Dear Diana,


"Keep your face toward the sunshine—and the shadows will fall behind you."



~ Walt Whitman

 

My father used to say that the older he got the faster time went. Until I got to be his age when he said that, I never really understood his words, but do I ever understand them now!


Here we are in The Fall of 2024. So much has happened this year in my world and in the universe. Many shifts. When I think of the fall, I am reminded of my youth on the East Coast and shuffling through the crunchy fallen leaves when my mother took me on my weekly hikes. I love the sound of that combined with the crisp autumn air.


The first few days of this month coincides with the long Labor Day weekend, The end of summer and the beginning of fall usually put me in the mood for reflection and contemplation as I feel another year end is coming. Mid-month between September 16-18 brings us the beautiful harvest moon which is the name of the full Moon closest to the first day of autumn, when the day and night are of equal length.


*****


In my last newsletter, I mentioned how I've been reading a lot of fiction and I've continued to do so. This past month, I was taken in by Joyce Maynard's masterful storytelling and compelling family sagas. Recently, I've heard that she's been called, "the queen of family sagas," and I'm not at all surprised.


Her stories are truly captivating and her writing is a gift to the literary world!


Please enjoy my reviews below.

dianaraab.com

SEPTEMBER Writing Prompts


  • Write about what the fall season reminds you of.
  • Write about your favorite subject in school.
  • Write about a book that you recently read.
  • Write about your earliest memory.
RECENTLY PUBLISHED WORKS

Wishing Well. (poem) Literary Cocktail Magazine. July 2024.


"Artificial Intelligence and the Evolution of a Long-Held Passion." (article) Sixty and Me. August 1, 2024.


"Sweet Wonder." (poem) Young Ravens Literary Review. August 2024.


There are None." (poem) Random Sample Review. Issue 10. August 2024.


"How AI Changed Me Creatively." (article) The Good Men Project. August 8, 2024.


"Finding Your Passion...Again." (article) Best Self Media. August 13, 2024.


Message to My Grandchildren. (poem) Bronze Bird Books: Love Anthology. August 2024.


Coping with the Loneliness of Cancer. (article) redrosethorns online journal. August 16, 2024.


"Are You Affected By Intergenerational Trauma?" (article) Psychology Today. August 16, 2024.


"Life Journey." (poem) Bluebird's Scribe Review. August 19, 2024.


"Are You Affected by Intergenerational Trauma?" (article) Medium. August 26, 2024.

RECENT INTERVIEWS

Interview with Teri Wellbrock: ‘Hummingbird: Messages from My Ancestors.'” The Healing Place Podcast. July 26, 2024.

UPCOMING APPEARANCES


September 19, 2024

6:00 - 7:00 p.m.



"Hummingbird: Messages from My Ancestors"

Book Signing and Reading

Godmothers: A Bookstore & Gathering Place

2280 Lillie Avenue

Summerland, CA

Buy tickets here


****


September 22, 2024

3:00 p.m. – 5:00 p.m.



Writing Workshop Series:

"How to Connect With Your Ancestors"

Mystic Journey Bookstore

2923 Main Street

Santa Monica, CA

Click here to register

RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Count the Ways by Joyce Maynard (novel)


This is a captivating family story that takes place in the 1970s and delves into subjects so many of us will be able to relate to, such as young love, parenthood, illness, accidents, trauma, LGBTIQA children, family conflicts, and divorce. Her character descriptions are crisp and vivid. Eleanor, the mother and main character loses her parents at an early age, and successfully manages to raise 3 wonderful children. Her escape was making children's books. She loved to draw. "Something happened when she drew. She left the world for a while and stepped into a new one." This is exactly how I feel when I'm working on a writing project.


Intertwined with the plot, Maynard carefully interjects many words of wisdom for the reader to ponder such as:

"A parent could no more protect her children from sorrow and loss than she could keep the sun from setting or rising again the next day."


She reminded me of my favorite Hawaiian prayer: "Ho'oponopono which means: I'm sorry. I love you. Thank you. Please forgive me."

How the Light Gets In by Joyce Maynard (novel)


This book was released a few months ago and recommended by a dear friend. Only after purchasing this book did I realize that it was a continuation of Count the Ways.


The book follows the family from 2010 until 2024, and Maynard craftfully mixes some current events and politics into this fictional story.


Maynard wisely states: "There can be no repairing the old mistakes. All a person could hope for was to do better in the future," and "When you can't fix a problem, the best thing you can do is learn to live with it."


Maynard is now one of my new favorite writers. The last time I heard her name spoken about was the story about when she was 19, and had a short (11-month) relationship with J.D. Salinger which she claims has changed and affected her entire life.


Both these books are page turners (and I'm a slow reader) which I read in less than two weekends!

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