Ruthie

I've come to help you, she said,

The wind is strong and it might

Blow you over. I don't want you to fall.

Two others called out:

First: Man, she's taking care of you;

Then: You're one lucky guy today.

She held out her elbow for

Him to take. They left

The building, headed for his car.

Watch your step, this wind

Is fierce. He tightened his hold

On her arm. Thanks, he said.

The southern sky was robin's egg blue;

Black clouds were approaching from the north.

In between, weather-making wind was buffeting.

Here we are, she said, opening his door.

He slid safely into the driver's seat,

Kissing his forehead, she patted his shoulder.

Made it! he shouted ceremoniously.

We usually do, she smiled.

He inserted the key into the ignition.

Kate Middleton's Christmas

Kate Middleton has asked Wills to get these books for her. Good taste, right? These books make nice Christmas gifts, along with a box of candy, a bottle of chardonnay, or even some flowers. Or, you can go first-class with a dram of single malt or a cup of espresso. 

1. SONGS OF SADNESS, SONGS OF LOVE, by Larry K. Andrews. (Mystery-Romance. Author ˛House, ISBN 978-1-4567-1595-3) This is the story of Ryan Graves, a young boy growing up. With the usual fears of adolescence, and a physical disability that causes him even greater agony and heightened fears and of being rejected by his peers. The reader watches this young man as he goes through middle school, high school, and the university with new emotional challenges at each level. This is a study about how people respond to challenging experiences in their lives; some people are overwhelmed and defeated by their challenges while others accept and accommodate them, moving onwards to successful adulthood.

2. THE CHINA-AFRICA PARALLAX: A RYAN AND GILLIAN MYSTERY, by Larry K. Andrews. (Action-Thriller. Author ˛House, ISBN 978-1-4520-1765-5)The China-Africa Parallax: A Ryan and Gillian Mystery describes how representatives of China and Africa are conspiring to steal research data from major US universities. They will kill anyone who gets in their way in order to achieve their ultimate goal: China’s economic and military domination of the world. This is a fast-moving mystery with an emphasis on today’s geo-political issues and economics. Ryan Graves and his wife, Gillian Davies, characters introduced in Songs of Sadness, Songs of Love, assume perilous, key roles central to the FBI strategy to thwart the devastating conspiracy.

Early Christmas shopping

These books aren’t sold at J. C. Penny; Dolly Parton hasn’t endorsed my writing.When paired, they’d make nice Christmas gifts, along with a box of candy, a bottle of chardonnay, or even a some flowers; or you can go first-class with a dram of single malt or a cup of espresso. 

1. SONGS OF SADNESS, SONGS OF LOVE, by Larry K. Andrews. (Mystery-Romance. Author ˛House, ISBN 978-1-4567-1595-3) This is the story of Ryan Graves, a young boy growing up. With the usual fears of adolescence, and a physical disability that causes him even greater agony and heightened fears and of being rejected by his peers. The reader watches this young man as he goes through middle school, high school, and the university with new emotional challenges at each level. This is a study about how people respond to challenging experiences in their lives; some people are overwhelmed and defeated by their challenges while others accept and accommodate them, moving onwards to successful adulthood.

2. THE CHINA-AFRICA PARALLAX: A RYAN AND GILLIAN MYSTERY, by Larry K. Andrews. (Action-Thriller. Author ˛House, ISBN 978-1-4520-1765-5)The China-Africa Parallax: A Ryan and Gillian Mystery describes how representatives of China and Africa are conspiring to steal research data from major US universities. They will kill anyone who gets in their way in order to achieve their ultimate goal: China’s economic and military domination of the world. This is a fast-moving mystery with an emphasis on today’s geo-political issues and economics. Ryan Graves and his wife, Gillian Davies, characters introduced in Songs of Sadness, Songs of Love, assume perilous, key roles central to the FBI strategy to thwart the devastating conspiracy.

Available at amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. Or, order e-books direct from amazon.com and Barnes & Noble or the Kindle Store.

Some Halloween Stories

Delightful read-alouds:

The Old Witch

by The Brothers Grimm

Shippeitaro

by Mary F. Nixon-Roulet

Hansel and Gretel

by The Brothers Grimm

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow

by Washington Irving

Burg Hill's on Fire

by Elizabeth W. Grierson

The King of the Cats

by Ernest Rhys

The Strange Visitor

by Joseph Jacobs

The Benevolent Goblin

by Gesta Romanorum

The Phantom Knight of the Vandal Camp

by Gesta Romanorum

Good and not good writers

"From my close observation of writers...they fall into two groups:1) those who bleed copiously and visibly at any bad review, and2) those who bleed copiously and secretly at any bad review."

--  Isaac Asimov

Teach a man to fish . . .

1. Teach a man to fish and he will kick your ass and steal your fishing pole.
2. Teach a man to fish and he will eat for a lifetime. Teach a man to create an artificial shortage of fish and he will eat steak.
3. Teach a man to fish, and you can sell him a ton of accessories.
 4. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day. 

A Gift You Can Rant About

THE CHINA-AFRICA PARALLAX: A RYAN AND GILLIAN MYSTERY, by Larry K. Andrews. (Action-Thriller. Author ˛House, ISBN 978-1-4520-1765-5)The China-Africa Parallax: A Ryan and Gillian Mystery describes how representatives of China and Africa are conspiring to steal research data from major US universities. They will kill anyone who gets in their way in order to achieve their ultimate goal: China’s economic and military domination of the world. This is a fast-moving mystery with an emphasis on today’s geo-political issues and economics. Ryan Graves and his wife, Gillian Davies, characters introduced in Songs of Sadness, Songs of Love, assume perilous, key roles central to the FBI strategy to thwart the devastating conspiracy.

Available at amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. Or, order e-books direct from amazon.com and Barnes & Noble or the Kindle Store.

Shopping for a thoughtful gift?

This book is a great fall reading gift, especially when paired with a dram of single malt, a cup of espresso, or a glass of Chardonnay.

1. SONGS OF SADNESS, SONGS OF LOVE, by Larry K. Andrews. (Mystery-Romance. Author House, ISBN 978-1-4567-1595-3) This is the story of Ryan Graves, a young boy growing up with the usual fears of adolescence, and a physical disability that causes him even greater agony and heightened fears and of being rejected by his peers. The reader empathizes with this young man as he goes through middle school, high school, and the university with new emotional challenges at each level. This is a study about how people respond to challenging experiences in their lives; some people are overwhelmed and defeated by their challenges while others accept and accommodate them, moving onwards to successful adulthood

I'm like Terril Owens looking for another chance

Part of my ancient history:

Lancelot Andrewes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lancelot Andrewes (1555 – 1626) was an English bishop and scholar, who held high positions in the Church of England during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. During the latter's reign,  Andrewes served successively as Bishop of Chichester, Ely and Winchester and oversaw the translation of the Authorized Version (or King James Version) of the Bible. 

Are We Related?

Lancelot Andrewes

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lancelot Andrewes (1555 – 25 September 1626) was an English bishop and scholar, who held high positions in the Church of England during the reigns of Queen Elizabeth I and King James I. During the latter's reign,  Andrewes served successively as Bishop of Chichester, Ely and Winchester and oversaw the translation of the Authorized Version (or King James Version) of the Bible. In the Church of England he is commemorated on 25 September with a Lesser Festival.

Early life, education and ordination

Andrewes was born in 1555 near All Hallows, Barking, by the Tower of London - originally a dependency of Barking Abbey in Barking, Essex, of an ancient Suffolkfamily later domiciled at Chichester Hall, Rawreth; his father, Thomas, was master of  Trinity House. Andrewes attended the Cooper's free school, Ratcliff, in the parish of Stepney and then the Merchant Taylors' School under Richard Mulcaster. In 1571 he entered Pembroke Hall, Cambridge and graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree, proceeding to a Master of Arts degree in 1578.[1] His academic reputation spread so quickly that on the foundation in 1571 of Jesus College, Oxford he was named in the charter as one of the founding scholars "without his privity" (Isaacson, 1650); his connection with the college seems to have been purely notional, however.[2] In 1576 he was elected fellow of Pembroke College, Cambridge; in 1580 he took orders[3] and in 1581 was incorporated MA at Oxford. As catechist at his college he read lectures on the Decalogue (published in 1630), which aroused great interest.

Andrewes was the brother of the scholar and cleric Roger Andrewes who also served as a translator for the King James Version of the Bible.

Write like a writer

If you want to be recognized as a "writer," there's no proscribed wardrobe, no preferred, or a sexy alias or pen name. Having published four textbooks and two novels, I have some advice for the aspiring writers. First, the basics. You must, you absolutely must know when and why to use the following items the way successful (that means published)writers use them:  it/it's, there/their/they're, to/two/too. Treat the languages with care and precision. In the last six weeks I've recorded these unconventional usages:   1. The nerve of the person who lives below Tom and I . . . 2. My son and I was conversing... 3. People allow "X" to run there life... 4. I probably should have went to a restaurant . . . Sentences like these will stop an editor from reading further in a manuscript. Any consideration of the  manuscript will end, full stop. "but I'm an informal blogger" is no excuse! "But I'm merely commenting on a book in goodreads, The Reading Room," and the like is no excuse! Writers who are recognized as writers write like writers, not 7th graders.

Writing Poetry

            Furrows 

From a Bunn or perhaps a Krupp,

You pour the coffee into the cup

And then you stir in some cream,

Changing the whole coloration scheme,

Moving slowly, little by little. The lighter hues

Expand throughout until they diffuse

Into a new complexion, like every furrow

On your brow:  imperceptible change is thorough.  

Writing poems

I'll appreciate your suggestions, criticisms, and any other ideas you have about this poem. Thanks.

From a Bunn or perhaps a Krupp,
You pour the coffee into the cup
And then you stir in some cream,
Changing the whole coloration scheme,
Moving slowly, little by little. The lighter hues
Expand throughout until they diffuse
Into a new complexion, like every furrow
On your brow, the change is imperceptible but thorough.

Writing Poems

 Today I submitted 5 poems for publication. Here they are for your reading pleasure, I hope.

            Immanuel

The folk invoke their god:

Immanuel, Immanuel God be with us!

Oprah, Oprah, the Barbies exult.

They wait for Judge Judy,

Then quiver in rapture

When Judge and Bird emerge.

Tyra, Tyra, the Thumbelinas praise!

On another stage Ellen conjures

The Believers' spirits,

Then they arise and rejoice.

Each time the floor director gives

The cue, the people go to a

Perfect  world, riding My

Little Pony to Eden.

Life begins by pulling a string

Grounded in a memory chip.

          The Show

Grover, Sparky, Lefty and Cap.

Ernie, Yogi, Ducky and Nap.

Hit it where they ain't.

Jesse, Happy, Mickey and Whitey,

Eddie, Charlie, Jocko and Rollie.

Good pitchers master the feint.

Dizzy, Dazzy, Daffy  and Ted.

Reggie, Sandy, Jackie and Red.

Ball fans worship Rita the Saint.

              Next of Kin

You're asked to name your next of kin

Should an accident call and find you in;

For assurance, for insurance, or even worse:

Who's going to pay for the funereal hearse,

The plot, the burial crew, and the obit?

Your mother, father or brother could be it.

Or, your next of kin could be.

Maybe a cousin who's free

At the time. A nephew, niece or sister,

An uncle or an aunt, or any Mister

With the same last name as yours.

It could be one of your mentors

Who helped you become you;

You know, your own personal guru.

Next of kin isn't only determined

By blood  but also love, well-fashioned.

  The Duck

Like a shoe in the socks drawer,

Or a tuxedo on a wild boar,

A duck scrunched on our front porch,

As apt as a Christmas tiki torch.

The duck wasn't expected

And seemed disconnected.

It's not difficult, though, to devine

His surprise was greater than mine.

  Family Circle

At a round rest stop table

The usual can of pork

And beans, with nothing added

To make them seem more than

They were, was the only side.

The mother prepared simple

Cold cut sandwiches, neat,

Without mayo or lettuce,

And the ordinary meal

Became a summer picnic.

It evolved into a meal of love

And they were like some

Westward pioneers who stopped

Someplace near here to be

In a family way.

write a poem

    The Duck  Like a shoe in the socks drawer,  Or a tuxedo on a boar, A duck scrunched on our front porch, Apt as a Christmas tiki torch.   The duck wasn't expected And seemed disconnected. It's not difficult, though, to devine  His surprise was greater than mine.

Writing Poetry

I've been away for a time with a health issue. Back to writing today. What's your feeling about this one? thanks for your ideas. Like an undershirt in the socks drawer, Or a champagne flute in a sweater, A duck scrunched on our front porch, Apt as a Christmas tiki torch.  The duck wasn't expected And seemed totally disconnected. It appered nevertheless. Is it necessary to devine The duck's surprise was greater than mine?

Writing poetry

Jesse, Happy, Mickey and Stan

Jesse, Happy, Mickey and Stan,

Eddie, Charlie, Jocko and Sam.

"Always hustle; that's our plan.”

Grover, Sparky, Richie and Cap.

Ernie, Yogi, Roger and Nap.

"Watch the ball hit the bat."

Dizzy, Dazzy, Daffy  and Ted.

Reggie, Sandy, Jackie and Red.

"Eye on the ball, rule A to Zed."

Writing poetry,revision

Grover, Sparky, Richie and Cap.

Ernie, Yogi, Roger and Nap.

"Watch the ball hit the bat."

Jesse, Happy, Mickey and Stan,

Eddie, Charlie, Jocko and Sam.

"Always hustle; that’s my philosophy.”

Dizzy, Dazzy, Daffy  and Ted.

Reggie, Sandy, Jackie and Red.

"Keep your eye on the ball, A to Zed."

Writing poetry

Grover, Sparky, Richie and Cap.

Ernie, Yogi, Roger and Nap.

"Watch the ball hit the bat."

Jesse, Happy, Mickey and Stan,

Eddie, Charlie, Jocko and Sam.

"Always hustle; that’s my philosophy.”

Dizzy, Dazzy, Daffy  and Ted.

Reggie, Sandy, Jackie and Red.

"Keep your eye on the ball, A to Zed."

Four poems

    I’ve Come to Help You

I've come to help you, she said,

The wind is strong and it might

Blow you over. I don't want you to fall.

Two others called out:

First: Man, she's taking care of you;

Then: You're one lucky guy today.

She held out her elbow for

Him to take. They left

The building, headed for his car.

Watch your step, this wind

Is fierce. He tightened his hold

On her arm. Thanks, he said.

The southern sky was robin's egg blue;

Black clouds were approaching from the north.

In between, weather-making wind was buffeting.

Here we are, she said, opening his door.

He slid safely into the driver's seat,

Kissing his forehead, she patted his shoulder.

Made it! he shouted ceremoniously.

We usually do, she smiled.

He inserted the key into the ignition.

             

 Immanuel

The folk invoke their Immanuel.

Immanuel, Immanuel, God be with us!

Oprah, Oprah, the Barbies exult.

They wait for Judge Judy,

Then quiver in rapture

When the Judge and the Bird emerge.

Tyra, Tyra, the Thumbelinas praise!

On another stage Ellen conjures

The Believers' spirits,

Then they arise and rejoice.

Each time the floor director gives

The cue, the people go to a

Perfect world, riding My

Little Pony to Eden. A fulfilled

Life begins by pulling a string

Grounded in a memory chip.

Family Circle

At a round rest stop table

The usual can of pork

And beans, plain, nothing added

To make them seem more

Than they were, was the only side.

The mother prepared simple

Bologna sandwiches, neat,

With no mayo or lettuce,

And the ordinary meal

Became a summer picnic:

It was an unbroken circle,

Singing songs of childhood.

They were like westward

Pioneers who stopped

Someplace near here decades sooner

To locate themselves

In a family way.

      Standing in the snow

Nothing read on a screen can

Be considered anything like

A book, he said with a tenacious

Grip on certainty. A book is

A book is a book; it has pages

And it has a spine, he grumbled.

Books use words, of course,

Not pixels. To hold a book,

He said, just feels good.

Why do you suppose people

Created screens? I asked.

He was wearing sandals

Like a young man years earlier

Standing in the snow at

Hadrian's Wall, the pride

Of Rome and the civilized

World. He looked at me with

Imperious eyes and grunted:

They didn't do it for me.

Baseball and Love

Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good too.

For Easter . . .

These books aren’t sold at J. C. Penny, but they’re easily available elsewhere. When paired, they’d make nice Easter gifts (along with a box of candy, a bottle of chardonnay, or even a Mini Cooper).

1. SONGS OF SADNESS, SONGS OF LOVE, by Larry K. Andrews. (Mystery-Romance) This is the story of Ryan Graves, a young boy growing up. Not only does he have the usual fears of adolescence, but a physical disability causes him even greater agony and heightened fears and of being rejected by his peers. The reader watches this young man as he goes through middle school, high school, and the university with new emotional challenges at each level. This is a study about how people respond to challenging experiences in their lives; some people are overwhelmed and defeated by their challenges while others accept and accommodate them, moving onwards to successful adulthood.

2. THE CHINA-AFRICA PARALLAX: A RYAN AND GILLIAN MYSTERY, by Larry K. Andrews. (Action-Thriller) The China-Africa Parallax: A Ryan and Gillian Mystery describes how representatives of China and Africa are conspiring to steal research data from major US universities. They will kill anyone who gets in their way in order to achieve their ultimate goal: China’s economic and military domination of the world. This is a fast-moving mystery with an emphasis on today’s geo-political issues and economics. Ryan Graves and his wife, Gillian Davies, characters introduced in Songs of Sadness, Songs of Love, assume perilous, key roles central to the FBI strategy to thwart the devastating conspiracy.

Available at amazon.com and Barnes & Noble. Or, order e-books direct from amazon.com and Barnes & Noble or the Kindle Store.

Writing an unfinished poem.

My friend and book club colleague Janice Terry pointed out to me that poems are never "finished." We just abandon them for a while with a view to returning to the poem when we feel the inspiration. So, with Janice's words still on my mind, here's a "finished" poem.

        

I've come to help you, she said,

The wind is strong and it might

Blow you over. I don't want you to fall.

Two others called out:

First: Man, she's taking care of you;

Then: You're one lucky guy today.

She held out her elbow for

Him to take. They left

The building, headed for his car.

Watch your step, this wind

Is fierce. He tightened his hold

On her arm. Thanks, he said.

The southern sky was robin's egg blue;

Black clouds were approaching from the north.

In between, weather-making wind was buffeting.

Here we are, she said, opening his door.

He slid safely into the driver's seat,

Kissing his forehead, she patted his shoulder.

Made it! he shouted ceremoniously.

We usually do, she smiled.

He inserted the key into the ignition.

I've Come to to Help You

        

I've come to help you, she said,

The wind is strong and it might

Blow you over. I don't want you to fall.

Two others called out:

First: Man, she's taking care of you;

Then: You're one lucky guy today.

She held out her elbow for

Him to take. They left

The building, headed for his car.

Watch your step, this wind

Is fierce. He tightened his hold

On her arm. Thanks, he said.

The southern sky was robin's egg blue;

Black clouds were approaching from the north.

In between, weather-making wind was buffeting.

Here we are, she said, opening his door.

He safely slid into the driver's seat,

Kissing his forehead, she patted his shoulder.

We made it, he said with mock ceremony.

We usually do, she smiled back.

He inserted his key into the ignition.

Larry Andrews, Writer and Author: Writing goals

Larry Andrews, Writer and Author: Writing goals: Robert B. Parker has been an enormous influence on my writing. First, I appreciate the brevity he accomplishes with well-written dialogue. ...

Writing Poems

I've come to help you, she said,

The wind is strong and it might

Blow you over. I don't want you to fall.

Two others called out:

She's sure taking care of you;

You're a lucky brother today.

She held out her elbow for

Him to take. They left

The building, headed for his car.

Watch your step, this wind

Is fierce. He tightened his hold

On her arm. Thanks, he said.

The southern sky was robin's egg blue;

Black clouds were forming to the north.

Here we are, she said, opening the car door.

He slid safely into the driver's seat,

Clicked the belt, and then

He inserted the ignition key.

Writing goals

Robert B. Parker has been an enormous influence on my writing. First, I appreciate the brevity he accomplishes with well-written dialogue. Second, his goal of writing one chapter a day makes sense to me; I've adopted that goal --- a chapter a day --- when I'm working in a novel.

Poems, on the other hand, are less expansive.  My goal with poetry is one poem a week. I need more time to consider each word.

What do you think?