tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16376573089701671602023-11-16T01:06:13.220-06:00Marlene SamuelsWriter . Sociologist . InstructorMarlene Samuels, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10776672400105695569noreply@blogger.comBlogger69125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-80281700965335815532014-04-16T16:00:00.003-05:002015-11-05T18:17:11.387-06:00My Writing Process - Blog Tour<div class="MsoNormal">
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">There’s that old </span></span><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">cliche</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> writers have - it's something like, “Life seems to get in the way of
writing!” </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">I never knew exactly</span><span style="font-size: 16px; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">what that meant until the past
year or two. This week proved no exception. </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">Good news: my tardiness was indeed writing or “writerly” related. Last Thursday (April 10-13)
I went to Austin, TX to participate and present at Story Circle Network’s
National Conference, <b><i>Stories from the Heart</i></b>. (<a href="http://www.storycircle.org/" target="_blank">www.storycircle.org</a>) So much writing, so little
time.</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">But now, on to my belated
Blog-Tour post!</span></div>
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<i style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: x-large;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; font-family: "cambria" , serif; line-height: 115%; padding: 0in;">April
14, 2014 </span><span style="font-family: "cambria" , serif; line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">#MyWritingProcess</span></i></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "cambria" , "serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I’m breaking new
ground, exploring approaches that are – for me anyway, challenging but
intriguing. Today I'm answering four questions on t<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; padding: 0in;">he blog tour</span>, <b><i>My Writing Process</i></b>, where writers
and authors have been invited to answer the same four questions about their personal
writing processes.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> My friend and fellow writer, </span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 115%;">Tania Pryputniewicz </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">posted about her own work last week. Tania
is an amazingly creative, </span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">multifaceted</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> writer. She describes herself as a
poet and, while the genre might be her first love, the breadth and scope of her
poignant words combined with experimental approaches defy categorizing. Please don’t miss the opportunity to read
about Tania’s writing process, as well as some of her incredible essays and
posts, by visiting: </span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><a href="http://www.taniapryputniewicz.com/" target="_blank"><span style="background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #5b9bd5;">www.taniapryputniewicz.com</span></a></span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 115%;">).</span><span style="color: #222222; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; line-height: 115%; padding: 0in;"><i><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">What
am I </span></b></i></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; line-height: 115%; padding: 0in;"><i><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">working on?</span></b></i></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> This is our first
question – straight forward as a warm-up to the more difficult ones. My greatest
challenge in writing is having too many pieces I’m working on rather than feeling
“blocked” or unable to conceptualize ideas about which I’m passionate enough to
write. I came to non-academic writing purely by chance after earning my Ph.D.
in research sociology. Because of that, what I work on at any given moment might
be essay or a non-fiction short story in tandem with writing an article or book
related to my research interests. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> Currently, I’m
rewriting and editing a collection of short stories – really more like creative
non-fiction memoir pieces </span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">I've</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> worked on for years. By now, there are twelve – each one at a different level of "doneness." They evolved from
my experiences growing up with two parents who were Holocaust survivors so
writing some of my stories started out as a creative vehicle for me to make sense
out of a world I regarded as threatening and evil. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> Initially, each
piece came to me as a stand-alone snippet from my life, usually inspired by
moving, unforgettable, or distressing events and conversations. I </span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">wasn't</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> aware
of any unifying theme and </span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">didn't</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> even think about it much until very recently. Once </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">I began
editing them - after having neglected these stories for about ten years, two
insights hit me smack in the middle of my head! First, I realized that during
those passing years, it feels as though my writing evolved
tremendously.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> I’ve become much more focused - a more observant writer than I’d
been even just a year or two ago; second, my stories’ unifying theme suddenly was surprisingly obvious to me. Even now, I marvel that the theme totally eluded me
in the past. </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">Right now I’m in
the final editing phase of my short stories. Of course, one of the greatest
challenges I think every writer faces is deciding that it’s time to let them go. It's tough to decide to just get the stuff out there already and quit editing! . Honestly, we could edit indefinitely because writers –
like their writing, are in a constant state of change and evolution. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> Now, because
of the unifying theme, I'll publish the collection into a book that’s a memoir
told through the form of short stories. </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">I’m also working
on a “soft sociology” book about decision making processes among mid-life
women. By “soft sociology” I mean that the book isn’t overly academic because
it’s written to appeal to a broader population, yet it does take an
intellectual and academic approach that’s a step beyond the “self-help” genre.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> My new book is based
on research plus interviews with women. I’ve interviewed numerous mid-life
women, listening to their stories about their regrets in addition to those about their
hopes moving forward in their lives. These have been hugely inspirational to my
writing, helping me imagine some of their stories as creative fiction
pieces. </span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; line-height: 115%; padding: 0in;"><i><b><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">How
does my work differ from others of its genre?</span></b></i></span><span style="line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Most of my writing
conveys the high degree of awareness I had, even as a young child, about
society’s disenfranchised – especially un-assimilated immigrants and
economically under-privileged. Those two characteristics seem intertwined so much of the time. In large part, I think I’m exceptionally qualified
to write about experiences from that world because I’ve actually lived in it until, when I was a young teen, my family moved to the USA. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Truthfully, my
stories and experience aren’t entirely unique. There are so many stories,
essays and books in this genre out there – those written by other children
of survivors. But two obvious characteristics differentiate my work from that
of others in my cohort. First, too many writers in the genre try to make
light of the nature of secondary post-traumatic stress and its associated loss through
the use of humor. Secondly, other writers convey tremendous bitterness and it saturates their work. In my opinion, neither approach works particularly well. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> Sure, of course I’m
angered and saddened by all the suffering and loss that was inflicted on my parents. How could I not be? Who wouldn't be? The fallout of their altered personalities
had a huge impact on me and continues to do so in surprising and strange ways daily, especially
when I least expect it. On the positive side, it’s precisely these observations
and experiences that have proven incredibly conducive to my writing process. Ultimately, they benefit readers. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I also feel
fortunate to have heard my parents’ first-hand accounts, gained tremendous
insights from their stamina, then found a medium though which to convey those
stories to a larger population. In a sense, my parents' stories and mine meld
together and in doing so they have an opportunity to become a part of the public record. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCn9RjSvNaFs38sUjBGqNJhh9nuMou3hKUsA0aP6POgmoUrFhln-H4Ho_ryd6tdLi4UTMKfx6AS7ZN337k3TJiYgWavuKkNIpkuTAB1FHJUrzkizsl7iC4ECOkYA-bTe7EfT6rbU4G-YJD/s1600/IMG_0021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCn9RjSvNaFs38sUjBGqNJhh9nuMou3hKUsA0aP6POgmoUrFhln-H4Ho_ryd6tdLi4UTMKfx6AS7ZN337k3TJiYgWavuKkNIpkuTAB1FHJUrzkizsl7iC4ECOkYA-bTe7EfT6rbU4G-YJD/s1600/IMG_0021.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Seamstress: A Memoir of Survival - my mother's story displayed at<br />
<h3 class="r" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: medium; font-weight: normal; margin: 0px; overflow: hidden; padding: 0px; text-align: left; text-overflow: ellipsis; white-space: nowrap;">
<a data-href="http://www.ushmm.org/" href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CCsQFjAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ushmm.org%2F&ei=wuhOU7zkDoTwyQGlqIGAAQ&usg=AFQjCNEE-tV39-qi3rtVOff6Jh3-0N0Yrg&sig2=15DVP8laOgrGOVwT_TOsLQ&bvm=bv.64764171,d.aWc" style="color: #660099; cursor: pointer;"><span style="font-weight: bold;">United States Holocaust Memorial</span> Museum</a> (<cite class="_vd" style="color: #006621; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; line-height: 16px;">www.ushmm.org/</cite><span style="color: grey; font-size: x-small; line-height: 16px;">)</span></h3>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; line-height: 115%; padding: 0in;"><b><i><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">Why
do I write </span></i></b></span></span><br />
<b style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><i><span style="color: #6aa84f; font-size: large;">what I do?</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> Since I do write in
two very different genres – sociology and creative non-fiction, I think there
really are only two reasons I write what I do. First, my academic writing is based on my
interests and curiosities about society. I'm always asking the same questions but in different ways. The question drives both my academic work and my creative non-fiction:
What makes populations behave in the ways
they do? How could entire countries and continents be so complicit during mass-insanity
that overtakes rational thought throughout history? What happens during historical
events such a World War II, or segregation in the USA, or slaughters in the
name of ethnic </span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;">cleansing</span><span style="line-height: 115%;"> in Africa, Asia, or the Middle East? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghebzHbaXLHqmI3bbIRj3sQtJwEtfqr51uEaji2_ylygn-_6wdexZjJqopE7YYkvN_ZAQYuiQz3RaNsGgDeXZMv1IxEnWbTs6fPXjOx6UULPiQEEUJxJbj_1k9CILlpmPnEtDC4yHECRQq/s1600/DSC_0130.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="133" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghebzHbaXLHqmI3bbIRj3sQtJwEtfqr51uEaji2_ylygn-_6wdexZjJqopE7YYkvN_ZAQYuiQz3RaNsGgDeXZMv1IxEnWbTs6fPXjOx6UULPiQEEUJxJbj_1k9CILlpmPnEtDC4yHECRQq/s1600/DSC_0130.JPG" width="200" /></a><span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> My interest in
these issues increases simultaneously with my age and awareness.
I have a very personal relationship to this phenomenon so when I write my short
stories – all based on my real life experiences, I hope to provide
my readers with a deeper understanding of the long term generational impact of past events.
In a way, my non-academic writing is a different version of my sociological
pieces. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMoUJFr_F9ELZaaajGr7mj4qChipmWTno8ac9WD5VoVaLlRFPWo928lxblYlR7ptFKLw76HwyU0eLqOOOmHcW4VoD6vS5wAj5NcJAb8NQYwFVGFlQAf1EIG6DPHbz8D9U4nRDQE14yJjZ7/s1600/DSC_0137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMoUJFr_F9ELZaaajGr7mj4qChipmWTno8ac9WD5VoVaLlRFPWo928lxblYlR7ptFKLw76HwyU0eLqOOOmHcW4VoD6vS5wAj5NcJAb8NQYwFVGFlQAf1EIG6DPHbz8D9U4nRDQE14yJjZ7/s1600/DSC_0137.JPG" width="211" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Berlin: Memorial to Jews murdered in the Holocaust</td></tr>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; line-height: 115%; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;"><br />How
does my writing</span></span></i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; line-height: 115%; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><i><span style="color: #6aa84f;"><span style="font-size: large;">process work?</span> </span></i></b><u><o:p></o:p></u></span></span></div>
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<span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; line-height: 115%; padding: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I wish I could say that my writing
process is systematic, well organized and consistent but it’s not. It is
flexible, though. It has to be because I tend to give into my state of mind or moods or constraints of ever day life. If I don’t stay flexible, then I just become frustrated and
“blocked” by that frustration. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="border: 1pt none windowtext; line-height: 115%; padding: 0in;"> What I do have are writing triggers.
In other words, a big chunk </span><span style="line-height: 115%;">of my writing starts out inside my head when I’m alone. After that, I commit
my interior writing concepts to paper. Usually, while driving or on long
walks, concepts come to me – something like stream of consciousness writing that
I follow. I always make a point to record a very short prompt about it – sometimes it’s
on my phone or on 3 by 5 note-cards I always keep in my pockets. When I do sit </span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;">down at my desk,</span></span><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">I’m able to connect back to my concepts through the prompt. </span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"> I love most music, especially when I’m writing
at my desk but I avoid listening to anything during walks. For me, that time
is my most creative, time for being inside my head. The other part of
my process is that, because I tend to stay up late reading,
I take mid-afternoon 15 minute power naps. Thankfully, modern technology has
been a huge help here! It seems as though nap time is also a very creative time
for me. When something comes to me, I try to record just a brief message to
myself so I won’t forget the concept. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"> My surroundings don't need to be quiet in order for me to write but I do find my productivity is best
when I’m not in my office and don’t have my computer with me. I’m a big
believer in writing by hand on paper, restricting my computer use for</span><span style="line-height: 18.399999618530273px;"> after I've gotten my thoughts down</span><span style="line-height: 115%;">. Handwriting on paper keeps my self-editing to a minimum.
For me, using a computer is the death-knell to my productivity in terms of self-editing!</span></span></div>
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Marlene Samuels, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10776672400105695569noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-14768514865382079032014-03-22T00:06:00.001-05:002014-03-22T00:06:08.402-05:00Why Do I Write? Or How to Defend A Cliche<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NhSsP_Slg5syzAh9jxYZ1fT079THsf2_RnHcULuJbMQFO79TU3yTH5iVde0c02K9fGzv3sIq_LC3Sxz50oOMFxLsVofyTLVGtCSO-i1zpsAv3lNpOGbgPvoobCLELmItnL46r0_j8aDu/s1600/1885_Punch-cliche.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_NhSsP_Slg5syzAh9jxYZ1fT079THsf2_RnHcULuJbMQFO79TU3yTH5iVde0c02K9fGzv3sIq_LC3Sxz50oOMFxLsVofyTLVGtCSO-i1zpsAv3lNpOGbgPvoobCLELmItnL46r0_j8aDu/s1600/1885_Punch-cliche.png" height="446" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cliches Reconsidered: From Punch Magazine 1885</td></tr>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> That’s the standard question every writer is asked and feels
compelled to answer, one about which all writers ultimately do write essays. Sometimes,
even after having written such an essay, the writer will revisit reasons for
writing with some regularity. But the topic, Why Do I Write, is far from a modern-day
quest. It dates back – way, way back in time, possibly even as far back as
writing itself does. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> We’ve all read numerous cliché
answers. Among them: “I write to discover who I am, to gain insight into myself,
to re-create myself, to make sense of the world around me, to understand what I
am or to heal from trauma.</span><span style="color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
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<span style="background: white;"> I write – and have written, for so many of the
same reasons but I’ve also attempted to write for a host of totally unrelated reasons.
Like most writers, the solitary act of writing does help me manage grief, anger,
and at times devastating disappointments or what - during the act of writing,
seems like unmanageable problems. I’ve written to record my journeys – physical
and emotional, as a vehicle by which to see where I’ve been, to assess the place in which I have arrived and as a mechanism to strengthen my resolve
about where I’m hoping to go. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> During happy times, although easy to resist writing, I’ve oftem felt compelled to write specifically about the happiness and in great detail. It’s more challenging to write when we're happy. I know it is for
me because what I want most is to stay in that moment. Taking time away
from the feeling in order to write is a risk that I may not regain that happy
moment. But we also lose sight of the benefits to be gained by taking that time. Isn’t
it possible that during sadder more difficult times, we’re likely to reread the
happier times, reminding ourselves how we arrived at them? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> Sure, these reasons are all clichés
of sorts. And sure, most of us throughout the entirety of our educations, have been
taught, to avoid those phrases referred to as clichés. We’re convinced that cliches
are offensive, tedious, and smack of undeveloped writing skills. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> The reasons we list for writing
might be clichés but our answers are totally unique. Our essay answers to “Why
Do I Write?” are anything but cliches. Note the irony: Isn’t the question
itself but a huge cliche? </span><span style="font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 115%; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Marlene Samuels, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10776672400105695569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-17963258352671303972013-11-04T11:12:00.001-06:002015-11-05T18:30:24.143-06:00New Workshop Based Upon New BookMy new book, When Digital Isn't Real, evolved out of the various workshops I've conducted over the years, including several with Story Circle Network. All writers need to establish the reliability of their information. But in order to keep readers interested and present credible content, they also must enhance their work by providing a high level of verisimilitude. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixP5b6u63_C-de8zr8jX6POit60EgCkULlKzZ4QMF5pHgcNIpdP8JaITYAA7WGGo8B6LCzeFBRspYzHl3a0SFSqaSuYv3gNIQRxSrcqbXnxbLUHNvfrZQNKoNyPSFv-IU6E7RtbFOwnZKV/s1600/DIR_frontCoverDesign.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixP5b6u63_C-de8zr8jX6POit60EgCkULlKzZ4QMF5pHgcNIpdP8JaITYAA7WGGo8B6LCzeFBRspYzHl3a0SFSqaSuYv3gNIQRxSrcqbXnxbLUHNvfrZQNKoNyPSFv-IU6E7RtbFOwnZKV/s400/DIR_frontCoverDesign.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><h3>
<b>This is the outside. Now go take a look at the inside!</b></h3>
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You're probably thinking that anything and everything you could possibly need for your craft is online, right? True, so much is available online and in digital format but (and it's a very big but) what about all that incredibly rich, unique, and "never-to-make-its way into the digital world" material? What about all the often overlooked sources for information and facts such as one-on-one interviews, visits to geographic locations, rummaging through scrapbooks, recipe collections, and snooping around in closets and in family photo albums? <br />
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Well, you get where I'm going with all this! My new book deals with precisely these points and more. And my forthcoming workshop will show attendees exactly how to decide what information and details they need, where to look in the real, non-digital world, and what unconventional sources are available.<br />
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if you can't join me in Austin, you can still buy a copy of <span style="color: #073763;"><b>When Digital Isn't Real</b></span>. It's available in both print and as a Kindle. <br />
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<br />Marlene Samuels, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10776672400105695569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-78057203825650385742013-11-03T21:46:00.004-06:002013-11-24T20:45:11.086-06:00Berlin - Surprises Abound<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6187/6097785770_02a6fb490a_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://farm7.staticflickr.com/6187/6097785770_02a6fb490a_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Photo via flickr- ERmes Vatali</span></td></tr>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There’s a tiny, little known museum in Berlin, <b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><i>Museum
Blindenwerkstatt Otto Weidt.</i> </span></b><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">D</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px;">uring World War I</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;">I and </span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 14px;">before, it</span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"> had been a brush factory. Its
owner, Otto Weidt, became increasingly interested in creating a safe work
environment for visually impaired, blind and deaf workers. It was a workshop in which they were given the opportunity to be productive and remain economically independent. The reason for his interest: Otto Weidt gradually was
losing his own eye sight. Visiting this unusual, out of the way spot was one of
the highlights of the week for all the surprises it held.</span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> After the climb up a narrow,
creaky flight of wooden steps, I opened the door to the museum’s small entry.
It had been pouring rain through out the morning and our group was drenched. The desk clerk greeted us pleasantly in German, asking us to leave our wet coats and
umbrellas in the entry to prevent water damage to the exhibits. The soft spoken man was the security guard / maintenance staff / sales
clerk / resident historian and basically filled every position imaginable at this museum.
<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> He had an amazing smile,
pleasant disposition, but had spoken to us in German.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> “He’s amazing!” I whispered to
our tour leader. “I’d so love to take his photo. Do you think he’d mind?”</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBc6vCOCuicVvEXtlmJRAFXK2Y0_stmAdTordTzXr6_IP1kgYgJZ5qc9Em_8lpgTM7lfVjAaDQSC_YekvyK3Y8o-9YP-y_3Ac0y937hf3SUbW_3b9Ay-RpDyLm2mla4z6_qQC24pIzo-6p/s1600/mustache+man-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhBc6vCOCuicVvEXtlmJRAFXK2Y0_stmAdTordTzXr6_IP1kgYgJZ5qc9Em_8lpgTM7lfVjAaDQSC_YekvyK3Y8o-9YP-y_3Ac0y937hf3SUbW_3b9Ay-RpDyLm2mla4z6_qQC24pIzo-6p/s320/mustache+man-2.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> “Mind? Are you kidding?" our group leader replied. "He’d
absolutely love it, just ask him. His English is perfect and actually he competes in the International
Beard and Mustache Competition. You know, he once won third place and is super proud of
this!” </span><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> This museum is a must-visit tribute to a German citizen,
a non-Jewish hero. While reading about the museum, I learned that its administered
by the <i>German Resistance Memorial Centre Foundation</i> - an organization developed as
a result of a student project. </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">Otto Weidt’s story is told through the use of archival photos and in transcripts from i</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">nterviews conducted with some of those he had saved. T</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;">he mustache man enriched an already enriching experience.</span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"> </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 14px;"> During World War II, the visually impaired brush and broom manufacturer, Otto Weidt, employed quite a number of Jews in the small factory still located at Rosenthaler 39. As the Nazi party rose to power, Weidt worked tirelessly to protect his blind and deaf employees from deportation to concentration camps. He bribed the Gestapo, falsified documents, and ultimately hid a family behind a backless cupboard in his shop’s workroom.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> Hesitantly, I approached his desk. Apologetically I spoke up. “Sir, excuse me but would you mind if I took a photo of you? My friends in the USA would find your mustache amazing.
I know I sure do!”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> “It would be my honor." He said in perfect, accent free English. "This
is a good place for me to work. Here, in a brush factory, right? And even more funny, I’m Jewish!
Fortunately, I’m not yet blind. I must say though that some people are certain I’m deaf!” <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia,"Times New Roman",serif;"><span style="background-color: white; font-size: 10pt; line-height: 115%;"> The encounter was a
bigger surprise than I was prepared for that day. And thanks to the man with the award-winning mustache, I learned much more
about Mr. Weidt’s brushes, the empoyees he saved and about “mustache man” himself. His own parents had fled
Berlin, went to Israel (then Palestine) and remained there. The Israeli- born competitive
mustache grower returned to live in Berlin after completing college. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<br />Marlene Samuels, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10776672400105695569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-64821278284280504122013-11-02T15:34:00.001-05:002015-11-05T18:32:14.725-06:00Seeing Things Anew<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2blqaPQFz_W3JGhshPFPpGhz21QKuDsnoUs0K9Bbc7jV3N22W5VcFTPtcjjZe06-bIAAgo3ib01Zsbsq5Ykf3ElX9oVmaa77jO2n0Vjar3leWE8oRPH6ZTdAt-dTMkFcw245LnHmfrzH/s1600/DSC_0116.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiG2blqaPQFz_W3JGhshPFPpGhz21QKuDsnoUs0K9Bbc7jV3N22W5VcFTPtcjjZe06-bIAAgo3ib01Zsbsq5Ykf3ElX9oVmaa77jO2n0Vjar3leWE8oRPH6ZTdAt-dTMkFcw245LnHmfrzH/s320/DSC_0116.JPG" width="212" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Grim reminder of my own parents' experiences listed here - 3 out of these twelve. <br />
Far too many others not even listed: Auschwitz, Ravensbruck & Dachau.<br />
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Sometimes a break from blogging is a good thing. My break has been so long, I almost forgot how to post new content - not the writing part but the actual mechanics! Somewhat scary. Could this be a case of "use it or lose it?"<br />
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The past three months have been insanely hectic. August was devoted to Ghost Ranch in New Mexico where I presented and conducted one-on-one consults for the <i>AROHO Conference. </i>I returned to Chicago in September and a two week trip to Berlin with University of Chicago's Graham School, and a visit to Santa Cruz, CA.<br />
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There was the frenzy of writing and submitting my proposal to present at the <i>Story Circle Network </i>National Conference in Austin, TX., publication of my new book, <i>When Digital Isn't Real </i>followed by a total overhaul of the same just one week after it was released. Oh, I forgot to mention the Kindle Edition as well.<br />
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These are some of the topics about which I'll be posting during the coming weeks. And there are also other activities; writing a few guest posts, providing my "two cents" of feedback on some fellow writers' books, my activities as a member of University of Chicago's Visiting Committee to the Graduate Division of the Social Sciences, and working on my forthcoming short story collection.<br />
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So what about all those photos I'm eager to post and write about? Some are more emotionally packed than others, but first things first. I've posted a photo of one of the intense moments for me but coming to grips with all this proved to be a positive and valuable experience.<br />
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Please check back this week for new content!Marlene Samuels, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10776672400105695569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-56334104217493347762013-09-25T18:27:00.003-05:002013-11-24T19:46:02.245-06:00I am a Berliner!<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><br /></span>
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<a href="http://www.rightmove.co.uk/overseas-magazine/files/2013/01/DDR-dock.cozmicphotos.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="http://www.rightmove.co.uk/overseas-magazine/files/2013/01/DDR-dock.cozmicphotos.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b>Hi I'm in Berlin right now on an trip with University of Chicago Graham School. </b></div>
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<b>Tell you all about it when I get back.</b></div>
Jeff Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07828133456932107652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-78979513087000619402013-09-16T14:13:00.001-05:002013-11-24T21:46:26.955-06:00Out on the bookshelves now: Marlene's new Reference Guide, When Digital Isn't Real<center>
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<a href="http://www.amazon.com/When-Digital-Isnt-Real-Finding/dp/149107146X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1378444636&sr=1-1" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_vq0ZvZSPWwYnuIWVfYsa5K9pxTsVboBtAXCPm0awHf4nsvlllcouqIx9SdX0NX4S1JfaZ-5neb34dKAEFS7s-cF2OJnaiNdujP4fxVqxdtgPPkRIYWjhHdTM-Dn0W90bO-dY0tpZg81r/s400/DIR_frontCoverDesign.jpg" width="282" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Much Needed Resource For Writers—A Reference Guide!</b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.386363983154297px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Do you think all the information you need can be found online? Think again! Not all the facts you need to ensure accuracy in your writing is online. And even information that's made its way online may not be all that accurate. The magnitude of online information, accessed at lightening fast speed, has eroded our beliefs in the importance of hard-copy references. Worse, too many writers are losing their research skills. In order to conduct non-digital research, writers need the skills to identify data sources but moreover, knowing how and where to find them, then deciding which ones to use, is both critical and daunting. Every writer who cares about the accuracy of his or her written work needs this book!</span></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b><span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.63636302947998px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: 22.386363983154297px; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"> </span> </b></span></div>
Marlene Samuels, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10776672400105695569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-11088119455978158382013-06-14T17:11:00.002-05:002015-11-05T18:36:11.415-06:00Where's Mangia Monday been?<h4>
<span style="color: #666666; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; font-weight: normal;"> "Mangia Monday" on this blog - a series of yummy recipes and tips for getting the most out of your food dollars and having the least to waste. </span></span></h4>
<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><b><a href="http://www.anotherdaygourmet.com/" target="_blank">ANOTHER DAY GOURMET!</a></b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "helvetica neue" , "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;">Have a Look! Here's where you'll now find all the recipes, essays, and great tips for getting the most out of your food. Check in with this blog for updates and news about all my writing, publications, workshops and presentations but from now on all the food related fun will be "in residence" at Another Day Gourmet. Thanks and happy cooking!</span><br />
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<br />Marlene Samuels, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10776672400105695569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-17166158204080836622013-05-21T10:00:00.000-05:002013-11-24T20:45:52.448-06:00Witnessing Diversity, Embracing Community<blockquote style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" type="cite">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbBonqjdo1rplTlg2R3fNeltb1WBoARg3oEvJ-4e0PVz0h9O-xY4ysql3WBYUx7O0XnypLwz6P5AgjtgCBC3Nal_mHzsQjoR7Ce5AcA0GnDjr4TD-_UOLBLz7fUSXC4v1wwUI0-HvkAB9/s1600/HolocaustMus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="230" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhbBonqjdo1rplTlg2R3fNeltb1WBoARg3oEvJ-4e0PVz0h9O-xY4ysql3WBYUx7O0XnypLwz6P5AgjtgCBC3Nal_mHzsQjoR7Ce5AcA0GnDjr4TD-_UOLBLz7fUSXC4v1wwUI0-HvkAB9/s320/HolocaustMus.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This past<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1942174404" style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204); position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Saturday</span></span>, I attended both a bat- and bar-mitzvah in Washington, D.C., the only reason for my trip to the district. But while in our nation's capital, I decided to take advantage of a few unscheduled hours in which to conduct historical research at the USHMM - The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1942174405" style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204); position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Friday</span></span><span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span>afternoon I devoted 3 hours to my research.</span></span></div>
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But, <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1942174406" style="border-bottom: 1px dashed rgb(204, 204, 204); position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Saturday</span></span><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">, sitting in the synagogue's sanctuary, the significance of the two events - my Holocaust research and the bat mitzvah's unique celebratory character thoroughly overwhelmed me.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The young lady having her bat mitzvah is our close friends' daughter -- I'll refer to her as Julia Jia Li Davis. The young man becoming a "bar mitzvah," Jordan David Martínez-Goldberg, shared the Dias and planning of the service with Julia.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">She is Chinese. He is bi-racial Jewish-Dominican, and according to one aunt, also has some Peruvian origins. The service was simultaneously amazing, encouraging, and beautiful. But beyond its diversity -- and vastly more important, was the sense of community and hope it evoked that so thoroughly overwhelmed us all.</span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I scanned the sanctuary. It was impossible not to notice that almost everyone there was teary-eyed and intensely moved. It wasn't simply the ethnic, racial, national, and cultural diversity that gave us pause but rather the tremendous significance of the scene and of our good fortune to be a part of it. The point was lost on no one!<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span></blockquote>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwAZ6RJ_lAr6BGDZqvjufJ41C7KsojgC46uhhBvCkGcR8amsgDeG2U8dI1m6dpElzjmP5YPkLqxdNdvt56lCsEjaNokJzr2PWJyvDUChpQ7ZLWMebvBSvCLsJz6QxWzKyxZi5snes616c/s1600/Meltingpotplaybill.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWwAZ6RJ_lAr6BGDZqvjufJ41C7KsojgC46uhhBvCkGcR8amsgDeG2U8dI1m6dpElzjmP5YPkLqxdNdvt56lCsEjaNokJzr2PWJyvDUChpQ7ZLWMebvBSvCLsJz6QxWzKyxZi5snes616c/s320/Meltingpotplaybill.JPG" width="232" /></a></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">It was also the epitome of our American ethos. It's one of the greatest and most enduring of America's values.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">More than a century ago, the United States of America was referred to as the "great melting-pot," a term derived from a play by Israel Zangwill. First performed in 1908, the story depicts difficulties encountered by a Russian-Jewish immigrant family named the Quixanos.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The protagonist and hero, David Quixano, survived a pogrom that killed both his mother and sister -- an over-whelming horror he constantly struggles to put behind him.</span></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">David creates an "American Symphony" -- his goal is to envision a society free from ethnic divisions and hatred rather than to remember his tragic past.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">David proclaims, "America is God's crucible, the great melting-pot where all the races of Europe are melting and reforming... Germans and Frenchmen, Irishmen and Englishmen, Jews and Russians." He is overcome with emotion by his vision and shouts, "Into the Crucible with you all! God is making the American!"</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Given the play's historical context, Zangwill's main character's proclamation is truer and more evident in contemporary America than it was when he wrote it in 1908. Today, America is in a constant state of social and demographic flux, adapting and embracing its diversity followed by yet more growth, change and diversity.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">The continuous changing "face" of America benefits us all, helping us evolve into a vastly more compassionate and humane society.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">This special bat mitzvah followed my afternoon at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's 5th floor where I scanned miles of footage in the Steven Spielberg Film Archives -- footage that documented Nazi era atrocities.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Regardless of what we think we know about events that occurred during those very dark Holocaust years, seeing raw film footage taken from news reels of the time is a brutally sobering experience.<span class="Apple-converted-space"> </span></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I'm still trying to comprehend the amazing contrast between what I saw documenting the inhumane violence inflicted upon millions of human beings simply because of their cultural, religious, and racial differences and the wonderful encouraging sense of community that permeated the entire bat mitzvah weekend I was so fortunate to be a part of!</span></span>Marlene Samuels, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10776672400105695569noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-82537563728713594422013-04-22T22:21:00.002-05:002013-11-24T20:46:14.330-06:00Little Blue Book<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwxROj6FzfWhKLviCzSwcoewsoUWiBL_OzC8sDZCrfR95tCQpzF4aDE3DwIIXkh9SBxpFjq-rLP3fcrpPgSQqABPJxLOzBzZYscBa4PNYeV_VIppnIdrCwF-U_3gyl9Baa50swD2LpZ1Z/s1600/passport.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRwxROj6FzfWhKLviCzSwcoewsoUWiBL_OzC8sDZCrfR95tCQpzF4aDE3DwIIXkh9SBxpFjq-rLP3fcrpPgSQqABPJxLOzBzZYscBa4PNYeV_VIppnIdrCwF-U_3gyl9Baa50swD2LpZ1Z/s320/passport.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">I pulled my passport out of the special leather case in which it's protected. We were on a flight headed to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico and it was about a half hour before touchdown. Flight-attendants hurriedly began distributing Mexican tourist visa forms to be completed and handed to waiting Mexican Passport Control officers inside the airport.</span><br />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">But just before I opened my passport - navy blue, white letters, U.S.A., I held it in my hand a moment longer than any of my fellow passengers did theirs; turned it over to look at some security stickers from past adventures. I read the information in the first few pages before the photo page, before finding my passport number, and before I completed the form.</span><br />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">It's been an incredibly tense time in the national media, tense for all Americans in the wake of the Boston Marathon Bombings. Everyone has stayed glued to their televisions, ears tuned to news reports. I was following minute-by-minute updates about the hunt for the bombers -- News about their national origins, their acquiring the privilege to enter and remain in the USA.</span><br />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">I opened my pen, ready to copy my passport information into the form issued to United Airline passengers - I examined its cover. I held it in my hand a bit longer, taking a few extra moments to think about the privilege of having an American passport.</span><br />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">Mine was not obtained as the result of the coincidence of my place of birth. It was not because of the good fortune to have been born in the USA. Instead, my passport was obtained as the result of a 14 year wait to gain my immigration visa from the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Services. It's the result of an additional five-year wait to gain the privilege to take the USA citizenship exam and only after that, was I fortunate enough to travel on an American passport.</span><br />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">I remember making the trip downtown to the Federal Building in Chicago on the appointed day, stomach all in knots, after weeks of diligent preparation for my interview and exam. After one full hour, I emerged from the cubicle extremely lightheaded.</span><br />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">"Please take a seat in the main room along with your fellow Americans." said the blond haired INS officer, the one who had given me my exam. She moved to the front of the room, stepped up to the podium flanked by the Stars and Stripes on one side, and the State of Illinois flag on the other.</span><br />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">"Congratulations, you are now American citizens! Welcome to the United States of America!"</span><br />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">And as I looked around the room, barely a dry eye was to be found among eyes of many shapes, colors, and lands - so many of which had seen unspeakable hardships and sorrows. Many of the families, just like my own, had been in transit for many generations.</span><br />
<br style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;" />
<span style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: white; color: #222222; display: inline !important; float: none; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">It all came back to me during this past week of national tragedy. I've been holding my passport very close, marveling at my own good fortune to be an American and so saddened that there are those for whom the same is not true.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5-RgHZT7-tjIB5Yk8gD7H1LIBpknSFgKspsN1QAGEpYwpSpUfzRKwkFYlH0AhoDbQfBlBrXV4UCZeKYkgEgZ2XQdEN0zUnFBFMl98WtuXBfEbE91-ssObw4DzTVwx7O4xU0bHZ09tHAD/s1600/passport2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="531" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG5-RgHZT7-tjIB5Yk8gD7H1LIBpknSFgKspsN1QAGEpYwpSpUfzRKwkFYlH0AhoDbQfBlBrXV4UCZeKYkgEgZ2XQdEN0zUnFBFMl98WtuXBfEbE91-ssObw4DzTVwx7O4xU0bHZ09tHAD/s640/passport2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
Marlene Samuels, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10776672400105695569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-21395878085658235522013-04-10T10:00:00.000-05:002015-11-05T18:49:45.979-06:00Regrets Undone - Long Story Short Ezine<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjCOx_lSzpQ7NE71Ye_qCTPfaGC20IlaHclwOVr6h4nkmDjh_ZTiqBHjpj_UgTXFRMsfrgtOr5xA2-cOzMgYRdCAg8GnogcRvf0xkxS4WcUEFhwrfJMQiJ4lTR5Rp6zPJs7U_UvJ-Q2kB/s1600/Long+Story+Short.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="249" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizjCOx_lSzpQ7NE71Ye_qCTPfaGC20IlaHclwOVr6h4nkmDjh_ZTiqBHjpj_UgTXFRMsfrgtOr5xA2-cOzMgYRdCAg8GnogcRvf0xkxS4WcUEFhwrfJMQiJ4lTR5Rp6zPJs7U_UvJ-Q2kB/s640/Long+Story+Short.jpeg" width="640" /></a>An essay of mine called Regrets Undone, about (finally) completing my Ph.D., has been featured on Long Story Short, An Ezine for Writers. <span class="size12 LucidaSansUnicode12" style="color: black; font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span class="size12 LucidaSansUnicode12">The
one cocktail party question I’ve dreaded so much that I move across the
room, away from the hors d'oeuvre platter just to avoid facing it. “So,
what exactly is it that you do?” It’s a question that packs enough
ammunition to transform me into mumbling scatterbrain. “Excuse me, I see
someone I really need to say hello to.” Is an escape-clause I’ve
developed when I even sniff that someone on the verge of asking it. And
how is it that grownups, a group of which I’m a member, think nothing of
asking such a personal question of a total stranger in the most casual
of tones?</span></span></span></blockquote>
<br />
<span class="size12 LucidaSansUnicode12" style="color: black; font-family: "lucida sans unicode" , sans-serif;"> </span><a href="http://www.alongstoryshort.net/RegretsUndone.html" target="_blank">Read the rest Here!</a><br />
<br />
<br />Marlene Samuels, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10776672400105695569noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-82013054815355661692013-04-03T01:33:00.000-05:002015-11-05T18:38:48.160-06:00I just learned I've Been Selected As A Finalist In A Writing Competition<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbh1F32wSd_ckx_KpJjZMEgrKtkLMponWDgscuxv8DAa0Ii6J06cY9z_Cmzsr1NWe-sr9H2h07HXeKC-ngByjZp5BQS40ZwuaefgigfY_Cz3WZQaxbppuAyWtHfEpe9w2jF6Rve92HKWR/s1600/footer_virginia.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsbh1F32wSd_ckx_KpJjZMEgrKtkLMponWDgscuxv8DAa0Ii6J06cY9z_Cmzsr1NWe-sr9H2h07HXeKC-ngByjZp5BQS40ZwuaefgigfY_Cz3WZQaxbppuAyWtHfEpe9w2jF6Rve92HKWR/s1600/footer_virginia.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #38761d;">Thanks to my AROHO friends on Facebook, specifically Lisa Rizzo and Barbara Rockman, I just learned that I'm a finalist in A Room of Her Own Foundation's ORLANDO PRIZE in the non-fiction category for my story entitled,The Pretending Suitcase Game. Sometimes I'm so clueless! </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "trebuchet ms" , "trebuchet" , "verdana"; line-height: 21.59375px; text-align: justify;">AROHO is dedicated to furthering the vision of Virginia Woolf and bridging the gap between a woman’s economic reality and her artistic creation. We bridge this gap by offering generous financial support to women of diverse artistic expression—the written arts (fiction, creative nonfiction, poetry, and playwriting), as well as the visual arts (painting, sculpture, and photography). We further Woolf’s vision by providing moral support and professional guidance to independent creative women who are committed to their art.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.aroomofherownfoundation.org/orlando.php" target="_blank">You can Read the Rules of the Contest here.</a></span>Jeff Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07828133456932107652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-63314010598306950552013-03-26T20:52:00.001-05:002013-11-24T19:51:44.545-06:00Star Blogger For Story Circle Network<span style="font-size: large;">"<b>From: Peggy Moody </b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: large;">Date: March 25, 2013, 2:43:54 PM CDT</span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>To: Marlene Samuels</b> <marlenesamuels gmail.com=""><br />
<br />
Subject:<span style="color: #741b47;"><b> SCN Star Blogger</b></span><br />
<br />Hi Marlene. We wanted to let you know that, with your permission, we will be featuring your outstanding blog in our upcoming <b><span style="color: #741b47;"><a href="http://www.storycircle.org/index.php" target="_blank">Story Circle Network</a></span></b> national eletter at www.storycircle.org/!<br />
<br />
Peggy Moody,<br />
Executive Director<br />
Story Circle Network"</marlenesamuels></span>Jeff Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07828133456932107652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-41361382144069785842013-03-22T10:00:00.000-05:002013-11-24T20:46:37.607-06:00Ghost Ranch, I'm Totally Ready!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzsT39Xq7MySUOsuKdgIrNa3661JQxPkCi4tmlb6CtMG5XSOlZkv02Jp2PM7dad4O5GD8N1cblAp9fss9a6fz8eWNZ71zy31hXsL-FfId116DvOjXUqo9e_9yHknIhQqAsa8gMwrHx1aU/s1600/DSC_0223-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="305" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjzsT39Xq7MySUOsuKdgIrNa3661JQxPkCi4tmlb6CtMG5XSOlZkv02Jp2PM7dad4O5GD8N1cblAp9fss9a6fz8eWNZ71zy31hXsL-FfId116DvOjXUqo9e_9yHknIhQqAsa8gMwrHx1aU/s320/DSC_0223-1.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Two years ago I attended the AROHO's (A Room of Her Own Foundation) Retreat at Ghost Ranch in Abiquiu, New Mexico. The event takes place only once in two years at artist Georgia O'Keefe's ranch. Following her death, Ghost Ranch was designated as a retreat site, one of incomparable rustic beauty.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I'd been hearing about Ghost Ranch for years - about the AROHO Retreat, the ranch's spiritual nature, and about the amazing impact it has upon one's sense of inner calm and connection with nature. I'd never been to New Mexico, never been to the Southwest, nor had I ever experienced desert terrain. But at last, I was privileged to attend.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /></span>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">So </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">reluctantly,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"> i</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;">n spring 2011, I submitted my application which required a writing sample. I braced for rejection. I understood, anew, Groucho Marx's cliche about joining clubs that would include me among their members. And then I was surprised when my acceptance letter arrived - surprised but then also exceedingly worried.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">What if they discover I'm really not a writer? What if they made a mistake, they confused me with another Marlene? What if the other attendees are brilliant, well-published, famous writers? And what if...the list was endless. I pulled out my lucky Woodstock Tee-shirt, one reserved for only the most special of events!</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">At AROHO, I was awed by the level of creativity, camaraderie, and kindness. i was touched by the total absence of judgement these women embraced. Clearly, we all seemed to be dealing with a phenomenon I learned was referred to as "the inner critic". I was amazed by the women who offered one-on-one consultations; the ones who taught afternoon small groups; others who conducted one-time whole group presentations.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">This January, I again submitted my application plus the reluctant writing sample. I even mustered up the confidence to submit two proposals; one for a group exercise about regrets and the ways in which we can transform past regrets into future gains; my second proposal was to offer individual consultations about research methods that will add credibility to our writing.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Then, at the end of February, my email inbox held an AROHO surprise. I braced for disappointment, convinced myself that no way would AROHO consider me as a presenter, I mean - after all, what do I know about writing anyway? But, there it was - not one, but TWO acceptances!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px;" /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Come this August, I'll be presenting at AROHO's Retreat at Ghost Ranch. And with only 5 months left, I'm finding myself giddy and nervous. As my sons pointed out that day, "when it comes to writing and teaching, it's never too soon to start thinking and planning, never too soon to be worrying!" My lucky t-shirt is clean, folded and ready!</span>Jeff Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07828133456932107652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-80199986621076135132013-03-20T10:00:00.000-05:002015-11-05T18:43:28.073-06:00When 30 Women Writers Get Together for A Weekend<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueRRqLe4IIZCDVV4uhmWy0T2JoQGygRLqHy_Ft5NExuw0M4aCICjJv_Z2Tp3DvxQeWVbhq-4aKOcdTL0qSYI1xFe-UiwjejjK0sYVToCgVTMdJ86MBjF938o2PjFSWm-ZFTpyqg2xVhhN/s1600/Round+Top+Texas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a></div>
<ol>
<li><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueRRqLe4IIZCDVV4uhmWy0T2JoQGygRLqHy_Ft5NExuw0M4aCICjJv_Z2Tp3DvxQeWVbhq-4aKOcdTL0qSYI1xFe-UiwjejjK0sYVToCgVTMdJ86MBjF938o2PjFSWm-ZFTpyqg2xVhhN/s1600/Round+Top+Texas.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhueRRqLe4IIZCDVV4uhmWy0T2JoQGygRLqHy_Ft5NExuw0M4aCICjJv_Z2Tp3DvxQeWVbhq-4aKOcdTL0qSYI1xFe-UiwjejjK0sYVToCgVTMdJ86MBjF938o2PjFSWm-ZFTpyqg2xVhhN/s400/Round+Top+Texas.JPG" width="400" /></a></li>
</ol>
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">It's indescribable! One week after returning from the Story Circle Network retreat in Round Top, Texas, my head is still swimming with the amazing stories we shared.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Sheila Bender provided inspiring prompts, time to think, to write and to exchange ideas. We learned to become "responders" as opposed to critics; we listened for "Velcro" words and phrases, and in the midst of the process, gained insight into reading our own work with a new eye and ear.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">The experience left me in awe of the range of amazing stories each woman had to tell, about which to write, stories needing to be told. Behind each face was complexity, creativity, and compassion but also there were untold sorrows and joys. But most of all, the common thread of shared understanding defies description but moved us to tears as well as to bouts of hysterical laughter!</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">And, on that last point, any writerly soul who's never attended a writing retreat ought to reconsider - it's a time during which magic happens</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv23sc-dA9-SzcoMfrcchaUABzQ7rN3GNmRYtU01Sls3JuQX6flQVKC4aVBs31iHgbLTzJwUlV1drN3STguPlnhnFyOxm7twPsrA_rMxDGzIsXuMHP9lpSabzdU4ADWxcy7VbMpTUSTNIr/s1600/round+Top+Gardens.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv23sc-dA9-SzcoMfrcchaUABzQ7rN3GNmRYtU01Sls3JuQX6flQVKC4aVBs31iHgbLTzJwUlV1drN3STguPlnhnFyOxm7twPsrA_rMxDGzIsXuMHP9lpSabzdU4ADWxcy7VbMpTUSTNIr/s320/round+Top+Gardens.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="hP" id=":3i0" style="outline: none; padding-right: 10px;" tabindex="-1"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;">Part of the funky weird gardens constructe<wbr></wbr>d from discarded bricks, slate, and found materials</span></span><br />
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<span class="hP" style="outline: none; padding-right: 10px;" tabindex="-1"><span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3E5zu2KBMTfClmPponjUJYAbxvMwzSGtw_91XgLAQheA5BDBtWVd1aVABjV7Wnm7_-XsiT-KTAPWrcJfX5dmsQ8oMKsWE6h1n19cCCSwsq49rNoJVI8gnFfTS7eLzmZ5deJmqUmhQah3t/s1600/Round+Top+Meditate.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3E5zu2KBMTfClmPponjUJYAbxvMwzSGtw_91XgLAQheA5BDBtWVd1aVABjV7Wnm7_-XsiT-KTAPWrcJfX5dmsQ8oMKsWE6h1n19cCCSwsq49rNoJVI8gnFfTS7eLzmZ5deJmqUmhQah3t/s320/Round+Top+Meditate.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span class="hP" style="outline: none; padding-right: 10px;" tabindex="-1"></span><br />
<span class="hP" style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large; outline: none; padding-right: 10px;" tabindex="-1"><span class="hP" style="outline: none; padding-right: 10px;" tabindex="-1"><span style="color: #38761d;">So many places to sit and meditate</span></span></span><br />
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Jeff Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07828133456932107652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-90111230428021102992013-03-17T22:57:00.002-05:002015-11-05T18:46:06.198-06:00It Must Be My Lucky Day<br />
<div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<i style="color: #38761d; font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>August 12 - 18, 2013 </b></i></div>
<span style="color: #38761d;"><div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><b><span class="il">AROHO Writers' Retreat - </span></b></i></span></span><i style="font-family: georgia, 'times new roman', serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><span class="il">Ghost</span> <span class="il">Ranch,</span></b></i></div>
</span><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: #38761d;"><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif; font-size: large;"><i><b> Abiquiu, NM.</b></i></span></span></div>
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<a href="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/57/99/49/ghost-ranch-area.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/01/57/99/49/ghost-ranch-area.jpg" height="424" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #274e13;">I've been accepted to present at </span><span style="color: #274e13;">TWO levels</span><i style="color: #274e13; font-weight: bold;"> </i><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #274e13;">at </span><i><span style="color: blue;">A Room of Her Own</span></i><span style="color: #274e13;"> (AROHO) Foundation's</span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #274e13;"> </span><span class="il" style="color: #274e13;">Ghost</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #274e13;"> </span><span class="il" style="color: #274e13;">Ranch</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #274e13;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #274e13;">Retreat. I'll be presenting a short participatory activity entitled: </span><i><b><span style="color: blue;">Transforming Regrets into Rewards. </span></b></i></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;">And, I've been accepted as a consultant, </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #274e13;">available to meet with participants on a one-on-one basis to assist them with research problems they may be having related to their current writing. My consultation specialty:</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #274e13; font-weight: normal;"> </span><i><span style="color: blue;">Research Methods for Writers</span><span style="color: #274e13; font-weight: normal;">.</span></i></span></h4>
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Jeff Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07828133456932107652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-26234716231536230422013-03-01T16:55:00.000-06:002013-11-24T19:54:33.271-06:00Costco Connection Magazine - March 2013Hooray, it's out at last! The March issue of Costco Connection Magazine features a number of my recipes - created, tested and totally enjoyed in my very own home kitchen. The interview was conducted and prepared by freelance writer Georgia Orcutt and my wonderful creations were tested again in the Costco test kitchens. I'm extremely excited and this must be my lucky week. This article follows on the heels of the Women Magazine posting and a non-food essay I just learned has been accepted for publication. More about that on my next post.<br />
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If you're not a Costco member you can still read the Costco Connection Magazine on-line. How about a recipe for Mac & Cheese Frittata? You've read about roasting root vegetables here but have you considered potato salad soup? You may be surprised by how incredibly delicious, quick, easy and incredibly "green" (as in no waste) these creations are.<br />
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Check out my recipes. I'd love to hear back from you. Click on the link below and go directly to the article and then to your kitchen! <a href="http://www.costcoconnection.com/connection/201303#pg41">http://www.costcoconnection.com/connection/201303#pg41</a></div>
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Marlene Samuels, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10776672400105695569noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-10468647091648798622013-03-01T11:25:00.002-06:002013-11-24T19:54:57.657-06:00A Guest Post: Women Magazine <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Hello everyone! I have some more exciting news today: </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;">The editor of </span><b><span style="color: #b45f06;"><span class="il">Women</span> </span></b></span><span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="color: #b45f06;">Magazine</span></b><span style="color: #444444;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;">posted 2 of my recipes on the blog. If subscribers like it, there may be more regular posting opportunities of my recipes either on their blog or even in the magazine!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I wasn't especially familiar with Women Magazine but after reading several issues, I am very impresses. Here's what I found out: </span><span style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Women Magazine</b></span><span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> initially began as a monthly for <span class="il">women</span> recovering from cancer, gradually "morphing" into a <span class="il">health</span>, prevention and fitness approach while retaining some of its focus on managing and recovering from cancer. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444;">My recipe for </span><b><span style="color: #274e13;">b</span></b></span><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 21px;"><b><span style="color: #274e13;">arley, pine nut & currant salad</span></b><span style="color: #444444;"> can be seen </span><a href="http://awomanshealth.com/barley-pine-nut-and-currant-salad/" style="color: #444444;" target="_blank">HERE.</a></span></span></div>
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Jeff Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07828133456932107652noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-16186869539917247152013-02-17T13:35:00.001-06:002015-11-05T18:49:04.578-06:00Where I am Now: Sidney, Nebraska<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Just arrived in Sidney, Nebraska and spending the night at a hotel across the street from the World Wide Headquarters of CABELAS.<br />
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That aside, my charming husband and I drove 786 miles today - I'm going to fudge it and say 800 miles for simplicity.<br />
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Definitely glad I brought the bottle of Glenlivet single malt I always pack in the dogs' food bag. Since their bag gets unloaded from the car before everything else does, and since they're fed before anything else happens, I pour myself a respectable shot in the hotel's plastic cup, relax and watch the puppies eat as I sip and savor. A few moments of down time, relaxation and a bit of libation is just enough. Those few moments of quality time alone works wonders to keep me from saying all those really regrettable things that come to mind when we're tired, hungry, crabby and road-weary.<br />
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Note: Opportunities for relationship-testing abound!<br />
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I'd highly recommend that anyone contemplating marriage would be wise to drive cross country with his or her beloved accompanied by 2 very large farting dogs while also being prepared for blizzards, dust storms, pea-soup fog, black ice (never heard of that stuff before I began driving cross-country), in addition to migrating herds of elk, antelope (not to be confused with can't elope) the occasional stray cow who might wander onto the highway, and deer who engage in games of "chicken" with their fellow deer by darting in front of speeding vehicles. All these events generally occur during times of diminished visibility or extreme cold!<br />
<br />Jeff Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07828133456932107652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-61202293560543122352013-02-07T10:00:00.000-06:002015-11-05T18:48:16.360-06:00People In the Workshop I'm Conducting<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQ0Fdf86ktrlMeSArl_nvh9LJd47iU-y-6xZctz_rQvugXAco0hrxWdU1Hr4ptXR4Mv4PBar5zBihy3nREZHIFiHih2lP64YVc0XFwtB3wrm9hCLHbS67P6rxoSZEy-QX_UDtNUcrwEWC/s640/blogger-image-1410151638.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwQ0Fdf86ktrlMeSArl_nvh9LJd47iU-y-6xZctz_rQvugXAco0hrxWdU1Hr4ptXR4Mv4PBar5zBihy3nREZHIFiHih2lP64YVc0XFwtB3wrm9hCLHbS67P6rxoSZEy-QX_UDtNUcrwEWC/s400/blogger-image-1410151638.jpg" width="400" /></a>During the last 3 weeks, I taught my memoir writing class – a workshop really, an introduction really, for local folks who’ve been thinking about writing in this genre for a long time but haven’t gotten going. It’s not for lack of interest. More likely, it’s from not knowing where or how to proceed. That said, it’s a tough go. I know. I, too, faced those dilemmas for an incredibly long time.<br />
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The workshop title - <b><i><span style="color: #274e13;">Writing Your Life: Beyond Journaling</span></i></b>. The people who attended - one by one, claimed they weren't writers<br />
<ul>
<li>But here is the misperception; a writer is someone who writes. Whether their writing is published, whether publishing is a goal or whether their writing is tucked away in a desk drawer to be savored privately - this doesn’t alter the definition of “writer.”</li>
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<li><span style="color: #38761d;">The people in my workshop were an incredibly diverse and complex group. The people in myworkshop are passionate writers – each one approached the in-class writing exercises from uniqueperspectives and in highly creative ways. One gentleman drove two hours each way to attend. Heintrigued us with insights into rural life, reading aloud about horses, scriptures, and farming. All of thisso removed from my own urban life experiences. He arrived to our third and final meeting bearing agift: a huge jar of natural honey.</span></li>
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<li>There was the doctor and his wife who shared their common goal: to write their memoirtogether. But amazingly, they also wrote their own detailed pieces; he - about transporting childrenfrom overseas to the USA for specialized heart surgery; she - about her good fortune of having attendedcooking classes in Normandy.</li>
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<li><span style="color: #38761d;">There was the man who could attend only on the first session but who came to learn whateverhe could in order to write about the search for his Polish roots. One woman, who hailed from NewYork to Idaho via thirty years in Los Angeles, wrote words that landed on paper as poetry. We sharedshort essays written in response to prompts. There were photos brought in, drawings of floor plansof childhood homes, and during our last meeting – scents contained within a group of containers thatranged from antiseptic cleaners to cinnamon and peanut butter.</span></li>
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<li>The people in my class may have learned about memoirs and prompts, about methods forapproaching the difficult task of organizing their memories and family documents, but I learned more. Iwas heartened by their willingness to read their written exercises, by their efforts to put into words theanswers to my challenging worksheets, and by the complex and well thought out questions they asked.</li>
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<b><span style="color: #38761d;"><i>The people in my class may have taught me more than I taught them!</i></span></b>Jeff Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07828133456932107652noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-54291290399206985182013-01-22T22:32:00.002-06:002013-11-24T19:58:15.436-06:00With Regard to Elk<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy07MByyM_1HyQwkKjbWG5uG-PsRneOpj-OktPdbkUNjSib596mJKF3zAUrqOvFvMwBmSMUDdzurs3E0tFXCU-UJ004TF3yGXAsBPsE6IwIf6mZlhXsMVvIOdBVZvBN-v81Dhs8GN-I-Ir/s1600/DSCF5227.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy07MByyM_1HyQwkKjbWG5uG-PsRneOpj-OktPdbkUNjSib596mJKF3zAUrqOvFvMwBmSMUDdzurs3E0tFXCU-UJ004TF3yGXAsBPsE6IwIf6mZlhXsMVvIOdBVZvBN-v81Dhs8GN-I-Ir/s400/DSCF5227.JPG" width="400" /></a><span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Where I am until the end of the month has become a happy feasting ground for elk. After seeing herds of twenty and more at a time up close and in real life, after a few amazing photo-ops, and after realizing that they’re about the size of a real S.U.V., I decided to consult some research sources and add my own observations, first hand. So, no matter what the photos look like, here are a few:</span><br />
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1. Their butts are not bald but very, very furry – in fact, a lovely shade of taupe fluff.<br />
Sources suggest that it's evolutionary evidence that boy elks (who have really bad vision) need a great deal of help finding those sexy girl elks. The taupe butts must be elk language for, “it’s here, stupid!”<br />
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2. There’s a big mane of black fuzzy fur around their necks, more on the boys than the girls.<br />
It’s similar to cashmere found on Cashmere goats and better at keeping the elk warm than an L.L.Bean polar fleece scarf.<br />
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3. We've had herds of elk down in the residential 'hoods surrounding Ketchum, Sun Valley and Hailey.Wolf populations in the Idaho Sawtooth Mountain Range have increased. This year, they’ve made their way south from Stanley, Idaho – higher elevations, towards Ketchum. The pack, referred to as the Phantom Hill wolves, has increased its numbers. It’s become obvious that all these seemingly unrelated events are very much part of a single chain. Elk, in response to increased wolf populations, arrived on local golf courses, in neighborhood gardens, and along the roads. What an amazing local wildlife<br />
ecosystem to observe first hand!<br />
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So when elk traveled to the lower regions, mountain lions paid a visit to feast on elk. After filling up on
elk steaks, elk burgers, and maybe a few chops, the lions retreated fairly satiated. But they’re not the
neatest eaters and failed to clean up after themselves. No worries, however! Wolves arrived and tidied
up a bit after the mountain lions. It’s a nice feast for wolves.<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">My conclusions:</span><br />
1. Glad to have two gigantic Rhodesian Ridgebacks, a.k.a. African lion dogs. Big bad lions beware!<br />
2. Coming upon a male elk and his harem feasting on the vestiges of my garden, it was less than a<br />
second before the male lifted his fully racked head in response to the click of my camera.<br />
3. When a male elk lifts his antler-adorned head to look in my direction, retreating backwards into<br />
my car or house is definitely a prudent idea!<br />
4. A grown elk really is about the size of a Dodge Durango or Jeep Cherokee!<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Elk Basics:</span><br />
North American Elk, or Cervus elaphus, are split by some biologists into six subspecies:<br />
• Rocky Mountain (Rocky Mountain West, now transplanted to other locations) – largest antlers of<br />
all subspecies<br />
• Roosevelt's (Coastal Pacific Northwest)<br />
– largest in body size of all subspecies, but not antler size<br />
• Tule (Central California) – smallest body size of all subspecies<br />
• Manitoban (northern Great Plains)<br />
• Merriam's (Southwest and Mexico) - Extinct<br />
Eastern (east of the Mississippi) – Extinct<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Antlers - The interesting stuff!</span><br />
• Only male elk have antlers<br />
• Bulls shed and grow a new set of antlers every year<br />
• New antlers are covered in fuzzy skin called velvet<br />
• Antlers harden by late summer and the velvet peels away<br />
• By September, antlers are solid bone<br />
• A set of antlers on a mature bull can weigh up to 40 pounds<br />
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<span style="color: #274e13; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Body Postures:</span><br />
• When alarmed, elk raise their heads high, open eyes wide, move stiffly rotating their ears to listen.<br />
• If a harem cow wanders, the bull stretches his neck low, tips his nose, tilts antlers back to circle her.<br />
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• Elk threaten each other by curling back their upper lip, grinding their teeth and hissing.<br />
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• Agitated elk hold their heads high, flatten ears back and flare nostrils, sometimes punch with their<br />
front hooves<br />
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And the amazing thing is that elk talk. They’re known to be among the noisiest ungulates,<br />
communicating danger loudly and identifying each other by sound. Their favorite times to<br />
talk to one another seems to be sometime around 2:00-3:00 a.m. lately!<br />
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<br />Jeff Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07828133456932107652noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-86843252374195769692013-01-21T14:27:00.003-06:002013-11-24T19:59:07.298-06:00Where I'll Be!<h2>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFocWbnnnIdWyAW1Z7AowBAm_wVe-Jxtpxyt_MdHkBinmzDTO0OkU60XHEZhJT3R9bcp-zS7Rod6eYl-YfVDUn6u7ZrrIDuchntPYMsmHxS_BWPrzNoGCrhMVKzpGOIokots26Yabi_DJB/s640/blogger-image-2024269746.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFocWbnnnIdWyAW1Z7AowBAm_wVe-Jxtpxyt_MdHkBinmzDTO0OkU60XHEZhJT3R9bcp-zS7Rod6eYl-YfVDUn6u7ZrrIDuchntPYMsmHxS_BWPrzNoGCrhMVKzpGOIokots26Yabi_DJB/s400/blogger-image-2024269746.jpg" width="400" /></a><span style="color: #cc0000; font-size: x-large;"><b>LifeLines<br /> </b><b>A Story Circle LifeWriting Retreat<br /> </b><b>with Sheila Bender</b></span></h2>
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<b>March 8-10, 2013</b><br />
<b>Festival Hill, Round Top TX</b><br />
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"Located in historic Round Top, Texas, 75 miles east of Austin, The International Festival-Institute was founded in 1972 by world-renowned concert pianist James Dick and has developed incredible year-round education and performance programs. It's on a unique 200-acre campus named Festival Hill with performance facilities, historic houses, incredible gardens, parks and nature preserves. In addition, housed on the campus are rare books, manuscripts, archival material, music and historic recordings, photographs and objects. The Festival-Institute is regarded as a center for research and scholarly study. Landscaping is breath-taking regardless of the time of year. There are thousands of trees and bushes of various species, lakes, picnic areas, jogging trails, and aromatic herb gardens. "<br />
<br />Jeff Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07828133456932107652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-77901319438088954312013-01-08T21:41:00.003-06:002013-11-24T20:00:28.416-06:00The AROHO Retreat in August is on!<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;">Hooray! I'll be attending the AROHO Retreat at Ghost Ranch in New Mexico again in August. What a great bit of news to be accepted. Amazing organization, incredible women, a life-changing week! </span><a href="http://www.aroomofherown.org/">www.aroomofherown.org</a>Jeff Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07828133456932107652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-54225564249000534642013-01-08T09:45:00.000-06:002013-11-24T20:01:11.492-06:00Why Write Your Memoir? Why Take My Workshop?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVAbJg2pKtc_9Rem3WeN6fgYv5AXPFwce7Q5bVW6EOVejnYo9SqdH1WDhrJpkEp8jwW0giPPwetNO_shZEi6xPxn23RUJMdDTv3_j7uwt4bt9cDUN06cjmCIhb0ZH1nDo1c0Y1FXLqeSm/s1600/IMGP0059.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSVAbJg2pKtc_9Rem3WeN6fgYv5AXPFwce7Q5bVW6EOVejnYo9SqdH1WDhrJpkEp8jwW0giPPwetNO_shZEi6xPxn23RUJMdDTv3_j7uwt4bt9cDUN06cjmCIhb0ZH1nDo1c0Y1FXLqeSm/s320/IMGP0059.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
On Friday, I was honored to be the guest speaker at the Wood River Jewish Community annual women’s luncheon in Ketchum, Idaho. The primary focus of my presentation: to promote the workshop I’ll be leading in January entitled, <b>“Writing Your Life: Beyond Journaling.”</b> The workshop will meet three times for two and a half hours each session. Enthusiasm seemed high but a subdued level of reluctance was in the air!<br />
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There are an unlimited number of reasons to write our memoirs. I've organized my workshops for anyone and everyone who has motivation and interest - for writers who've written volumes to those who have written little else besides checks and to those who write in journals regularly or rarely.<br />
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So often people express enthusiasm and interest, curiosity about and an intense desire in writing their memoirs yet, at the same time when given the opportunity, become reluctant to participate in a workshop. Regardless of how old we are - how self-confident and accomplished, there’s still that element of worry that lingers from childhood, too much concern about what others might think of our writing, of our stories, or even whether our stories merit writing about.<br />
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So all up, reluctance to write our “truths” isn’t really about being shy or inexperienced but about an overwhelming concern of how our writing and stories might measure up. So many “wanna-be” memoir writers make the same comment to me, “But I haven’t done anything special, nothing traumatic has happened to me. No one would care about my stories. “<br />
In my effort to convince a roomful of women to sign up for my memoir writing workshop, I assembled a list of ten very persuasive reasons why everyone should write memoirs. One qualifier: memoirs are not necessarily written only with publication as our goal.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WdvH8_T3fID5EDBjjmMj7XwTKzB-2dWoW5kXjYqn78LrBycX50VPEUzuld-3Ex6RyvUhZPDzErLQsaAtSC70Wgtg__XS7_zd6nkmLBQYjf29zpctBnsb3IMks-stEYImh9gNZ-EQisDG/s1600/IMGP0055+(2).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7WdvH8_T3fID5EDBjjmMj7XwTKzB-2dWoW5kXjYqn78LrBycX50VPEUzuld-3Ex6RyvUhZPDzErLQsaAtSC70Wgtg__XS7_zd6nkmLBQYjf29zpctBnsb3IMks-stEYImh9gNZ-EQisDG/s320/IMGP0055+(2).JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><i>10 REASONS TO WRITE YOUR MEMOIR:</i></span><br />
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(<span style="font-size: x-small;">Yes, I presented 10 but the reasons are in the hundreds!</span>)</div>
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1. Writing your memoir helps you discover who you are and how you got to your present place in life.<br />
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2. When you write about your life, others learn life lessons from reading your work.<br />
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3. Writing about your life increases your self-esteem because the process of remembering long-forgotten events enables you to share with your siblings, your children and grandchildren.<br />
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4. Writing your own “truth” not anyone else’s is entirely about perceptions – yours, and consequently can be very liberating.<br />
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5. Writing your memoir provides you with the means to save your memories, can result in added insight and offers a vehicle by which to share your memories.<br />
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6. The process of writing about your life increases brain activity as you search your memories. The process of trying to remember specifics stimulates brain activity which helps grow neurons.<br />
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7. Journaling and life-writing has proven to be therapeutic and healing; it helps resolve dilemmas, focus your goals and vision and can lead you to recreate yourself.<br />
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8. Writing enhances creativity but writing about your life encourages you to become a better observer of your family and of your surroundings.<br />
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9. Writing your memoir provides a great sense of accomplishment.<br />
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10. Your memoir – regardless of its style, is your legacy, your kids’ and grand-kids legacies, and provides a connecting thread between our pasts and futures.<br />
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But more than anything - our stories make us human because our stories have universality.<br />
Einstein is credited with once having said,<br />
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<i style="color: #38761d;"> <b> “ The universe is made not of atoms but of stories!”</b></i></div>
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<br />Jeff Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07828133456932107652noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1637657308970167160.post-47726053554652744092012-12-21T00:06:00.000-06:002013-11-24T20:02:32.609-06:00Year End Gratitude Thoughts From Ketchum, Idaho<br />
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Last week I drove from Chicago, Illinois – where I live, across a big chunk of America so many of us never, ever see. My destination -Sun Valley, Idaho where I’ll be spending the holidays, teaching three memoir writing workshops, and editing my short story collection. All this will occur while I’m enjoying the amazingly pristine scenery and winter snow of the American Northern Rocky Mountains. Arriving after the 1,746 miles in two and a half days with my two gigantic dogs, I was crabby and exhausted.</div>
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It was at that moment when I decided to leave my unpacking and instead, to take a long walk in newly fallen snow. I watched my dogs bound through powdery drifts for the sheer fun of it, chase each other, burrow their heads deep into tunnels and emerge covered in crystals. Suddenly, I realized that I was smiling, realized that my mood had lifted tremendously and realized, especially, how incredibly grateful I am to have such tremendous opportunities!</div>
Jeff Potterhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07828133456932107652noreply@blogger.com1