I would love to read your book fair short story. The title and red cover are so tantalizing! I shall make it a priority to read some Flannery O’Connor. I really enjoy reading about the area where you live. I’m fortunate enough to live in a progressive city in the PNW where your views would largely be shared and supported. Take heart and take rest, as you stand strong and rooted like a tree in your favorite forest. Your sensitivity and heart is obviously needed in Georgia. It’s really hard when family members fall prey to gaslighting, victim-blaming, and propaganda… and then vent their worst impulses on social media (and in texts). Protect your psyche, dear Madbird!
Thank you so much for the encouraging comment, Erin. It makes me happy to know that you are out there, in the opposite edge of the continent, feeling and relating to what I shared. I often imagine what it would be like to live in a community with shared values. I envy it sometimes. Luckily, there are a few progressive pockets even in Georgia. I spend as much time in Atlanta and Athens with friends as possible. Helps to recharge my heart so that I can bring that energy back to rural Georgia. One of the things I love and relate to most about Flannery is that she was a smart, compassionate person living in a backwards place and time. She was forced to return home after living in New England because of a lupus diagnosis. She hated it at first but then allowed her surroundings to fuel her stories, many of which exposed the ignorance of her day. Please do give her a try if this all sounds interesting. Thanks as always for reading and commenting. I will have to construct a few more copies of my short story. When I do, I will let you know! I would love to send you one.
Thanks for posting. I enjoy reading these newsletters. Maybe a laid-back, off-the-wrong-key Tom Petty is subversion in itself?? Anyway what if you posted to FB and just turned off comments?? I tried to create a fake account on there so I could really speak my mind, but they have that fully blocked now with military-grade security. Yet Russian bots have no problem with it. Go figure...
That's not a bad idea. I want to be able to post and not feel the need to respond to every comment. Anyway, I think I've decided to stay on Facebook for a bit. Things are too screwed up right now to retreat fully. I appreciate you encouraging me to reconsider leaving altogether. Your comment made me think about it twice. The problem with the Petty cover was that it was subversive of my enjoyment, but who am I to critique the singer in the mechanic shirt's artistic rendering?
It's so frustrating to try to persuade people to dig deeper and consider that their side might be the wrong side. And FB is blown up with propaganda and conspiracies... I feel like we are headed towards some dark times ahead.
Any time I offer criticism of djt on facebook, I find that people assume immediately that I am a dem and start attacking biden or obama. It’s difficult to get people to step out of the left vs right paradigm. Or they have no argument, so they start slinging insults.
So enjoy reading you and the book fair sounds like a total jol even tho you didnt get to write what you set out to do ..still ..the teasing vignettes and flavours were so satisfying to read and definitely need to delve into some Flannery as well as your red bound short story! With peace and a lorra rain from Andalusia
I would love to read your book fair short story. The title and red cover are so tantalizing! I shall make it a priority to read some Flannery O’Connor. I really enjoy reading about the area where you live. I’m fortunate enough to live in a progressive city in the PNW where your views would largely be shared and supported. Take heart and take rest, as you stand strong and rooted like a tree in your favorite forest. Your sensitivity and heart is obviously needed in Georgia. It’s really hard when family members fall prey to gaslighting, victim-blaming, and propaganda… and then vent their worst impulses on social media (and in texts). Protect your psyche, dear Madbird!
Thank you so much for the encouraging comment, Erin. It makes me happy to know that you are out there, in the opposite edge of the continent, feeling and relating to what I shared. I often imagine what it would be like to live in a community with shared values. I envy it sometimes. Luckily, there are a few progressive pockets even in Georgia. I spend as much time in Atlanta and Athens with friends as possible. Helps to recharge my heart so that I can bring that energy back to rural Georgia. One of the things I love and relate to most about Flannery is that she was a smart, compassionate person living in a backwards place and time. She was forced to return home after living in New England because of a lupus diagnosis. She hated it at first but then allowed her surroundings to fuel her stories, many of which exposed the ignorance of her day. Please do give her a try if this all sounds interesting. Thanks as always for reading and commenting. I will have to construct a few more copies of my short story. When I do, I will let you know! I would love to send you one.
Thanks for posting. I enjoy reading these newsletters. Maybe a laid-back, off-the-wrong-key Tom Petty is subversion in itself?? Anyway what if you posted to FB and just turned off comments?? I tried to create a fake account on there so I could really speak my mind, but they have that fully blocked now with military-grade security. Yet Russian bots have no problem with it. Go figure...
That's not a bad idea. I want to be able to post and not feel the need to respond to every comment. Anyway, I think I've decided to stay on Facebook for a bit. Things are too screwed up right now to retreat fully. I appreciate you encouraging me to reconsider leaving altogether. Your comment made me think about it twice. The problem with the Petty cover was that it was subversive of my enjoyment, but who am I to critique the singer in the mechanic shirt's artistic rendering?
Watching from over here in Scotland, there are some very scary things going on in the US at the moment.
Books are more important than ever.
Not to mention ICE breaking the 4th amendment, but it’s okay cause Trump can fix everything with a tweet and a fart!
At least for his loyal followers he can. They probably never needed an explanation to begin with.
It's so frustrating to try to persuade people to dig deeper and consider that their side might be the wrong side. And FB is blown up with propaganda and conspiracies... I feel like we are headed towards some dark times ahead.
Any time I offer criticism of djt on facebook, I find that people assume immediately that I am a dem and start attacking biden or obama. It’s difficult to get people to step out of the left vs right paradigm. Or they have no argument, so they start slinging insults.
So enjoy reading you and the book fair sounds like a total jol even tho you didnt get to write what you set out to do ..still ..the teasing vignettes and flavours were so satisfying to read and definitely need to delve into some Flannery as well as your red bound short story! With peace and a lorra rain from Andalusia