The Guatemalan morral
I fell in love with the traditional woven satchel or tote bag known as a “morral” the first time I spotted one in Guatemala when Olivia was a baby. Designs vary according to theme, town, and weaver. Each is striking and beautiful in its own way. But my favorite morral is the one carried by men in Sololá—complex, bold, and colorful—and this year, at the municipal market, I finally bought myself one. I don’t plan to carry it, though. This work of art will hang on my wall.
Wisdom of Garth Greenwell
I subscribe to emails from LitHub and every day receive wisdom about writing in my inbox. (LitHub collects great essays, interviews, podcasts and book reviews and provides links to them.) Today’s wisdom was culled from an interview with American novelist, poet, literary critic, and educator Garth Greenwell. Here are sentences that resonated with me: “The structure of workshop can suggest that success as a writer means appealing to the largest number of readers. I just don’t think that’s true. I don’t think there’s any strong book that is pleasing to everyone. Many of the books that I love best are books that seem to be pleasing to quite few people…. [M]ore emphasis should be put on the idea that your peculiarities and your eccentricities are the things you write into.” Amen. Subscribing to LitHub is free. Check it out for your own daily wisdom. photo credit: Garth Greenwell on LitHub
Joy
I came across this picture of Tim and Olivia from almost ten years ago and it made me smile. Sharing it with you.
Alice Neel at SF’s de Young Museum
A bright spot last night, when I attended the preview of the Alice Neel exhibition at SF’s de Young Museum. Alice Neel: People Come First has garnered rave reviews from the New York Times and Washington Post and is the first retrospective of the artist’s work on the west coast. The show is dazzling, with paintings, drawings, watercolors, and media exclusive to the San Francisco presentation. How life-affirming it felt to be immersed in Neel’s bold, vibrant vision of humanity. Admission is free on opening day, Saturday, March 12. A lecture by the curator at 2 pm is not to be missed. (Go early to get a seat!) Alice Neel: People Come First was organized by the Metropolitan Museum of Art and remains on view through July 10, 2022. San Francisco is the last venue.
Two interviews, one fun and one serious
My book has been out in the world for more than a week and I’m sleeping better than I have for the past 7 years. Someday I’ll sit down and write about how it feels to be seized by a subject for so long. “Obsessed” can only begin to describe it. As I said earlier–here or somewhere else, I’ve lost track–I needed to tell this story and I told it. And that, my friend, is a great feeling. Here are two interviews! The first is a fun, short read on Hasty Book List. Thank you to Emily at Mindbuck Media for setting up this and so many opportunities for my book! My favorite quote from this interview: “If I weren’t an author, I’d be…. a Broadway dancer.” Which everyone who grew up with me knows to be true. @MindbuckMedia The second is an in-depth back-and-forth with Courtney Harler in The Masters Review. Courtney is a writer and editor I met at Bread Loaf in a workshop led by Luis Alberto Urrea and Naomi Jackson. Here’s an excerpt from the response to Courtney’s question about finding a home for Mother Mother at Loyola University’s Apprentice House Press. @apprenticehousepress The call came on a Friday night. My kids and I were roaming the aisles of Target when an unfamiliar number flashed on my phone. I started jumping up and down, screaming. My son rushed over and grabbed me. “Mom, stop,” he said. “You’re on the security camera.” The three of us fell into a group hug. I was literally sobbing. I love that my kids witnessed my moment of victory because they’d seen me endure so much failure. Thanks for reading! PS: If you’ve read my book and like it, please consider leaving a review on Goodreads or Amazon. A million thanks.