A Writer's Random Thoughts: Reviews and More

Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

In Silver Sparrow, Tayari Jones introduces two sisters—Dana Lynn Yarboro and Bunny Chaurisse Witherspoon. What makes this story unique is that one sister knows about the other, while the second sister has no idea she has a sibling. Dana and Chaurisse share the same father, but their lives are very separate. In fact, their father, James Witherspoon, is actually legally married to both mothers, but he’s been keeping Dana and Gwen (Dana’s mother) a secret.
Jones introduces Dana first, telling her story through Dana’s eyes. In these pages, readers are given a glimpse of Dana’s turmoil of being the daughter of a man she rarely sees, but who loves her all the same. Dana finds herself struggling with the concept of “sharing” her father, especially when she knows her and her mother are James’s “dirty secret”. As Dana matures into a teenager, this confusion shows itself in her behavior. Dana and her mother are both beautiful, and the love James has for Gwen is different than his love for his first wife, Laverne. There’s a need to hang on to Gwen, not just because of Dana, but because Gwen symbolizes James’s independence.
Halfway through the book, Dana’s story stops, and we’re introduced to Chaurisse. By this time, I have developed a bond with Dana—I feel her anguish, I understand her need to reach out to her sister (even though her father has strictly forbidden it), I sympathize with her situation. When I start reading from Chaurisse’s POV, I have already built a dislike for her, even though I don’t know her. But within a few pages, this feeling subsides as I see this girl for who she is—another victim. She has no idea Dana and Gwendolyn even exist. Chaurisse is not smart or pretty (Dana is both). She struggles with her own awkwardness. She’s just a typical teenage girl.
When both girls are seniors in high school, Dana disobeys her father and befriends Chaurisse. At this point, I find myself angry with Dana because she is the keeper of her father’s secret, and Chaurisse is clueless. I know Dana’s motives are less about being friends with Chaurisse and more about digging for information, while Chaurisse immediately likes Dana and is refreshed by their friendship. When James discovers what Dana has done, the aftermath is a great amount of pain inflicted on all four women, but on four very different levels, and neither can truly understand the others’ anguish. At this point, I hate James for his lies and deceit.
Jones does a wonderful job of building tension and taking her readers on an emotional roller coaster. At first, I didn’t like being suddenly cut out of Dana’s life, and I felt Jones could have reached the same climax by alternating chapters. However, once I dove into Chaurisse’s life, I didn’t feel I was missing out on Dana—I already knew who she was, while knowing nothing about Chaurisse. Jones also writes with grace and elegance, making this dramatic shift change not so dramatic.
My only frustration in reading Silver Sparrow was in the overuse of the word “that”. It was prevalent in spots where it was completely unnecessary, often making the reading choppy. There were also a number of editorial mistakes I found difficult to believe coming from such a well-known publisher. But these errors were in the part of the editor, not the writer.
All-in-all, Silver Sparrow was a beautiful book. As a writer, I most appreciate Jones’s use of language and her gift of keeping her readers captivated, even when dividing the book into, almost, two separate stories.



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Inspirational Moments

The other day, I had a conversation with a writer friend of mine about those inspirational moments when a memory or a thought or an event suddenly causes us to want to find the nearest coffee shop to set up camp and start writing. In one of my creative writing classes at the University of Montana, the professor assigned us the task of keeping a daily journal of these inspirational moments. We were to write down the event or thought or memory, but not find the coffee shop.

“Just keep a record,” he’d said. “That way, when you think you have nothing to write about, you’ll always have a list of ideas to turn to.”

I’ve been keeping that journal ever since. Many of the moments will never go further than the ink splotch in my journal, but a few of them have transformed into prose—a short story or poem, my first full-length novel (now collecting dust on my shelf). And one of them plays a significant role in my debut novel, I Am Lucky Bird.

On May 25, 2003 one of my oldest brother’s best friends, Travis Dolphin, died at the age of 34 from complications of a brain tumor. Mike and Travis became friends in 1983 as freshmen at Polson High School in Polson, Montana. After graduation, Mike went to UC Boulder and Travis ventured off to Eastern Oregon. But the distance didn’t interfere with their friendship. When they returned to Polson for holidays and summers, it was like they’d never been separated. Travis was not just my brother’s friend—he was a friend to our entire family. To me, he was a fourth brother.

Travis returned to Polson and eventually married and had two sons. My brother moved to Seattle to attend law school. He also married and has three children of his own. Again, the time and distance did not interfere with their friendship. They didn’t see each other as much, nor did they speak regularly, but Travis was, and always will be, one of Mike’s best friends. In 1996, it was discovered that Travis had a brain tumor. It was removed, and Travis was required bi-yearly and then yearly check-ups. It appeared he would be just fine. But seven years later, he was hanging onto his life.

And here comes my inspiration moment. Mike called me on a Thursday afternoon to ask me for my advice. Travis was dying. Mike hadn’t seen him in quite some time, and he was scared of going back to say goodbye. By the end of our conversation, I wasn’t sure what Mike was going to do. He knew he needed to see his friend, but he wasn’t sure he had the courage to do it. Early the following morning, Mike was awakened by the sound of a bird clumsily banging itself against the kitchen window. He went downstairs and watched this crazy robin fly back and forth against the glass, as though it was convinced if it kept doing it, the window might eventually magically open and let the bird in. This continued all day and into the night, and by Saturday morning, Mike couldn’t take it anymore. He needed to get out of the house. He jumped in his car and drove to Polson—an 8-hour drive to the east. When he arrived at Travis’s house, another best friend—Matt Moderai—greeted him at the door. In high school, Matt, Travis and Mike were inseparable. Travis lay in his bed, paralyzed, his breathing labored. Mike later told me that when Travis saw him, his eyes widened. He couldn’t physically smile, but Mike knew he was. Travis’s family was there—his parents and brother, his wife and kids. Mike said goodbye. The following morning, Travis passed away.

Within a few hours of Travis’s passing, Katy (Mike’s wife) called to tell him that the robin had finally stopped banging itself against the window. The bird had just…disappeared.

“When?” Mike asked.

“This morning,” Katy replied. “It just stopped, but when I went outside to see if it was still on the ground, it was gone.”

To this day, my brother is convinced that Travis sent that bird to bug the crap out of him until he’d have no choice but to get his butt into his car and drive the 8 hours to say goodbye to his friend. Forget courage.

I Am Lucky Bird is not about Travis or my brother. It’s not about a crazy robin banging itself against a kitchen window. But there is a bird, and this bird plays a significant role in Lucky’s turbulent life. Before her mother disappears, she tells Lucky that birds are responsible for bringing the souls of the dead to heaven to become angels.

Thanks, Travis, for this inspirational moment.

Find the post and review by Kristin (Kritter) here:

Kritter’s Ramblings

So You’re Writing a Novel?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved to write! When I was young, I’d write poems and short stories—nothing more than a few pages. My first attempt at writing an actual book came in third grade with a children’s book called Misty’s Adventure. I even illustrated it. I wrote the book for an all-school writing contest at Spring Creek Elementary School in Rockford, Illinois. And I won first place! After that, the stories continued to flow. In high school, I started a number of different projects, but I never finished them. I’d get 40 or 50 pages in, and suddenly, I wouldn’t know where to go next. So, I’d start something different, and the same thing would happen. Over and over and over again.

Although writing has always come easily to me, actually finishing a novel is one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done. In 1999, I finished my very first full-length manuscript. I went through the entire query letter writing and sending process (and back then, everything was sent via snail mail with a SASE…thank goodness we now have email), but I came up empty-handed. Looking back on that manuscript now, I completely understand. My second full-length novel was finished in 2002. Once again, I went through the “seeking an agent” debacle, and this time, I got my first agent! Unfortunately, she ended up being a fraud. So, I was back to square one. In 2005, I started writing I Am Lucky Bird, but—much like my many other projects over the years—I powered through the first 50 pages and stopped. But it wasn’t writer’s block this time. Rather, an unexpected life change (not entirely uncommon in adulthood) caused me to put the book aside. Work and being a single mom made writing a challenge, and so I focused my attention on other things, all the while thinking about Lucky and her story and hoping I’d find time to eventually finish it. And I did. Another unexpected life change redirected me back to my writing, and in 2010, I applied to graduate school at Antioch University in Los Angeles for my MFA in Creative Writing. I needed a swift kick in the butt to get me back to writing, and within a few months of being in the program, I finished I Am Lucky Bird.

For anyone thinking of writing a book, I highly suggest developing an outline with chapter summaries and character sheets. I have hundreds of ideas floating around inside my head, but most of them are incomplete. If I try and sit down and start typing out my ideas, they fall short because I haven’t fully developed the characters or plot or structure. Start with the outline, and then tackle the novel! I’m also a firm believer in writing what’s in your heart. The only downside to this is the realization that what’s in your heart might not necessarily be what other people want to read. If you just want to write a book to write a book, great. But if your #1 goal is to find a publisher, you have to consider whether your story is marketable. If an agent and/or publisher can’t sell your book (no matter how much they might like it), they won’t take you on as a client. The best advice I can give, though, is to just keep writing!

Check out this post on The Random Thoughts of Crazy Mandy:

The Random Thoughts of Crazy Mandy

The Dark Side of Montana

I was recently asked two of the same questions by a handful of different friends:  One, why is everything you write so dark? And, two, why do all of your stories take place in Montana? The answer to the second question is easy. I grew up in Montana, and although I’ve spent the last 11 years in Los Angeles, Montana is still (and always will be) my home. How could I not write about Montana? In my own personal opinion, there is no place on Earth more beautiful. When I think of my childhood there, the images are vivid, and I’m immediately inspired to write about those images—majestic blue, snow-capped mountains; crystal clear rivers, streams and lakes; endless stretches of golden prairies dotted with grazing cattle; a night sky so full of stars, it sparkles like a black sea littered with diamonds.

So, why are the stories I write (which 99.9% of time take place in Montana) so dark? I’m not really sure. I do tend to gravitate to the unknown, toward stories that are not my own—mine is boring. I grew up in a middle-to-upper class family on the shores of Flathead Lake. I have two loving parents and three brothers (all who are alive and thriving). We’re a very close-knit family. I have lived a wonderful life. Lucky’s story in I Am Lucky Bird is tragic. She does not have such a wonderful life. Her journey is filled with heartache and despair. She is tormented by the disappearance of her mother, and the subsequent abuse at the hands of her grandmother, Marian, and Marian’s lover, Tom. I have nothing in common with Lucky…except that we both call Montana home.

I recently wrote a critical paper for graduate school titled, “Yes, It’s Beautiful Here. Now, Go Away: Finding a Common Theme in The Best of Montana’s Short Fiction”. What I discovered when reading this anthology of short stories is that almost all of them were depressing. There was death, trauma, family heartbreak, loss, loneliness. And all but two of them took place in Montana. In one paragraph in I Am Lucky Bird, while Lucky is on her way back to Plains to face the truth about her past and that of her mother and grandmother, she ponders the below question:

“I couldn’t help but wonder how a place so majestic and beautiful could hide within its folds such possibilities of pure ugliness.” (182)

Is it really that Montana is hiding “pure ugliness”? Or is that what I want my readers to think and believe? Maybe I choose to write about this ugliness because I don’t want to share how great a life can really be in Montana. I want to keep that to myself. I want to keep Montana to myself. Maybe the writers whose works fill the pages of The Best of Montana’s Short Fiction think similarly to me. I don’t know. But what I know about myself (that may be reflected in my writing) is that I’d like to share the beauty of Montana with the rest of the world…but I also have a desire to keep the rest of the world away.

Find the post and review by Roxanne Kade here:

I Am Lucky Bird Blog Tour: Guest Post and Review

If You Come Softly by Jacqueline Woodson

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

In If You Come Softly, Jacqueline Woodson does a lovely job of introducing two young characters struggling to understand the dynamics of their own families—from divorced parents, to being an only child, to having a sister who is gay. At the same time, both characters have recently transferred to a new private school, and in this transfer, they meet each other.
Ellie is white and Jewish. Jeremiah is black. This is the first of their dilemmas—how do they tell their parents? But I didn’t quite understand this concern. There was no reference in the book from either character that their parents would be angry or concerned. The only instance where Ellie might have had a reason to be concerned was during a conversation with her gay sister. The silence on the other end of the phone when Ellie mentioned Jeremiah was black was deafening, but I found her sister’s response to be unbelievable considering her own struggle with having to defend her homosexuality.
The second dilemma (for Jeremiah) was not telling Ellie about his parents—his father is a famous filmmaker and his mother is a well-known author. He wants Ellie to love him for who he is, not who he’s the product of. But this seemed remedial in the face of their racial difference. And other than the mention that Ellie wears the Star of David around her neck, there’s never any reference to her being Jewish—how that impacts her decision to date Jeremiah, how strong it resonates in her family, how her parents feel about it. Considering the theme of the book, I found it difficult to understand why Woodson would even make Ellie Jewish if there was not going to be any discussion of it.
There were a few instances in the book when Ellie and Jeremiah sense the uneasiness their relationship creates—an interaction with two old women in Central Park who ask Ellie if she’s okay (because she’s walking alone with an African-American boy), and a few stares from kids at school—but for the most part, the story lacks the real tension a young, biracial couple would create, especially in a New York, upper-class private school (amongst the students and, especially, the teachers). In addition, other than Ellie meeting one of Jeremiah’s closest friends, there is never a mention of Ellie’s friends. In fact, as far as I could tell, she didn’t have any, which was difficult for me to believe.
I had no trouble believing the emotional struggles both characters had with their own identities, brought on my their own family dynamics, but I had a difficult time believing and understanding their relationship. I felt there was far too much information left out of the story. Additionally, the last few chapters moved far too quickly, as though Woodson was in a rush to finish the book, making a “could have been a super powerful ending” into a, “okay, I guess that’s it”.
As a writer, I enjoyed Woodson’s development of her characters in regards to their emotional struggles with their family situations, but the story lacked much of the outside pressures a young biracial couple would encounter, and without that information, I felt the book was incomplete.



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Why I Am Lucky Bird?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve loved to write! When I was young, I’d write poems and short stories—nothing more than a few pages. My first attempt at writing an actual book came in third grade with a children’s book called Misty’s Adventure. I even illustrated it. I wrote the book for an all-school writing contest at Spring Creek Elementary School in Rockford, Illinois. And I won first place! After that, the stories continued to flow. In high school, I started a number of different projects, but I never finished them. I’d get 40 or 50 pages in, and suddenly, I wouldn’t know where to go next. So, I’d start something different, and the same thing would happen. Over and over and over again.

I Am Lucky Bird isn’t my first completed novel, but it’s the first to find a publisher (I finished a manuscript in 1999). I started the book in 2005 and—much like my many other projects over the years—I powered through the first 50 pages and stopped. But it wasn’t writer’s block this time. Rather, an unexpected life change (not entirely uncommon in adulthood) caused me to put the book aside. Work and being a single mom made writing a challenge, and so I focused my attention on other things, all the while thinking about Lucky and her story and hoping I’d find time to eventually finish it. And I did. Another unexpected life change redirected me back to my writing, and in 2010, I applied to graduate school at Antioch University in Los Angeles for my MFA in Creative Writing. I needed a swift kick in the butt to get me back to writing, and within a few months of being in the program, I finished I Am Lucky Bird.

I don’t know exactly where the idea for I Am Lucky Bird came from. Lucky’s story is tragic, her journey heartbreaking. I have nothing in common with her. I grew up in a middle-to-upper class family on the shores of Flathead Lake in Northwest Montana. I have two loving parents and three brothers (all who are alive and thriving). We’re a very close-knit family. I have lived a wonderful life. Even my divorce was easy—my ex and I are great friends, and we continue to raise our son together, although we’re apart. I tend to gravitate to the unknown, toward stories that are not my own—mine is boring. I want to experience the tragedies I’ve managed to escape throughout my life. Why? I don’t know. But I’m a sucker for sad movies—Terms of Endearment, Steel Magnolias, My Sister’s Keeper. I feel a need to connect with my characters because, in a way, I want to help them. I want to give them hope and let them see that life can be good. I feel like a guardian when I write—I can create an unfathomable situation, but in the end, can turn it into something magnificent.

Find the post and review by Anne Wingate here:

Books Through the Garden Window

Tiny Beautiful Things: Advice on Love and Life from Dear Sugar by Cheryl Strayed

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed – the former Dear Sugar for The Rumpus – is an extraordinary collection of some of the most poignant of letters written to Dear Sugar by people across the country searching for guidance and/or advice. Cheryl Strayed is not a professional psychologist, educated in treating the myriad of human conditions. She’s a writer, and an incredibly good one. Her responses to these letters are nothing more than words of wisdom from a woman who’s experienced her own number of obstacles in life, and who’s triumphed.
Reading Tiny Beautiful Things was a pure pleasure, not just because Strayed writes beautifully, but also because her advice is universal. She doesn’t respond to these letters like a psychiatrist trying to “heal”. She responds by incorporating her own life’s experiences in order to make a connection with the people reaching out to her. She wants them to understand she knows what they’re going through because she’s been through tough times herself. Above all else, Strayed is human, and her ability to show that she’s just human is powerful.
I’d like to say I picked out a favorite letter and response, but I didn’t. The letters chosen to be included in this book are all different, and Strayed’s responses are all unique. In each of her responses, however, is raw truth, and I believe that’s what makes this book so powerful. Beautifully written and thought-provoking, Tiny Beautiful Things is a testament to great writing and deep storytelling. I think it would be beneficial for every writer to read this book, not just for Strayed’s gift of writing, but also for her understanding of the human spirit.



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Dear Sugar,

I need your help in how I can help my brother. I feel like I have my shit together…sort of…and I feel like I should have all the right advice for my older brother who’s in a terrible marriage. Brother (I won’t reveal his real name) is 40 years old, and he’s one of the most amazing people I know. He has a heart the size of Alaska. I believe his downward spiral began after his graduation from the University of Washington in the mid-90′s. He didn’t know what to do with his life–he should’ve traveled for a year, but he didn’t. Instead, he applied to medical school, not really sure if he wanted to be a doctor (my father is a retired physician, and Brother and my dad have struggled with their relationship). Seemed like a strange decision considering. Brother was miserable on the day he left for New York to attend New York Medical College. After the first year, he decided to join the Army to help pay for school. Another REALLY bad decision. And since then, it seems he’s made one terrible choice after another.

Four years ago, Brother started dating an ER nurse he met in El Paso where he was stationed after three years in San Antonio. From the very beginning, I could tell he wasn’t really into this woman. Brother and I are very close and have always been able to talk to each other about anything. But, their relationship continued–mostly, I think, because of this woman’s two young daughters from her previous marriage. Brother fell in love with those girls, not their mother. Two years ago, Brother married this woman on his birthday–at a courthouse in Portland, Oregon. Halfway to the courthouse, he got cold feet, but she convinced him they needed to be married (she’s VERY insecure). In the past two years, this woman has all but destroyed her relationship with our family–I won’t even begin to go into details of how she’s treated me, how she’s treated my mother, and, most importantly, how she’s treated my wonderful brother. But she takes no responsibility for her own actions, instead blaming Brother for all of the chaos between her and my family (and everything else that seems to go wrong between them). They’ve began divorce proceedings twice, but my brother has caved. This woman has turned him into the shell of the man he once was. Already riddled with childhood guilt about my parents marriage (and many other issues that have NOTHING to do with him), Brother is weak and easily taken advantage of, and now this woman has him by a choke hold. The two most recent blows to his life have been his decision to return to El Paso after a year in San Diego–he HATES El Paso and has been trying to return to Seattle since he left years ago. The Army basically told him he could go where he wants, but instead of asking to be stationed in Tacoma, he asked to go back to El Paso because that’s where his wife wanted to live–that’s where HER family lives. In the past few months, they’ve again decided to get divorced, and I feel my brother was finally standing his ground….until last week when she told him she was pregnant.

Please help, Sugar! I’ve tried talking to my brother. I’ve tried giving him advice. I’ve supported him. But I despise this woman, and I truly feel she is going to kill him emotionally and spiritually. She’s already halfway there. I can’t seem to get through to Brother anymore. How do I help him….help himself?

Sincerely,
Deeply Saddened

Room by Emma Donoghue

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

**SPOILER ALERT** The underlying theme in Room is both tragic and terrifying—a young woman is abducted and held prisoner for seven years in an 11×11 ft room. She’s repeatedly raped by her captor and locked away from the rest of the world. But in the midst of this horror, she gives birth to a son—Jack. And it’s through Jack’s eyes that Room is written.
At times difficult to understand because Jack is only five years old and telling HIS story, Room is nevertheless a page-turner. He describes in vivid detail not only what “Room” looks like, but everything inside it as well—from his homemade toys to the food they eat, what he watches on TV, the games he and his mother play, the books they read. This is Jack’s world. And because he’s so young, everything has a name and a meaning. For Ma (his mother), Room is a terrible prison, but for Jack, it’s the only home he knows. And his love for Room is as powerful as his love for his mother.
It isn’t until page 142 that Jack and Ma escape from Room, and the outside world—beautiful for Ma—is terrifying to Jack. He wants to go back to the comfort of what he knows, which makes this book that much more powerful because the reader understands how horrifying it would be to spend seven years imprisoned by a psychopath, but Jack doesn’t see Room that way. I was celebrating Ma’s escape, but sympathizing with a little boy who is suddenly thrust into the unknown—trees and grass, the sky, humans, playgrounds. Everything that a small child would cherish, Jack fears.
In Room, Emma Donoghue also unveils through Jack’s interaction with his mother the rock solid love and devotion she feels for the child of her captor. For as much as she hates Old Nick for stealing her away and tormenting her for seven years, her love for Jack is undying, and she will do whatever it takes to keep him safe, and to free them from Room.
Room is a story ripped right from recent headlines (I think predominantly of Jaycee Dugard or Elisabeth F. in Austria), but because Donoghue presents the story from Jack’s perspective, the horror of the situation is softened enough for readers to, at times, sympathize with Jack’s sense of loss when he’s removed from Room.
As a writer, I find Room to be a perfect example of how successful writing can be achieved when stepping outside of the norm.



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My Life as a Rhombus by Varian Johnson

My rating: 2 of 5 stars

The story of Rhonda Lee is one I feel many teenagers can identify with—at 14, she got pregnant and had an abortion. Because she’s an only child and her mother died when she was 11, her father is left with the task of making the decision for Rhonda that she should end the pregnancy. He wants her to concentrate on her grades, and stay clear of boys. And for three years, that’s exactly what she does. But suddenly, she’s asked to tutor one of the rich, snobby cheerleaders (the exact kind of people her father wants her to stay away from because the boy who got her pregnant is “one of them”), and her life changes. The rich, snobby cheerleader, Sarah, is pregnant and alone, and she and Rhonda become friends.
But it’s not just the friendship with Sarah that has Rhonda’s father nervous. Rhonda has also befriended Sarah’s brother, David, and the two eventually start dating and fall in love. My Life as a Rhombus is a teenage struggle story, intertwined with a teenage love story, and although it touches on topics relevant to teenagers today, I felt the characters were not genuine. The sudden friendship between Rhonda and Sarah, and the attraction David has for Rhonda, were especially difficult for me to believe. And because this happened within the first few pages of the novel, I had a tough time comprehending the rest of the story.
In addition to not being able to identify with the characters, the writing was poor, and this made the book even more difficult to read. Most significant was the use of the word “that” instead of “who” when referring to a person. For example, “…notice all of the half-drunk, half-naked girls THAT were wrapping…” and “…she didn’t look like a girl THAT had failed…” This grammatical error was prevalent throughout the novel, not just in the narration of the story, but also in the dialog between the characters. The voices of the characters also felt, at times, not genuine, as though they were robots talking rather than people.
Although a good enough story, reading My Life as a Rhombus was like reading a first draft novel—too many grammatical errors, overuse of adverbs, tons of cliques, boring descriptions of people and places, and characters who were difficult to believe.



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