A few posts ago I said the favorite of my books is the one I'm working on. Here's how Pete Seeger answered the question when asked what his favorite song is: "the one I'm singing." He did go on to say... "But I find myself as an old man singing "Turn, Turn, Turn" more often than I ever did because it does have so many meanings for me." (Full Beliefnet interview)Getting a theme going here. Photograph, book, song, whatever you feel passionate about right this moment can be absolutely, totally your favorite. Till the next one.
What art or photos or books or craft-y projects are you making that are filling you up with joy and exuberance and middle-of-the-night panic at the challenge?
I'm working on: "Fit Pete Seeger's amazing and interesting and controversial life into 32 to 40 pages, and don't forget to leave room for the pictures."
4 comments:
Hi Betsy,
Great blog. Regarding the "don't forget to leave room for the pictures" book, will the pictures be photographs or illustrations?
My primary project at the moment is working on being a writer. I ask myself, "What do I do?" To which I answer, "I write." To which I reply, "Then why is it I'm not writing?" Ah, an excellent question and one I must soon resolve. As you can see, it's quite a project.
tNice Blog, Betsy. Looks like a great project.
But then again, what else should I expect from an ace like you?
I have middle-of-the-night panic at the challenge down. Now if I could only figure out what my editor wants I might be able to get to the joy and exuberance part.
Say, when are the ALA announcements coming? Isn't tomorrow the last day?
Blog on, Betsy. I love reading what you have to say.
Sarah
Betsy,
What a great question! I just finished a novel that will be out next month: The Boy Who Dared (Scholastic). I encountered the main character's story when I was researching and writing HItler Youth.
It's a story that kept me awake long after I had finished writing Hitler Youth. That's how I knew I wasn't finished with Helmuth Hübener yet, and in order to understand his courage and strength, I had to write a novel.
Now I'm in the throes of researching and writing -- and nearing the deadline of -- another nonfiction book that's keeping me up. The material gives me nightmares!
But that's not necessarily a bad thing. I've grown to accept the nightmares as an understanding that my subconscious is processing the material in a deep and meaningful way -- or at least that's what I tell myself.
But the dreams must be working because I"m seeing the whole picture now, the thematic threads that must be tugged through the narrative.
I'm curious, Betsy: do you have any thoughts on the value of dreams and the creative process? What does the dream spirit say about dreams -- good and bad -- and creativity?
Susan, who has never blogged before and needs to figure out how to use html tags AND get her full name to show up and so for now will add:
Susan Campbell Bartoletti
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