Thought for the Day:
“Instructions for living a life. Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it.”
~ Mary Oliver ~
Gifts for My Writer Friends:
I have recently discovered The Writer’s Attic by Parker Peevyhouse, and I am enjoying reading her posts. HERE is an excellent post about writing figurative language. Her examples are stellar.
HERE is an interesting post on Writer Unboxed by Greer Macallister. It is called To Tell the Truth. What does that mean for those of us who write fiction?
I have a treat for you HERE. Kristin Lamb has a terrific post titled Perspective: The Secret to Authentic Character Voices. As usual for Kristin, it’s packed with good information, excellent examples, and plenty of humor. Enjoy.
What a week it has been. I never expected such a great outcome for the midterm elections, but people showed up in droves to make the changes that will likely save our democracy. That doesn’t mean it will be easy or that the fight will be over anytime soon. The in-your-face appointment of the new Chief of Staff made it clear that there is still a lot of work to be done. That said, there was a huge sigh of relief heard from most people in this country and so many around the world. There is a lot to be thankful for this year on Thanksgiving. Now that the World Series is over and there is no baseball to watch, I am trying to satisfy my sports itch with football and hockey. I watch the San Jose Sharks for hockey. They have a very young team, and they aren’t very high in the rankings, but I think they have a great future, and it’s exciting to watch them. In football, I watch the 49ers, the Vikings, and the Chiefs. They are all doing pretty well. There have been some entertaining games. But I have to say, all I really think about is that there are 93 days until pitchers and catchers report for spring training. But who’s counting?
I continue my Gary D. Schmidt journey this week with OKAY FOR NOW. For many years, it was my very favorite of his books. It is still in the top three for me. And I think the cover is so great! I read this one the year it came out — 2011. I looked back at what I wrote on my old blog about it, and I don’t think I need to change a word. So here is that review.
OKAY FOR NOW by Gary D. Schmidt is simply one of the finest, most compelling books I have read in a long time. The voice of Doug Swieteck is as clear and direct as any first-person story I have ever read. I hear Doug’s voice in my head, speaking directly to me, as if we had been best friends for years. His father, who doesn’t have many good days, if you know what I mean, is fired, and the family has to move to a small town which will henceforth be referred to as “stupid Marysville.”
Doug’s mother is sweet and loving and absolutely incapable of standing up to her abusive husband. His brother Christopher is terrified of who he will become and takes his fears out on everyone around him, but mostly Doug. His other brother, Lucas, is in Vietnam at the beginning of the book, but comes home badly damaged – physically and emotionally.
Doug finds a couple of allies at the public library in stupid Marysville and discovers his own artistic talent when he finds an Audubon book on display there. The beautiful prints in the book inspire him, and a librarian, Mr. Powell, nurtures Doug’s artistic gifts. He struggles through being the new kid at school and the suspicions of the townspeople after a theft occurs. He struggles at home as Lucas comes home from the war and as his father becomes more abusive and Christopher becomes angrier, taking it out on you know who. When his father’s cruel abuse is revealed to everyone at school, you wonder how Doug will survive this latest horror. But he is a survivor, and this uplifting story is full of strength and beauty. I can’t recommend it highly enough. I love it and will read it again soon.
Here is a little sample of his wonderful writing. “My father gave me a box that still smelled like the bananas it brought up from somewhere that speaks Spanish and told me to put in whatever I had, and I should throw out anything I couldn’t get in it. I did — except for Joe Pepitone’s cap because it’s lying in a gutter getting rained on, which you might remember if you cared.” (page 7)
Please don’t forget to check for other Marvelous Middle-Grade Monday posts at Greg Pattridge’s blog HERE.
