Sarah E. Morin's Blog

Welcome to WordPress. This is your first post. Edit or delete it, then start writing!

The post Hello world! appeared first on My Blog.

Our local park is always teeming with people walking their dogs, biking, playing sports, swinging. This is the only time we’ve EVER had it to ourselves. It felt very peaceful and sleepy.

Courting Mr. Emerson is the second Christian romance I’ve read by Melody Carlson. Even when something in her books isn’t to my taste, I still can’t stop reading. Courting Mr. Emerson was just such a book – entertaining even when I had concerns or pet peeves. And as its merits outweighed any of my pet peeves, I’ll probably seek Carlson out again.

The plot (SPOILERS): George Emersen is a young retiree. He leaves teaching not because he has reached the normal age to retire, but because he can afford to and teaching is just something he does out of habit. Turns out George does a lot of things out of habit: maintaining his grandparents’ lavish house years after they’ve passed, eating peanut butter and honey sandwiches every day for lunch, and ducking social invitations like Neo from The Matrix dodges bullets. Yet for all his set-in ways, I found him endearing. He reveals himself to be, if unadventurous, steady and truly decent.

He’s a guy who seems content to just be left alone, and I want to take a moment to say, maybe that’s ok. Because George is also implied to be neurodivergent. OCD is suggested but never officially diagnosed outside a self help book and the speculation of friends. George is also easily overstimulated by crowds and noise and things being out of place. Our heroine and many others around George seem to see this as a flaw. While sometimes they just accept his “quirks,” there are also multiple efforts to pity and fix him. If George is simply an introvert or his biological makeup and personal preferences mean he’s happier keeping himself to himself, I don’t see that as something that needs to be fixed. 

But that’s not the only thing making George put up boundaries between him and close relationships. He has suffered loss so many times it’s traumatic. I don’t mind so much when those who come to care about him push a just little because they sense that hurt and need. And George himself simultaneously craves and cringes from connection. When people issue an invitation enough times, sometimes he meets them in the middle. I don’t mind this so much because then I believe the desire to connect is coming from within George, and that is a vital distinction.

Strangely, this is a book as much about boundaries as romance. George calls our outgoing, artistic heroine Willow a “camel’s noise.” He relays a story where a camel wanted to warm his nose in a tent. The owner said yes. So the camel asked to put his whole head in. The owner said yes. And little by little the whole camel crowded into the tent, crushing the owner. And it’s true, multiple times in the book Willow pushes George to do things outside his comfort zone. Some turn out well, like enlisting his help to decorate an apartment. Some cross the line (like kidnapping George for a surprise hot air balloon flight while he’s hollering to get off the ride. Turns out he’s afraid of heights).

And then Willow gets a taste of her own medicine when George pulls some strings to get Willow’s grandson Collin into his alma mater without asking her. I didn’t have so much an issue with this, as in chapter one Willow is seeking out George’s help to get Collin into a better school. Collin is a high school graduate who can make his own choices about school, and he agrees to let George help him. But the point is the theme of boundaries. Every time one is crossed, and the tentative friendship between this odd couple seems shaken, both of them apologize, like adults. There’s perhaps one conflict too many for my taste, but you do get the sense these are two mature people who can actually learn to have a wonderful relationship despite drastic personality differences.

Carlson’s prose flows extremely well. I experienced it as an audiobook and it was a pleasure to listen to precise, reserved George and impulsive, extroverted Willow try to figure each other out.

The supporting cast is strong. I thought the nosy neighbor on page 1 would be comic relief, only there to annoy our main characters and complicate their relationship. Instead, she turned out to be an unexpected ally. George’s ability to see her as something other than a nuisance reflected his greater growth as a person opening himself up to relationships. There’s also a great storyline with Willow’s grandson Collin and daughter Josie. Josie has been an absent mom most of Collin’s life. She shows up at his graduation without any seeming intention to do anything but fight. I thought the reconciliation of this prodigal daughter/mom was going to be a main plotline. It wasn’t, but Josie just steals the show anytime she’s on the page. There’s no great moment of healing between her and Collin, but their stuttering steps toward family harmony seem real. Josie also picks George as a mentor figure, which is kinda delightful, as he clearly has no idea what to do, yet manages to do her good anyway. I wish the Josie plotline had been featured more through the end of the book. We just really need a second book to flesh this out.

The development of the relationship between set-in-his-ways George and free-spirited Willow seemed very natural and sincere. Gotta be honest, though, it worked better as a friendship-building book rather than a romance. That’s not a complaint about age. Kudos to Melody Carlson for featuring characters in their 50s as the main romance! But there was really no romantic chemistry between our main characters until the very end, which made it seem rushed. Dare I say people in their 50s are not too elderly for a little Christian-approved sexual tension? George and Willow made for a wonderful odd couple, though, in terms of friendship.

Really, I just think we need a sequel to transform the friendship into a romance more naturally. The pacing of the first two-thirds is strong. The pacing of the last third is off just a bit, and I think I can put a finger on why. George is a great dynamic character, slowly breaking out of his set-in ways, discovering he might have OCD, healing past trauma, just beginning to explore faith again. I love that Carlson is featuring a character like this. But George is still in his lowest crisis point 85% of the way through the book. There’s simply not enough time in the last 15% of the book to let him convincingly deal with all this and bring him to the point a romance really works.

I don’t expect a main character to be “fixed” by the end of a novel. “Fixed” here is in quotes because I don’t think George needs to be somehow not neurodivergent. He can develop awareness of having OCD (like getting an actual diagnosis) and learn new skills through a neurodivergent lens. At the same time those close to him can learn to better accommodate his needs. We do see a little of this in the book. What George does need is help navigating past trauma and possible depression. And there’s my pacing issue – it’s unrealistic that he can be magically rid of depression and trauma in a couple days. Carlson knows this and doesn’t let it happen. I applaud her for letting her characters live on a spectrum.

But here’s why it doesn’t work in a romance. Willow still views George as someone who needs to be fixed. She is more accommodating to his needs by the end of the novel, yes. She still pushes him to try things outside his comfort zone but is more respectful of his boundaries. But even in our climatic scenes, she’s still thinking of him as “poor George.” In her eyes he is traumatized, stunted, and lonely. How can they have a believable romance if the reader feels she pities him? I actually think her daughter Josie has a better appreciation of George’s good qualities than Willow, while still being empathetic to his faults.

Not that Willow is a lost cause. I do think she appreciates him on some level. But what I really wanted at the end was an ah ha moment when Willow recognized George’s true strengths, and how much he added to her life. We got it in a vague, one-line hey-you’re-nice-too kind of way, but not a satisfying way.

I wanted Willow to see that the relationship was not one-way, not just her pouring into him, but him in his quirky quiet way being a stabilizing force in her own life. George can be fusty, but he also is reliable, capable, smart, hard-working, and polite. He does chores around two houses, apologizes when he’s wrong, and got her grandson into a good college. ALL THREE of Willow’s family members find themselves turning to George in a crisis or for advice. Collin does when he goes through a bad breakup. Josie does it when she is struggling to find a new path in life and he encourages her to pursue art. Willow comes to his porch with bran muffins looking for a shoulder to cry on when her family life is tumultuous. In the end, George tells her what she brings to his life. Why oh why, Willow, can’t the reader have the satisfaction of you doing the same? As someone married to a person with a neurodivergent condition, I just craved that moment for both their sakes. I think we just need a second book to allow time for this.

I also was stunned that no reviewers I found on Goodreads mentioned the egregious breach of privacy near the end of the book. The pastor George has been going to for counseling sessions seeks out Willow to reveal all kind of private information from George’s therapy session. Now I’m no expert on therapy from clergy vs from medical professionals, but as far as I can research, it’s at least a breach of ethics (outside of criminal activity like abuse). Having a member of the clergy break confidentiality could hurt anyone, but given that George is at a very tentative stage of his exploration of faith, it seems especially risky. He’s just beginning to trust God and now you’re going to break his trust? Really, pastor? I can get why Carlson chose this plot device. George is leery of loving anyone due to his prior losses. A meddlesome pastor might move that romance right along. But in the end, it’s not even necessary. Willow doesn’t change anything about her own behavior with the new information, other than being receptive to a romance with George maybe five minutes before she would have anyway. George’s journey to opening himself up to a relationship didn’t need any clerical interference.

To summarize, I enjoyed this book, especially the thought given to the characters. It just needed more time at the end to fully develop and give us a proper payoff.

I give this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Here’s a recording of the workshop I gave a week ago at PSI’s Fall Rendezvous: Writing in Adversity.

Do hard times inspire us to write more, or dampen our creative spirit? In this workshop delivered at Poetry Society of Indiana’s 2020 Online Fall Rendezvous, Premier Poet Sarah E. Morin hosts an honest conversation about how living in trying times impacts us as writers. Whatever our reaction is as artists, that’s perfectly normal! This workshop addresses:

1. Common responses we have as artists to adversity

2. How famous writers have responded to adversity

3. Tips for getting out of a creative slump.

How do you respond to writing in challenging times? Any tips or tricks to share? Let us know in the comments.

Putting the final touches on my online workshop for Saturday. I’ll be part of PSI’s Fall Rendezvous. Anyone is welcome to join – it’s all free and all on Zoom! Register and see the schedule at http://www.poetrysocietyofindiana.org/fall-rendezvous.html.

As Premier Poet, I am to give one of the sessions. I can’t think of a better topic in 2020 than Writing in Adversity.

My workshop description:

Do hard times inspire us to write more, or dampen our creative spirit? We’ll have an honest conversation about how living in trying times impacts us as writers, and explain why whatever our reaction is as artists, that’s perfectly normal! We’ll exchange tips and insights on using our writing to get through the tough times, and look at how poets of the past have struggled and thrived in their own times of adversity.

While the workshop will cover poets and other writers, it can apply to any creative artist. My session will take place Saturday, Oct 17, 2-3p. I hope you can attend this or all sessions of Fall Rendezvous! Just remember to register to receive the Zoom information.

I need your help in helping me convince my friend, Alys, that Jane Eyre and Rochester are a great couple!

Alys and I run an annual event called NICE (Noblesville Interdisciplinary Creativity Expo). Each year we choose 4 selections of classic literature and invite artists of any medium to create art inspired by them. Leading up to the main event, we run a series of podcasts and workshops about these books. While Alys and I have always had our own tastes, this year’s selections (Jane Eyre, Gone with the Wind, Dracula, and Little Women) have us hotly debating whether the couples depicted are epic or simply dysfunctional. We’d love YOUR opinion. Join us for a free online workshop.

Here’s the skinny:

Community • Education • Arts, Inc. 6th Annual NICE (Noblesville Interdisciplinary Creativity Expo) Workshop Series #1

Saturday, August 29

Session One: 1-1:40pm – Best Couple Discussion & Award

Session Two: 2-2:40pm – Most Dysfunctional Couple Discussion & Award

Session Three: 3-3:40pm – Friend Zone Discussion & Award

All Sessions are Virtual Workshops via Zoom video conferencing

To register, simply email us at info@cearts.org, and we’ll send you invitation information for August 29’s three Zoom sessions. Free; donations welcome at https://cearts.square.site/

Our 2020 NICE literary selections are:

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Dracula by Bram Stoker

Little Women by Louisa May Alcott

Stand-alone passages and downloadable guidelines & creative submission form available at https://cearts.org/2020-6th-annual-nice-books-passages-selections Listen to our 2020 behind-the-scenes podcast discussions here: https://cearts.org/home/nice

Ready for a discussion on the Romances & Relationships in our four selected books? Join in our three Zoom sessions on Saturday, August 29!

Are Jane Eyre and Mr. Rochester the most romantic couple in literature, or a study in dysfunction? Did Jo March invent the friend zone when she turned down Laurie, and did their relationship recover? Are Scarlett and Melanie good best friends? Join Community • Education • Arts, Inc. in our online discussions on Saturday August 29 when we talk about the many couples in our 2020 selected NICE novels.

Each mini-workshop is free and will last 40 minutes on Zoom.

In the each session, you can nominate your favorite couple, the couple you thought just…shouldn’t, and the best friend-zoned couple (the best one-on-one relationship defined mostly by friendship, not romance). We’ll discuss your nominations and vote on the awards. Join in one or all three!

We welcome participants who love the books, participants who have only seen the movies and/or TV specials, and participants who have never heard of the books but are in it for a lively discussion. In short – we welcome anyone!

The workshops will be recorded as part of our 2020 NICE podcast discussions, and as possible episodes of our arts podcast, @theroundtable. You may join as a recorded or silent participant.

To register, simply email us at info@cearts.org, and we’ll send your invitation for August 29’s three Zoom sessions.

Visit our website at https://cearts.org/ for more information about our arts events & opportunities.

Suzanne Collins is back, more than a decade after debuting the amazingly successful The Hunger Games series, with this new prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. I have to admit being a little late to the hype party. My friend asked if I had read the book before I even realized it was coming.

Problem now corrected. I finished the novel last weekend.

The book features 18-year-old Coriolanus Snow, our (spoilers for Hunger Games) main villain from the original trilogy. He’s not yet a villain, though, but every bit as ambitious as you might imagine someone who is destined to be President of Panem. Coriolanus is assigned to mentor the tribute from District 12 during the tenth Hunger Games. He sees a successful showing as his way out of the relative poverty his upperclass family now endures, and his ticket to college and security. What will he – and his tribute, Lucy Gray Baird – do to win?

I actually liked The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes better than the original trilogy. True, without the trilogy, it wouldn’t mean as much. There are loads of allusions to the trilogy, origins of songs, certain smells and weapons, the operations of the games.

But while I found these “origin stories” interesting, that’s not why I really enjoyed the book. The trilogy is about war and power from the side of the oppressed. The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes is about war and power from the side of the oppressor. I think this book is a fascinating meditation on privilege. Coriolanus Snow doesn’t start as either a saint or a villain. He’s a survivor and someone who wants to excel and improve his life. Sure, eating cabbage and not being able to pay taxes for the family home are not as dire as what folks may face in the districts, but they are real stakes to him. I interpret it as a comment on first world problems, that nevertheless are real problems to those who face them, enough to motivate them to hold on to the power and privilege they have. This book helped explain why someone might not fully agree with some things their society does, may even be repulsed by some of them, but will still buy into the idea that “This is is best we have. I should support this flawed system because without it something worse will take its place, for everyone or for me personally.”

It was intriguing to watch Coriolanus’s journey in exploring his own society. He comes of age in a society he doesn’t completely agree with, but is determined to do well in. At times I empathized with his choices. At times I despised his lack of true care for other characters, or his sense of possession toward others. But at all times his character remained clear and consistent. If Lucas had showed Anakin’s turn to the Dark Side like this, more of a slow fall based on a series of choices completely in character, the Star Wars prequels would have been way better.

One of my favorite parts of the trilogy was the role of the media. How can you manipulate it to gain power? Does the media create a sense of false emotional connection to those it objectifies? Are we the viewer complicit in the exploitation and cheapening of lives for entertainment? The Ballad of Songbird and Snakes explores these themes through a much more saavy female lead – Lucy Gray Baird. Not saying Katniss wasn’t saavy in her own way, but Lucy practically invents playing an audience in the Hunger Games. She and Coriolanus Snow are a pair to watch in using their wits and perception to get what they want.

The side characters in this book are also memorable. The patriotic and dignified grandmother, the loyal cousin Tigris, the creepy Dr. Gaul. Coriolanus’s complex relationship with fellow student Sejanus is another standout of the book. Side note – have a field day researching the etymology of all the names in the book and how they reflect character.

Collins rode in on the first book wave of the YA dystopian craze. Here she is again as the bloom is off the rose. (Yes that was a reference to the books.) I was skeptical she would find something new to say in the cacophony of dystopian voices, when we have grown weary of the usual tropes. But for me, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes worked. It brought back themes I enjoyed in the original trilogy while exploring them from new angles. Anyone in a place of privilege in their society should take heed of the tale of Coriolanus Snow and his justifications for what he will do to land on top. 

Happy Easter to those of you who celebrate. I am one of those who does, and as with everything else right now, it seems a little surreal. So few of the normal markers are there to prepare me to be in the Easter spirit. No children hunting eggs on the lawn, no swarm of people to sing harmony with from the hymnal, no baby goats and lambs at work to giggle at as they gambol. The “happy” in “Happy Easter” is a little hard to connect with today.

[image error]

We’ve made the attempt to be Eastery. On Maundy Thursday, my husband, mother-in-law, and I crammed on the couch with an open laptop to stream a Catholic service on Facebook Live. I thought it was wonderful that we could join with a local church this way, and yet, the feeling was so different with the dog begging for a walk and conversations flying in the room. It was like trying to get into your favorite book again, but losing the ability to just get lost in that world. I figured I’d give it another go on Good Friday, but Friday was anything but good, as we had to furlough many of my coworkers.

As with so many of you, this coronavirus isolation and uncertainty has me feeling alternately antsy and down. As an introvert, I usually love a little isolation to write and defrag my brain. But the past two weeks have drained my creativity, let alone any Easter feeling (besides the desire to solace myself with chocolate bunnies).

[image error]

Last night as my husband and I were doing our civic duty to protect the world by binge-watching TV shows on the couch, I found myself crying. We were watching Tales from the Loop, a superb speculative fiction series which meditates on time, loss, and change, and how it impacts a town and one family in particular. I highly recommend this series, just maybe not during social distancing. All I could think when I finished the series was how much I missed my parents. That I could not be with my Dad on his birthday, and would now miss Easter. Without giving spoilers, let’s just say the plot and themes and too much Philip Glass really hammered home the sense of isolation, loss, and time passing.

[image error]

And yet, the logical part of my brain gives thanks:

Thanks that my loved ones are still alive.

Thanks for the medical workers, who are fighting to save lives.

Thanks for the grocery workers, bank tellers, and so many other essential service folks are still out there in a risky climate, helping society still move at least a little.

Thanks I have food, a roof over my head, and 10 more rolls of toilet paper.

Thanks I am not alone in this, and have a loving husband in the house, and friends and family I can reach by Zoom or phone.

Thanks I can still go on a walk (properly socially distanced) in the sunshine and smell the budding trees.

Thanks I have access to the dumb little things in life that make it easier to be shut in, like books and puzzles and Netflix.

[image error]

This Covid-19 isolation and all the stresses that go with it have become a metaphor for me for this Easter season (and in truth, other Easters in a few other years). I know what I believe, that Christ died for me, and I am grateful. But the feelings of rejoicing are just hard to access sometimes. Do I take my blessings (in both cases) for granted? Have I become entitled?

This may be partly true, but so is this – faith is not a feeling, or at least not merely a feeling. I love that giddy Easter-morning feeling of colorful pastel sunrises and new hope and impossible love. But emotions change like weather. The spirituality that is rooted in truth, that is what remains no matter what the emotions blowing overhead might be. That is the truth that gets us through these challenging times, even when it’s hard to feel the rejoicing.

This may be a somber Easter. And you know what? That’s ok. It’s ok to mourn with those who are sick, for those who have lost loved ones, for those who lost jobs. It’s also ok to feel joy and wonder in your heart this morning if you can. Whatever you are feeling this Easter morning, I give you permission to feel it.

[image error]

Praying for you, the sick, the medical workers, and the world.

[image error]

I’m thrilled to announce that poet Curtis L. Crisler will make a special guest appearance at Poetry Society of Indiana’s online Facebook event: Social Distancing Social Media Social for Poets! This event will take place entirely on Facebook, April 25, 1:30-3p. Sign up here. Invite your friends.

As some of our PSI members may know, Curtis Crisler was lined up to be our featured speaker at Spring Fling. When we had to cancel our in-person event due to coronavirus concerns, I reached out to him to see if he would be willing to drop by our online event briefly to talk about his latest project. Not only did he say yes, he’s donating a signed copy of Indiana Nocturnes, his brand-new release! We’ll be giving away both a copy of Indiana Nocturnes and “This” Ameri-can-ah during our online event. (PSI members who attended the Spring Fling at Fox Island a few years ago, you will remember Curtis read selections from “This” Ameri-can-ah and was a hit. Thank you, Nancy Simmonds, for the donation of “This” Ameri-can-ah.)

All you have to do to enter the giveaway is show up to our online event on April 25 and participate in the comment section. Any US resident, PSI member or not, is eligible to win. You must be age 13 or older to enter. (Young poets, encourage your guardians to enter and share the book with you if they win!)

About Curtis L. Crisler:

Curtis L. Crisler was born and raised in Gary, Indiana. He received a BA in English, with a minor in Theatre, from Indiana University-Purdue University Fort Wayne (IPFW), and he received an MFA from Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

He has two poetry books out: Don’t Moan So Much (Stevie): A Poetry Musiquarium (Kattywompus Press) and “This” Ameri-can-ah (Cherry Castle Publishing). His recent poetry chapbook Black Achilles (Accents Publishing) was released in 2015. His previous books are Pulling Scabs (nominated for a Pushcart), Tough Boy Sonatas (YA), and Dreamist: a mixed-genre novel (YA). Other chapbooks are Wonderkind (nominated for a Pushcart), Soundtrack to Latchkey Boy, and Spill (which won the 2008 Keyhole Chapbook Award).

He is the recipient of a residency from the City of Asylum/Pittsburgh (COA/P), the recipient of fellowships from Cave Canem, Virginia Center for the Creative Arts (VCCA), Soul Mountain, a guest resident at Hamline University, and a guest resident at Words on the Go (Indianapolis). Crisler received a Library Scholars Grant Award, Indiana Arts Commission Grants, Eric Hoffer Awards, the Sterling Plumpp First Voices Poetry Award, and he was nominated for the Eliot Rosewater Award and the Jessie Redmon Fauset Book Award. His poetry has been adapted to theatrical productions in New York and Chicago, and he has been published in a variety of magazines, journals, and anthologies. He edited the nonfiction book, Leaving Me Behind: Writing a new me, on the Summer Bridge experience at IPFW. He’s been a Contributing Poetry Editor for Aquarius Press, and one of the Poetry Editors for Human Equity through Art (HEArt). Crisler is an Associate Professor of English at IPFW.

Visit him at http://www.poetcrisler.com/.

And sign up for the online event here!

[image error]

Given concerns about the coronavirus and the closure of our reserved venue, Poetry Society of Indiana has wisely decided to cancel our in-person Spring Fling April 25. However, there’s no reason we can’t meet online! As Premier Poet, I would like to invite you to an online poetry gathering on April 25, from 1:30-3pm. This event will be held entirely on Facebook, so there’s no chance of you catching anything but creative enthusiasm. It is not meant to replace Spring Fling, which is a wonderful all-day event that cannot be captured online, but to provide us with a shorter, fun way to celebrate poetry until the next time we can gather in person (Fall Rendezvous).

The arts and our artistic community have a wonderful power to help us cope with stressful and uncertain times. Let’s come together and lift each other’s spirits with a brief afternoon of creativity.

HOW DO I PARTICIPATE?

Just click on the Facebook Event page for this event and mark that you are going. Then at 1:30 on April 25, pull up the Facebook Event page on your computer. I’ll post a series of interactive posts for you to engage in and leave comments. You can come and go as you please from 1:30 to 3pm. In previous online Facebook events I’ve participated in, we’ve created a robust conversation in the comments and had a lot of fun. By the way, it’s absolutely free.

GIVEAWAYS!

Need more incentive to attend? I’ll be giving away free poetry ebooks throughout the event, including ones written by some of our PSI members.

WHO CAN PARTICIPATE?

Anyone with a Facebook account! So Poetry Society of Indiana members are encouraged, especially as many of us now have a free day due to the cancellation of Spring Fling. However, anyone can participate, PSI member or not. Students, you are very welcome as long as you have a Facebook account. Poets of all experience levels welcome. Share the event with your friends, in state and out.

LOOK FOR MORE UPDATES SOON

I’ll be putting together some fun activities for this online event over the next month. Look for teasers soon!

[image error]