Lynn's Blog

Tripping the Light Fantastaic

2008-06-22T01:06:47Z

My idea of "tripping the light fantastic" is having the opportunity for spontaneous travel, lunches with friends, or visiting on the patio. But my usual "let's go to the beach" this weekend or "let's hit the Saturday garage sales all over town" or "meet me for lunch at noon" have been eclipsed by the current fuel prices. Wow! Not that it's so bad to stay put. I'm certainly getting a lot of writing done, not to mention keeping up with the laundry.

Now I think about where I'm going ahead of time and plot my travel to accomplish as many errands as possible on a single trip. No longer do I "run" to the grocery store and back for one item. That alone is probably saving me money as I force myself to plan meals around what is in the pantry and freezer.

My usual trip a week to somewhere interesting has been cut to a trip a month that is related to the creation of a current book. I'm saving up for fall trips to Broadfoot's of Wendell for their annual North Carolina Experience for Teachers and to the Southern Festival of the Book in Nashville. In the meantime, I've been working like crazy to get book manuscripts tidied up in the proofing stage so they will be released as planned in August and September. There will be more later about the Jack tale book and the Vietnam book. The big focus right now is on the Ray Hicks biography.

My new schedule is posted under the "Schedule Page." Beginning August 18th I'll be reading from and talking about "The Life and Times of Ray Hicks, Keeper of the Jack Tales." He led an amazing life and his gift of storytelling touched thousands of listeners. The book chronicles his amazing life as his family struggled in the Blue Ridge Mountains for generations.

Now Coming- New Book

2008-06-19T01:42:11Z

Finally, "The Life and Times of Ray Hicks, Keeper of the Jack Tales" will make it to bookstores and Amazon between August 20 and September 1. Two reviewers have declared it the Appalachian Angela's Ashes. When measured by angst, struggle and "being up again it," I can see that the story has a full degree of amazement. Many readers will feel empathy for the family that struggled against nature and will feel joy for their survival.

Friends say, "Well, it's about time," because they know the book has been about seven years in the making. The University of Tennessee Press has done a

How Can Ya’ Top This?

2007-08-12T15:25:39Z

Reading through Glenn Bolick’s new book today certainly brought back memories.

My mother, Margaret Sims (1915-2004) was a woman some southerners might call a card. One might say, she was as sharp as a tack. I don’t know anyone other than Glenn Bolick that was exposed to as many crazy sayings. Actually, many people might have heard this a time or two, but it requires a character to remember it all and recall it for the world.

Most people know about being dumb as a bag of hammers or

Hooray! A New Book – If This Ain’t True, Grits Ain’t Groceries

2007-08-02T03:03:32Z

Well, it’s about time to see my friend, Glenn Bolick’s book appear in bookstores. Two years in the planning and publishing seemed like a long time, but when all’s said and done, we’re thinking how short two years has been.

Glenn’s plan for the book was a tribute to his upbringing, and that it is. It’s full of fun. Appalachian fun, that is. He says people think he talks funny, because he shortens words when he speaks. He points out how everyone in his community spoke the same. Therefore, he captures the spirit of his life and times as well as that of

Oral History - A Family’s Legacy

2007-07-05T17:22:20Z

Everyone who knows me knows I’m big on oral history. I like to hear people talk about their families, and I enjoy writing down what they say. Just today, a lady shared her experience as an eight year old student. A sudden hail storm came up when she was having class in a one room wooden schoolhouse. The wind was so strong, it blew the structure off its foundation and the school landed on the front door trapping the children inside. While hail pummeled, the sky was as dark as night and everything became chaotic. It was a fascinating story of survival by a young female teacher about seventeen years old and her twenty-two pupils.

Personal histories are valuable to

Voices from the Mountains

2007-04-13T18:25:40Z

Brian, Amy, Robert, Lynn & DavidWriters think a lot about journaling, but that's all. They think about it. At least I do. Pity. As years go by I recall certain trips and fun experiences and wish I had written down the details - who was there, what we talked about, impressions of what I saw. Most of the writers I know say the same thing - they wish they had journaled.

Yet, I'm sure there are many people who have the discipline to sit down and write about their lives and how they feel about everything - every day. However, I try to make up for my journaling shortcomings by

Happy New Year!

2007-01-04T16:44:44Z

It seems like 2007 arrived in a hurry. I wasn't expecting the last four weeks of the year to "melt away." The time passed so quickly that I didn't get all of my Christmas plans executed. I didn't miss wrapping or shopping. I missed stopping and visiting some of my friends. That would have been my gift to me - stopping by to have a cup of coffee and a chat and to make a special "Merry Christmas" for old times sake. I now resolve to start that sort of thing earlier next year.

Today was

Here and Now

2007-01-04T01:47:48Z

Here we go again. It's a new year. Funny how I've gotten used to the 00s. It was easy to think in the 1900s and it took me a few years to handle those double "00s". Lately Ive heard a few people say they didn't think they'd live so long. So, hooray for a lot of us making it over the hump from 06 to 07.

I'm glad the holidays are over. The older I get, the more I feel they interrupt my flow. They sneak in and all of a sudden baking, wrapping, and decorating become as important as writing. It's not that I don't enjoy those things. I simply didn't make time for them this year. I allowed myself a deadline after Thanksgiving. That got to me. My concern for being timely and fulfilling a signed contract had to mean more than enjoying the holiday. There was no room to just sit down and read or think. I guess that's called a lesson learned.

So, here we are in a new year feeling like things are starting over. Getting the decorations down and put away helped a lot to make me feel like I'm on track again. I also like to think that January means spring is on the way. I don't mean to be premature. (My husband thinks that is a ridiculous idea.) I simply don't care for cold weather. Living in North Carolina has it's advantages. We had a warm fall which was fine by me. I'm marking my calendar right now for gardening to begin in twelve weeks. That sounds a lot faster than three months.

I'll be off and running tomorrow. I'll be back to a sensible schedule and on-line again with all my contacts who like myself scurried off and off-line the day before Christmas. Some of us have made it sooner - but most languished until January 4th. Happy New Year.

Diversify

2006-09-22T15:38:33Z

We hear a lot about diversity. Yet, we rarely thinking about the word "diversity" as it impacts our lives.

I'm involved with a community of about 70 writers. They come on line in various discussions during the week and yak about things that bother them about writing. They want to lean on others for inspiration, and most of all some need encouragement to hold the course and get the work completed on time.

Now, that should be

Southern Tradition

2006-06-05T14:04:01Z

Summer never makes me feel nostalgic. That generally happens in the fall. However, I recently sold the last five pieces of my mother's wedding china. It wasn't something that I was excited about. The fact is, I have crystal which is much less fragile looking than hers and a great deal more utilitarian. That means young visitors are welcome to use it and if they break it, it is readily available at a reasonable price.

On the other hand,