The cover art is completed. Here’s a quick look at my novel’s cover – the book is launching this summer.
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Novels with Environmental Themes
After casually searching several times for a comprehensive list last year, I recently stumbled across a link for a pdf titled “Environmental Novels: An Annotated Bibliography.” It was compiled by Lauren Bordson and Laura Barnes and lists almost 140 novels with environmental themes.
I’m encouraged by this because while there are several short lists out there, I hadn’t come across a list that was exclusive to novels and had over 100 entries. Since environmental themes underly much of my fiction, this is an area I’m interested in developing a focus on over time. Having a more well-rounded starting point is helpful. I found I couldn’t build much steam examining the theme from including both nonfiction and fictional books over time, nor was it helpful to look at both short stories and novels simultaneously either. The distinctive focus of environmental themes in novels while mentioned frequently in passing among various sources, hasn’t found a specifc sustained home on the web that I’ve encountered.
So, environmental themes in novels, along with my adventures this year in self-publishing (more on that after February 24th), is the planned focus I have for my blogging efforts in 2012. Between the two topics, that should provide more than enough for regularly having at least two posts a month throughout this year.
Several updates
While autumn was busy regarding hourly work, by far the most involved project was finalizing my novel for a full submission. As of this morning, Tangled Ties to a Manatee was submitted to the Amazon Breakthrough Novel Awards. Since Createspace is my current first choice for self-publication and Createspace is a division of Amazon, submitting there felt like a good fit. Plus, the ABNA contest is tied directly to Penguin, a traditional publisher, so that submission also includes seeking them out, if the novel were to do well in the competition. More on that will be forthcoming as the rounds of judging continue over the next several months.
I’ve also streamlined my activism and nonprofit volunteer efforts with Sierra Club this year. I like working with a group that get some tangible goals met (and have measures in place for when they do not.) There is some writing included in that as well, such as articles for newsletters.
Further I’ve joined google+ and see some interesting possibilities for authors and social media choices there. Doing so, I’m realizing I may need to update my good, but aging main computer – not exactly my favorite thing to consider doing. However, I’ll be looking at that more in February and hopefully see what my options are after making a decision there. Ideally, I’d like to be able to bring the social media use more prominently into this site.
Updated site coming soon
Still working on updating domain name registry and hosting matchup here.
Plan to change the focus a bit, while still having the basic static information about my writing as well.
Good Storytelling & Benjamin Button
I finally had both the time and opportunity to watch the film “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.” At two and three-quarter hours in length it is a significant commitment. But, putting aside hectic schedules, it is a film that is well worth viewing.
For those unfamiliar, the character Benjamin Button is born old and reverse ages throughout his life. The film is loosely based on the short story by F. Scott Fitzgerald published in 1922. While there are many facets to the film that are endearing, one of the particularly good features is the use of a retirement home used for Benjamin’s upbringing. By doing that, the story’s setting avoided numerous likely hazards of human interaction and development that would otherwise likely hamper the suspension of disbelief necessary for the viewer to buy into the storyline. The use of the setting again towards the conclusion of the story helps bring the two main protagonists paths together again in full circle.
While there was a great deal about death and the loss of loved ones in the story, other than possibly those struck by lightening, the film didn’t treat that loss lightly. Rather, it spanned enough time so that the passing was woven in as a part of life. Further, while Benjamin’s case placed him in unusual circumstances and did set him apart from the usual progression of family life, there was enough integration into society and its culture for a full life to be had. Also, the unique arc of the story gives it that special something characteristic of good storytelling.
So, if one finds oneself with several hours of free time at a stretch, and are curious about how the filmmakers portray a life where a character ages backwards, “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” is a film that values the life lived, however unusual, while regularly reminding that it is but temporary.