The Banquet Before Me

I'm an occasional writer and a frequent reader. Off line, I belong to a book club that reads mostly novels; my personal reading is mostly nonfiction, including historical and cultural nonfiction (examples: Jared Diamond's "Guns Germs and Steel," John M. Barry's "The Great Influenza"). My indiscriminate curiosity is my downfall in every bookstore,

I sometimes write short stories, short plays, essays, song lyrics and poetry. After winning a local poetry competition when I was seventeen, I've avoided contests. How can you top five very shiny silver dollars in a gold foil box? And enthusiastic applause as you walk up the aisle between rows of folding chairs, heart a bass drum, to accept the box and certificate? Lately, at the urging of family and friends, I've been writing down some of the anecdotes I've told over the years. Some may transform themselves into stories. I'm also beginning to develop a story idea that could end up as a screenplay.

I spend most of my time on my true loves: designing clothing and accessories, and being with my beloved husband of thirty years and our wonderful young adult kids. We share a love of nature, music, art, and musical theater (our daughter is an actress and singer). We travel, walk, and visit friends. Life is leisurely, with days spread out like a well-prepared banquet .

This is so new.  I worked as a teacher (art and English) and a social worker for many years, most of my life's days engaging with the real world, nurturing others and too busy to tilt at most windmills.  I've seen tragedies and comedies in real life, and have felt irrational fury at injustices. But I've bought a laptop. It travels with me. Someday I may summon my rage and find my crystalline focus, and my word processor may never be the same.