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Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Bookworms, Creamed Corn and Skynyrd

I'm almost convinced I have a tag me sign taped to my back. Twice in one week. This one's about books, and I'm all up in that, so I'm game. Bookworm Award rules: 1) Open the closest book-not a favorite or most intellectual book-but the book closest at the moment, to page 56. 2) Write out the fifth sentence, as well as two to five sentences following there. Despite cat privileges (does anyone else declare these?-when the cat's comfortable weighting a human, said human does not have to move?), I reach:

Dark Rain by Tony Richards:

The goods he was delivering slid around a little in the back. Big brown crates filled up with canned goods, any kind that you could think of. Beets, clams, tuna, creamed corn-name it, it was there. This was all he did, come rain or shine. Deliver the stuff to the grocery stores throughout the area.
And he was usually happy with his lot. Not now, though. Not at all.

Tagged to play: Melanie, Laughingwolf, Pam, Sandra
and Marilyn (because we all know what they say about paybacks)

~

Since I began writing The Night Caller, my fascination with nineteenth century photos has increased exponentially. I stumbled across this one a few days ago:Do you see it? I'm not one to buy into every potato chip-Jesus thing, but I had a hard time seeing past the dominant image at first. If you cover the wavy hair, you'll see a child in a white hat. Take your hand away, it could be a precursor to a Skynyrd album cover.

~

Who doesn't love a guarantee? Literature-map is the book version of Netflix's suggestions. Type in your favorite author and out spills a treasure map of proximity to your tastes. Great tool for writers who need to prime their market savvy, too.

That's all the randomness I have to offer today. Wear black on Friday, we're burying our worst writing crutch word.

8 comments:

Marilyn Brant said...

Oh, I'm happy to play. The book closest to me is Suzanne Brockman's ALL THROUGH THE NIGHT, which I borrowed from my friend Karen months ago and still haven't read. Though I really want to...
pg.56, 5th sentence+5:

"Kuhlman?" he asked. "Yeah, it probably is. Who's Kuhlman?"

"You are," she said. "William Kuhlman."

He laughed.

(Suzanne writes short sentences. :)

Barbara Martin said...

The Literature Map provided me with a couple of authors I haven't read before, so I'm going to try them out over the holiday season.

Maureen McGowan said...

That photo is eerie!

laughingwolf said...

thx lam :D

tim lebbon's, 'fears unnamed'

p.56, 5th sentence +:

Some stood still, or sat down, forgetting to move at all.

Scott's voice ran in again, and for the first time I realized that it was only his voice. Footsteps no longer accompanied his cries. He had either stopped running, or was too far away for me to hear them. Yet still he was crying out for Matthew, and somewhere he looked upon ghosts and did not see his dead son's face, because his call came again and again. I ran on, but with every step, and whichever direction I took, his voice grew fainter.

I came across a district of timber buildings, most of the squared and severe looking with their ancient saw marks, a few seemingly made from the natural shape of cut trees; curved roofs, irregular walls, windows of bare branches wqhere leaves may have grown once.

Vesper said...

Bizarre photo. I'm not able to see the child in a white hat!

:-)

Anonymous said...

I'll be able to play when not at work--I don't think you want to hear page 56 of Standard & Poore's Guide to Money and Investing...

laughingwolf said...

i see the child in the hat, and a man just above the fuzzy haired woman's forehead... neat

[readmirs: my word verifier]

L.A. Mitchell said...

Marilyn...thanks for playing. She does write lean, doesn't she? Like her men.

Barbara...I'm so happy you found the literature map useful. I love that instead of just suggestions, it gives a visual proximity.

Maureen...I agree. I think it's because we know it came before the digital capability to alter an image.

laughingwolf...this writing had me hooked. I'll be sure to watch for his work. Thanks for playing.

Vesper...Try again. I'm sure you see the wavy, long-haired bearded image staring off to the left that looks like it's in the seated guy's lap. Now, hold your finger over the long, wavy hair. You'll see a toddler in a short-sleeve white shirt with a white cap pulled low over his brow. Only the child's cheeks and nose and mouth is visible. The image's long hair is actually a bush in the background.

Pam...thanks for sparing us...LOL

lw...I wish the bottom of the picture were clearer. There could be other images lurking in shadow.