Looking through Facebook I noticed a photograph, Nora Lago in Puerto Rico. Leaning against a wall on a stone lined street, one foot up on the wall, and no people as far as you could see. Dark glasses hid her eyes. She smiled ear-to-ear. I thought, How happy she looks, relaxed, at home in her parent's birth place. I asked Nora if I could have a copy of the photo to paint. She emailed it to me.

    After I painted Nora, I sent her a photo of it. If she liked it my plan was to send to her. She loved it and when she received it she found a beautiful corner to display and sent me a photo and asked if I approved. Of course, I did. 

    A friend back in the Synanon days that I helped raise her daughter in a boarding school, asked if she could use the painting for the cover a book she was putting together. I asked Nora if she minded. It is her image on the painting, and I gave her the original painting so I felt permission from her was needed. She said of course.

    About two months later my friend sent me a photo of a book. Lo, there was my painting. She sent both Nora and me copies. Mine got lost in the mail for a while, so Nora had time to read the book, rave about it, and she even read it a second time before my copy finally made its way to me.


The title of the book caught my interest, "Ekphrastic Workbook." I had never seen that word before: Ekphrastic - Greek for vivid word descriptions in poetry or prose inspired by works of art, thanks to Wikipedia and Oxford Dictionary. 


Sandra Rogers-Hare edited this workbook from her San Leandro Writers Workshop in 2023. She provided writers with images of art from the famous to me, including an artist in the group and another friend. The writers were asked to view the various pieces of art over the year and write what the artwork inspires, mostly poetry but some prose. She timed them for fifteen minutes, so they were immediate, in the moment, no edited thoughts, just let the pens flow. She then place the art on the left hand page, the writings on the right. 

She invites the readers to try their hand at this exercise by placing a piece of paper over the right pages, enjoy the painting and write for fifteen minutes, thus she calls this a workbook.

You can find this treasure on Amazon.com. 


Sandra Rogers-Hare, Editor

Cover art Shirley Keller