I've been trying to remember a story where the bad guy wins in the end. The only story that comes to mind is THE GIVER by Lois Lowry. Even this story doesn't give the reader a clear answer, though. 


I won't tell you how it ends but can tell you that when I finished it I was left with a huge question mark inside of me. Time and again students argue this ending and its winner.

When Kyle (husband) finished THE GIVER he threw the book across the room, disparaging the author with a few not-so-nice words.


Can you think of a story (movie or print) where the bad guy(s) win?

Ring Your Liberty Bell!!

Liberty Bell:

70% copper
25% tin
traces of lead, zinc, arsenic, gold, and silver

Weighs 2,080 lbs.

Yoke:

American elm

Weighs 100 lbs.

The Inscription: 

Proclaim Liberty throughout all the land unto all the inhabitants thereof.--Leviticus 25:10

One Tradition:

If you're near a bell today at 2:00 PM EST, ring it thirteen times to honor patriots from the original 13 colonies. Every year, on the 4th at 2:00 PM EST, children who are descendants of the Declaration signers symbolically tap the Liberty Bell 13 times, while bells ring 13 times across the nation. Now, set your alarm and ring your bells!

Today's fun facts can be found on ushistory.org

His and Hers of Atlas Shrugged (Don't Let The Size Scare You)

My husband (Kyle) rarely reads fiction these days, so when he bought the ridiculously thick novel Atlas Shrugged (Signet 1957) my interest was piqued--but not enough to want to read it. Come on! The book's size might equal the A B & C volumes of an encyclopedia combined. One-thousand-fifty pages for a YA writer/reader hits the old panic attack button of time. Plus, I don't like to start of book and not finish it (even the bad, bad books).

But, Kyle kept stopping and wanting to read to me. Ayn Rand's hero hooked me. I had to have my own copy so I could write in the margins, underline, and get to know the book like a writer does. From both the reader and the writer's perspective this book is amazing. OMG!!!!

It's layered and the main character (Dagny Taggart) might be one of the best female protagonists, ever. In my head, I envision Kate Blanchett playing Dagny. The 2011 movie version of the novel stars Taylor Schilling.

We read aloud (taking turns) 10-12 pages each evening, which means we'll finish about September 24th.

Stayed tuned for more updates.

Stop worshiping the Inner Critic!

Current contemplation: should I stop reading the literary magazine Poets & Writers? This periodical's affecting my authorial self worth!

It's hard enough for a writer to fend off the inner critic, right? But, after reading P&W, the battle inside of me falls into the category of Bad Ass Ebola versus Wimpy Miss Sniffles. This begs the question, what is it about me that makes me so susceptible to kicking my own ass with the whip of perfectionism? Worshiper to my inner critic. By, God! I'm not going to blame my parents for this one!

Perfectionism! Anne Lamott writes as the "voice of the oppressor." True Dat! My rational mind knows Lamott's correct, but something inside of me listens to the resounding dark voice that says, "You're hackneyed. Trite! Go back to your day job!"

Do you battle perfectionism? Do all writers? Artists? If so, how the hell does anything get written? For now, I need to stick with books like Bird by Bird (Anchor Books, 1995) my voice of hope.

I will not compare myself! I will not compare myself! I will not compare myself! I will not compare myself!

I'm entering new territory, people. Armed with no common sense or knowledge about the blogging world, I will attempt to live up to my last name. WARRIOR! Guess what I did this past week!  You'll never guess. I stood in line for 4 1/2 hours (in a deluge) to audition for THE BIGGEST LOSER!!!! What a trip. It's the first time I've stood in a line in south Florida and felt like I really needed to be there. Trust me, people, we south Floridians stand in a lot of lines. The BIGGEST LOSER line was fun and friendly. I didn't make the call back list, so it will have to be next year. Stay tuned.