"Roundheads and Ramblings"
Inspiration
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Posted on Tuesday, February 14, 2012 10:27 AM
One of my former students posted a request on Facebook this morning: "Please post a picture of an act of love." Of course he's taking a bit of harassment from people who find the suggestion, uh, suggestive. But I know what he meant, I think, because he's a very nice man, a teacher, a husband, a father. So his request set me thinking, which is a lovely reversal from the times I stood before him in a classroom and tried to challenge him to think.
I thought about a service club meeting I attended last night, and how many acts of love I witnessed in less than two hours. Here are a few of them:
1. A man in his thirties -- a medical doctor, from a country half way around the world, new to Memphis, new to his job as a professor, speaking his second language. He came to the meeting not knowing a soul there because he wanted to do something useful with his free time. "I want to help," he said as he applied for membership. "You people do good work."
2. A widow whose husband died only six weeks ago, who is refusing to believe that her own life is over. She also came to the meeting to consider membership in the group. Her husband used to be a member, and she is ready to continue his efforts in service to those in need.
3. Another young man -- a member this time -- pushing the club to donate to a fundraiser that will benefit sick children. His own two beautiful and healthy children sat there with him. He showed them the teddy bears he wanted us to purchase, bu made it clear to them that the bears would go to someone less fortunate than they. And they understood -- no crying or demands of "I want one!" We witnessed two acts of love here, I think -- children being taught well as well as an act of generosity.
4. A gay couple, open about their relationship and confident enough in it to live their separate lives -- not sitting together, following different interests, but still working as a team.
5. A married couple, old enough to have grandchildren but young enough to still be developing new careers. The wife presented her new business, confidently and well, while her husband sat in the back of the room, rooting for her and worrying for her.
6. A woman in her mid-eighties, independent, still working, reaching out to the neediest of our members with kindness and understanding.
7. And several members who were nominating others to be considered for awards. Not a one suggested himself.
Yes, Sean, you've made an important point. Acts of love are all around us. And you don't have to for Valentine's Day to see them.
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Velika Kapitanof: Posted on Wednesday, May 25, 2011 8:58 AM
Please welcome my guest blogger for today, Velika Kapitanof of SuSu Publishing
What does a writer need to do in order to write? Talk about
a loaded question and the answer is as unique as each writer. Looking back at
my development as a writer, I notice that my strategy depends on either my
surroundings or the topic, sometimes both. What I call strategy is how I tackle
the project at hand, i.e., do I create an outline, write bios for each of the
characters, or do I just start writing and let the content flow naturally? I’d
like to briefly expand on each – surroundings, strategy and topic.
Surroundings
I’m sitting in my living room, with the large bay window
overlooking the park, and I notice that the sun has now been replaced by dark,
grey clouds. I automatically become more pensive as dark clouds naturally make
me blue. My natural instinct at this point is to grab a pen and paper and start
writing. What am I going to write about? I don’t really know as I usually let
my thoughts guide me.
On this particularly gloomy day I realize that I usually do
the most writing during this kind of weather. When it’s bright and sunny,
I’m usually not moved to write. Sunny days usually inspire other things like
long walks along the beach, cleaning the house or creating a new recipe. In
other words, sunny days give me energy while cloudy days or, as my friend
Isabel calls them “fuzzy” days, inspire the writer in me.
My observation has made me wonder what other writers are like.
What inspires other writers? Does their inspiration come from nature? Do they
do their best work while sitting at the computer or in front of a fire? We’ve
heard of great authors who seclude themselves in a cottage for months on end
because they want to write uninterrupted. Could it be that the scenes of nature
which usually surround the secluded location serve as their inspiration?
Strategy
A friend recently asked me what she should do to get back
into writing. I gave her what seems to be a very practical response. I told her
to pick a topic, commit to a deadline and that the rest will follow. I realize
now that this was a very left-brain response. The advice I should have given
her, which I guess I’m giving now, is to listen to your thoughts and let them
guide you. Always keep pen and paper handy (you never know when genius will
strike), jot down your thoughts or questions and then when you are sitting in
your favorite chair, read them! You’ll be amazed at what you’ll see.
I have to admit that there are times when you just have to
write and can’t afford to wait for inspiration to strike. If you have a book
deal and the publisher is waiting, you may not have the luxury of putting off
your writing for a long time. Times like that, writers just start writing. No
matter how many times they erase, throw out and edit, they start writing and
keep on writing. Ironically, writing is the best antidote for writer’s block.
It may feel awkward but after awhile, creative juices start flowing.
Topic
Finally, I want to look at the question of whether the topic
affects the quality of a writer’s work. For instance, can a writer who has no
interest in science fiction write a great sci-fi novel? If they familiarize
themselves with the topic and write a compelling novel, would it be as
successful as a novel written by a sci-fi enthusiast? In order to answer this
fairly, we have to realize that there are many factors to consider. For
instance, is the storyline believable, have the characters been developed well,
does the story flow, and lastly, does the reader get a sense of the author’s
feeling, or bias, about the topic? We might be tempted to say that we do our
best work on topics we are passionate about; however, it might be that the
experience of writing on a favorite topic just feels more enjoyable, and we
pass that joy along to our readers.
The next time you sit down to write, take a look around you
and make a mental note of your surroundings. Is this a familiar scenario - do you always write in the
same place, time of day, in your favorite
comfy clothes, or is this setting out of the ordinary for you. Are you writing
out of necessity to meet a deadline or did you just get a flash of brilliance? What
is it about the topic that makes you want to write? Being aware of what brings out
your creative side is the best gift you can give yourself as a writer. Knowing
what works for you will be different than what works for anyone else, and if
you are able to tap into it for yourself there will be no stopping your
creative process.
As for the question I pose in the title, What does weather have to do with writing?, the answer for me is
that cloudy weather makes me pensive which makes me write. The answer could be
completely different for you. Regardless of the answer, I invite you to create
whenever you feel inspired.
Susu Publishing is a new blog geared towards writers who
want to showcase their work as well as those who need a gentle nudge to get
started.
Susu Publishing invites you to follow them:
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Posted on Tuesday, May 17, 2011 8:29 AM
 Yesterday, my hopes for the future were given new life as I watched the
graduates of Booker T. Washington High School welcome the President of
the United States as their speaker. And this has nothing to do with
politics. I don't want to hear any snide remarks about the man or his
policies. No matter what you may think of him, he stood on that platform in the
same position as a parent or a teacher of those young people. He had asked floundering schools to join in a Race for the Top, and these were the winners. You
could feel the pride he took in them. They are truly an amazing group.
They've raised their graduation rate from 30% to 80%. They have some
of the highest math scored in the country. Some 70% of them are entering
college. All good -- all to their credit, no matter who they are. But
these are children of single parents, children who have lived their
lives in Memphis's worst slums, children of families with an average
ANNUAL income of less than $10,000.
Graduations usually make me teary-eyed. There's just something about watching all those fresh young faces as they walk up to claim the diploma that comes at the end of a successful course of study. They are proud and scared at the same moment--proud of finishing and scared of what lies ahead. As a teacher it is always hard to let go -- to send one's students out into the world, knowing that you have had your last chance to influence them.
But while I can remember the details of almost every graduation I attended as a faculty member at Rhodes College, I have to admit that I have little recollection of my own graduations. Oh, I remember that I didn't even show up to claim my master's degree. It wasn't a time of closure for me; I was just moving on to the next level. But high school? Nothing! College? I remember it was outside and infernally hot in August, which was my due punishment for finishing the four years in three and a half. But when the question arises, as it has repeatedly over the past weekend, I have no idea who the speakers were, let alone what they said. And what about that hooding ceremony at the end of the PhD? I remember my adviser didn't show up, which was normal for him, so some stranger took pity on me and draped that awkward bit of regalia over my head.
When you are the student rather than the proud teacher or parent, the graduation ceremony itself is just one more formality. For some reason I was unusually aware of how casually some students take the whole affair. I watched a film clip of this year's graduates at the college where I taught as they came filing out of the building where they had attended so many classes. They ran a gauntlet of faculty members, all in full academic regalia. The tower bell tolled, and as usual, the garden setting for the ceremony was awash with flowers. And all too many of the students were bored. My attention fell particularly on footwear. Below those new gowns, the young men sported grubby athletic shoes, and the young women slopped along in flip-flops. My overactive imagination immediately wondered how many pairs of pajamas lay beneath the academic get-up.
 But not everywhere! The new graduates of Booker T. Washington High School came to their ceremony in their "Sunday best" as their principal had instructed them. They all wore dress shoes. They boys sported long-sleeved shirts and ties, with not a pair of jeans in sight. The girls wore dresses and heels. They stood tall and somber. This was no frivolous ceremony for them. More than one young lady cried when the President shook her hand and called her by name. On this day, they knew they had risen above any level they could have aspired to. They had accomplished the impossible to become the most improved high school in the United States. They were a credit to themselves and to their families.
They will remember today. And we will remember it too, remember it for the courage and hard work it took for these young people to say, "I accomplished the impossible."
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Posted on Monday, May 16, 2011 9:41 AM
 Memphis has the reputation of being a basketball town. The catch is that Memphians have always expected their teams to win. The University of Memphis Tigers have spoiled them into thinking that winning is everything -- that is, until this week. Something miraculous happened here this weekend, and it had nothing to do with the score of yesterday's Grizzlies/Thunder Game #7.
A bit of background: the NBA's Grizzlies franchise has never been a real contender in the record books. After the initial euphoria over having a professional team playing here in a brand new arena, attendance was spotty for years. It's never been a problem to get Grizzlies tickets. The more important question was how cheaply they could be had.
But something happened this year. A group of players who were not overly enthusiastic about being here decided to become a team -- a real team who played hard and enjoyed doing so. And slowly, the rankings started to improve. There was no chance, of course, of making the playoffs -- until at the last moment, the playoff berth was within reach. An overflow crowd watched in amazement as the Grizzlies won the game that catapulted them into the playoffs as the number 8 seed in the western division.
Being number 8 had its drawbacks. It meant that they had to play the first seed, San Antonio, in the first round. They didn't have a chance of winning that series. Fans said that just making the playoffs was enough. The more optimistic ones thought it would be nice of the Grizzlies could win one of those playoff games. Just one win would be enough. And win they did, over and over -- eliminating the top seed and moving on to the semi-finals. Then came the seesaw of emotions as two teams traded victories. Game 5 went through three overtimes before the Grizzlies tired and faltered. They were through. Except they weren't. Exhausted though they were, they came home to play the sixth game in front of their hometown crowd. Fans who gave up early (and I was one of them!) missed the stunning come-back victory that re-tied the series.
 Fan support was incredible. Growl towels and headbands sprouted everywhere, along with signs reading "Believe" all over town. They opened the FedEx Forum yesterday so that fans who could not travel to Oklahoma City could watch the final game together. Fans filled sports bars and emptied grocery store shelves to throw watch parties that rivaled those of Superbowl Sunday. Everything stopped in Memphis in honor of that game.
And the Grizzlies won! No, not the game itself. They won the admiration and gratitude of a city -- a city in the middle of a hundred-year flood -- a racially and politically divided city -- that desperately needed a reason to come together as a single entity. The Grizzlies did that, and everyone knew it. Fans cheered the team even as they went down in defeat. Over 1000 people met them at the airport last night to say "Thank You" one more time. We are all better this morning because the Grizzlies taught us a lesson about believing in the impossible.
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