Job 19:23-24

 Oh that my words were now written! Oh that they were printed in a scroll, that they were graven with an iron pen and lead in the rock for ever!                                                          Job 19:23-24

My morning devotions recently came from the book of Job in the Old Testament, and these particular versus really struck home with me as a memoir writer. Job wanted to write a book!

Well, he didn't get the chance, but fortunately someone else wrote it for him, and here we are thousands of years later reading and digesting and discussing his book.

If that doesn't give me permission to write other people's memoirs, nothing else will.

I didn't start out doing this memoir thing. I just wanted to write stories. My first book came to me by way of a friend at church who asked me to collect stories about the schoolhouse he purchased. A few books later, a fly fisherman literally rang my front doorbell with a box of research in his hands and asked me if I was interested in writing a book with him. From that, others came to me with their stories. What an unforgettable experience I've had sitting behind my computer these past ten years. I've been blessed to meet all kinds of individuals, and often those very people were not the ones I was writing about, but rather their friends and relatives sharing life stories. 

There they are, all ten of my memoir books. Behind this banner is a lot of sweat and even a few tears with people as they shared their stories with me. Turns out this work is nothing but preservation in its highest form. These people existed and mattered during their lifespans, no matter how humble or exalted the life they lived. They were privy to a history only they could tell, and tell they did. 

I label a few of these local histories biographies rather than memoirs, the ones about Dr. Jane Carswell and Dr. Marjorie Strawn (who were friends, by the way) and her husband Bill. The memories in those books came from others, as all of them had passed away. Same probably for Claude Minton, as his book was written after his death. (What a fun time I had with that moonshine wagon wheel story!) 

Am I finished? No. Emphatic No. I will work with someone after Christmas, already in the plans. So many stories. So little time.

Catch of the day,

Gretchen

Interior Art

When I was formatting the interior of The Physician and the Forester - Marjorie and Bill Strawn, I knew I wanted somehow to add a  distinctive touch to the text that Marjorie and Bill would have been thrilled about, but I just didn't know what. And then...it happened.

In the process of selecting "Linn Cove" for the cover art, I browsed through picture after picture done by Matthew W. Strawn, the artist (and son of the Strawns). The book itself is filled with family pictures to accompany the text, but wouldn't it be a joy to also include his artwork as well. With Matt's help, we selected nine pieces, one for the beginning of each chapter. Aha moment, I used the title of the picture as the title of the chapter. 

"Beacon Heights I"

Chapter 3

 

"A View of Table Rock"

Chapter 4

Since Bill Strawn spent so much time in the forest, I of course chose a few pictures showing the land he was assigned to protect. And not to neglect Marjorie, I included a couple particular to her, such as this flower that she proudly grew. 

"Night Blooming Cereus"
Chapter 7

Matt trained at the Ringling College of Art and Design in Florida and has graced the world with beauty ever since. He is the master of detail. His studio is upstairs in the HUB, the building where the book launch will be, so I visited and asked about the chapter pictures we chose. He gave me a lesson on his his technique. It's called etching and the process is fascinating. I asked him to put it in writing so I could share and here's what he wrote:

Etching is a print making process where a drawing can be reporduced by using a zinc or copper plate, coating it with an acid resist ground. By drawing into this specially formulated ground with a metal scribe, exposing the metal and then etching that drawing into the plate using a mild acid, that drawing can be printed on paper using a roller press. 

Okay, it's a little over my understanding, but suffice it to say, the end product is beautiful. He teaches classes, in case you are interested. And joy, he will have prints of his work to sell at the book launch! And originals of the paintings. I did remind him not to sell the cover painting, "Linn Cove" yet. That is destined to be on display October 7. 

Catch of the day,

Gretchen