Where Has He Been?

November 3, 2014

Dear Constant Readers,

In my last regular blog post, a couple of weeks or so ago, I told you that I was going to a writers conference and that I planned to take approximately a week off to recuperate.  When that leisurely week came and went, I sat down to compose another thrilling installment of "Confessions of a Second Grade Failure."  But alas, the words would not come and the page remained blank - and lo and behold, yet another week past.  This time it was not leisurely or refreshing, but filled with angst and self-loathing.  The words just were not there.  Try hard as I might, I had no tale to tell.  The writer, Natalie Goldberg, calls this state of being as having the “monkey mind.”  It’s like a monkey sits on your shoulder and whispers in your ear, “You are not really a writer.  Your words are no good.  The story is not worth telling.  Give it up now before you embarrass yourself.”

Today, I have decided to tell the monkey on my shoulder just where he should go.  Today, I choose to write, and in so doing, believe that I have a story that is indeed worth telling.  I share this with you, dear readers, by way of explanation and not as a cry of self-pity.  It is what it is.  Some writers call it “writer’s block,” but I like Goldberg’s “monkey mind” much better.

Now, with that out of the way, let me tell you a little about what I’ve been up to the last couple of weeks.  October 17-19, I attended the James River Writers Conference here in Richmond.  All in all, about 300 people attended.  I attended workshops and panel discussions.  I met authors, famous and not-yet, and we talked about our passions and projects.  And yes, on that Saturday morning, I did meet with a literary agent and pitched my book ideas.  She was very kind and generous with her time.  She asked good questions about my writing projects.  When my time with her was up, she requested that I send her sample chapters around the middle of November when her reading load will be a little lighter.  So, for all of you who offered up prayers or who sent good thoughts, thank you!  They did not go unheeded.  So now, my future as a writer lies in the quality of my writing that I’m about to send to her.  Now you can imagine why I became so flustered this past week!  But, I remind myself, all will be well - no matter what the outcome.

I have spent my time since the conference reading good books, storing up words as a squirrel stores up acorns.  I have also poured through old family photos and watched movies my dad first recorded with an 8mm camera.  I still have the original film and projector, but thankfully, before he died, Dad had these wonderful movies transferred onto VCR tape.  Someday soon, I hope to digitize them myself to save them for the next generation.  This time looking at old pictures and home movies is not about indulging myself in nostalgia, but mining my mind for memories.  It has been time well spent.

Well, this is all that I have in me today.  Tomorrow, with the “monkey mind” banished, I will attempt to compose a new chapter for my emerging memoir.  I hope to share this with you before the week is out.

Humbly yours,

Stephen

My Top Ten in Books: Personal Favorites

January 16, 2014

Introducing a New Series: "My Top Ten in Books"

Everyone (well, most everyone) enjoys lists.  They are simple, informational and fun.  A good list brings order to the chaos of subjectivity.  A list can build community - as in a subject around which conversation may be had.  With this in mind, I've decided to start a periodic series of posts on what I consider to be my personal "Top Ten" in different categories of books.  Today's post is about books I've read which have made a difference in my life and would gladly consider worth recommending anyone.  These are my personal favorites.

I hope you will let me know what you think of my own subjective list of the "best" books in this area, and make your own recommendations of those that didn't make into my list but you think should have.

I encourage you to leave your thoughts and opinions in the "Comments" section of my blog - that way, everyone can see them and conversation can take place.

Cheers,

Steve
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My Top Ten in Books: Personal Favorites

1.  A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

2.  Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin

3.  11/22/63 by Stephen King

4.  Father Melancholy's Daughter by Gail Godwin

5.  Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver

6.  The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson

7.  Oral History by Lee Smith

8.  Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

9.  Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb

10.  Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe

P.S.  Remember that the contest for the free Kindle giveaway is ongoing through January 31st.  If you have friends, family or colleagues whom you think might enjoy receiving this blog by email, then feel free to forward this posting on to them.  To be eligible for the free Kindle, a person must visit my blog website - http://stephenarhodes.blogspot.com/ - and subscribe to it through the "Follow By Email" option.  Also, you will receive a confirmation email from Feedburner which requests that you confirm you want this subscription.  If you do not confirm, you will not be subscribed, so please do so.

The Books I Most Enjoyed Reading in 2013

Before I developed Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in 2001, I was a voracious reader - sometimes reading 200-300 books a year.  But in the past 12 years, it has been much harder to read nearly that much.  It takes a great deal of concentration and energy, both of which I have in short supply.  Nevertheless, reading continues to be my passion.  I'm happy to report that I am able to reading daily, even if it's just for a short time.  But it is progress!

The books that I most enjoyed in 2013 were not all published in 2013.  This list represents the books I finally got around to reading in the last twelve months.  Some were read the old fashioned way, physical books of paper.  Others were read on the Kindle app on my iPad.  Still others were listened to through my Audible app, also on my iPad.  This last category may raise some questions.  Is listening to a book with your ears really the same as reading a book with your eyes?  I would argue that, yes, it is indeed reading.  And depending upon the narrator, it can be an even more enjoyable experience than I would have imagined previously.

I am adding a second book list to the first.  It is a list of 10 books published in 2013 that I would like to read and am planning on reading.  I actually have far more than 10 on my personal list, but 10 will do for this post.

I hope you enjoy both lists.  I would love to hear what you have read this past year and what brought you the most joy.

Steve

The Books I Most Enjoyed Reading in 2013:

1.  Wishin' and Hopin' by Wally Lamb
2.  The Life and Times of The Thunderbolt Kid by Bill Bryson
3.  A Game of Thrones by George R. R. Martin
4.  In One Person by John Irving
5.  Two Graves by Lincoln Child and Douglas Preston
6.  11-22-63 by Stephen King
7.  Under the Dome by Stephen King
8.  On Writing by Stephen King (actually a re-read)
9.  Marvel Comics: The Untold Story by Sean Howe
10. New Collected Poems by Wendell Berry

Books Published in 2013 Which I Plan To Read:

1.  Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns Goodwin
2.  Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson
3.  The History of the Medieval World by Susan Wise Bauer
4.  Cleopatra by Stacy Schiff
5.  Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver
6.  Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz
7.  The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
8.  NOS4A2 by Joe Hill
9.  Doctor Sleep by Stephen King
10.  Guests on Earth by Lee Smith

Welcome to "One Writer's Life"

December 26, 2013

Greetings readers, writers, family and friends!  And welcome to this new blog, "One Writer's Life."

This blog is both about the act of writing and of living one's life in the midst of writing.  I believe that the best writing takes place in the context of community.  By choosing to read this blog, you are a part of this digital community, and by that act will be involved in helping to shape my writing.  So thanks for being a part of this community and your willingness to walk along with me as I make this journey.

Writing has always been a part of my life in some form or fashion.  I "officially" became a published author though in 1998 when my first book was published.  "Where the Nations Meet: The Church in a Multicultural World" was written while I served as a United Methodist pastor to a multicultural congregation in Northern Virginia.  This church, Culmore UMC, had over 32 different nations represented in the congregation and many more ethnicities.  My book was an attempt to address the many practical issues on being the church in a world which is multicultural.  I'm happy to say that my book is still available.  It was just recently released as a Kindle book on Amazon.com.

Currently, I am working on two nonfiction books - both of which are memoirs. The first, "Confessions of a Second Grade Failure," is a coming-of-age memoir. It is set in Kingsport, Tennessee during the period from 1960-1972. It gives insight to life during this turbulent period and of the changes that came to cities throughout the country in an important decade. Both humorous and poignant, it weaves together the life story of one Appalachian child, his hometown and the cultural context of change in the country.

My other writing project is entitled, "The Reluctant Ascetic: A Journey Through the Desert of Chronic Illness." In November 2001, I became suddenly sick with a mysterious illness that continues into the present. I was later diagnosed as having Chronic Fatigue and Immune Dysfunction Syndrome. I have attempted to grapple not only with the illness itself, but also to find meaning and hope in the struggle to reclaim health. This memoir speaks to all persons who struggle and live with chronic and often invisible diseases.

I look forward to sharing my writing of these two both with you.  My plan is to post 2-3 times a week to this blog to keep you updated.

Please feel free to contact me directly.  There is an email form on my home page of this blog.  You may also subscribe to my blog through email or RSS.  You may also read my blog posts on my website: www.stephenarhodes.com.  You can also find out more about me there as well.

Cheers,

Stephen A. Rhodes