“The season of the divine spring will come; the clouds of mercy will rain; the sun of reality will shine; the life-giving breeze will blow; the world of humanity will wear a new garment; the surface of the earth will be a sublime paradise.” -‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Some Answered Questions
The last month I’ve been working on creating folio samples for applications and checking my archives for works that have potential, but perhaps just need more editing or a process of reinvention.
The above picture is of a poem from a Writing Group Anthology from 10 years ago! Under One Sky with the Licuala Writers.
I enjoyed writing this poem, capturing childhood with my children and a memory of a trip to Kiribati. Maybe I will write more pieces like this! My children are all grown into adults, and one has left home, which makes poems like this especially poignant to read.
Last week was a super productive week, making entries to writing competitions, and anthologies, as well as preparing some new picture book submissions.
I was especially pleased with edits on the picture books. Leaving them for a while really helped, and resulted in a magic day when I looked at them and just knew what to do to polish them.
I’m on a break from working on my novel, and about to move into its third draft. I’ve such an optimistic feeling that the same magic will happen in the break from working on the novel.
May you enjoy the reconnection with your story archives!
Have you ever had a positive experience with revisiting an old story, picture book or poem and a magic day of editing it to shine?
“Abrams sets the table for SOUL FOOD SUNDAY by Winsome Bingham, illus. by Charles G. Esperanza, which finds a boy helping Granny
prepare the dishes for a family feast.”
~ Publishers Weekly
You are all invited. To sit with us. And share with us. And eat with us. And CHEER with us. We will be in the same place, at the same time—sitting, sharing, eating, cheering. Every SUNDAY, Our virtual table welcomes you for SOUL FOOD.
I grew up in a family where on Sundays, everyone gathers at my aunt’s house for dinner and dominoes, wrestling and conversations, and fun. It was like a weekly family reunion where you get to see everybody you didn’t see through the week. Those were my childhood summer Sundays. My Brooklyn Sundays. My Bed-Stuy Sundays.
SOUL FOOD SUNDAY was written in 2013 and sold in 2018. This book went to auction…
Flooded in – four directions. No way out! Unless you have a canoe, paddle and waiting relatives lined up.
As seasoned North Queenslanders we’ve been watching the weather forecasts very carefully. We take flooding at this time of year for granted.
This morning we drove our which-roads-are-blocked-pilgrimage and were lucky to meet up with some locals. Lucky, because most of our neighbours are now being cut off and soon we’ll only be touch via phone and facebook.
The locals we met were waiting with their vehicles, blocked at a river crossing on the road to Jumbun. We watched a canoe on the other side of the road paddle towards us – it was one of those classic moments you just have to photograph.
We had a yarn about the bridges being planned for Cassowary Coast and agreed this regularly flooded spot in Murray Upper would surely be a contender.
I’m listening to the rain on our tin roof and watching a pigeon sheltering on the back porch top stair.
It’s there all day.
Today it is pouring. Today there are floods.
I have favourite spots around my house, where I can peek out the windows at greenery.
Find a snatch of a cool breeze.
I’m digging deep and delving into life, lived, wisdoms learned and inspirations from historical and artistic figures.
I’m watching as my fledgling children begin to leave home. Stretch their wings. Find their vocations.
I’m pondering mysteries.
Beautiful, ugly, mundane and fantastical, full of dreams and practicalities.
Seeing homeless people on the street.
Reading, and finishing books, like All Our Shimmering Skies, Phosphorescence. And the language is shimmering. The sadness is being flooded by kindness…
"In times of change, learners inherit the earth, while the learned find themselves beautifully equipped to deal with a world that no longer exists" Eric Hoffner
