Confess! Admit you’re a word lover – or you wouldn’t be reading right now, perhaps. If you’re like me, you can’t possibly keep up with all the good books or authors out there; but, we keep trying!
Mendocino County’s most recent effort to help us is with the upcoming 2007 “Celebration of Word Lovers: Mendocino LitFest.” We’re in for a converging of emergent and established writers – sharing with us their poetry, memoirs or novels. And, this celebration is not just for some, but for all ages.
Many have read and revered the words of Gary Soto as we’ve grown up, with his California settings providing the backdrop for teen angst and family conflict. The keynote speaker of the LitFest, Soto will share with us as fellow humans and hopefully inspire fellow writers as well.
Another of my favorite authors in the Lit event is Dylan Schaffer – also a Californian. His two witty whodunits “Misdemeanor Man” and “I Right the Wrongs” are among the books I share with friends most often. Plus, he’s been featured in my column more than once.
The author lineup contains a couple dozen local and regional writers whose work is vast in its array of styles and topics. Check out all the biographies on the LitFest website. Editors and publishers will also be presenting vital information to aspiring writers who attend. Print out the event and workshop schedule available online. Click on www.mendolitfest.org/index.html.
A first-time book author, Claudia Crosetti, will be displaying her recently published “Rocks in My Pockets: Travels with Dad” at her own LitFest vendor booth. Since she isn’t featured on the website, I wanted to find out more about her publishing venture, so I interviewed Claudia and subsequently read her travel memoir.
Initially written as a journal of her trip to Italy with her father, Victor, her family suggested she publish for present and future relatives to enjoy. She found herself weaving in with that journey an earlier trip she took that also changed her life – with fellow breast cancer survivors to Argentina’s Mt. Aconcagua.
In Italy, Claudia and her father journey by foot and rail, disregarding more typical tourist paths. Visiting Venice with its canals and complete lack of vehicles then winding their way down to Rome with its “open, expansive” feel, the father-daughter duo indulges in the stimulating sights, sounds - and tastes.
Staying mostly in small apartments (pensiones), her detailed, colorful descriptions of their travels are eye and ear-candy for many of us who will never go there, each day usually beginning with a cappuccino and ending with another flavor of gelato. Of course, in between, we learn of strength and survival - not only of physical culture, but of personal growth as well.
Claudia feels anyone can benefit from creating their own travel or personal journals; it helps us to maintain perspective, she advises. She was fortunate to have a mentor writer who encouraged her to take it a step further. Although she admits her final composition was a “fun, but sometimes agonizing process,” she is now ready to partake of the fruits of her labor.
Deciding to “print on demand” through iUniverse (http://www.iuniverse.com/) was a positive experience. Although Claudia discovered how much work is involved – like many other writers who may even have their books bought by larger publishers today, she is not daunted by the marketing and schmoozing that writers must do to sell their own product.
She is proud of her hard work, of “taking the reader on two ventures,” and hopes they will enjoy the ride. Her blog is now set up for potential perusers and purchasers at ccrosetti.blogspot.com. Plus, she will be reading at our local Mendocino Book Company on Thursday evening, June 21st at 6:30 p.m. where her book is available, in addition to Amazon and Barnes & Noble’s online stores.
Another local woman writer will feature her first book in a LitFest vendor booth. Mary Zellachild, whose information is also not included in the festival’s billing, will be showcasing her novel, “Transitions.”
Her story focuses on a “sense of place and nature – a spiritual connection” as she follows three cousins who return to a grandparent’s property on the Mendocino Coast they now inherit as fifty-something’s. We flash back to their youth and learn – with them, of those vital human and land connections that years of living cannot erase.
Zellachild’s personal life exhibits these firm beliefs through her efforts on the coordinating committee of the Willits Economic LocaLization (W.E.L.L.) movement. In addition to her job working for international agri-businessman John Jeavons, she is now marketing her novel which she self-published. It will be available soon at local stores, plus online at Booklocker.com/books/2883.html.
So, all you word and book lovers, please mark your calendar for this Friday and Saturday’s events held at the Mendocino College campus. Celebrate our local writers!
Sunday, May 27, 2007
Sunday, May 6, 2007
Civility is a choice
It’s the simple things in life that can give great rewards. Forget bouquets and trophies; most of us are grateful for good manners or kind words spoken to us by – anyone.
Feeling worn on a recent Friday afternoon, a few teacher friends and I found ourselves cheering a bit (good food and drink helped, too) as we recalled thoughtful parting comments from our day’s “clients.”
“Several students leaving my classes today stopped to tell me, ‘Have a good weekend, Ms. Warda.’”
Those teens, chatting and chipper, had the anticipation of the upcoming prom stirring in their souls, yet some made the effort to grace their tired old teacher with a positive farewell; they had no idea how much that means. Just when you want to give up, give out or give in – a kind word helps. It is refreshing to see that some parents have modeled good manners to their young.
Humans do not naturally act altruistic; it’s not an instinct for us, I believe. Our species has survived in part due to its cunning and strategy. Kindness doesn’t put you on top of the food chain.
I can post my BP Rules all over my classroom and point to them every day, but that won’t necessarily make students “Be Prompt, Be Prepared, and Be Polite!” But, I can model and mention them – and hope they CHOOSE to obey these Basic Principles.
Civility can win you friends and create harmony, but may not propel you up the career ladder or help you make your first million any quicker. Yet, if you study the psychology of good manners, you find that ego IS what often develops kind natures.
We learn when very young, hopefully, that saying “please” and “thank you” may bring us success. We may get what we want by saying those “magic” words. At least, it increases our odds and usually works on folks when we’re children, anyway.
Admit it – even as adults, we’ve all buttered up somebody of whom we want to ask a favor. Weren’t we taught that you get more by using honey than vinegar? So…being polite is usually good for us. Then, why are there so many doggone rude people in our world?
The big EGO is to blame for that as well. When we think so much of ourselves that we can’t imagine being the other person, we may not treat them as we’d like to be treated. We know the Golden Rule; but a strong sense of self may also prevent us from doing the kind deed or being generous at our expense.
I just finished one of the most entertaining nonfiction books I’ve read in a long time – hands down! It’s called “Talk to the Hand” by Lynne Truss, a British woman with a great sense of humor and wit.
Much of today’s rudeness is because we don’t think of other people; we cannot possibly be polite without consideration of others’ feelings. We all know we can’t give everyone what they want; life’s disappointments are often our reality. But, the importance of the “other” is monumental within society; we are social creatures who must adhere to basic civility or forfeit any possible joy or satisfaction of life on this planet.
Truss discusses many scenarios where civility – or lack of it affects us. At one point, she talks about being kind to retail clerks, especially if they serve you right after another customer has mistreated them. If you try to sympathize, she relates that their response may not be the one you expect because, sadly, many folks in retail can only survive by not noticing or caring about a customer’s rudeness.
“This makes it quite hard to go through the ensuing politeness display without feeling self-conscious, or even quaint. ‘May I please have it wrapped separately?’ you ask, with your smile fading. ‘Thank you, that’s perfect, how kind you are.’ The ground starts to slip from under you, as no validating response comes your way, yet you are powerless to stop being polite and old-fashioned. ‘And what a fine morning, forsooth!’ you exclaim. ‘Ha. By God’s breath, thou hast a cunning way with yon mechanical abacus! Hast thou a quill-pen prithee? Or mayhap I must digitate upon yon artful keypad?’” (Her digression into Shakespearean style is especially witty to Anglophiles!)
Unlike the “old days” where only face-to-face communication existed, we now can be rude to anyone in the world via the internet. When we are faceless and anonymous, there is not the same need to treat people with consideration.
Someone has even proposed a Blogger Code of Conduct, which discourages postings online that we wouldn’t say in person. Check it out on this website - http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2007/03/call_for_a_blog_1.html
Well, that might eliminate a few…but some mighty rude comments are made everyday to our faces, as well as on blogs, in chat rooms, or on the air by people who have too much ego and not enough basic social graces. Not everyone makes it into the headlines like Don Imus.
Give people their free speech; however, wouldn’t it be nice if we chose to say things which made the world a better place?
Feeling worn on a recent Friday afternoon, a few teacher friends and I found ourselves cheering a bit (good food and drink helped, too) as we recalled thoughtful parting comments from our day’s “clients.”
“Several students leaving my classes today stopped to tell me, ‘Have a good weekend, Ms. Warda.’”
Those teens, chatting and chipper, had the anticipation of the upcoming prom stirring in their souls, yet some made the effort to grace their tired old teacher with a positive farewell; they had no idea how much that means. Just when you want to give up, give out or give in – a kind word helps. It is refreshing to see that some parents have modeled good manners to their young.
Humans do not naturally act altruistic; it’s not an instinct for us, I believe. Our species has survived in part due to its cunning and strategy. Kindness doesn’t put you on top of the food chain.
I can post my BP Rules all over my classroom and point to them every day, but that won’t necessarily make students “Be Prompt, Be Prepared, and Be Polite!” But, I can model and mention them – and hope they CHOOSE to obey these Basic Principles.
Civility can win you friends and create harmony, but may not propel you up the career ladder or help you make your first million any quicker. Yet, if you study the psychology of good manners, you find that ego IS what often develops kind natures.
We learn when very young, hopefully, that saying “please” and “thank you” may bring us success. We may get what we want by saying those “magic” words. At least, it increases our odds and usually works on folks when we’re children, anyway.
Admit it – even as adults, we’ve all buttered up somebody of whom we want to ask a favor. Weren’t we taught that you get more by using honey than vinegar? So…being polite is usually good for us. Then, why are there so many doggone rude people in our world?
The big EGO is to blame for that as well. When we think so much of ourselves that we can’t imagine being the other person, we may not treat them as we’d like to be treated. We know the Golden Rule; but a strong sense of self may also prevent us from doing the kind deed or being generous at our expense.
I just finished one of the most entertaining nonfiction books I’ve read in a long time – hands down! It’s called “Talk to the Hand” by Lynne Truss, a British woman with a great sense of humor and wit.
Much of today’s rudeness is because we don’t think of other people; we cannot possibly be polite without consideration of others’ feelings. We all know we can’t give everyone what they want; life’s disappointments are often our reality. But, the importance of the “other” is monumental within society; we are social creatures who must adhere to basic civility or forfeit any possible joy or satisfaction of life on this planet.
Truss discusses many scenarios where civility – or lack of it affects us. At one point, she talks about being kind to retail clerks, especially if they serve you right after another customer has mistreated them. If you try to sympathize, she relates that their response may not be the one you expect because, sadly, many folks in retail can only survive by not noticing or caring about a customer’s rudeness.
“This makes it quite hard to go through the ensuing politeness display without feeling self-conscious, or even quaint. ‘May I please have it wrapped separately?’ you ask, with your smile fading. ‘Thank you, that’s perfect, how kind you are.’ The ground starts to slip from under you, as no validating response comes your way, yet you are powerless to stop being polite and old-fashioned. ‘And what a fine morning, forsooth!’ you exclaim. ‘Ha. By God’s breath, thou hast a cunning way with yon mechanical abacus! Hast thou a quill-pen prithee? Or mayhap I must digitate upon yon artful keypad?’” (Her digression into Shakespearean style is especially witty to Anglophiles!)
Unlike the “old days” where only face-to-face communication existed, we now can be rude to anyone in the world via the internet. When we are faceless and anonymous, there is not the same need to treat people with consideration.
Someone has even proposed a Blogger Code of Conduct, which discourages postings online that we wouldn’t say in person. Check it out on this website - http://radar.oreilly.com/archives/2007/03/call_for_a_blog_1.html
Well, that might eliminate a few…but some mighty rude comments are made everyday to our faces, as well as on blogs, in chat rooms, or on the air by people who have too much ego and not enough basic social graces. Not everyone makes it into the headlines like Don Imus.
Give people their free speech; however, wouldn’t it be nice if we chose to say things which made the world a better place?
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