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You Inspire Me: To Writing Groups Who Become True Friends

Writing isn’t as solitary a pursuit as many think. Inspiration comes in many forms, but most often, it comes in the shape of people. All month long, we’re asking writers to write a Not-So-Secret-Admirer’s Note to the people who’ve inspired them to take up the pen. Today, participant Suzanne Shaw celebrates her writing group:

Dear Colleen, Kay, Niki, Teresa, and Traci,

Yes, my wild, inspired sisters—you are the reason I am able to write, not just reclusively as writers must, but also as part of a small but vibrant writing community. Aren’t I lucky to have this opportunity to write out loud about what a difference you have made in my life! 

How could we have imagined when we first met at Hedgebrook, a retreat for women writers in Washington state, that we would still be in almost daily contact over a year later? We were together in a historical fiction master class for only a week, learning from the phenomenal Deborah Harkness and reveling in Whidbey Island’s magic. Although Hedgebrook and its dedicated staff remain close to my heart, you are the gift that keeps on giving. Even now that we are scattered from the West Coast of the US to Germany, thanks to technology we are there for each other almost every day, and sometimes even in the middle of the night.

What we have in common connects us — our obsession with historical fiction, alternating fascination and frustration with the writing process, and a passion for red wine with salt and pepper potato chips. I have seen most of you at least once in the intervening year and I cherish those times, too. Only with true friends can you meet and take up the conversation again without missing a beat. And what conversations! Encouragement, sympathy, understanding, humor — each of you has these things in abundance and shares them unquestioningly.

Thanks for always being there, convincing me I can succeed, and cheering me over all the hurdles. Maybe I could do it alone, but I’m glad I don’t have to try.

Love,

Suzanne

Keep reading

Millennial girls and women have grown up with the sentiment that independence is one of the most important qualities for a modern woman to possess and that we should never, ever let our happiness depend on a boy. While those are certainly important tenets to try to live in accordance to, it can be hard to reconcile that with our needs as humans who have the basic desire to be liked and cared for. What results is the tug-of-war between finding healthy companionship and maintaining your own self-sufficiency that comes to define late-youth. Katie Crutchfield, the woman behind Waxahatchee, is now 26 years old—a good age to begin the inevitable power cleanse of the toxic relationships in your life. Her third album Ivy Tripp documents this transitional period with even more of the self-awareness and wisdom that characterised her previous work.

There is subtle sunniness to the album suggesting that whatever was burdening Crutchfield during the making of her last two albums has dissipated, most likely through her own will. While, as a whole, Ivy Tripp stays on brand for Waxahatchee, there are a few pop tracks sprinkled throughout that prove Crutchfield is growing sonically as well. Crutchfield’s fingerprints are all over the album and the delicate lo-fi quality harkens back to her debut album of bedroom recordings, 2012′s American Weekend, making the maturation of her lyrics even more apparent.

Even with some of the quieter songs, Ivy Tripp is never boring. However, the standout is, without a doubt, its first single “Under A Rock”. The pop-rock track is Crutchfield’s rallying cry against dudes in whom she’s become maybe too emotionally invested, flippantly singing “Now you’re someone else’s mess tonight”. Later on in the album, in the hazy “<”, she croons “You’re less than me; I am nothing”, articulating the simultaneous self-deprecation and self-assuredness of a 20-something fumbling around with their newfound adulthood.

Ivy Tripp is the light at the end of early adulthood. While it is melancholic, there is a sense of contentment overshadowing that, or at least making it a little more palatable. Listening to it in one sitting feels like going to the beach on a rainy day at the beginning of spring; everything is damp and the air still feels vaguely bitter, but at least you’re finally outside.

ReThink Review: Fresh Off the Boat (eps. 1-4) - Thanks, Asian America Needed That

Fairy tales are contested terrain — places where we battle out truth and power.

Book review: ‘Once Upon a Time: A Short History of Fairy Tale’ by Marina Warner - Books - The Boston Globe (via oupacademic)

| 5am | nick |

2012. self. 

2011. 

The director’s task is to recreate life, its movement, its contradictions, its dynamic and conflicts. It is his duty to reveal every iota of the truth he has seen, even if not everyone finds that truth acceptable. Of course an artist can lose his way, but even his mistakes are interesting provided they are sincere. For they represent the reality of his inner life, of the peregrinations and struggle into which the external world has thrown him.

Andrei Tarkovsky

Absolutely fascinating read on why “psychological androgyny” is key to creativity 

:)

Even though, Sam Smith reached almost 63 millions views with this song "Stay With Me", hitting the fourth place in the USA Chart according to Nielsen, it is notorious that little tone we heard in "All of Me". In this particular case, this song "Stay With Me", might sound like a replica of   John Legend greatest song "All of Me". Those words in this song ..."stay with me cause you are all of me" are not quiete different from "cause all of me, loves all of you" from John Legend. Another similarity might be the piano, playing in the background, that gives that little feeling of touching people's heart. In addition, the sound coming out of the Sam Smith might evoke, in some parts, John Legend's tones... with a different voice, though.

Originality and creativity combined with a great set of colors, in addition to a wonderful team of dancers, make this video the one hitting the top in the first place in the USA.

What can we say about the song? Original! and even Meghan Trainor recognize that point by saying to DirectLyrics "I wrote the song for myself and my insecurities and it seems to have helped many other people in world too. I'm so happy others can relate to it and understand what I'm singing about." .

Obviously that was one parte of the whole enchilada. A song without an artistic idea is flawless, and as you watch the video, we enjoy every second not only for the dancers and their funny way of expressing themselves, but also for the point that the singer is trying to convey."Every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top".

Here is the song for those who want the lyrics:

                                  "All About That Bass"

Because you know I'm all about that bass 'Bout that bass, no treble I'm all about that bass 'Bout that bass, no treble I'm all about that bass 'Bout that bass, no treble I'm all about that bass 'Bout that bass Yeah, it's pretty clear, I ain't no size two But I can shake it, shake it Like I'm supposed to do Cause I got that boom boom that all the boys chase And all the right junk in all the right places I see the magazine, workin' that Photoshop We know that shit ain't real C'mon now, make it stop If you got beauty beauty, just raise 'em up Cause every inch of you is perfect From the bottom to the top Yeah, my mama she told me don't worry about your size She says boys like a little more booty to hold at night You know I won't be no stick figure silicone Barbie doll So if that's what you're into then go ahead and move along Because you know I'm All about that bass 'Bout that bass, no treble I'm all about that bass 'Bout that bass, no treble I'm all about that bass 'Bout that bass, no treble I'm all about that bass 'Bout that bass Hey!

I'm bringing booty back Go ahead and tell them skinny bitches that No I'm just playing I know you think you're fat But I'm here to tell ya Every inch of you is perfect from the bottom to the top Yeah my mama she told me don't worry about your size She says boys like a little more booty to hold at night You know I won't be no stick figure silicone Barbie doll So if that's what you're into then go ahead and move along Because you know I'm All about that bass 'Bout that bass, no treble I'm all about that bass 'Bout that bass, no treble I'm all about that bass 'Bout that bass, no treble I'm all about that bass 'Bout that bass Because you know I'm All about that bass 'Bout that bass, no treble I'm all about that bass 'Bout that bass, no treble I'm all about that bass 'Bout that bass, no treble I'm all about that bass 'Bout that bass Because you know I'm All about that bass 'Bout that bass, no treble I'm all about that bass 'Bout that bass, no treble I'm all about that bass 'Bout that bass, no treble I'm all about that bass 'Bout that bass 'Bout that bass, 'bout that bass Hey, hey, ooh You know you like this bass

“Cualquier intento de establecer la fortaleza interna del recluso bajo las condiciones de un campo de concentración pasa antes que nada por el acierto de mostrarle una meta futura. Las palabras de Nietzsche: “Quien tiene algo por qué vivir es capaz de soportar cualquier cómo” pudieran ser la motivación que guía todas las acciones con respecto a los prisioneros. Siempre que se presentaba la oportunidad, era preciso inculcarles un porqué de su vivir, a fin de endurecerles para soportar el terrible cómo de su existencia. Desgraciado de aquel que no viera ningún sentido en su vida, ninguna meta, ninguna intencionalidad y, por tanto, ninguna finalidad en vivirla, ése estaba perdido. En realidad no importa que no esperemos nada de la vida, sino si la vida espera algo de nosotros. Tenemos que dejar de hacernos preguntas sobre el significado de la vida y, en vez de ello, pensar en nosotros como seres a quienes la vida les inquiera continua e incesantemente. Vivir significa asumir la responsabilidad de encontrar la respuesta correcta a los problemas que ello plantea.”

— V. E. Frankl, El hombre en busca del sentido. Herder, 1993.