Just read it. :)

Working on the Odyssey and really enjoying it. Finding myself drawn to focus on the stories of the female characters: Penelope (why doesn't she send the suitors away?) Helen (did she want to stay in Troy or not? Here we see her after her return home with Menelaus) Calypso (why does she want to keep Odysseus with her, when it's clear he wants to go home and has been wanting to go home for years?) Some interesting and complicated ladies! Reading Chesterton's Club of Queer Trades with the kids- we were reading Father Brown, but after we got through the tamer ones, DC expressed that they did not want to hear any stories with murders in them, so we moved to another book. :)

1. set aside time to sit down and write. 2. get The Writer's Guide. Find publishers who publish the kind of book you are interested in writing. Look at Christian publishers especially. Look at their guidelines and what they want to see when you submit a manuscript or query. 3. Write a first chapter and table of contents and a catchy, pithy cover letter introducing yourself and your idea. 4. Start sending it out! Expect to be rejected a few times. While you are sending it out, keep writing the other chapters. 5. Good luck!

Reading these lately: Lavinia by UK Le Guin The Art of Comforting Prose on Poetry by Hass (this is hard going but it was highly recommended so I'll keep trying) Still working on Shakespeare's Sonnets..,

I have put The Art of Comfort on reserve at the library. ((Hugs))

And here is a review from the New Yorker, with the hypothesis that GSAW was not a first draft, but a very faulty attempt at a sequel: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/27/sweet-home-alabama I read GSAW and I was very surprised at the difference in the author- whether because of age, experience, or an editor, I don't know.

5

A very good point. We (EO) often talk about the Xn life being a continual repentance, a gradual growing to be like Christ. It is s process, but there should transformation of the person, even though it might happen at a different pace or look different for everyone.

And here is a companion article to the abovementioned review of Watchman by Ursula Le Guin: an interview in which she practically refuses to answer any questions! It's just right. http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/09/books/review/ursula-k-le-guin-by-the-book.html

Also, I found this review interesting: the New Yorker review of Go Set a Watchman. Adam Gopnik points out that the characters are not introduced: you are expected to know already who Atticus is --> it seems like it may have been an attempt at a sequel to Mockingbird, not a first draft. This is an interesting idea. (I'm sorry, it's not posting as a link, not sure why?) http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/27/sweet-home-alabama

1. I've been reading Stephen King's On Writing. It's excellent. Now, I have always shied away from his fiction, because I am not interested in the scary/horror genre... I am a very gullible/trusting reader and I don't like to be led somewhere that will be disturbing and stay with me longer than I want. I started reading this book because I am a writer and I want to learn more about how writers write, and I have liked the non-fiction pieces I've seen of his here and there, and I had a recommendation so I thought I'd try it. Whoa, he is a phenomenal writer. He is the cat's meow! In short, he's great. I would like to read more of his writing... so, can any of you ladies recommend any of his books books which are NOT extremely scary or disturbing? Thanks! 2. I finished Angels in Revolt by Anatole France. It is the favorite book of my best friend, a professor of literature, so I got ahold of it. Very, very strange and interesting book. It was written about 1900, in French. A man's guardian angel starts reading books in a huge library: theology, history and philosophy --and becomes convinced that God is evil. A lot of angels agree to join his revolt, and they come down to live in France and start living as starving artists/musicians in garrets, and adopt political views like anarchism, communism, etc. They take mistresses and start raising money to finance their revolt. Their existence is also wound up with the story of the members of a French family of several generations, some of whom are sincerely religious and some are not. There are many scenes which are very funny, but I think the translator did not make as much of the humorous aspect as she could have (I can't read French). In the end the devil/angels are ready to attack Heaven, and they meet with the devil himself, who considers their plan and finally decides that there is no need to attack Heaven to overthrow God, since the devil/angels have already pretty much taken over Earth by means of anti-God politics and philosophy. The author has a very clear understanding of both atheism and religious faith, as if from personal experience, so I am curious to know him better. I have purposely not read any reviews of this book, or the author's bio, so I can encounter the book on its own terms. Later I will do these things. An interesting conversation, also, will be had with my friend, who loves this book so-- she is an archconservative Orthodox Christian (who lives in a primarily Orthodox country)-- and we will have a lot to talk about here! She felt probably the same on finding out that my favorite book is The Man Who Was Thursday-- another book which also has some aspects of rebellion against God, and in the universe of both books, God is not unequivocally good. Thanks for reading this long post!!

Re: do unto others: yes, but if your DH was a person who was not safe to be around a child and could potentially harm said child, the kindest thing he would want done to him would be not to be put in that situation where he was to care for said child for 7 days alone. Btw I wouldn't let him go in that situation even if he were 12 or 15.

Some amazing posts here. :)

I'm reading the Navigatio of St Brendan. It's very nice and interesting, especially after reading Tim Severin's The Brendan Voyage where he replicates the journey trying to use an authentic medieval boat & supplies. Just finished Go Set a Watchman. I will probably share my thoughts on the thread dedicated to it, (not to have spoilers here) but what I thought most interesting was the evolution of the writer. After that I have Shakespeare's Sonnets and Stephen King's memoir about writing. I don't care for King's fiction, but I have seen a few nonfiction articles by him which I thought were very well written, so I am interested in what he has to say. I really enjoyed PD James' book On Detective Fiction.

I've only read Bossypants! I quite enjoyed it. :)

I would address this comment by letter, because I'm sure I would not be able to keep it together in person. :(

((Hugs))

Let me get this straight. You need to hire actors and make a video advertising a book? :)

Oh my goodness. ((Hugs))

I think Totoro is the best, but we really liked Ponyo too. Also I think there is a short movie about the Catbus that you can find online. :)

Oh and just to rest my poor brain I'm also reading the Idiots Guide to Landscape Gardening. :)

I read BNW when I was a young teen, since my parents had it on the shelf. I found it frightening, and it has really stayed with me. Of course, I never noticed the Tempest allusions- maybe someday... I am still working away at Anatole France's Revolt of the Angels. I'll write you all a review once I am done- strangely, it reminds me a bit of The Man Who Was Thursday. I am starting to get an idea of what the author is up to, but I can't really see where he's going with this, or what side he's on.

It's OK to say no. :)

I joined about 18 months ago and I'm enjoying it very much! Also, now I'm able to help my parents and MIL when they get confused by it!