tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42287605412812103112024-03-05T08:18:34.642-06:00Mitzi McMahonLife in WisconsinMitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.comBlogger117125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-57903661065618300402016-02-21T18:28:00.000-06:002016-02-21T18:34:54.030-06:00A Long AbsenceThings have gotten complicated... FaceBook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, Flickr, etcetera, etcetera. Truth be told, the only social media I engage with is FaceBook, and even then, it's not uncommon for several weeks go by without a new post from me. I just barely have a functioning LinkedIn presence and, while I have accounts with Pinterest and Flickr, months go by before I even <i>think</i> about logging in. Sort of like my blog, here. I meant to stay current, to add quick entries as things happened (and things DID happen on the publishing front), but it's been a year since my last post, so it clearly didn't go as intended. Okay, confession over.<br />
<br />
Publishing news:<br />
<br />
Two photos of mine "Keeler - Population 50" and " Chive Seed Pods in Yellow-Violet" appeared in the Summer 2015 issue of Apeiron Review. I was really thrilled to get the news! You can view them here: <a href="https://issuu.com/apeironreview/docs/issue-9/59#signin">link</a>, pages 59 and 66, respectively.<br />
<br />
My short story "Prison-Orange Bandolinos" appeared in the Spring 2015 issue of r.kv.r.y. quarterly literary journal. You can read it here: <a href="http://rkvryquarterly.com/prison-orange-bandolinos-by-mitzi-mcmahon/">story link</a>. I love this journal and really admire the editor-in-chief, Mary Akers for lots of reasons, not the least of which is her writing. I feel honored to be included.<br />
<br />
I won't make any promises about frequent posts, long absences, or summer being right around the corner. But I can say that I've recently dusted off my camera again, so I'm taking that as a good sign.Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-65224623496390849262015-02-22T15:01:00.002-06:002015-02-22T15:01:42.993-06:00Metallic Sunrise & Juluchuca HomesteadI'm enormously pleased to share that two of my photos appear in <i>Marathon Literary Review's</i> latest issue. Metallic Sunrise is <a href="http://marathonlitreview.com/?p=814">here</a>. Juluchuca Homestead is <a href="http://marathonlitreview.com/?p=816">here</a>. These were both taken during a trip to Mexico in February 2013. The scenery was beautiful and the locals were welcoming and kind enough to let us catch a glimpse of their day-to-day life.Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-73066832719035787932015-01-26T09:35:00.000-06:002015-02-22T15:02:08.106-06:00Two AcceptancesI'm very pleased to report that I have not one, but two (!), acceptances to share - one in fiction and one in photography. My short story "Prison-Orange Bandolinos" has been accepted by Rkvry Literary Journal. Two photos - "Juluchuca Homestead" and "Metallic Sunrise" - have been accepted by Marathon Literary Review. I'm super excited!Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-51355053317032277642014-06-18T09:35:00.000-05:002014-06-18T09:35:21.341-05:00Saving LolaThe latest edition of <i>The Summerset Review</i> is out and includes my story "Saving Lola." I'm thrilled to be included! You can view it <a href="http://www.summersetreview.org/14summer/lola.html">here</a>.Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-21021293830888740982014-04-05T22:19:00.001-05:002014-04-05T22:19:32.073-05:00Great read:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulbw_wssxCO6ZkClYCTFJxg3oMWs4oO-2i1tutm23PIyPcIFersZfNEUMpJ3_YTidoscvFwU1ya7ZmryTeupdbAcYK3Tx9oifo9QctQA5l3jpFTL7SbFyxNiBwPEjIZazQAA5EoQpEzk/s3200/breaking-night-liz-murray.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiulbw_wssxCO6ZkClYCTFJxg3oMWs4oO-2i1tutm23PIyPcIFersZfNEUMpJ3_YTidoscvFwU1ya7ZmryTeupdbAcYK3Tx9oifo9QctQA5l3jpFTL7SbFyxNiBwPEjIZazQAA5EoQpEzk/s3200/breaking-night-liz-murray.jpg" height="200" width="131" /></a></div>
Liz Murray's <i>Breaking Night</i> is amazing, inspiring, and distressing. I found it painful to witness what the author, as a young girl-turned-teenager, endured. Her experiences were horrendous. I read many sections with tears pooled in my eyes. It's unfathomable to
me how these sorts of things happen to children, how they happen every
day, how her story is not unique. And yet she survived. She persevered. Hers is a story of true grit and determination, of unapologetic love and survival. Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-80514145242446565242014-03-30T12:27:00.000-05:002014-04-05T22:20:51.470-05:00Great read:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKiAl9vemGJjxL6rl_ULUXf_v4jw-l4AYmiizi00NUcbMP1Gu1zBh-7XOhqkjs6Ren1mQra1WilydKcUedEduAGVUS3g-9R3UlJTmpoip5Hn09zDGFatmKeBZUycG-zVqfWoqHzpUKg-g/s3200/heaven+is+here.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKiAl9vemGJjxL6rl_ULUXf_v4jw-l4AYmiizi00NUcbMP1Gu1zBh-7XOhqkjs6Ren1mQra1WilydKcUedEduAGVUS3g-9R3UlJTmpoip5Hn09zDGFatmKeBZUycG-zVqfWoqHzpUKg-g/s3200/heaven+is+here.jpg" height="200" width="133" /></a>I finished Stephanie Nielson's <i>Heaven Is Here </i>last night... what an amazing account of the human spirit. The book is divided into 3 sections: life before the crash, the crash along with the 5 months spent in the hospital, and life after leaving the hospital. Full disclosure: I didn't much care for the 1st section. For me, it was too pie-in-the-sky-and-everything-is-perfect... it was hard to get through it. But the rest of the book was fully engaging. I read with interest and sometimes with tears in my eyes. Simply incredible what she has gone through.<br />
<br />
I took something away from this book that is so subtle yet so powerful: <i> </i><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i> ... without a doubt the true source of happiness, self-worth, and authentic beauty doesn't come from the outside. Woman are constantly being persuaded to want something unachievable, to look younger or thinner and above all to fit in because being different is too painful and embarrassing.</i> ... <i>our hearts matter most. YOUR heart matters most, so be gentler and more patient with yourself, and THEIR hearts matter most, too, so be kinder and more compassionate to others. It's a beautiful heart, not a perfect body, that leads to a beautiful life.</i></div>
</blockquote>
<br />
Thank you Stephanie Nielson.<br />
<br />Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-58164355515363254822014-03-23T14:16:00.001-05:002014-03-23T14:16:25.702-05:00Saving LolaIt saddens me to realize that I've not added an entry here since last December, but the truth is that my life has been extraordinarily difficult over the past 6 months, all to do with a personal situation I'm not yet ready to talk about here. But I will one day, hopefully sooner rather than later.<br />
<br />
In the meantime, I have some good news to share... my story "Saving Lola" has been accepted by <i>The Summerset Review</i>. I am thrilled, thrilled, thrilled! This is a long story (nearly 7500 words) and some of my writer friends gently suggested that I find a way to cut it down to the more acceptable 5000 word range. But I held fast (some might label it stubbornness) that the length was needed and earned; I believed in the story and am pleased beyond words that Joe Levens at <i>The Summerset Review</i> agreed with my vision. "Saving Lola" will go live in their next edition due out in June. Woo-hoo!Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-25608687085766637272013-12-18T22:20:00.001-06:002013-12-18T22:20:38.930-06:00An Interesting Read:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQZCVVa1Oxf6GLja3XtM-MluesfTkbSDcT356LAvUDzLk9l8tbUOsePUq7cx40sX_27_W1vwTMwbn7ldoy-XhYJhR0cL3ZDDL9W2tV2WhoYZUI9vMZ5UrFiUNBkYuBBWxVaH5k01bN7Y/s1600/life+after+life.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHQZCVVa1Oxf6GLja3XtM-MluesfTkbSDcT356LAvUDzLk9l8tbUOsePUq7cx40sX_27_W1vwTMwbn7ldoy-XhYJhR0cL3ZDDL9W2tV2WhoYZUI9vMZ5UrFiUNBkYuBBWxVaH5k01bN7Y/s1600/life+after+life.jpg" /></a>Last night I finished Kate Atkinson's <i>Life After Life</i>. My non-reading friends were impressed at its length (529 pages) and couldn't imagine devoting the time to something so long. Then again, they don't read (I can't imagine a life without books!). I was drawn to this book because of the hints given on reincarnation, that the main character dies and is reborn again and again. In the strictest sense this is exactly what happens, but my take isn't that it's reincarnation, rather, it's an exploration into parallel universes.<br />
<br />
To my mind, reincarnation is when a person lives a life as, say, a man who works in a machine shop, gets married and has three kids. He dies at the ripe old age of 81 and then, at his next incarnation, he experiences a life where he's an accountant with a gambling addiction, or a woman at the turn of the century. Different family, different circumstances, different body. What happens in <i>Life After Life</i>, though, is that we see how Ursula Todd's life would've turned out if B had happened instead of A, if G and H happen instead of A, etc. We see how all the different choices play out; if one were to take the path on the right instead of the path on the left. It's a very interesting experiment.<br />
<br />
I did have some trouble getting into the narrative, though, and almost bailed not once but twice. It was around the 100 page mark before I really felt engaged - a long time to expect the reader to hang on. Part of this, for me, might be that I don't usually go for historical fiction. But some of the most interesting story lines and character experiences occurred during the bombings of WWII, both from the perspective of London and Germany. The other part was that seemingly all the rules were broken: multiple POVs within the same chapter and sometimes within the same paragraph. This, in particular, was hard for me to get past. I'm glad I stuck with it... I found that it grew on me, that I came to really know Ursula Todd and all her many sides/lives.<br />
<br />Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-82860504646036590772013-11-22T10:10:00.000-06:002013-11-22T10:10:50.742-06:00CurvesI'm thrilled to share the news that my story "Curves" has been accepted for publication by <i>Hawai'i Pacific Review.</i> It went live today; you can view it <a href="http://hawaiipacificreview.org/2013/11/21/curves/#more-285">here</a>. I'm honored to be included.<br />
<br />
<br />
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:LucidaGrande;
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-alt:"Lucida Grande";
mso-font-charset:77;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:auto;
mso-font-signature:50331648 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--> </style><span style="font-family: LucidaGrande; font-size: 23.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-hansi-font-family: LucidaGrande;"><br /></span>
Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-30555180172369173182013-09-07T20:20:00.001-05:002013-09-07T20:20:20.902-05:00Summer ConcertsIt seems that summertime and music go hand in hand. Witness the plethora of outdoor venues for bands to strut their stuff. A few drinks, some rock 'n roll... what could be better? As wonderful as summer concerts are, the last one I attended was 11 years ago. For some reason, concerts just weren't on my radar. Until this year. I've been to 3 concerts this summer. Three! I go 11 years without seeing a concert and - bam! - I hit three of them this year. What gives? I don't have a clue... all I can say is I've had a blast.<br />
<br />
First up: The Eagles at Summerfest on July 7th. We had grass seats, which is the perfect way to ease into the concert scene after a long absence. My favorite Eagles song: Take It to the Limit<br />
<br />
Next: Sir Paul McCartney at Miller stadium on July 16th. We had great seats, but it was hot as blazes, with high humidity. Only thing to do was to lean into the sweat running down my back and enjoy the show. My favorite McCartney song: Band on the Run.<br />
<br />
Last, but by no means least: Aerosmith at the Marcus Amphitheater on August 30th. What a FABULOUS concert. Full disclosure: I LOVE Aerosmith. I've loved Aerosmith ever since their 1975 Toys In The Attic album. I know each and every one of these songs intimately. I was just barely a teenager and vividly remember lying, many a night, on the floor of our living room, my head close to my parents' console stereo, listening to this album. These songs saw me through scads of teenage angst. And then some. And, after Steven Tyler's stint on American Idol, I feel like I know him, somehow. Watching him week after week afforded me an opportunity to see that he's a regular schmo with a flair for the quirky and over-the-top and a wry sense of humor. Seeing him in concert (in fantastically close seats no less) felt personal to me, and when they played Sweet Emotion (my all-time favorite song), I swear they were playing it just for me.<br />
<br />
As great as the iPhone is, it sucks when it comes to taking pictures at concerts. It took me three concerts to figure out that the best results come if you wait until the lights shine DIRECTLY at you and then snap the picture. Contrary to the mechanics of everything I've learned as a photographer, it somehow works. Here are some of my memories:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YR3I7xRCm5rSUv07lqB_dftNJNfG_19LJOjTKbulBjueSICqSwxm4PCpkw_ogFgQQcyfuhJgNpEYXxg1MTMGGwWy5b-JBwTa9xoIs9bCedA7XAoQOmGcLe_BLaP-QJi32IYM6Ff2nBA/s1600/IMG_1651.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3YR3I7xRCm5rSUv07lqB_dftNJNfG_19LJOjTKbulBjueSICqSwxm4PCpkw_ogFgQQcyfuhJgNpEYXxg1MTMGGwWy5b-JBwTa9xoIs9bCedA7XAoQOmGcLe_BLaP-QJi32IYM6Ff2nBA/s320/IMG_1651.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5z13hP90bRYiCzUiP0ac9SLNq7fUJrGI-3uc9rTM9u3jXfQcHJhC3eA3Yot1hYnsZWw0W36dptJrek9fgLLgYPkri42RFkI4zLQfy2jN8kMErzXQtWMEdCJvu1DHzGlK1QIAdCxpCtM/s1600/IMG_1667.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH5z13hP90bRYiCzUiP0ac9SLNq7fUJrGI-3uc9rTM9u3jXfQcHJhC3eA3Yot1hYnsZWw0W36dptJrek9fgLLgYPkri42RFkI4zLQfy2jN8kMErzXQtWMEdCJvu1DHzGlK1QIAdCxpCtM/s320/IMG_1667.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9w6xCzEJosC27VpqXvQ0WVTM2667EMA8CsgQvkKp2-DF61NSIrOdVJoh3Y3vGGc9er0Eq-G2bob-_GUs_2eDRpIp5_iXdwSM2zlZ4dJcKWc9mQ-UnqhyphenhyphenOr1gRCknuQKTSHKy4PvXoZno/s1600/IMG_1695.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="128" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9w6xCzEJosC27VpqXvQ0WVTM2667EMA8CsgQvkKp2-DF61NSIrOdVJoh3Y3vGGc9er0Eq-G2bob-_GUs_2eDRpIp5_iXdwSM2zlZ4dJcKWc9mQ-UnqhyphenhyphenOr1gRCknuQKTSHKy4PvXoZno/s320/IMG_1695.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSLXb8iVY3t44RC9n3ivcLKcluePg_rqUT_BFeTv18eLifiYSKX3v-P4adqG4gXu-kBYI50OMT5eGK5b_JDFRe2YWn6cpECI5Rv1b_DSMEYkU1P7c7c8VrtOL0iTtj3vnbMOuD3sEWlo/s1600/IMG_1710.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlSLXb8iVY3t44RC9n3ivcLKcluePg_rqUT_BFeTv18eLifiYSKX3v-P4adqG4gXu-kBYI50OMT5eGK5b_JDFRe2YWn6cpECI5Rv1b_DSMEYkU1P7c7c8VrtOL0iTtj3vnbMOuD3sEWlo/s320/IMG_1710.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaOanSMOqOdJ6V3nqXVdSr1dQvf4ed5JZEo7PsBPrXpjTAS_bPm9-GI72nX6NsjO0tR8jwfLRkCTNx_bUxqo-amBkS5oiFYLzDDejoZVt2ezkM_XaHQOi7h3eNFZJwrdIlHQRAAwVXpo/s1600/IMG_1712.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBaOanSMOqOdJ6V3nqXVdSr1dQvf4ed5JZEo7PsBPrXpjTAS_bPm9-GI72nX6NsjO0tR8jwfLRkCTNx_bUxqo-amBkS5oiFYLzDDejoZVt2ezkM_XaHQOi7h3eNFZJwrdIlHQRAAwVXpo/s320/IMG_1712.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xtjdZu7cWPAz6J2RGcdYP7xffVQZM3j87mKRJ0IThuZNYaJC8gEPTjb1aidyL7BziIe0zgDrqqpDa4-xf_WOsBpNaGauloqNoTPrS5SX37YO-M88YgjD2wCb-jmOsV714qEcVWEu0Ac/s1600/IMG_1724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_xtjdZu7cWPAz6J2RGcdYP7xffVQZM3j87mKRJ0IThuZNYaJC8gEPTjb1aidyL7BziIe0zgDrqqpDa4-xf_WOsBpNaGauloqNoTPrS5SX37YO-M88YgjD2wCb-jmOsV714qEcVWEu0Ac/s320/IMG_1724.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-79236310487491097412013-09-03T19:54:00.000-05:002013-09-07T18:45:13.403-05:00Great read:I read a couple of terrific stories in the latest issue (Volume 13, Spring 2013) of<i> The Los Angeles Review</i>:<br />
<br />
* "Landfall" by Robert P. Kaye - This is wonderfully understated so that it sneaks up on you, grabs hold in a powerful way. I admire the ability to take a world news event and make it relatable. <br />
<br />
* "Losing the Title" by David Elliot - This is told in a second person POV, and I, as a rule, don't care for this POV. But, holy cow, this is magnificently rendered. Powerful. Mesmerizing.<br />
<br />
* "Confounding Variables" by Rachael Warecki - This is smart and clever and well-crafted. Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-63409226638034203962013-08-14T22:19:00.001-05:002013-08-14T22:19:29.363-05:00An okay read:I found Kathleen Goonan's <i>Crescent City Rhapsody </i>by perusing the science fiction section at my local library. Finding a good book using this method is like looking for the proverbial needle in the haystack. I don't recommend this approach. I'd come prepared with a list of books to check out, but most of them were unavailable and so I could only place holds on them. Still hungry for something good to read, I was on my way out when I walked through the science fiction aisles. I plucked book after book, skimmed the opening pages, returned them to the shelf and kept moving. My first requirement: no gimmicky, cheesy, genre-prone writing. My second requirement: a plausible subject. No human-eating aliens, please. My dream book? A sci-fi tale written in a literary style.<br />
<br />
<i>Crescent City Rhapsody </i>seemed to fit the bill. <br />
<br />
I wanted to like this more than I did. There are some very interesting
characters and story lines (Zeb and his
brilliance-tinged-with-mental-illness; the strange and amazing abilities
of the children in utero during the initial Pulse), and these are what
kept me from shelving this mid-book. But, ultimately, there were too
many different threads and too much time spent on the ones that didn't
interest me. The author tries to tie them all together by the book's
end, but it wasn't enough for me to overlook all the time and effort
spent on the plot lines that were less engaging for me (the nanotech
angle, the biocities). I was much more drawn to what happens in the
opening chapter: a pulse of some sort washes over the earth and silences
everything electrical, and Zeb, a radio astronomer, has a dipole
antenna set up that records incoming information during the silence. Had
the book opened with one of the other story lines, I probably would
have put it down.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCHY61-FM21X4KBUOej3vFPscNOK1kwZutQDL6rXEGjHuPYkh4hQRZGX-PLLcVihkYAx4wrIjihJWHBLx1CUQNUFDCnhitFhtEbKvYxajH_dewitalTlvCrhAlmEBdFVa-MtMuR2pkKs/s1600/Crescent+City+Rhapsody.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggCHY61-FM21X4KBUOej3vFPscNOK1kwZutQDL6rXEGjHuPYkh4hQRZGX-PLLcVihkYAx4wrIjihJWHBLx1CUQNUFDCnhitFhtEbKvYxajH_dewitalTlvCrhAlmEBdFVa-MtMuR2pkKs/s320/Crescent+City+Rhapsody.jpg" width="222" /></a></div>
Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-38578718485391587012013-08-11T15:04:00.000-05:002013-08-11T15:04:33.599-05:00Picture Window<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtu7CW_uvuCT9RaWcCNFQTXTbTOtCPlVHnJ-VvgwIos6DbMiKaWkNI7v21M3u0kS_7ryd1miFDEFUxUnRqwgVI-IzTskgbm-AMK_oNYFg0pUR0u-d6RZ7KvVSuZwFWP6xZSoeVc4gjAQ/s1600/Sante+Fe+Lit+Reveiw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYtu7CW_uvuCT9RaWcCNFQTXTbTOtCPlVHnJ-VvgwIos6DbMiKaWkNI7v21M3u0kS_7ryd1miFDEFUxUnRqwgVI-IzTskgbm-AMK_oNYFg0pUR0u-d6RZ7KvVSuZwFWP6xZSoeVc4gjAQ/s200/Sante+Fe+Lit+Reveiw.jpg" width="150" /></a></div>
Received my contributor's copies last week of <i>Santa Fe Literary Review.</i> My story "Picture Window" appears in the latest issue. Woo-hoo!Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-39186377841613095182013-05-04T16:07:00.000-05:002013-05-04T16:07:39.821-05:00Great read:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLYrKNIM7b2wWtRNDbHrlLiGvLgfgDw2qQDrUAE1z-7XVQPUWUSnSjnJ0Mvmv5lu86lQUPam9-hQBzNaI5RIebA8dxppJppHp0vwmoyXEfsKFWfd7fLmqKoJ88B_DJWqrQGfiXs39PLE/s1600/wild.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYLYrKNIM7b2wWtRNDbHrlLiGvLgfgDw2qQDrUAE1z-7XVQPUWUSnSjnJ0Mvmv5lu86lQUPam9-hQBzNaI5RIebA8dxppJppHp0vwmoyXEfsKFWfd7fLmqKoJ88B_DJWqrQGfiXs39PLE/s200/wild.jpg" width="134" /></a>I've just finished Cheryl Strayed's <i>Wild: From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail</i> and, holy cow, did I love it. I was humbled, awed, shaken, absorbed, and spellbound as I traveled this journey with her. There's a section when she's with her mother's horse where I flat out balled, experiencing and imagining the torturous feelings she endured. I couldn't put the book down. She cracks open her soul and out pours confusion and self-doubt and anger and yearning; it was painful at times to bear witness to this. But it was equally satisfying to watch the internal growth that occurs during her months-long hike, to observe the understanding and letting go and acceptance that she undergoes while on this extraordinary expedition, to experience how profoundly she changes.<br />
<br />
This was a soul-satisfying read for me.Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-78169262946649572852013-04-21T11:03:00.000-05:002013-04-21T11:03:04.103-05:00Great read:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMKppiiBf27TPplwjSqWQekKeInGc70NYufLes3GArgP7tzn4rZiqLDRZy50TNbvUF2xlVhT3dPfGyT3k18HvZIc72W_GnMtxdhiaDgWubV3DDtiw8ubz48W1acPiEgA4a7pQDflyeJM/s1600/Books_SheWoke.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYMKppiiBf27TPplwjSqWQekKeInGc70NYufLes3GArgP7tzn4rZiqLDRZy50TNbvUF2xlVhT3dPfGyT3k18HvZIc72W_GnMtxdhiaDgWubV3DDtiw8ubz48W1acPiEgA4a7pQDflyeJM/s200/Books_SheWoke.jpg" width="131" /></a>I finished <i>When She Woke</i> yesterday, the 2nd novel by Hillary Jordan, and I LOVED it. It falls under the fantasy genre though, to my mind, it's a perfect blend of literary and fantasy - the kind of novel I aspire to write. The night before last afforded me the rarest of occasions: the opportunity to read uninterrupted. No chores to be done, no meals to be made, no one to talk to. I had the house to myself and so I plucked <i>When She Woke</i> from its spot among the stacks of books on my nightstand and picked up where I'd left off. I had barely gotten into it the night before, just 50 pages or so, enough to be thoroughly intrigued. So I read. And read. The hours slipped by unnoticed as I tumbled into the world of Hannah, a woman who lived in a society where crimes were punished via the injection of a virus that turned your skin yellow or orange or green or red. She was a Red. When my husband came home at 1 AM, I was still up, reading. When he insisted that the bedside lamp be extinguished so he could sleep, I retreated to the kitchen and made some toast with jam, and continued reading. I read at the kitchen counter, my eyes burning, until 3 AM. The next morning, yesterday, I woke and tried to go about my morning, but my mind was on the story. So I succumbed. After my shower, I slipped back into bed, my hair wrapped in a towel, and read. Less than an hour later I was finished.<br />
<br />
I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.... it was excellent on every level. I highly recommend it.<br />
<br />Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-57303182003249288972013-04-06T20:46:00.003-05:002013-04-06T20:47:15.010-05:00Great read:<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rYnZX0caLs_FF6fYJU-sTw00BR-u64B0vUC7ju7-uMUgw8TZhZslCIjNalxvvUUMD9KjUDxa_UXa0wZTxjR8K49fNcGspz0qDcalnSCODL0_kYhDj4hVkyAikRMTkBgtTamatNSAtUc/s1600/200px-Graceling_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8rYnZX0caLs_FF6fYJU-sTw00BR-u64B0vUC7ju7-uMUgw8TZhZslCIjNalxvvUUMD9KjUDxa_UXa0wZTxjR8K49fNcGspz0qDcalnSCODL0_kYhDj4hVkyAikRMTkBgtTamatNSAtUc/s200/200px-Graceling_cover.jpg" width="131" /></a>I've just finished Kristin Cashore's <i>Graceling</i> and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very Game-of-Thrones-esque, which is probably why it appealed to me. Don't let the YA label fool you or dissuade you from picking up this book - I didn't find it simplistic or too vanilla at all. In fact, on this lazy day in April, with raindrops splattering against the windows, and a fuzzy throw snugged around my legs to ward off the stubborn hold of winter, it was the perfect way to spend the afternoon.<br />
<br />
I haven't updated my reading list, here, but I've been busy reading nonetheless. Unfortunately, most of my forays into the genre world were more ho-hum than not:<br />
<br />
* <i>Red Mist</i> by Patricia Cornwell<br />
* <i>The Drop</i> by Michael Connelly<br />
<i>* The Litigators</i> by John Grisham<br />
*<i> The First Prophet</i> by Kay Hooper <br />
<br />
Of these, the only one I really enjoyed was <i>The Drop</i>.<br />
<br />
On the literary front, I read a fantastic story published in <i>One Story</i>: E. B. Lyndon's "Goodbye, Bear." Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-28133982250688173832013-01-27T12:50:00.000-06:002013-01-27T12:50:08.495-06:00Good read:I've just finished Malcolm R. Campbell's <i>The Sun Singer</i> and I really enjoyed it. It's the story of Robert Adams, a high school-aged boy, and his gift of precognitive dreams. Although he foresees the tragic death of his best friend's sister, he's unable to prevent it and so he shoves his ability aside, refusing to engage it. When his grandfather dies unexpectedly, Robert resurrects his gifts in order to complete a task left undone by his beloved grandfather. The story has parallel universes, portals, synchronicity, and magic -- all deliciously woven together.<br />
<br />
The book's back cover contains this label: Contemporary Mythic Adventure. I quite agree.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOduW8ZPC5ZqSSdk15pArHXIhQdtsF_MWhTq-hi3kc9l4FwGi6fosL9C-dWwTpomyqcoXGimxH9ukYUiiw7Auhlo5hY3i27YoStWML5C1VfmZDFZS4mC0k8khvHGcRnPZVsj59fcfkI8/s1600/sun+singer.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOduW8ZPC5ZqSSdk15pArHXIhQdtsF_MWhTq-hi3kc9l4FwGi6fosL9C-dWwTpomyqcoXGimxH9ukYUiiw7Auhlo5hY3i27YoStWML5C1VfmZDFZS4mC0k8khvHGcRnPZVsj59fcfkI8/s200/sun+singer.JPG" width="136" /></a>Although I really enjoyed the story, I feel like I have to say a few words about the beginning chapter. I found it awkward, choppy, amateurish, filled with grammatical errors, and full of one-dimensional characters (of which only two get filled out by story's end). There's also this weird script/layout that occurs on page one and shows up periodically throughout the book, where the prose divides into two columns and the text on the left continues in the standard typeface while the text in the right column is italicized. The intent, I believe, is to showcase, simultaneously, two opposing thoughts/reactions of/by one character to a given situation. The result, in my opinion, is so confusing and odd that it does more harm than good. The whole of this chapter was so off-putting that had the story not gotten pretty quickly to the good stuff, i.e., parallel universe, I would've abandoned the read. And speaking of the "good stuff," I found that although the lack of proof reading was still evident (thought instead of though, then instead of than, etc.), there wasn't any of the awkwardness in phrasing or abrupt switching from one speaker to the next that characterized much of the opening chapter. It was very smooth and very engaging, which makes me think Mr. Campbell was really in his element while composing this part of the story. The downside is that it highlights just how disintegrated the opening chapter is with the rest of the book; it makes it feel like an afterthought.Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-69798488094494591682013-01-11T10:54:00.000-06:002013-01-11T10:54:44.922-06:00Great read:I've just finished Patrick Rothfuss' <i>The Name of the Wind</i> and I really, really enjoyed it.<br />
<br />
First, though, I feel like I ought to get some credit toward my Goodreads 2013 reading challenge for reading a 722 page novel (yes! 722 pages!), that instead of 1 book, it should count as at least 2, maybe even 3. I'm kidding. Sort of.<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3e8qtxQgLske9IYW6d4ROmbUdq0azg78RSSCjsOThj-o4l1VELZG_hOaa2n6eX3RYHoQ70xGBs_fs1YZDvd0gJRw3sTaQC6hsM_nIAhyphenhyphenyGVll10wKPTQXnzZwqAVAbcrVG-4_e_i_fE/s1600/name+of+the+wind.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEim3e8qtxQgLske9IYW6d4ROmbUdq0azg78RSSCjsOThj-o4l1VELZG_hOaa2n6eX3RYHoQ70xGBs_fs1YZDvd0gJRw3sTaQC6hsM_nIAhyphenhyphenyGVll10wKPTQXnzZwqAVAbcrVG-4_e_i_fE/s200/name+of+the+wind.jpg" width="123" /></a>The 722 pages go by quickly. This is fantasy, and the fact that I enjoy fantasy is only a recent revelation to me (see my discovery, <a href="http://mitzimcmahon-lifeinwisconsin.blogspot.com/2012/08/sci-fi.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>). The world Mr. Rothfuss creates is amazing -- rich and believable and all encompassing. The likeability of the protagonist <span class="readable" id="reviewTextContainer20287609"><span id="freeTextContainer15988751836576959467">Kvothe (pronounced "Quothe") is astounding as well: we root for him and believe in him. And the scene where he ends up on his own is one of the best I've had to pleasure to read. It was haunting; utterly surprising and shocking, it and its immediate aftermath has stayed with me.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="readable" id="reviewTextContainer20287609"><span id="freeTextContainer15988751836576959467">I have only 2 small quibbles with this story. The first is when it switches from the present time and assumes a "let me tell you what happened" tone. This is how the entire story is told, actually, where Kvothe recounts his life's events to </span></span><span class="readable" id="reviewTextContainer20287609"><span id="freeTextContainer15988751836576959467"><span class="readable" id="reviewTextContainer20287609"><span id="freeText15988751836576959467">Chronicler, who is busy copying the oral into written form. A</span></span>nd, really, Rothfuss does such a marvelous job in drawing us into young Kvothe's world that we very quickly switch gears and are absorbed into the unfolding scene and story. My reaction stems from the intrigue that surrounds the older Kvothe and his situation at the book's beginning, that I didn't want to leave it to start over as it were. My slight irritation was short-lived, though.</span></span><br />
<br />
<span class="readable" id="reviewTextContainer20287609"><span id="freeTextContainer15988751836576959467">My other quibble has to do with the ending. It feels like it just sort of ends. On the one hand, the story was already 722 pages long, so, really, it was time! On the other hand, I wanted a bit more of <i>something</i>... resolution, closure. Instead, it feels very open-ended, very much like a pause, and I'm guessing that the 2nd in the series, <i>The Wise Man's Fear</i> will pick up seamlessly where this one leaves off. But this just stopping, if you will, left me slightly unsatisfied and is only a very small notch against a fantastically fabulous read.</span></span> Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-58562073251984077072013-01-05T23:01:00.000-06:002013-01-05T23:01:00.066-06:00Great read:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWmW3LHIgSUKcc1D1Zy_nt_JHNaNAneJ1ZFscf8Em0EZSTcfFT6RnxgB4K4epPBjFkuO18YTV7cyX94eTlZbZuo4X1oJA0PKsD_58VRkIFYK-fv3iOdDE1-kFmZDYxMLjR8UMGs4f7Ok/s1600/All_Roads_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsWmW3LHIgSUKcc1D1Zy_nt_JHNaNAneJ1ZFscf8Em0EZSTcfFT6RnxgB4K4epPBjFkuO18YTV7cyX94eTlZbZuo4X1oJA0PKsD_58VRkIFYK-fv3iOdDE1-kFmZDYxMLjR8UMGs4f7Ok/s200/All_Roads_cover.jpg" width="129" /></a></div>
I finished Anne Leigh Parrish's collection <i>All The Roads That Lead From Home</i> at the end of December, right before the new year started. And what a way to end the year. I loved these stories. Quiet, honest, powerful. They all have a low key
sort of quality to them that is deceptive... the characters and their
stories wind their way around your heart and through your mind, staying
with you long after you've put the book down. Immensely satisfying.
Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-49822810513366114002013-01-01T21:43:00.001-06:002013-01-01T21:43:11.857-06:00Counting Proper<div class="MsoNormal">
My short story
<style>
<!--
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-size:10.0pt;
mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt;
mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
--></style>
<a href="http://bluelakereview.weebly.com/counting-proper.html">Counting Proper</a> is live at <i>Blue Lake Review</i>. It appeared originally in the May 2009 issue of <i>Bryant Literary Review</i>. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Happy New Year!</div>
<a --="--" .msochpdefault=".msochpdefault" 1.0in="1.0in" 1.25in="1.25in" 11.0in="11.0in" div.wordsection1="div.wordsection1" font-family:="font-family:" font-size:10.0pt="font-size:10.0pt" font-size:12.0pt="font-size:12.0pt" href="http://bluelakereview.weebly.com/counting-proper.html%3ECounting%20Proper%3C/a%3E%20is%20live%20at%20%3Ci%3EBlue%20Lake%20Review%3C/i%3E.%20%3Cbr%3E%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%3Cbr%3E%3C/p%3E%3Cp%3E%3Cstyle%3E%3C!--%20/*%20Style%20Definitions%20*/p.MsoNormal,%20li.MsoNormal,%20div.MsoNormal%7Bmso-style-unhide:no;mso-style-qformat:yes;mso-style-parent:" imes="imes" margin-bottom:.0001pt="margin-bottom:.0001pt" margin:0in="margin:0in" margin:1.0in="margin:1.0in" mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt="mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt" mso-bidi-font-family:="mso-bidi-font-family:" mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt="mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt" mso-default-props:yes="mso-default-props:yes" mso-fareast-font-family:="mso-fareast-font-family:" mso-footer-margin:.5in="mso-footer-margin:.5in" mso-header-margin:.5in="mso-header-margin:.5in" mso-pagination:widow-orphan="mso-pagination:widow-orphan" mso-paper-source:0="mso-paper-source:0" mso-style-type:export-only="mso-style-type:export-only" new="new" page:wordsection1="page:wordsection1" page="page" roman="roman" size:8.5in="size:8.5in" wordsection1="wordsection1">
</a>Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-37340738529336316252012-12-28T10:34:00.002-06:002012-12-28T10:36:15.153-06:00Disappointing ReadThe title of this post should be <i>flat out didn't like it</i> because that's more honest. But since this is my first ever post about a book I didn't like, or, let's be real -- I didn't even <i>finish</i> -- I'm taking a gentler approach. The book? Jo Walton's <i>Among Others.</i> The premise is intriguing (from the inside book cover):<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXor29nWZ0yQRf-eOTn-W7iuNZKVC0eHOr_jl7IlS9v-T63pGBgVRWF-lJZ-o7_J-1Fz5vqr8dAvErHQBhqEWO1kqoxybAIdn2tKTZbAl-qdmpfyXLcCkRYIjEv3t1FocO3HpPJ77updw/s1600/among+others.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXor29nWZ0yQRf-eOTn-W7iuNZKVC0eHOr_jl7IlS9v-T63pGBgVRWF-lJZ-o7_J-1Fz5vqr8dAvErHQBhqEWO1kqoxybAIdn2tKTZbAl-qdmpfyXLcCkRYIjEv3t1FocO3HpPJ77updw/s200/among+others.jpg" width="127" /></a><br />
"Raised by a half mad mother who dabbled in magic, Morwenna Phelps found refuge in two worlds. As a child growing up in Wales she played among the spirits who made their homes in industrial ruins. But her mind found freedom in the science fiction novels that were her closest companions. When her mother tried to bend the spirits to dark ends, Mori was forced to confront her in a magical battle that left her crippled--and her twin sister dead." <br />
<br />
Sounds exciting, doesn't it? A little magic, fairy spirits, a spell gone bad, hints at sci-fi. Who WOULDN'T by intrigued? The reality is that I had to invoke my daughter's 50-page rule and even then I made it only to page 75 before giving up. The magic? The fairies? We get only the briefest of glimpses of either of these by the 75-page point. Seventy-five pages! And the hints at sci-fi? That comes only via the myriad references to SF book authors, titles, and characters, and I found the constant bombardment irritating. Maybe the intent was to add context? Not sure, but I found my eyes glazing over at every mention. The real disappointment for me was that nothing happens (at least not in the initial 75 pages), rather it's a LOT of plowing through uninteresting family history with brief references to things that happened off the page. Even these references are approached sort of sideways -- more of a by-the-way the twin sister is dead rather than a scene that shows us what happened. Maybe some of these things are played out or come together further in, but I just couldn't make myself keep reading. For me, reading is supposed to be pleasurable, not frustrating. Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-86407014623321907432012-11-29T10:54:00.002-06:002012-11-29T16:03:34.811-06:00Switzerland!My husband and I spent 15 glorious days traveling through Switzerland this past May in celebration of our 30th (!) wedding anniversary. It was a fantastic experience. We used their rail system to get around and it was fast, easy, and fun. I wish we had something like that here in the States... imagine all the extra reading or writing or napping we could get done while being whisked to and from... of course, maybe it works so well there because everything is relatively close together.<br />
<br />
Getting to Switzerland took a LOT of work. I first dreamed of the idea several years ago, then we made the commitment to make it happen about a year before we went (deciding on the date, etc). But the <i>real </i>work was in the reading and planning and reading some more during the 6 months prior to our departure. I spent hours upon hours researching various activities and options, learning the lay of the land and the customs. The single smartest thing I did was purchase Rick Steves' book on Switzerland. It gave me a starting point. I made lists of possible cities to visit and then more lists of things to do and see in those cities, places to sleep, restaurants to try. In the end, we visited the following cities in this order:<br />
<br />
Appenzell<br />
Luzern<br />
Lugano<br />
Pontresina<br />
Zermatt<br />
Lausanne<br />
Murren<br />
Zurich<br />
<br />
We took TONS of pictures. I took over 2000 myself; my husband took nearly 1000. It was fun to see our different perspectives. (On our trip to Ireland in 2010, he took a picture of every restroom he visited, but THAT'S a different story.) We put together a slide show for the family and had them over so they could experience Switzerland through our eyes. Here are some of my favorites:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXnKyLv0RX33Salz8OS-1YwdKIj8QGe06H_rDNz6l84Ag7Bo0yS2UfvifVD-K9_Xx1i1I1n41boNP_PdeqTOUK-xBAYJhuq-JVD4jevDAnEJaGzPXIsej57RjIse9DXRpJpehYqCXcZw/s1600/appenzell+cows-w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRXnKyLv0RX33Salz8OS-1YwdKIj8QGe06H_rDNz6l84Ag7Bo0yS2UfvifVD-K9_Xx1i1I1n41boNP_PdeqTOUK-xBAYJhuq-JVD4jevDAnEJaGzPXIsej57RjIse9DXRpJpehYqCXcZw/s320/appenzell+cows-w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Cows were everywhere, and some wore huge, melodic cow bells. These two greeted us on the road to/from our B&B into Appenzell proper.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlA_0uIh8RA0lvHKUuZRRcAJBat2pRbxTh75xZbeB63uzjTBbEEBfuPyTBS84NmGFuu02rbEAyD5DEArM7K2RwkycLwQxtzdJucOu9C2LhisHaJLA_yR8y0hP9AYopdTPVXq9FysIByQ/s1600/ebenalp+restaurant-w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMlA_0uIh8RA0lvHKUuZRRcAJBat2pRbxTh75xZbeB63uzjTBbEEBfuPyTBS84NmGFuu02rbEAyD5DEArM7K2RwkycLwQxtzdJucOu9C2LhisHaJLA_yR8y0hP9AYopdTPVXq9FysIByQ/s320/ebenalp+restaurant-w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
This is the Aescher Restaurant where we enjoyed a plate of <i>Rosti</i>, a local favorite made with potatoes and cheese. The restaurant is built into the side of the mountain... one wall in each of the restrooms is actually rock, with the room built around it. To get here, we took the train in Appenzell and rode it to Ebenalp, took a cable car up to 5,380 feet, then followed a very picturesque trail to the restaurant. We hiked back down and learned our 1st important lesson: take whatever time the Swiss give you in terms of how long something will take and TRIPLE it. Their estimate for the hike down: 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Our reality: 4 hours. We missed the last train back to Appenzell, tried hitchhiking (with no luck), and finally flagged down a bus. What an adventure!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxY9lcRduXrvmoXWRvFiDMeu2PNwA2vK8bul7bqMha_L2uBsGCRNRCXmshajY59B21tsuOcOTtvnNxsDxwCFmzw73Y36OWhje_j-uNg78MwcpStm0CsxPH6hsn3-XmZ4wlc3rWlxYQQ0/s1600/luzern+alley-w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZxY9lcRduXrvmoXWRvFiDMeu2PNwA2vK8bul7bqMha_L2uBsGCRNRCXmshajY59B21tsuOcOTtvnNxsDxwCFmzw73Y36OWhje_j-uNg78MwcpStm0CsxPH6hsn3-XmZ4wlc3rWlxYQQ0/s320/luzern+alley-w.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
I LOVE the look and feel of this little alley... the curve, the warm colors, the bikes are all very inviting to me. This is right off the main thoroughfare in Luzern. We'd just dropped our luggage in our room and headed back out, eager to explore. I looked to my right and stopped in my tracks, absorbing the homeyness of this sight.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hHOt7o3sG_J9YJXghxhtoq-gw9AIGKesI8bZWp9Ws2kM6HyKAyy6Ie8DFd46PKjY5IpQwOoRPHIPQVHhztSrkwZ3yuUDrc4GL7LCTefurQSQiViNnWxUA2MtAahzbmsT5z3X1hxTiaU/s1600/luzern+church+at+nite-w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3hHOt7o3sG_J9YJXghxhtoq-gw9AIGKesI8bZWp9Ws2kM6HyKAyy6Ie8DFd46PKjY5IpQwOoRPHIPQVHhztSrkwZ3yuUDrc4GL7LCTefurQSQiViNnWxUA2MtAahzbmsT5z3X1hxTiaU/s320/luzern+church+at+nite-w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Night falls over Lake Luzern with the Hof Church lit up in the background. Isn't this gorgeous?? <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYM6jeJ3qZGD4Zxn88uC14kWHUbpmCQaPPO0bqrd90dsKu_VjSB0mqoqiWUGZREx64uPfZNzuM-YMe85kWi2d3x-HJ9-yCRTF9nWB1LapXGaaGov8DDgYKL4NXHzDrGt1-YU7udznfruo/s1600/luzern+-+plaza+at+nite-w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYM6jeJ3qZGD4Zxn88uC14kWHUbpmCQaPPO0bqrd90dsKu_VjSB0mqoqiWUGZREx64uPfZNzuM-YMe85kWi2d3x-HJ9-yCRTF9nWB1LapXGaaGov8DDgYKL4NXHzDrGt1-YU7udznfruo/s320/luzern+-+plaza+at+nite-w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
A night view of Piazza della Riforma in Lugano. We ate at the Olimpia Restaurant and had the best pizza we've ever had! If only we could find a crust like that in the States.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQhS4uJnfT88Wu4I6wYxbeJ2etDN5SwqT7jjsPXQ2n219-dGNC1eV3ziCTFpyKBpxkfF2qX6_of9LOv-pJ-0vKhgBdWwk3e02yB2nRP8P68fjDxlpALKTFTTk4Y0vPC26vSmSyQDXXjI/s1600/pontresina+trail+marker-w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvQhS4uJnfT88Wu4I6wYxbeJ2etDN5SwqT7jjsPXQ2n219-dGNC1eV3ziCTFpyKBpxkfF2qX6_of9LOv-pJ-0vKhgBdWwk3e02yB2nRP8P68fjDxlpALKTFTTk4Y0vPC26vSmSyQDXXjI/s320/pontresina+trail+marker-w.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
A trail marker in Pontresina. We had a GREAT time in Pontresina... we hiked, saw some wildlife, and when the sun came out, it was breathtaking. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJTTXs-3_fhuL-NDMa5e-8Svq_tuvKHnTCmGwNd0gZtWGSGJ-kK6T4ya3D1BKYMx1eJePHJ-POVhUtRWyVKI4QVTfo_ifswtCpRNDLKV8qwS5fDJOMFpu_8VmHuRpzwBiQkN-esoELBvg/s1600/pontresina+trail-w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJTTXs-3_fhuL-NDMa5e-8Svq_tuvKHnTCmGwNd0gZtWGSGJ-kK6T4ya3D1BKYMx1eJePHJ-POVhUtRWyVKI4QVTfo_ifswtCpRNDLKV8qwS5fDJOMFpu_8VmHuRpzwBiQkN-esoELBvg/s320/pontresina+trail-w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Check out our walking sticks... everyone should have one. The views were fabulous! Imagine waking up to this landscape every morning.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7pRd93UsLrsWoCtjqI_q_u0lM1YThrFR1bsyJ9o25qHUBD7iYQjWP7t6yumKxXnKTsj52PNG-MkQhTGg2__KYChUbTSgw5GSEb1WuRyXBvFJTigP319Ar50SmellhzRS1H4mfM1XmJg/s1600/lausanne+castle-w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7pRd93UsLrsWoCtjqI_q_u0lM1YThrFR1bsyJ9o25qHUBD7iYQjWP7t6yumKxXnKTsj52PNG-MkQhTGg2__KYChUbTSgw5GSEb1WuRyXBvFJTigP319Ar50SmellhzRS1H4mfM1XmJg/s320/lausanne+castle-w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Chateau de Chillon on Lake Geneva just outside Montreux. It began raining just after I took this picture, but the rolling clouds were fantastic, adding drama and mystery.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIiK-cIKJ0DH7ytNr69AVkPoMPKhL8XvniOAXFQ0kx_xs88R7w10F1lg1GTKO1RxHLr8sVyXecPkUH_9byVkPwXjETKTppvkAUuOT3igjrroh9lC7nK3ALqRAoRlgukfTqS3EwyO5nRec/s1600/murren+brown+clouds-w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIiK-cIKJ0DH7ytNr69AVkPoMPKhL8XvniOAXFQ0kx_xs88R7w10F1lg1GTKO1RxHLr8sVyXecPkUH_9byVkPwXjETKTppvkAUuOT3igjrroh9lC7nK3ALqRAoRlgukfTqS3EwyO5nRec/s320/murren+brown+clouds-w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Talk about clouds! This is the Black Monk shrouded in layer after layer of clouds, taken from where we were staying in Murren (accessible only via a train or cable car) at 5381 feet. We couldn't fully appreciate just how impressive these mountains were until the sun came out. Being so high up, they appeared enormous... and it felt like we could reach right out and touch them. But when the sky cleared and we could see just how big they were... WOW.<br />
<br />
Murren was, by far, where we enjoyed ourselves the most. The views are indescribable. Nature's beauty is everywhere and beckons in subtle and grand ways. Being out in it was invigorating and awe-inspiring.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrYAZGzr8-gmaJxOXCpRiAOqlKmrYI3e2rVzKmTreRWrAgP-eKQV2MSftp4Hs3V-yaCjxmrkJF1MfxusjVUby6oB82Ip6do9iZPHB_33PnxfW_f_q9G1PaUzsXwMkUkDsgVIR_xtkVjc/s1600/murren+us-w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPrYAZGzr8-gmaJxOXCpRiAOqlKmrYI3e2rVzKmTreRWrAgP-eKQV2MSftp4Hs3V-yaCjxmrkJF1MfxusjVUby6oB82Ip6do9iZPHB_33PnxfW_f_q9G1PaUzsXwMkUkDsgVIR_xtkVjc/s320/murren+us-w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
What a difference the sun makes! The Sonnenberg Valley just after sunrise. We got up early and hiked uphill for an hour... the valley was still in shadow when we arrived. But as soon as the sun cleared the Black Monk, light flooded the valley. <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLhEfUnnQ8k_eM0fiUIaqA5mPbW1zi4KjbpOJW4wE2lpywxgqs3iPNOb4BTEMr-57Gzb6MH5di1TI8esBwwSeCv0-oIqpKfZ21CldoEr21iK_DcML1aP_33FSQNui6gxEN4_9YwmS89s/s1600/murren+morning+sun-w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsLhEfUnnQ8k_eM0fiUIaqA5mPbW1zi4KjbpOJW4wE2lpywxgqs3iPNOb4BTEMr-57Gzb6MH5di1TI8esBwwSeCv0-oIqpKfZ21CldoEr21iK_DcML1aP_33FSQNui6gxEN4_9YwmS89s/s320/murren+morning+sun-w.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
When sunlight hits the Sonnenberg Valley, the cabins look magical. Imagine waking to these views every morning... what a fabulous life that would be.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsoQxLFPaNGrX6Z6fTNF43eU7dmLU6v5rbB0iAW2uF3BdtuOb4yENbjJAliHLfbIQqqfk27JaW-keLAJbplth4Y1PGMsO6Wa5zPrcE8nkyYSAV8oSkmABZ2ui0ODXAqKO8LVxBrhKxpM/s1600/murren+tulips-w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVsoQxLFPaNGrX6Z6fTNF43eU7dmLU6v5rbB0iAW2uF3BdtuOb4yENbjJAliHLfbIQqqfk27JaW-keLAJbplth4Y1PGMsO6Wa5zPrcE8nkyYSAV8oSkmABZ2ui0ODXAqKO8LVxBrhKxpM/s320/murren+tulips-w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The tulips were glorious here in Murren. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUps75BssgjCb676oW8p3ySBe-tfHsn7BjjAoP32sATq1yHt0I0sO5SNBQA7ogvIR7J-XeZbShM7xvRCIzjVqIiCbPJsQXshdGDqGzDt_JFRytC1syFs8cW3yFLDVMpl2ICb-ucfmvOZk/s1600/lauterbrunnen+waterfall-w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiUps75BssgjCb676oW8p3ySBe-tfHsn7BjjAoP32sATq1yHt0I0sO5SNBQA7ogvIR7J-XeZbShM7xvRCIzjVqIiCbPJsQXshdGDqGzDt_JFRytC1syFs8cW3yFLDVMpl2ICb-ucfmvOZk/s320/lauterbrunnen+waterfall-w.jpg" width="214" /></a></div>
Staubbach Falls (at 300 meters) in the Lauterbrunnen Valley is the 2nd highest waterfall in Switzerland. The highest waterfall (Murrenbachfall - 417 meters) is in this same valley, just down the road a bit. The valley is filled with waterfalls, cows, and wildflowers... just gorgeous.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjyvwwwseJaZATPB7DU1mQQ76Rkd9mO5xFxnCntYLT9s6xMFi0IkCgsXDRNxA35YU62FSWe2q93lTOF7bQwF1tX-uTOMWxKy6nASfgo9tUWCMobL4yNlXOeM2-gBhMqqd8-hGqVIMbfE/s1600/murren+eiger-w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwjyvwwwseJaZATPB7DU1mQQ76Rkd9mO5xFxnCntYLT9s6xMFi0IkCgsXDRNxA35YU62FSWe2q93lTOF7bQwF1tX-uTOMWxKy6nASfgo9tUWCMobL4yNlXOeM2-gBhMqqd8-hGqVIMbfE/s320/murren+eiger-w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
The big three, from left to right: Eiger, Monch, Jungfrau. They are magnificent!! Truly something to see and experience.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tYPKpfGEEK5y0Z379ys8z2Oebe35T3F9SPMLT1AP4Hg_Z_4xChqMOQWbp-rrQFYN1xwswUoWjCIFFg1gKdsmm0oPdKIegfS6QIo2WLFObyHcOc4rxw9IOwZVmRHDqAOqj54u53dx5II/s1600/zurich+day-w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7tYPKpfGEEK5y0Z379ys8z2Oebe35T3F9SPMLT1AP4Hg_Z_4xChqMOQWbp-rrQFYN1xwswUoWjCIFFg1gKdsmm0oPdKIegfS6QIo2WLFObyHcOc4rxw9IOwZVmRHDqAOqj54u53dx5II/s320/zurich+day-w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Zurich is a vibrant, exciting city. Here, boats are docked on the Limmat River, which feeds into Lake Zurich.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNKD8E3M4Yum7ebC2cF_TgThqM2jB2pIIQI2z-5etD19r4fVw3FGFFigi_Yh54SYu0hGwkl_CKnLqIUAr_NgC7PCW0IOzQ_Wh72RIkJylv8r_Mk96FcmxqJK6YHFKcq_qekBk6zxWpJE/s1600/zurich+nite-w.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijNKD8E3M4Yum7ebC2cF_TgThqM2jB2pIIQI2z-5etD19r4fVw3FGFFigi_Yh54SYu0hGwkl_CKnLqIUAr_NgC7PCW0IOzQ_Wh72RIkJylv8r_Mk96FcmxqJK6YHFKcq_qekBk6zxWpJE/s320/zurich+nite-w.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Night falls on the Limmat River in Zurich, but I'm not sure the city ever sleeps. There were so many folks out and about while we walked the streets, camera and tripod in tow.<br />
<br />
<br />
This was a trip of a lifetime, magical and enchanting in so many ways. Switzerland is divided into four regions with four official languages (German, Italian, French, and Romansh - an obscure Latin dialect), and each region is distinct from the others. My least favorite was the French, though, to be fair, it was the area where we spent the least amount of time. Maybe another trip to more fully round out my exposure is in order? The folks in the German-speaking regions were very warm and friendly and were, in our experience, the most accommodating to conversing with us in English.<br />
<br />
For a girl who absolutely and unequivocally loves and is IN love with mountains, there is no greater place on earth in which to experience their unadulterated grandeur and majesty than Switzerland. It was pure magic, and I feel blessed.Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-87080455551762999922012-11-18T10:30:00.000-06:002012-11-18T10:30:03.733-06:00Two AcceptancesI received an acceptance from <i>Santa Fe Literary Review</i> for a short story of mine and I'm THRILLED. This particular story started as a rather brutal scene between a father and mother as witnessed by the young son. I'd initially wanted that scene to stand on its own but couldn't seem to make it work. So I went at it a different way, backing up, going forward, filling in the blanks while trying to keep it short. It comes in at just under 1500 words. I'm SO pleased that it found a home, and the warm acceptance email from the editor made my day. "Picture Window" will be in the next issue, which comes out in June 2013.<br />
<br />
I received an acceptance last month from the editor at <i>Blue Lake Review</i> for my short story "Counting Proper." This story was originally published in May 2009 by <i>Bryant Literary Review</i>, and it's still one of my favorites. Every time I reread it, I'm instantly drawn to the place in my mind's eye from which these characters emerged: my neighborhood during the short time I lived in Wheaton, Illinois as a teenager. I'm THRILLED that this story has found a second life. It will appear in the January 2013 issue.Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-22972276932850086172012-11-07T10:45:00.001-06:002012-11-11T11:13:31.211-06:00Good Read:<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCCR_Qjdp8QC6xuwOPeizO4UkLTT3IxbICZi8b6KPtwAbdD_Ne2O_GUPRLxPDjDXKlSODrr9VJNwqrD1rUPf3rf4PTbNomETOCsM7YgNRIOZJpYIVlMK19XSB-SAm_UZ9Yb-YlK87Aq4/s1600/best+online+scifi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnCCR_Qjdp8QC6xuwOPeizO4UkLTT3IxbICZi8b6KPtwAbdD_Ne2O_GUPRLxPDjDXKlSODrr9VJNwqrD1rUPf3rf4PTbNomETOCsM7YgNRIOZJpYIVlMK19XSB-SAm_UZ9Yb-YlK87Aq4/s1600/best+online+scifi.jpg" /></a></div>
I wanted to read this because I thought it would give me some exposure and insight into what sorts of stories are considered the best of the best in the sci-fi and fantasy world. I've always considered myself a sci-fi fan and, more recently, came to understand that I also enjoy some of the fantasy genre as well. What I've learned after reading this anthology is that I'm more of a middle-of-the-road kind of gal when it comes to sci-fi/fantasy. Or maybe I just need it (the story, the concept) to be somewhat plausible, or, if that's not possible, then it needs to be well written in order for me to make the leap. Now, since this volume is "the best online," that means the stories within are clearly well written and chosen for these and other merits from someone who is well versed in the genre. And, still, I didn't care for a good number of the stories. They were too bizarre, too out there for me.<br />
<br />
I find it interesting and ironic that my two favorite stories, ones I really liked and enjoyed, are anything but middle-of-the-road. Yoon Ha Lee's "Blue Ink" begins and ends with sections that are in 2nd person POV, which is almost always an instant turn off for me. But it quickly morphs into 3rd person and a storyline that is just fantastical enough to border on brilliant. Catherynne M. Valente's "Urchins, While Swimming" has a magical realism component that is really well integrated and very engaging. Both of these stories are grounded in three dimensional characters, in elements of the every day... maybe this is the structure in which sci-fi/fantasy works best for me.Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4228760541281210311.post-24538837021554249782012-10-19T10:02:00.002-05:002012-10-19T10:04:31.232-05:00Two Reads: One Great, One Not-So-Great <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aPkOC2IiQY-2JvXH-XC6KVsq93Vckx_O3OA2Iz_5sXP9ZWnCopArp9aulFd9o4JBW9gEiubL1C239BqRA4xK2WHRrkWDlotFg6YWyn2FMrE90_L4I2m__OwNzXauT9hJKqrGo6ur4_k/s1600/The_Giver_Cover.gif" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9aPkOC2IiQY-2JvXH-XC6KVsq93Vckx_O3OA2Iz_5sXP9ZWnCopArp9aulFd9o4JBW9gEiubL1C239BqRA4xK2WHRrkWDlotFg6YWyn2FMrE90_L4I2m__OwNzXauT9hJKqrGo6ur4_k/s200/The_Giver_Cover.gif" width="132" /></a>I'm a detail person. Ask anyone. When my husband needs something followed up on, he asks me. When my sister needs the details ironed out on places we'll visit for our next star trails photo outing, she asks me to investigate and map it all out. So imagine my surprise when I visited the library a few weeks ago to check out Lois Lowry's <i>The Giver </i>and was directed to the juvenile section. The <i>juvenile</i> section! How had this distinction escaped me? The book had popped up on my radar repeatedly over the last few months and I knew it had won an award of some kind (only later did I discover that it was the Newbery Medal, an award given to an author of the most distinguished contribution to American literature for <i>children</i>.) I'm sure my face sported a slightly chagrined expression as I walked into the children's section and hunted for the book. I felt out of place... my children are grown and it's been YEARS since I stepped foot in the brightly lit children's department with cushy seating and walls festooned with construction paper cutouts. After locating the book, I tugged it from its snug spot among all the other kid's books and quickly retreated back upstairs to the adult section.<br />
<br />
Even though I was fully informed now, I found the first few chapters were more of a struggle to get through than I wanted. It wasn't that they were difficult in the normal sense, it was that they were too simplistic. And although I was a tad bored, I could hardly place the blame at the author's feet... it was written for children, after all.<br />
<br />
It picked up for me around halfway through. I LOVED the concept: a little sci-fi-ish, a little other worldly... right up my alley. I can't say that I loved the ending, though, for a children's book, it was perfect. But, really, it was just getting started. I wanted to see what was going to happen next. It was too much about the struggle of getting away, the journey of leaving and not enough about what made it so interesting in the first place. I'd give it a three out of five stars.<br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1JCK7bB2pOAtLXYgvMCyN8On0R8FwMzHuISsgTF_YeSMlgojE9ZCXKoturorlIcj60mCecx_teiDx_j7z44wnOGeiCiO9J51zamZ64X6C88X5vvs7clN1lOSYYcqCvG5QyeVf8QKGak/s1600/divergent.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc1JCK7bB2pOAtLXYgvMCyN8On0R8FwMzHuISsgTF_YeSMlgojE9ZCXKoturorlIcj60mCecx_teiDx_j7z44wnOGeiCiO9J51zamZ64X6C88X5vvs7clN1lOSYYcqCvG5QyeVf8QKGak/s200/divergent.JPG" width="132" /></a>I also read Veronica Roth's <i>Divergent</i>. Also a little sci-fi-ish, a little other worldly, but this was a GREAT read. I loved it. And it was terrific for all the right reasons: complex characters, intricate storyline, engaging prose. This also won an award (although I didn't realize that until after I'd finished the book) -- Goodreads Choice Award: Favorite Book of 2011. Pretty cool bragging rights, I'd say.<br />
<br />
My daughter recommended this book something like six months ago and I'm really glad I took her advice. The characters got under my skin and I stayed up long into the night reading. I enjoyed it so much that I bought a copy for my dad! He and I like some of the same authors, and although he doesn't read sci-fi as a rule, this is enough of a hybrid that I'm hoping he'll give it a try and like it as much as I did.<br />
<br />
I'd give it five out of five stars. And more good news: I hear there's a sequel out now.<br />
<br />
<br />Mitzihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08204550954997638432noreply@blogger.com0