Twists and Turns in Writing (and Life)

I’m twisted. I guess it would be more apt to say I love twisted writing.

I adore books and stories where the reader has to turn corners, clueless about what’s on the other side. Chuck Palahniuk’s writing is twisted in the best sense of the word. Joe Hill (he’s Stephen King’s son) keeps me on the edge of my seat. Sandra Dallas’s novels almost always have a major twist at the end.

These days are twisted… in the worst sense of the word.

To make sense of the world, what does a writer do? They write.

Recently I helped rescue a hawk. It was only a month old, and when a tree was cut down, the nest fell, and the baby bird was pacing in yards, desperate for food and water. My friend and I ended up taking it to the local wild bird sanctuary.

Slogging through an essay’s draft that’s simmering right now, a draft that begins with that baby hawk, I’m reminded of one of my favorite essays. It’s "Time and Distance Overcome" by Eula Bliss, and it's brilliant. It begins with a lot of information on telephone poles… and then it turns a major corner. A major corner.

Every summer I co-teach a graduate class. It’s full of teacher-writers. Usually it’s face to face but this year, it’s being conducted via Zoom meetings. Every summer I’m bowled over by the writing. This June is no different.

One of the teachers shared a short story she’d written. It was a moving tale of a mother who’s dealing with a miscarriage, a busy toddler daughter and a husband who doesn’t completely understand the grief she’s dealing with… and then I was punched in the stomach by the realization that what I thought was happening was not what was really happening. It was a whallop in the same vein as the one I got watching The Sixth Sense.

If you’d like to read an incredible essay—another one of my favorites—head to a post I've written for The Muffin. I’ve included a link to Brian Doyle’s powerful essay, “Joyas Voladoras.” It turns corners in a smooth and polished way.

And as far as my personal life, I turned a corner on Friday. I chose to not sign a contract at my old school, so I was (desperately) looking for a job for the last month or so. On Friday, I got a job offer (and accepted it). I’m thrilled. It's with a principal I love... which makes all the difference.

How about you? Do you incorporate twists and turns in your writing? How are you making sense of what is going on in our country?

What Terrifies You?

      I still remember watching the movie "The Birds" for the first time. I know I was not yet a teenager, and being afraid was delicious. It was fun squealing and covering my eyes... as long as it was done in a safe place. (After reading about how some of the scenes were filmed, I now think that Alfred Hitchcock was the scariest part of that movie. If you don't know what Tippi Hedren endured to get the movie filmed, check out this article.)

      Probably close to the same time, I read the book Rosemary's Baby, which had me on the edge of my seat.

       As an adult I've continued my love of being scared, of being creeped out. Mostly, it's been via ink on paper. "Silence of the Lambs" was scary-suspenseful at times. So was "Psycho." (I just saw the new version of "It" and was not scared in the least. Can anybody recommend a scary movie?)

       Here are some of my favorite scary books:

• The Shining by Stephen King
• The Fireman by Joe Hill (Stephen King's son)
• NOS4A2 by Joe Hill (again, did you pick up on it? He's Stephen King's son)

    What scary books or movies can you add to this list? Terrified minds want to know...

Books Galore

     One of St. Louis' independent bookstores--the Book House--is having to move. Yes, it's a larger place and it's a better location (if they're able to snag the spot they're hoping for), but with multiple floors full of books (3), it's going to be a gargantuan task to move.

    However, they're still open, so if you're in the St. Louis area and want to check them out in their soon-to-be-"old" location, call ahead (if you're looking for a particular book) and head their way.

Three floors of books...It's a cool place, and no, the owners are not
whackadoo--they don't have the place all decked out for the
holidays all year long. This is a photo from last December's Chicken Soup
 for the Soul's book signing. At this book
signing, a rare sighting of the elusive "Val" occurred.

      And it's a building that's brimming over with character (the building is being torn down--it was built in 1863), so it's going to be a loss to the Rock Hill community...but not to the independent book store community because the Book House is moving to a place that is going to be bigger and better. 

      One of my favorite independent book stores I visited earlier this summer is Half Price Books in Kansas City. It's a huge expanse of used books and is meticulously organized. My son got me hooked introduced me to it.

      What is your favorite book store (and why) or what is a book you've read this summer that you are recommending? (I've read Joe Hill's NOS4A2, which is brilliant, if you like scary/creepy stories. I'm also still singing the praises for Leonard Pitts Jr.'s epic novel Freeman, and earlier this summer I read Hosseini's And the Mountains Echoed. All three I would give 5 out of 5 stars.)