Thursday, August 29, 2013

Book Club


We were guests at a book club in Virginia Beach yesterday. As we sat in a circle and listened to members discussing the characters in Becoming Finnigan and the choices they made, I realized that Joel Finnigan, Althea Burnside and Susanna Winslow had become real to people besides Tony and me.
Not only that, some book club members were reminded of their own experiences and of people they had known in their lives.

Writing a book is a solitary experience.  Even though we collaborated, it was solitary in the sense that it was ours exclusively.  Joel Finnigan, Althea Burnside and Susanna Winslow spoke only to us.  Now that Becoming Finnigan is published, their lives are there to be examined by anyone who takes an interest in them and in the history that helped shape them.
In writing Becoming Finnigan we explored the impact of historical events on people’s lives and choices and the impact people have on each other’s lives. Listening to a group of booklovers discuss these things makes all the effort of writing the book and finding a publisher worthwhile.

We hope this is the first of many book club visits.

Sunday, August 4, 2013

Verbal Snapshots

I recently collaborated with book artist Jane Vaughan on a project for the Word show at the Charles Taylor Arts Center.  Jane made a beautiful book and included some haiku I had written. Haiku appeals to me because I like the challenge of describing something in 17 syllables. Our collaboration inspired me to share my poems.  Some are haiku. Some are not true haiku because they don’t have a season word. And some are longer. I’ll be putting them on the Verbal Snapshots page as I post them….Karen

Today’s Verbal Snapshot:



Seeing my shadow
I turn toward the sunlight
And leave it behind