Writing from the Soul

Writers do more than pen entertaining stories and pretty poems. Our work is a profound sharing of who we are as human beings. In today’s post, I discuss the work of four writers whose love of family, community, and the Earth give their work special depth and beauty.

Dave and Lillian Brummet

The Brummets are not only writers. They are gardeners who have dedicated themselves to saving seeds and donating produce to food banks. They are environmentalists who donate 10% of the royalties from their book sales to the SPCA, the Canadian Wildlife Association, and Seeds of Diversity, an organization dedicated to preserving biodiversity and traditional botanical knowledge. They are radio talk-show hosts, backpackers, artists, and teachers.

What all of these things have in common is an abiding commitment to art, nature, and community—a commitment that shines most brightly in their writing. The Brummets’ first book, Trash Talk began as a biweekly column focusing on small ways we can all help the Earth. It offers no-nonsense advice on how to reuse, recycle, and reduce waste—and save money while doing it. Towards Understanding, a collection of poetry by Lillian, focuses on showing victims of abuse ways to heal and move on. Purple Snowflake Marketing: How to Make Your Book Stand Out in the Crowd is a guide for authors lost in the complicated world of self-promotion (for a review of Purple Snowflake Marketing, sign up for my free newsletter at www.writingthewhirlwind.net/join). All three of the Brummets’ books are shaped by their values. The goal of their work is clear: “to inspire hope in individuals, helping them realize the value of their efforts and encouraging them to become more positive, proactive in life.”

To learn more about the work of Dave and Lillian Brummet, go to www.brummet.ca.

Anjuelle Floyd

“I write about love, committed and constant, persevering and sustaining,” writes novelist Anjuelle Floyd. “My stories and novels express what I know and have learned in relationship with my husband.”

Married for 28 years, and the mother of three children, Floyd is also a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. This focus on family, and her abiding belief in marriage, makes Floyd what she calls “a minority” in a culture where enduring love and commitment has become the exception, rather than the rule.

Floyd’s insistence that loving and committed relationships can and do exist shapes her writing. Her first book, Keeper of Secrets: Translations of an Incident, was a collection of interconnected stories all focusing on a single event—an incident of violence in a restaurant—and its effects on those who witness or learn of it. One finds herself lost in childhood memories of violence. Another—a widower on his first date since the death of his wife—is filled with regret. Others confront fears and failing marriages. Hailed as “skillful, imaginative writing,” Keeper of Secrets is a book that, according to one reviewer, “invites a wide range of readers to imbibe words that stimulate, educate, and entertain.”

Floyd’s most recent work is even more clearly tied to her belief in the institution of marriage. The House explores love, marriage, divorce, and death through the story of a long-married couple who are in the midst of a divorce when they discover that one of them is dying. The basis of The House reflects one of Floyd’s most cherished beliefs: That it is through our relationships that we find ourselves. “Our salvation rests in the hands of others,” she writes. “Most particularly the ones we love, and who have treated us wrongly.”

You can find Anjuelle Floyd’s work, including links to her blogs and radio show at www.anjuellefloyd.com

Dallas Woodburn

Dallas Woodburn isn’t the only person who self-published while still in grade school. But she’s possibly the only one whose book, I Have a Huge Pimple on My Nose, received a rave review in the Los Angeles Times.

Now 23, Woodburn has a writing track record many more seasoned writers would kill for, including articles published in Family Circle, Writer’s Digest, and eight Chicken Soup for the Soul books. She is also a firm believer in gratitude and giving back.

Dallas’s philosophy was molded by her difficult first few months of life. Born prematurely, she spent several months being kept alive by feeding tubes and a respirator. “I feel so incredibly blessed to be alive and healthy,” she says. “My harrowing entrance into the world is a daily reminder for me of the fragility of life, and to pursue my dreams with both joy and urgency.”

Woodburn also believes in helping others achieve their dreams. In 2001, she created Write On! For Literacy, a nonprofit dedicated to helping teens and younger children develop confidence and connection through reading and writing. For the past eight years, her Holiday Book Drive has distributed more than 11,000 books to underprivileged children. Her most recent project is Write On! Books, a publisher of writing by middle-school and high-school students. Its first publication, an anthology titled Dancing with the Pen, is scheduled for release this fall.

Find Dallas Woodburn’s blog at http://dallaswoodburn.blogspot.com.