Just before New Year, hundreds of people showed up at Times Square for Good Riddance Day—a chance to “shed and shred” their bad memories of 2011. There was much to bid good riddance to, from a hideous economy to never-ceasing war to a series of natural disasters.
But there are always delights hidden among the setbacks and disappointments of difficult times, and we writers have much to be thankful for. Here are a few things that made the writing life a little lighter and brighter in 2011.
The Little Free Library
It was on a neighborhood walk that I first discovered a library no bigger than a suitcase. On a wooden post in front of a small house, I found a cabinet containing books—20 or so—and a sign reading, “Little Free Library. Take a Book—Return a Book.” I later discovered that it was one of around 350 similar structures scattered across the country.
The Little Free Library movement didn’t actually begin last year. Wisconsinites Tod Bole and Rick Brooks started it in 2009. But 2011 was the year it took off, with feature articles in a number of newspapers and a generous donation of books from some respected presses.
I’m in love. The simplicity of the idea, the neighborliness of it, the respect for reading. Each Little Free Library is a gift to the community, and to any passerby lucky enough to stumble across it. To learn more about Little Free Libraries—or to set up your own—go to the Little Free Library Website.
The Return of Roger Ebert
Reviews are a unique writing genre blending persuasion, analysis, history, and humor. Few have written them with as much eloquence and insight as Roger Ebert.
Despite a facial deformity and the loss of his voice due to thyroid cancer, Ebert returned to PBS this year with a new program of movie reviews, Ebert Presents at the Movies. Most of the reviews are done by Christy Lemire and Ignatiy Vishnevetsky, who are a little rough around the edges, but getting better. But Ebert makes a contribution to each episode, with the help of narrators and a voice synthesizer. Even if we can’t hear his voice, we can hear his words, and they are just as articulate as ever.
Midnight in Paris
Say what you will about Woody Allen, I love movies about writers and this one was a charm. What writer wouldn’t fall for a movie with F. Scott Fitzgerald in it?
“Why Creative Writing is Better with a Pen”
Lee Rourke’s essay in the November 3 Guardian presents a fresh take on how the tools we use affect our writing.
“. .. writing longhand is an utterly personal task where the outer world is closed off, just my thoughts and the movement of my hand across the page to keep me company,” writes Rourke in this thoughtful, engaging essay. “It’s a deep-felt, uninterrupted connection between thought and language . . .”
Rourke reminds us that writing is a physical process. That the mind is connected to the hand. And that a good old-fashioned ball-point can help us slow down and work thoughtfully.
And, in the interests of honesty, this is coming from someone who always writes on a keyboard.
Everyone who submitted work to The Whirlwind Review
I’m ending on a personal note.
This year saw the launch of a project I’ve been working on for years—The Whirlwind Review, a journal dedicated to the connections between writing and spirituality. I was stunned and thrilled at the response I received, and at the hundreds of deeply felt, often beautifully crafted submissions that poured into my inbox. Having to judge these works was humbling (not to mention stressful). But being able to read them was a blessing—and one of the highlights of my year.
My gratitude to everyone who take the time to read my work. Blessings for the New Year to you all.
Lovely post. Thank you.