Storyteller's Journey

A Bit of Friday the 13th History

The dark image of number 13 probably began in ancient times by the elevated symbolism of number 12: twelve months, twelve zodiac signs, twelve apostles, and so on. In general, the number 12 represented something complete, while the number 13, thus, represented something incomplete, irregular, even disruptive.

All I know, is that the number 13 is my husband's favorite number!

As far as the day of Friday being unlucky, it was the day of the week that Christ was crucified. Then there was King Philip IV of France, who ordered the mass execution of the Knights of Templar on October 13, 1307 - a Friday. Consequently, the combination of the 13th and Friday became a dark and unlucky date down through history.

Here's a humorous quote about this superstitious day:

"A black cat crossing your path signifies that the animal was going somewhere." Groucho Marx

Happy Friday the Thirteenth! 

Bibliophile's Corner

How Women Won the Vote
by Susan Campbell Bartoletti

Back Cover Description:

On March 3, 1913, over five thousand women came to Washington DC - some by foot, some by wagon, some on horseback - to march together in a spectacular parade. With the eyes of the nation on them, they demanded an amendment to the US Constitution that would give them the right to vote.

Actual photographs, period illustrations, primary sources, and authentic memorabilia from the suffrage movement tell the inspiring story of trailblazers Alick Paul, Lucy Burns, and the heroines of the suffrage movement - who were not afraid to face arrests, jail time, hunger strikes, and much more - so the country and the president would finally listen and act.

My Thoughts:

With the midterm election having just occurred here in the U.S., I thought featuring this little book - at this time - would be perfect for children who may be asking questions. While I consider myself to be a bit of a history buff, I learned a lot of new (to me) information from Ms. Bartoletti's book. I highly recommend How Women Won the Vote to readers from the ages of eight to eighty!

Storyteller's Journey

Happy Halloween!

The Pacific Northwest is known for famous hauntings, myths of eerie creatures, and ancient indigenous folklore. Our evergreen forests and misty coastlines, only add to the mystery of our corner of the country. (Maybe that's why I love to include magical elements in my stories!)

The 10-foot Grim Reaper pictured above belongs to a farm not far from our home. Creations such as this one are not uncommon in the rural region where we live. Large, handcrafted animals dressed for the holidays are displayed prominently during the winter months. While my husband and I consider ourselves to be creatives, we've not yet displayed anything quite so grand. Here's our meager porch decoration for autumn.

Happy Halloween!

Storyteller's Journey

Inspired Again!

Last weekend we visited FOGELBO in Portland, OR. It's a Steiner cabin that contains the largest private collection of Nordic antiques and folklore in the U.S. It's also on the National Registry of Historic Places.

The home was owned, and subsequently deeded, to Nordic Northwest by Ross Fogelquist, as well as the surrounding land. He still lives there with his Nordic collections, including artwork by Anders Zorn.

We were lucky enough to return to Fogelbo after the tour for a private meeting with Ross Fogelquist - he's an amazing man. His love of art literally springs off every wall of the cabin.

Michael presented Sir Ross Fogelquist (he's been knighted by the King of Sweden) with a painting he did from our trip to Mora. (Ross, Michael, and even Anders Zorn, have ties to the county of Dalarna.) 

All in all, we left Fogelbo being reinspired. My current work in progress contains a time-travel episode to Sweden. Michael was offered a possible art exhibition featuring his work inspired by our trip to Scandinavia. What an incredible day!

Storyteller's Journey

The Happy Prince
and Other Tales

by Oscar Wilde

Back Cover Description:

Beneath the surface of these beautifully written tales lies a world of quiet, sorrow, moral clarity, and deep human compassion. In this classic collection, Oscar Wilde presents five timeless stories that explore love, sacrifice, friendship, and vanity through poetic allegory and gentle irony.

Fom the golden statue who gives everything for the suffering people below, to the nightingale who dies for a rose that goes unappreciated, each story reveals the beauty - and tragedy - of true kindness.

My Thoughts: 

This little tome is a lovely ode to kindness and love - and it's perfect for readers from the ages of eight to eighty. Today marks the 172nd birthday of Oscar Wilde, so it's a great day to showcase his anthology.

Storyteller's Journey

Learning from a Legend

Earlier this week my husband and I attended a fundraiser for FVRL - our local library. The special guest speaker was the award-winning author, Amy Tan. Learning from talented writers is always inspirational for me, and hearing Ms. Tan was no exception. She shared about how in 2016 the racism targeted at Asian women had hit her hard. She'd found solace in taking an art class to learn how to draw the birds in her own backyard. And draw them she did! She filled journals with her amazing renditions. 

Those journals became the #1 New York Times Best Seller: The Backyard Bird Chronicles. Over the last ten years, Ms. Tan has observed and documented over 60 bird species near her home in Marin County, California. In the process, she transformed her backyard into a protected avian habitat. I actually purchased this little tome a couple of months ago, so I took my copy to the dinner to have her sign it. If you're a lover of nature, this beautiful book should not be missed!

The old quote says: Never meet your heroes. However, when I met Amy Tan, she was delightful, humble, and funny. While we briefly talked, my husband chatted with her husband Lou DeMattei just to Amy's right - he was hilarious! All in all, we had a fantastic night at the FVRL Authors & Illustrators dinner.

Storyteller's Journey

Plot Twist - A Memoir on Writing

by Harlan Coben

Flap Copy Description:

With 100 million books in print worldwide and over twenty blockbuster television and film adaptations of his work, Harlan Coben has much to teach us about the creative process. Part deep personal memoir, part storytelling seminar, Plot Twist is a refreshingly honest look at the life of a writer whose stories have thrilled us for decades...

My Thoughts:

While Mr. Coben is a super successful author, I must confess that this is the first Harlan Coben book I've read. However (like so many others) I discovered the uber-talented writer through his made-for-TV mystery thrillers. When I listened to him on a podcast, I was fascinated by his life, and by his approach to his craft. I just had to read his new book!

From his pragmatic approach to writing, to his quirky Jewish family (which includes the Kosher Nostra!), this is one of the few books I've read on writing that was not only insightful, but entertaining. He also reveals a few of his secrets to those incredible finales for which he's so famous. He included numerous inspirational quotes, which was cool for me since I love quotes. Here is one that he mentioned over and over: "If it helps me produce pages, good. If it doesn't, bad."  My personal favorite: "Amateurs wait for the muse to arrive; the rest of us just go to work." (Attributed to many authors.)

I highly recommend Plot Twist to anyone who aspires to be an author, and to established authors as well!