Book Signing

Book Signing
Originally uploaded by peachicken.

Just in time for Halloween, Gregory Maguire has just published a sequel to Wicked called Son of a Witch! (I can't wait to actually have some time to devote to it...) Tim took me to the Book Revue, a very cool little mom-&-pop chain on Long Island to get my book signed by Mr. Maguire himself. Ahh Yeah. He gave a couple of readings from his new work and answered some questions for the flock of people who gathered in awe of his writing abilities. The reason he gave for writing a sequel to Wicked was particularly notable. He spoke of his original design for Wicked, which was to highlight the ramifications of intentions and put a spotlight on the dichotomy of good vs. evil (none of us are all good or all very evil). And his purpose for writing Son of a Witch was to answer questions with fiction that cannot be explained with reality. More specifically, events at Abu Ghraib left him uneasy about the character Nor who was left imprisoned at the end of Wicked. Maguire wrote Son of a Witch to find a way to release (and FIND release for) the unfairly imprisoned. I think I found a new hero! (I also got to chat with him about other favorite fairytale remixes, such as The Magic Circle. Turns out that he is good buddies with Donna Jo Napoli, even!)

(I couldn't resist...)

I just finished my token vampire novel of the season, Sweetblood by Pete Hautman. It is about this goth teenage girl who is a diabetic and has a theory that vampires of old were really just misunderstood diabetics suffering from ketoacidosis. The plotlines of the story were interesting enough, but even more interesting was the paper Lucy writes about her theory. In it, she describes the possible symptoms of untreated diabetes; such as "the sweet smell of too much glucose in the blood, the strange, acrid reek of advanced ketoacidosis, the rotten smell of bacterial infection... madness, ravenous hunger, extreme sensitivity to sunlight and sound, bleeding, receding gums (that make teeth look longer), cold, clammy skin, and deathlike coma - all resulting from untreated diabetes. Even the spontaneous, repeated revival from a deathlike coma is possible." Sweetblood is a good read for the vampire curious and the bored at-home-sick library student studying to be a YA librarian. (Thanks for enduring the run-on.) I have to find my vampire novels somewhere else since Anne Rice's conversion.

Halloween 2005

Halloween 2005
Originally uploaded by peachicken.

Looks like I will be having my own little Halloween party. The guest list is pretty short, though - just me and the kitties... Unfortunately, they are unwilling participants! The world has never seen such misery as this photo right here... After we took this shot, the cats hid from me for a couple of hours!

"I did not get on the bus to get arrested,

I got on the bus to go home."

Ms. Rosa Parks

Rosa Parks, the "mother of the civil rights movement," just recently past away. She was in her nineties, still fighting - what an incredible woman! In her honor, here are the lyrics to one of my favorite songs by Lori McKenna called Ruby's Shoes. It is about little Ruby Bridges and her big brave soul.

Ruby's shoes would take her

A mile or so to school every day

Where the white people hated her

They'd scream and hold signs and tell her to go away

But Ruby's will was stronger

Than the bigots with the signs could ever know

She stopped every morning on the corner

And prayed that someday the pain would go

And she'd stop and she'd pray

That all the hatred would go away

She was only six years old but she knew

Walk a mile in Ruby's shoes

Ruby sat alone in the classroom

She never dreamed the other children wouldn't come

They hated her for the color of her skin

Well color is such an amazing illusion

She'd stop and she'd pray

That all the hatred would go away

She was only six years old but she knew

Walk a mile in Ruby's shoes

Now Ruby knew about Dorothy

And the ruby shoes that she wore

She wondered about Oz sometimes

Well, well no other child ever walked her shoes before

And she'd stop and she'd pray

That all the hatred would go away

She was only six years old but she knew

Walk a mile in Ruby's shoes

Ruby, if birds can always fly

Why oh why can't you and I

Big Sisters...

I miss my sister; she's the best. Lately, I've been thinking a lot about family, especially with the approach of Christmas. My sister and her hubby are going to be in the states (they live in Saskatoon) and are going to be visiting over the holidays - I am really excited about it. We haven't seen them since our visit this summer and I really miss her. She has such a presence in our family and having her so far away is difficult. There is so much I admire about her, everything from her satiric humor and her passion for politics, to her genuine originality and constant search for truth. I can't wait to see her this Christmas and have her bake her famous apple cake and fight with her about who gets to put the star on top of the tree and see her eyes light up when she sees the city for the first time. I miss my big sister.

"Rest in Harvest" by William Bouguereau (1825-1905)

And my twin?

Can you O.D. on Sci-Fi/Fantasy Books? Whether you can or cannot, I am about to find out... Right now, I have about 4 books going on in my brain at one time; some I am reading and some I am listening to on audio (hence the reason for my online silence!). All of these are for a school project - a genre study on YA Science Fiction & Fantasy. I just finished The Giver by Lois Lowry, which has a very good message - it is kind of Fahrenheit 451ish meets A Brave New World. Tim and I are listening to Eragon, which we are both greedily eating up (almost Harry Potter-esque). And I am plowing through A Wizard of Earthsea, which is a classic. Oy! My brain hurts!

Happy Halloween...

Happy Halloween...
Originally uploaded by peachicken.

I love Halloween. It has always been my favorite holiday - who wouldn't like an excuse to play dress up for the day?!? This year is kind of a bummer however, as far as fall and Halloween goes. The fall makes me miss Rachel, one of my closest friends, who has just recently moved to South Africa. And Halloween makes me miss Christie, another of my closest friends, with whom I always plan the annual Halloween party. This picture really describes how I feel about this fall! (Maybe I need to go watch "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown" to get in the spirit of the season...)

It has rained for eight freaking days straight. My fingers are pruny and my hair is all frizzy. I can't take much more moisture, do you hear me Mr. Weather Man?

Crash

"I think we miss that touch so much, that we crash into each other, just so we can feel something."

I just saw an amazing film called "Crash" by Canadian director Paul Haggis. (I bet you like that, ehh Beck?!?) Wow, talk about a powerful message of stereotypes, first impressions, and community. Just read some of the quotes from this masterfully written and very controversial piece - red and yellow, black and white, there is an essence of preconception from every race, sex, and nationality in this film. An excellent comment made on the IMDB is that "with each new additional character we find another assumption, another stereotype, and then watch as that preconception is obliterated as the character develops. It is a credit to the deftly written script, tight direction, and exceptional acting talent that every one of these many characters is fully realized on screen without ever feeling one-dimensional." I don't want to spoil a minute of it for anyone who has not yet seen it, but I highly recommend this film, not as a feel-good piece, but as an emotional roller-coaster of self-exploration.

I've been thinking about community a lot lately, especially with all the current movement in my life, and I really think that we take it for granted when we have it. This film, with its sadness and fear and miscommunications, really resonates a message of humanity and how we have gotten away from trust, respect, and love. I know that I have lost sight of what true community is just by a manner of what I call "self-defense." (I am sure you could tell this by reading the post on how I feel about NY!) By erecting these defense walls, we think we can protect ourselves from being hurt by the people we don't understand and in whom we fear. But in reality, what we end up with is a pile of rubble after we have crashed into one another.

You Are Changing Leaves

Pretty, but soon dead.

What Part of Fall Are You?

Sometimes when I am feeling blue, I go here...

Johnson City Girls in the Big Apple

Linda and Hannah
Originally uploaded by peachicken.

I just had a great visit from an old friend of mine. Linda and her daughter Hannah took a road trip up through New England and I got to play host for a night. I've missed hanging out with Linda - she is one of my role models and a kindred spirit. I met Linda through working at the Johnson City Public Library, which is a super little library tucked sweetly in the Appalachians. Seeing Linda reminded me of so many things... gardens and tea parties, mountains and open fields, friends and theater, and working in a great children's library.

Me & My Pops

Me & My Pops
Originally uploaded by peachicken.

My dad is in Haiti right now. He will be there for the next week and a half leading a medical mission trip. I am so happy for him, because this is where his heart really is. This year marks his 9th visit, I think - each time being a memorable experience. The photo here is from my senior year in High School, the year that I went with my dad. I treasure the memories of watching Dad glow with excitement and glee over little victories and friendships, after repairing things thought to be lost, and in sharing his faith with others. I am excited that he is able to pursue something he is passionate about and I can't wait to hear about his adventures for this year! The year I went, Dad got arrested for "stealing a National Treasure" - he and a bunch of guys were digging up an old cannon from a sewer ditch! That was a bit tramatic - being a minor in a third world country and having your father "detained" for digging something out of a sewer. Boy, did he get in trouble with my mom about that one!

Whoa. This is wack.

wed10.5
Originally uploaded by Rosie O'Donnell.

Guess who else has a Flickr account?!? (I seriously did not search for this...I got here through a couple of degrees of separation!) She has some amazing New Orleans shots...

What is it about this state that puts me in this state?!? Lately I have been having some real issues about being victimized by the strong personalities and value clashes with the people living here. (Warning - possibly personal and potentially volatile post coming up...) Mind you, I enjoy being a tourist here; there are many things to do and see and we have taken advantage of lots of these such opportunities. But tourism and residency are completely different things altogether. And no matter how I try and calendar my days left in this purgatory state (use either of the definitions for "state"), there are times when I cannot seem to justify my reasons for staying. For now, my "reasons" consist of only ONE reason - school. After this semester, I need nine more hours to complete the masters program I am in. Yet I grow weary in the constant battle of fighting for my rights, whether it be for getting the promised financial aid for school and having to speak to 8 different people (who never call back), battling co-workers at a library where I feel like a crab too large for its shell, dealing with psycho landlords, balancing fragile friendships, and watching my husband be taken advantage of for his multiple talents and skills by "shrewd" businessman (who justifies not paying for workers' compensation). If I could growl right now, I sure would. I would growl loud enough to wake my neighbors here at 4:30 in the morning - those neighbors who shrink away from me like I am a leper because that is the NY way. I would growl loud enough to wake Tim's boss and have him fear the wrath of Suzy. I would growl loud and strong so that career opportunities would blossom like flowers in the respect and awe of my fearsome voice. And my voice would resonate in the state of NY, forcing all who come into my path to be aware that I will not be a victim.

(And as a side note to this tirade, yesterday I even called my cereal company to complain about the excess amount of crumbs in my breakfast. And I will be getting a coupon for a free box. OOh. Do I have a mean case of the reds!)

JCCT in DC!

JCCT in DC!
Originally uploaded by peachicken.

Last weekend I got to see some really good friends from TN who have recently relocated to the DC area. Joe, Sarah, and Brad are all avid theater lovers and worked (really hard, I might add) at the Johnson City Community Theater in TN. I really miss that little theater! I miss the title of "Costume Mistress" and the power to put people in furry togas or make them look like Al Qaeda members when I was mad at them (Sorry Joe!). I am a big fan of all three of these guys and it was really great to get to spend some time with them. (And be looking to see Joe's name in lights someday soon - apparently he just finished a screenplay that was very well received. Yo Joe!)

This is a seriously cute cat. Tim took this picture this past weekend while we were visiting my parents in Virginia. The little fella pictured is JJ, short for Joey Junior. (Joey Senior was an orange marmalade cat that we Bennetch kids grew up with.) Between playing with JJ and moms' other critters, hanging out with the folks, and visiting the pretty little town of Staunton, Tim and I had a great time. Not only was it just super nice to feel at home and loved by your folks, but it was fabulous to get out of NY for a while, too! It was bizarre to drive into a state, go to pump some gas, and all of the sudden - notice that everyone is smiling at you! (Instead of the usual glares of "inconvenienced" and generally angry people we encounter here daily...) I love the fact that priorities are different in various places, but I want to make sure that I can, at least, retire in a place that has the same set of values that I hold dear - such as friendliness and customer service!

Ohh! And as a side note, we got to visit the Blackfriar Playhouse in Staunton, VA which is always a treat. They were doing All's Well that Ends Well, my least favorite Shakespearean play, but they really did an amazing job of it. If anyone is ever in the area, I would highly recommend seeing ANYTHING there! (This is unpaid advertising...)