Witnessing Diversity, Embracing Community

This past Saturday, 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. Friday afternoon I devoted 3 hours to my research.

But, on Saturday, 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.

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.

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. 

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! 

It was also the epitome of our American ethos. It's one of the greatest and most enduring of America's values. 

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. 

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.

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.

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!"

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.

The continuous changing "face" of America benefits us all, helping us evolve into a vastly more compassionate and humane society.

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.

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. 

 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!

Little Blue Book

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

"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.

"Congratulations, you are now American citizens! Welcome to the United States of America!"

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.

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.

Regrets Undone - Long Story Short Ezine

An essay of mine called Regrets Undone, about (finally) completing my Ph.D., has been featured on Long Story Short, An Ezine for Writers.  

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?

 Read the rest Here!

I just learned I've Been Selected As A Finalist In A Writing Competition

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! 

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.
You can Read the Rules of the Contest here.

Star Blogger For Story Circle Network

"From: Peggy Moody

Date: March 25, 2013, 2:43:54 PM CDT
To: Marlene Samuels

Subject: SCN Star Blogger

Hi Marlene. We wanted to let you know that, with your permission, we will be featuring your outstanding blog in our upcoming Story Circle Network national eletter at www.storycircle.org/!

Peggy Moody,
Executive Director
Story Circle Network"

Ghost Ranch, I'm Totally Ready!

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.

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.

So reluctantly, in 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.

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!



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.

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.

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!

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!

When 30 Women Writers Get Together for A Weekend

1. 

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.

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.

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!

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

Part of the funky weird gardens constructed from discarded bricks, slate, and found materials

So many places to sit and meditate

It Must Be My Lucky Day

August 12 - 18, 2013 

AROHO Writers' Retreat - Ghost Ranch,

 Abiquiu, NM.

I've been accepted to present at TWO levels at A Room of Her Own (AROHO) Foundation's Ghost Ranch Retreat. I'll be presenting a short participatory activity entitled: Transforming Regrets into Rewards. 

And, I've been accepted as a consultant, 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:  Research Methods for Writers.

Costco Connection Magazine - March 2013

Hooray, 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.

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.

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!       http://www.costcoconnection.com/connection/201303#pg41

A Guest Post: Women Magazine

Hello everyone! I have some more exciting news today: 
The editor of Women Magazine 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!

I wasn't especially familiar with Women Magazine but after reading several issues, I am very impresses. Here's what I found out: Women Magazine initially began as a monthly for women recovering from cancer, gradually "morphing" into a health, prevention and fitness approach while retaining some of its focus on managing and recovering from cancer. 

My recipe for barley, pine nut & currant salad can be seen HERE.