Pick me!

Writing White Papers has announced its 4th annual Best Blogs for Writers contest.

To this, I say: Pick me! Pick me!

Reason 1: Few things are more self-serving than a blog. I’ll set aside false humility and admit this blogosphere is deep and dark and I could use a thin slant of light.

Reason 2: Let’s show ‘em a writing blog that blends art and words while encouraging creative leaps.

Reason 3: Is anyone out there? Your vote could be the balm to allay fears that I am all alone in this literary life.

Vote now! It's easy, and operators (or blog masters?) are standing by, eager to accept your opinion.

To vote, visit Writing White Paper's nominations page. Entries must include:

Blog name: Off the Page by Drew Myron

URL: http://drewmyron.com/main.htm

A brief explanation of why you read this blog.

Entries are due Sept. 11, 2009.

Thank you!

Life, not so ordinary

My post office box — always a source of pleasure — was especially delightful today. Two books arrived! Both funny, tender, light but not vapid. (As a note, I’ve been on a library kick lately but these two are purchase-worthy):

Encyclopedia of an Ordinary Life by Amy Krouse Rosenthal
Just when I can’t take another my-life-is-so-profound memoir, I find this treasure that defies categorization. This 40ish author is clever, without being an ironic mocker, and tender, without rainbows and kittens. It helps that she begins with this disclaimer:

I have not survived against all odds.
I have not lived to tell.
I have not witnessed the extraordinary.
This is my story.

As usual, I’m late to the party. Encyclopedia was published in 2005 and has earned loads of accolades and attention. She’s now deep into another creative project, with yet another twist: The Beckoning of Lovely, a film being made by 200 strangers. Click below to view video.

How Not to Act Old by Pamela Redmond Satran
This book, and its companion blog, is a hoot. After a quick read, it’s clear I'm exhibiting sure signs of geezerhood. Evidence of age:
- using words like hoot and geezer
- leaving voice messages
- talking loudly into my cellphone
- still watching MASH and Seinfeld

The author is laugh-out-loud funny, offering 185 witty and wry directions. Published just this month, the book zoomed to the New York Times bestseller list in its first week, proving there are a lot of old people desperate for disguise.

Young readers respond

Book suggestions abound! Several (young-ish) friends and family members have chimed in with their faves:

• Inkheart, by Cornelia Funke, was suggested by my bright young friend Katy, age 9.

• The Phantom Tollbooth, by Norton Juster, got the thumbs up from my book-loving niece Kimberly, age 11.

• Mad Libs. Oh, how I love these fun word lessons cloaked in silly fill-in-the-blank stories.

• A Single Shard, by Linda Sue Park, was recommended by dedicated reader/writer Eliza.

Got any more good reads? What are your sons, daughters, nieces, nephews, friends and neighbors reading? What have I missed? Keep those suggestions coming!

Young reads

I remind myself that we live in a society in which people still think of themselves as 'young' when they are 50. When do we stop being young adults? Is there any reason a 60-year-old wouldn’t be able to find some pleasure, and perhaps some edification, in a good Y/A [young adult] book?

— Marilyn Nelson, author of 21 poetry books, for adult and young adult readers

This summer, some of the best books I read weren’t meant for me.

Written for young readers, this season's favorites delivered fresh language and perspective:
• Speak, by Laurie Halse Anderson
• Absolutely Normal Chaos, by Sharon Creech
• From the Bellybutton of the Moon and other summer poems, by Francisco X. Alarcón

After a long run of adult fiction that works the predictable paths of mother-daughter strain or husband-wife ennui, I’m relieved to read young adult dilemmas of friendship, trust and identity. None of it trite and all of it memorable.

As I prepare for a new school year (I’ll be leading creative reading and writing activities for grade school, middle school and high school students), I’m seeking new material.

So, here's a call to all ages: What are you reading?

Young (and not so young) minds are eager and waiting. I'll absorb, savor, and post your suggestions here.

On tour

I’m fresh from the Forecast tour.

I use the word ‘tour’ lightly, though I did travel 1,300 miles, got stuck in Seattle overnight, and was detoured by a road closure on the drive home. A few days and states later, I feel very toured.

But the journey was worth the travel: Last week, Forecast — the Tracy Weil-Drew Myron art-poetry exhibition — opened at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colorado. Designed in the 1960s by I.M. Pei, the Mesa Laboratory is a collection of abstract, geometric concrete forms perched atop the highlands and in the shadow of dramatic red sandstone formations known as the Flat Irons.

It's a stunning setting for our abstract, horoscope-inspired art. And, as a glutton for press, I am delighted with the attention from Westword and the Colorado Daily. Read all about it here and here.