So, how awesome is the 50th Anniversary cover of A Wrinkle in Time? This interview with the cover, Molly Leach, talks about how she incorporated the artistic “theme” of the original cover while creating something entirely modern. Excellent.
I don’t gravitate toward historical fiction, but this post by Laurie Halse Anderson reminded me of how much I did like her story of the Yellow Fever plague… completely horrifying. Which apparently is how you suck me into a historical novel. Scare the pants off me.
In my library class the semester, we’ve gone back and forth about what the librarian’s role is in providing “girl books” to girls and “boy books” to boys. I can see both sides of the argument… it’s hard to argue that librarians should ignore what their patrons want to read in lieu of more “gender neutral” titles, but at the same time, why promote a broken system? This article by author Saundra Mitchell, sums up the broken system pretty convincingly, but I’m still ruminating over how this comes to play in a practical library setting…
“This writing thing, it never has any guarantees. And I don’t mean that in this “well, of course it doesn’t, life doesn’t come with a receipt,” kind of way. I mean it in a gut-wrenching, black hole, you-will-occasionally-feel-so-worthless-that-you-will-want-to-hide-under-something-in-the-closet-for-the-next-year way.”
How, exactly, do you develop thicker skin? This article doesn’t have the answer, but it shows that no matter where you are in your writing career, rejection can knock you down. Maybe it’s just part of the process for some sensitive people (see: me)
Our plan is dreaming big, but it’s also possible
At this point in my life, I am thinking a lot about long-term plans – 5 years-ish. I liked reading about how this mom was able to propose a plan to get her where she wants to go, even with a family to worry about. It’s a balancing act, making plans with other people’s goals and opinions in the mix, but it doesn’t mean you have to be conservative. I’ll be keeping this post in mind as we continue to dream and plan over the next few months.
How I Decide Where to Focus My Energy
You don’t need a huge grand startup to make your life fun and interesting. You just need to have a challenging goal that you are trying to reach, each day. You need to be able to make money doing it: that is what a good job is.
Caveat: I think Penelope is 50% insightful 50% completely nuts. The trouble is, she alternates within a single post. Insightful, crazy, insightful, crazy. So I keep reading…
Anway, this post is about what to do when you look at your life and realize your personal career trajectory and then decide to either “stay the course” or develop something else.
15 Things You Should Give Up In Order to Be Happy
I clicked on this link, expecting to see practical, tangible things. The kind of things I imagine will make me feel better if I give them up – caffeine, sugar, stressful relationships, sleeping in…
but this list is like 100% zen. “Give up labels, your need to impress others, self-defeating talk…”
Sometimes, I like to read articles that remind me happiness and minimalism is not all about denying yourself, but giving up emotional garbage, too.
During times of change, the only organizations that thrive are those that are eager to interact and change as well. And that only happens when individuals take brave steps forward.
A little Seth Godin piece that rang true for me, especially my thoughts about the future of libraries. Let’s be brave and take risks, people!
Iike your assessment of my blog posts. And thank you for linking to my blog.
I loved Fever 1793. I love all of Laurie Halse Anderson’s books!
Penelope