October 20th, 2022 → 6:06 am
“Life’s uncertain voyage.” — Timon of Athens
My narrative memoir about life’s uncertain voyage is live! You can now get your copy of Seeking Forgiveness in one bound product, instead of chapter by chapter off the BeforeFergusonBeyondFerguson website. It has been quite a journey; from living, to writing, to editing, to publishing, to promoting this story. Phew! I am eternally thankful to everyone who has helped me and supported me along the way. To good storytelling, wonderful people, and a life filled with family and love!
Filed under: Books I'm Reading & Literature/Theatre/Art & Self/My Life
October 12th, 2022 → 5:45 am
“My good will is great, though the gift is small.” — Pericles
I was recently honored as a Social Impact Author by Authority Magazine. It really touched me. All authors are motivated to write by some internal drive, the genesis of which varies per person, but for me one of the main drivers is to highlight and share diverse perspectives on the world. If, through storytelling, we can increase our understanding and awareness of alternative life experiences, how can this not help bind us together? How can it not help smooth the wrinkles, and mend the tears, in society’s common tapestry? But most importantly, Michelle Obama, if you’re reading this, lunch is on me!
Filed under: Literature/Theatre/Art & Other & Self/My Life
October 10th, 2022 → 7:01 am
“He that made us with such large discourse,Looking before and after, gave us notThat capability and godlike reasonTo fust in us unused.” — Hamlet
The Nobel Prize in Economics was announced this morning, and it went to three men – Ben Bernanke, Douglas Diamond, and Philip Dybvig – who all wrote important works on banking and financial crises. These have been, and are, important to our understanding of how, and when, to regulate the banking sector. I always like it (as was also done last year) when the Nobel is awarded to research that has real practical and policy implications. Kudos to this year’s winners!
Filed under: Economics/Money
October 7th, 2022 → 7:32 am
“I do see the very book indeed,Where all my sins are writ, and that’s myself.” — Richard II
The 2022 Nobel Prize in literature was just announced, and it was given to an author I admire, and who writes a lot like I do. Her books are slim, to the point, and often loosely fictionalized memoirs. She writes what is called ‘autofiction,’ but to my great disappointment, this category is not always recognized in the industry. Often, when you go to bookstores or literary websites with drop down menus, autofiction isn’t even listed. I once quizzed a literary agent about autofiction, and she didn’t even know what it was! There are a number of famous authors that write autofiction – Rachel Cusk immediately comes to mind – so I don’t understand why the category is so illusive in official industry categorizations. But I love it, I write it, and I wish there were more of it, so congratulations to Annie Ernaux, and to everyone who writes autofiction!
Filed under: Literature/Theatre/Art
September 28th, 2022 → 9:50 am
“Thou whoreson zed,thou unnecessary letter!” — King Lear
Apparently the 26 character alphabet wasn’t always so. Over time certain letters have been added, others dropped. What I find particularly interesting is that we still see vestiges of these changes in contemporary language usage. The letter Z (or zed in British English), for example, wasn’t always a part of the Latin alphabet, which is why we see so few words that use it today! Shakespeare found z’s relative scarcity to be an insult – yet another rather unique Shakespearean putdown!
Filed under: Literature/Theatre/Art
September 23rd, 2022 → 5:43 am
“She is not yet so oldBut she may learn.” — Merchant of Venice
I hope this is true of me today, of me in the past, and certainly of me in the future. In the latest chapter of Seeking Forgiveness that is out on the BFBF website this week, the main character confronts her own racism, and is “extremely embarrassed by it.” At least she is trying to learn. Acknowledging failures and making the effort to change them can be half the battle.
September 9th, 2022 → 6:59 am
“All’s well that ends well; still the fine’s the crown.Whate’er the course, the end is the renown.” — All’s Well That Ends Well
(Note: “the fine” here means “the ending” or the crowning achievement)
This quote is generally interpreted to mean that whatever happened in the course of an event, if the ending is good, all is good. Some interpret it in a Machiavellian way to mean the ends justify the means. I do not interpret it that way, at least not in this context. In the context of Queen Elizabeth II’s reign, as it draws to a close on this cool fall day, I interpret it to mean that while the queen may have had some ups and downs, some periods where she shone and others where she did not, considering the long arc of her seventy years on the throne, she had a solid reign. Rest in peace and God bless you Elizabeth R.
September 2nd, 2022 → 6:19 am
“The eye sees not itselfBut by reflection, by some other things.” — Julius Caesar
Another author interview with me was published today. I always find reading such pieces fascinating. I can remember giving the interview, of course, and answering some of the questions, but when I read what is actually written up I’m often thinking, was that me?
I believe the surprise is a combination of what the journalist chose to actually put in the published piece, and, selective memory of what I said only days before, but either way, reading about myself in published articles is always part fascinating, part frightening, and 100% enlightening.
Filed under: Blog & Literature/Theatre/Art & Self/My Life
August 31st, 2022 → 9:59 am
“[The poor child] whose large styleAgrees not with the leanness of his [mother’s] purse.” — Henry VI, Part II
I took a little liberty with today’s quote, to contextual it to the chapter of Seeking Forgiveness published today. In it Rachel wrestles with her son’s request for more stuff. More toys! More video games! Another Xbox! You want to give your child everything you can, but isn’t there a limit??
Filed under: Economics/Money
August 9th, 2022 → 9:53 am
“Hear my soul speak:
The very instant that I saw you, did
My heart fly to your service.” — Tempest
Seeking Forgiveness is a love letter to my son. And the proof of it arrived in the mail yesterday. Exciting!!
Filed under: Blog & Books I'm Reading & Literature/Theatre/Art & Self/My Life