Ramblings. As in: Have Words -Will Ramble. As in: Ramble: to write or talk aimlessly or without sequence of ideas, to proceed with turns and twists; meander As In: observances of an everyday life in passing through the spectrum of extraordinary.
Southern Voices, Kind Words, and Wild Road Trips
Monday, February 22, 2010
Once again I am overwhelmed with the goodness in my life. Not that it hasn't been without struggles and sometimes I feel like that old Pilgrim in Pilgrims Progress but today, reading emails from readers and from attendees at the Southern Voices conference I feel just like Jimmy Stewart reflecting during an interview and saying, "It really has been A Wonderful Life."
I had the great honor of presenting Saturday at the Hoover Library Southern Voices Conference. What a perfect venue the Hoover Library Theatre was. The fact that it is 'A World-Class Performing Arts Center' was no surprise. The Library Theatre features an annual program of gifted performers throughout the year.
The weekend opened with a special evening with United States Poet Laureate Billy Collins. I have long been a fan of Mr. Collins so it was a special treat to hear him read (perform!) his great work to a thoroughly delighted audience. For note - he was as funny off stage or riding in the shuttle bus as he was larger than life under the lights. The weekend proceeded with presentations from a unique mix of world voices keeping with this years theme, WINDOW TO THE WORLD. Authors Ridley Pearson (Killer Summer), Marc Fitten (Valerie's Last Stand), Masha Hamilton 31 Hours and The Camel Bookmobile), Ad Hudler (Man of the House), Rheta Grimsley Johnson (Amercia's Faces), Todd Johnson (The Sweet By and By), and yours truly embraced an engaging audience. Diane McWhorter (Carry Me Home, Birmingham, Alabama: The Climatic Battle of the Civil Rights Revolution) wrapped the presentations with a thought provoking keynote address on racial views both past and present in Birmingham, the South - and yes, the world at large.
Those unsung heroes of the written word, the book sellers who work so
Our weekend was sealed by a night performance with grammy award nominee Ruthie Foster and you can color me a fan for life! What a great evening and a special treat for me as my husband, Owen Hicks was able to attend the entire weekend with me as my love and escort. (Our busy agenda's don't always permit Owen to travel with me but I delight in every opportunity we get to travel on the road together - and ain't that sweet!)
A special thank you to the Hoover Library, The Mayor of the City of Hoover - Tony Petelos, The Hoover City Council Members, The Hoover Library Board of Trustees, Library Director Linda R. Andrews, and the incredible staff including charming talent scouts Carrie Steinmehl and Amanda Bonner. And kudos to the countless volunteers and shuttle drivers who took such good care of us. You all made this event such a memorable experience for so many people I know we'll be talking about it for years to come. Thanks to Ruth Baird Shaw's (the Book Seller at St. Vincent's) timely question about the Great Southern Wing & Prayer Tour I was able to bring up the fact that it is just around the corner and my hopes are so many of the people that were at Southern Voices will be able to join fellow friend, author, radio host and the Belle of All Things Southern when we return to the Hoover area on our visit to Birmingham. We will be kicking off the tour in style at the Loveless Cafe for fried chicken and ice tea - and BISCUITS! And as Shellie would say - Ya'll c'mon and join us. Then we'll be off to Landmark Books in Franklin and to keep up with the rest of this wild radio road trip you'll have to follow the link to http://www.wingandprayertour.com where you can find all the latest tidbits including our stops, packing list, and friends popping in to say hello at a store in their hometown. There will be daily giveaways and drawings at every bookstore stop along the way and we do so hope you can join us life and in person. If you aren't in a city on tour you can still be a huge part of the fun by being an Angel Tour Tracker through the website,
 Another Question from the audience was what I was working on now and when would my next novel be out. I'm currently rounding the corner of some of the final edits for The Miracle of Mercy Land, September 7, 2010. To make certain you get your copy asap you can pre-order now through the web or thorough your local bookstore. I'm just more than a little taken with the character of Mercy Land, the setting the story takes place in (Southern Alabama and the Coastal area in 1938) and the wild and wonderful story that unfolds within it's pages. I hope you are going to love it even half as much as I do!
The other project in the works is a new work of non-fiction titled, Praying For Strangers. The book is a surprise as it is based on a little Resolution I decided to embrace at the end of 2009 - to pray for a stranger every day of the year. The stories that developed over the course of that year and beyond, have been a gift to me. It's my pleasure that Penguin will be making these stories available to you in 2011 so please listen for more news and updates about the developments of this project. The response from the audience at Southern Voices was more than a little receptive. Thank you to those of you who have already written to me with follow up emails sharing your own stories and comments.  I tried to read just the tiniest portion of various works at the conference and one of those was the little true story essay collection - The Deep Down Dirty South, A Southern Girl Recollects. (For those who would like to order a personalize copy you can contact Little Professor Books and they will be delighted to take your order, see that I sign it just for you, and get it shipped to you anywhere USA or beyond.) I was also able to share about my journey as a writer, talk a little bit about my Mama, and share a few family insights. What I forgot to mention is - Yes, Mama is very proud of me and is beginning to give up her hopes that I will become a Pharmacist so I have a good steady paycheck and an insurance plan. For the record, she has read all my books and Saints In Limbo is her favorite Novel to date. She also adores the collection of essays.
As you can see it's been a busy year already and it's just beginning. But no matter how busy my schedule may be (and aren't all our schedules busy now?) when I opened my email in the morning and read letters from readers you really have no idea how important you are to me. Your words inspire me and make me want to continue to return to the page again and again to say what it is to have been human.
In Closing - Here's my note This morning from READER Frank Shelton. "River, I just at this very minute (actually Saturday night about 8:30...) finished reading the book you sent me, The Deep. Down, & Dirty South. I have a question. Is it the birthright of being Southern, something about the DNA of all Southerners, or perhaps just maybe we are long lost kin, somehow related, these tales told of a childhood and the kin contained within, and a world so near, yet so far, that reading this book is almost in so many many ways, like looking into a mirror of my own life? Your kin and mine seem so much alike, only the names changed. Names and places. Not Florida in mine, but Mississippi. Not pine woods but Mississippi hills and farmland. I think perhaps it just that the times were special. So personal. Simpler, but with ruff hewed edges and less style and fashion, but more meaning and feeling and touch that I can feel these stories of yours intertwine with mine. I never knew my Grandfathers. Grandmothers, on the other hand, I knew well. And Aunts and Uncles and cousins and friends. Summers spent half at one set then the other half at another. More fun than was legal, but so innocent in youth. Words spoken in your book I can hear in the familiarity of my mind. It seems with each story you told of memories past offered up ones of my own. Memories cherished and held as treasure. Stories. That after reading the stories that you recollect and share, cause me to think that just maybe those treasured memories of mine might be worth the telling after all. I think I’ll start putting some of those tales down. Perhaps not for a book so much as for posterity , and so that my daughter might better know from where she came. My history is hers too in so many ways. People and memories of the past can only die if we let them after all. If what you intended with your book was to honor your past, and in turn make us remember and honor our own, you've succeeded to the utmost. Thank you, Frank"
In response I have to say, Frank - I only intended to make those beautiful readers The Pulpwood Queen women happy. To put down my stories for them the way they wanted me to. It was just a gift but like words are meant to be, the gift has continued giving. I do believe you are a storyteller -and story KEEPER natural born and bred. Thank you for taking time to read and to write me.
And to all -
Keep reading and keep believing. I hope to see you soon on the road and yes, I'll be coming in on A Wing and A Prayer!
River Jordan
posted by River Jordan at 10:48 AM
 
1 Comments:
I'm so excited that Penguin is going to publish "Praying For Strangers"! Kudos to you, my friend. Nice post about the weekend and the writing world in general.
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