Ha! I actually think you in particular would totally get the novel. I hope to be talking with you about the memoir, both privately and on the THE ONE YOU FEED. Looking forward to it, Eric.
Thank you for sharing so much of your journey with us. The “fate” quote spoke to me as unquestionably true. I hope we see your novel sometime soon, and I look forward to your memoir!
Thanks for reading my words, Jennifer. Glad to have you here with us. The unconscious is a serious force, for sure. The novel is going into a drawer for now. I have a feeling I will be mining it for the memoir in many ways. I appreciate the encouragement!
I remember that event, Maya. Great day. Amy Jo Burns is a fantastic person to speak with. And a gifted novelist. A bit scary coming out from behind the mask of fiction now. But maybe nine published novels was a sufficient dipping my toes into the waters of literary truth. Time to take the plunge. We shall see what happens once I am fully unmasked! Thanks so much for the kind words and the timely reminder.
Congratulations on your book deal with Avid Reader Press! I look forward to reading the memoir and hope you don’t let the novel fall through the wayside. Don’t give up on it. I want to read that book too! :)
Thanks, Kristy! I'm going to commit fully to the memoir. In some ways, I will be transforming the novel (the metaphorical) into the memoir (the literal). A bit of dangerous alchemy. We shall see if I can produce any gold or not. I appreciate your support!
Thanks, Carolyn! I've told my agent and publisher that I will shelve the novel. I have a fantasy of publishing it one day in the distant future. But I am thinking it might be the harvested raw clay that I will now use to sculpt the memoir. Firing malleable metaphor into the hard literal story. To use another metaphor, I suspect that the novel might have been a warm up. Like stretching thoroughly before an arduous marathon. I wasn't consciously doing a literary warm up, of course. I thought I was writing a novel. I wanted to publish it. But others close to me seemed to know I was just stretching. LOL. We shall see what comes of this. I'm all in now. Searching for truth. Thanks for the kind words!
You know, I'm still in my late 20s and one thing I came to terms with in the last couple of years is that we really have no control over anything. Even when you do everything right, there are no guarantees. Reading about your novel/memoir struggle reinforces that idea. Whatever you may put out into the world, I will read. I'm excited for your new venture. Soul projects are everything.
Well, you learned that a lot earlier than I did. Adeeb! LOL. I think learning to have control over what happens inside of us might be possible. I'm coming to suspect that a lot of the pain I've had is due to allowing outside influences to have too much control over what happens inside of me. I think I always hear an inner voice that knows what's right for me and speaks up. Sometimes I have gone against this voice in the hope of acquiring external things: safety, approval, access, money, fame, power, etc. Regardless of what external rewards may or may not come, I'm starting to see that the voice inside of me is like a compass that always leads to inner peace, which might be more valuable than anything external. Sometimes my inner voice has led me to external success and these times have truly been a blessing. But I also know that many times my inner voice has led me away from what many other might think of as success in the external world. I'm still trying to find a balance. But here in my fifties, inner peace is looking more and more like something to prioritize. Soul projects are everything. Maybe the only thing. He's to having rich successful inner lives, over which we have total control!
So many of us are struggling emotionally with the care of our elderly parents as we accompany them through their decline to ultimate death. This is love at work: challenging, frightening, depressing - and surprisingly rewarding. I believe your memoir will help many, many people, Matthew.
Thank you for these beautiful words, Roxanne. I truly hope the memoir will be useful to others. I think I have to let it be useful to me first. I really feel as though it will be a chance to take a hard look at all those difficult uncomfortable places inside of me. The decline of a parent certainly turns up the volume on life's ticking clock. We only have so much time to figure out how to love each other in productive ways. Only so much time to make peace. I'm going to do my best.
Matthew, I did have you on my list for Mike’s Covid updates but your email didn’t work so I sent it to your violinist friend. It was just an update weeks and weeks and weeks ago and it can be found on Dr Mike Silverman‘s Facebook page Mike Silverman‘s Facebook page, naomi
Whether or not your published book ever ends up in my hands, the beauty of the experience with your analyst made my heart swell. What gorgeous intimacy in so many realms- paternalism, peer-ship, kindness, advocacy…the list doesn’t end. It brought to mind caring for an orchid- the deep love, time, patience, tending, and sheer belief you put in allows something rare to bloom. I’m not sure if the orchid is you, your book, the relationship itself, or all of it. The beauty of his investment in you (and yours in yourself) hit me viscerally.
Good stuff. Really good. 👍
Thanks, cmorr!
Well of course now you have made me really want the novel 😃- and a memoir is perfect for you right now.
Ha! I actually think you in particular would totally get the novel. I hope to be talking with you about the memoir, both privately and on the THE ONE YOU FEED. Looking forward to it, Eric.
Thank you for sharing so much of your journey with us. The “fate” quote spoke to me as unquestionably true. I hope we see your novel sometime soon, and I look forward to your memoir!
Thanks for reading my words, Jennifer. Glad to have you here with us. The unconscious is a serious force, for sure. The novel is going into a drawer for now. I have a feeling I will be mining it for the memoir in many ways. I appreciate the encouragement!
As always, love the story behind the story.
Thanks, Mark! I was just this morning listening to you talk about literary "glory." Your Jesmyn Ward interview. Inspiring, brother. Had me thinking and feeling. If anyone else here is curious: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-thoughtful-bro/id1635158602?i=1000668517181 (Or just google The Thoughtful Bro podcast.)
I wish you success in this new journey -your writings here prepared you very well for your nonfiction memoir to come!
Thanks, Naomi! I appreciate it. I'm going to fully throw myself into this and see where I end up.
You told me at a reading with Amy Jo that you thought memoir writing was the most honest stuff—not hiding behind characters. Congratulations.
I remember that event, Maya. Great day. Amy Jo Burns is a fantastic person to speak with. And a gifted novelist. A bit scary coming out from behind the mask of fiction now. But maybe nine published novels was a sufficient dipping my toes into the waters of literary truth. Time to take the plunge. We shall see what happens once I am fully unmasked! Thanks so much for the kind words and the timely reminder.
I can't wait to read it!
Thanks, friend! MC#1
Congratulations on your book deal with Avid Reader Press! I look forward to reading the memoir and hope you don’t let the novel fall through the wayside. Don’t give up on it. I want to read that book too! :)
Thanks, Kristy! I'm going to commit fully to the memoir. In some ways, I will be transforming the novel (the metaphorical) into the memoir (the literal). A bit of dangerous alchemy. We shall see if I can produce any gold or not. I appreciate your support!
I’m so excited about the memoir!
Thanks, Cyndi!
Can’t wait to read your memoir but am intensely curious about the novel! Will it go to the graveyard or will you publish excerpts?
Thanks, Carolyn! I've told my agent and publisher that I will shelve the novel. I have a fantasy of publishing it one day in the distant future. But I am thinking it might be the harvested raw clay that I will now use to sculpt the memoir. Firing malleable metaphor into the hard literal story. To use another metaphor, I suspect that the novel might have been a warm up. Like stretching thoroughly before an arduous marathon. I wasn't consciously doing a literary warm up, of course. I thought I was writing a novel. I wanted to publish it. But others close to me seemed to know I was just stretching. LOL. We shall see what comes of this. I'm all in now. Searching for truth. Thanks for the kind words!
I am so excited for you!!! Thank you for sharing this news :)
Thanks, Cousin Rachael! Much appreciated!
You know, I'm still in my late 20s and one thing I came to terms with in the last couple of years is that we really have no control over anything. Even when you do everything right, there are no guarantees. Reading about your novel/memoir struggle reinforces that idea. Whatever you may put out into the world, I will read. I'm excited for your new venture. Soul projects are everything.
Well, you learned that a lot earlier than I did. Adeeb! LOL. I think learning to have control over what happens inside of us might be possible. I'm coming to suspect that a lot of the pain I've had is due to allowing outside influences to have too much control over what happens inside of me. I think I always hear an inner voice that knows what's right for me and speaks up. Sometimes I have gone against this voice in the hope of acquiring external things: safety, approval, access, money, fame, power, etc. Regardless of what external rewards may or may not come, I'm starting to see that the voice inside of me is like a compass that always leads to inner peace, which might be more valuable than anything external. Sometimes my inner voice has led me to external success and these times have truly been a blessing. But I also know that many times my inner voice has led me away from what many other might think of as success in the external world. I'm still trying to find a balance. But here in my fifties, inner peace is looking more and more like something to prioritize. Soul projects are everything. Maybe the only thing. He's to having rich successful inner lives, over which we have total control!
So many of us are struggling emotionally with the care of our elderly parents as we accompany them through their decline to ultimate death. This is love at work: challenging, frightening, depressing - and surprisingly rewarding. I believe your memoir will help many, many people, Matthew.
Thank you for these beautiful words, Roxanne. I truly hope the memoir will be useful to others. I think I have to let it be useful to me first. I really feel as though it will be a chance to take a hard look at all those difficult uncomfortable places inside of me. The decline of a parent certainly turns up the volume on life's ticking clock. We only have so much time to figure out how to love each other in productive ways. Only so much time to make peace. I'm going to do my best.
Well said Roxanne!
Matthew, I did have you on my list for Mike’s Covid updates but your email didn’t work so I sent it to your violinist friend. It was just an update weeks and weeks and weeks ago and it can be found on Dr Mike Silverman‘s Facebook page Mike Silverman‘s Facebook page, naomi
Can't wait to read!
Thanks, Henning!
Whether or not your published book ever ends up in my hands, the beauty of the experience with your analyst made my heart swell. What gorgeous intimacy in so many realms- paternalism, peer-ship, kindness, advocacy…the list doesn’t end. It brought to mind caring for an orchid- the deep love, time, patience, tending, and sheer belief you put in allows something rare to bloom. I’m not sure if the orchid is you, your book, the relationship itself, or all of it. The beauty of his investment in you (and yours in yourself) hit me viscerally.
Thanks for these kind words, Megan. Glad that this one moved you. May we all tend to the orchids inside of us and others!