Amber Stults - Book Reviewer and Author

I can’t believe it’s Monday already.  The weekend, which always seems to have some strange clock to keep the time, alternately flew by and seemed to last forever.

So far I am 6/31 short stories for the month.  One of the criteria is that the short story must originate from a writing prompt.  I started off with eight and really need to get some more.  Sometimes I see funny things and want to write about them.  Instead I write the idea down in my writing notebook because I’m sticking to writing prompts this month.  Don’t worry - I’ll catch up!

The last few days I’ve been busy at The Wexner Center for the Arts.  In conjunction with the Cartoon Research Library, the galleries have an exhibit of his work side-by-side with his influences.  Friday evening was opening night and Saturday Jeff sat down with Scott McCloud to talk and then they did signings.

Show openings are usually a poor time to look closely at the artwork.  People are crowded together to get their first glimpse of how the galleries are setup and to see what was included in the show.  I’ve been to a few at The Wexner Center for the Arts but this one was different.  Most of the attendees were in their 30’s, the artist was accessible - as were the “celebrity” guests (celebrity is in quotes since not everyone would think of Harvey Pekar, Joyce Brabner, Charles Vess, etc. as celebrities), and several people were running around with cameras taking pictures of everything.

The talk was fun - Jeff always seems to have a good time with his audience.  It was very obvious that Jeff and Scott always have a good time together.  With Bone available now in Scholastic editions the audience has skewed younger than when the comic first began.  I was one of the few women attending comic book conventions and going into the comic book stores with regularity.  There are more women now but when I looked at the line in front of me for autographs it was mostly parents with their kids.  The signing session lasted three and a half hours. 

The original art in the Cartoon Research Library is interesting to see since it highlights nearly all of the characters from Bone before Jeff figured out that he just had to trust himself and do it the way he wanted.  Jeff Smith attended OSU and has donated his papers to them.  The name of the exhibit in the library is Jeff Smith: Before Bone.  In conjunction with the exhibit, a special $25 numbered and signed catalogue is available for purchase.  Proceeds directly benefit the library.  Only 500 special editions will be printed and nearly all copies were spoken for as of Saturday afternoon. 

I had older brothers into comics so it was normal to me to pick up a comic book from time to time at an early age.  Shortly after our move to Columbus my brothers went on a day trip with an uncle to Hocking Hills and Old Man’s Cave.  I was upset I couldn’t go - I wanted to do everything they did even though they were eight and ten years older than me.  I was even more upset when Jim told me they were able to see the Dwarfs and Hobbits that lived there.  At the time, I believed fairies and other magical creatures lived in the woods; they just weren’t discovered by the entire human population yet.

Fast forward over a decade later to when I’m making bi-weekly trips to the comic book store with my then-boyfriend (yes - I married him!) and we discover this new comic about three Bone creatures who get run out of Boneville and find themselves in a magical placed called Old Man’s Cave.  Populated by some fantastic and improbable people and creatures, how could I not become a little girl again with each issue? 

The short story I’d like to highlight this month is “The Weald Maiden’s Will” by Nicholas Ian Hawkins.  It is published in the March edition of Every Day Fiction.  Feel free to rate the story or any other story on the site.  If you really enjoy the site, don’t be shy about making a donation to help cover their costs.

The first sentence of “The Weald Maiden’s Will” meanders but tells you where the main character is and what he does.  It fits the tone of the story.  The indirectness of Hawkins’ writing mirrors the fuzziness provided by  the distant memories of the main character.  For me, the ending was a surprise even though hints had been dropped.

What I found most pleasing is what Hawkins’ managed to do with the story.  Some writers can do a lot or a little with 1000 words.  He managed to transport me to a different time, place and way of life.

This should be a busy writing month for me.  I’m participating in a May writing challenge on LiveJournal.  Each participant has a different goal.  My goal is to write 31 short stories which is basically a short story a day.  Is it any surprise that on the morning of May 5th I only have three written?  No, not when it was a beautiful weekend!  No, not when I haven’t seen a movie in the local cineplex for weeks!

These statistics are all for short stories or poems. Book reviews are not included.

1. Sales in April: 0
2. Rejections in April: 0
3. Submissions sent out in April: 1
4. Total stories/poems pending responses: 5

Pending responses include a flash fiction piece with an expected response time of six months (I sent it out in October 2007, followed up with an inquiry and have heard nothing), two poems to one market, a drabble under consideration at one market, and a short story under consideration at another market.

Do you have any recommendations for a short story collection or a short story web site?  I’ve been trying to read a few short stories a week in the hopes of having more than one choice for the next Story of the Month.  Every Day Fiction has been a good resource thus far.

A winner has been chosen!  The Amazon Breakthrough Novel Award went to Bill Loehfelm for his novel Fresh Kills.  Congratulations, Bill!

It’s good to challenge yourself by setting new goals or figuring out how to do something you want.

Sometimes the best thing, though, is to clear the cobwebs by concentrating on something completely different or a change of scenery.  I did both by spending the weekend in New York. 

Instead of concentrating in my own work I gorged myself on other people’s work.  Nearly every waking moment was spent in a museum or art gallery.  It was a mixture of things that got me thinking. 

For instance, I noticed a fireplace piece and a small statue at the old Frick house that prominently featured harpies.  However, they weren’t like the harpies I was used to seeing or reading.  None of them had wings.  So what happened?  Was there a time period where harpies were depicted without their wings?  Or was it an aesthetic choice of the artists? 

Other stops included the New Museum, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Neue Gallerie, and the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) as well as several others.  Paintings, sculptures, photographs, films, multimedia presentations, books… all art forms that assault various senses can help a writer focus.  Sitting on a park bench and having blossoms fall on me like snowflakes was one way I soaked up spring time in the city.  I think it’s my favorite time of year there.  Some people will actually pick up a paint brush or charcoal to clear the cobwebs and use another part of their brain.  I am not so ambitious as to do that.

The best part of the weekend was sleeping in and not having to turn off my Sammy alarm clock.  No, I don’t name my alarm clocks; he’s the current resident Corgi at the Stults estate.  Unlike our first Corgi, Sammy is an early riser and didn’t come with a snooze alarm.  The weekend away meant no responsibilities whatsoever other than making sure I relaxed.

The results of clearing my cobwebs have been fruitful - I’ve begun working on a new non-fiction piece and a book review.

I have a book review due before May 1st so I’ve been busy reading the book.  I think I have 200 more pages before I’m done.

This week I decided I’d done the final edits on a short story I’ve been working on (aka revising) for the last two years and sent it off somewhere for publication.  Cross your fingers and wish me luck!

I know… I know… as you’re reading this you are probably wondering if I ever go to any author readings or if I’m just on the sidelines when movie directors come to town.  As a matter of fact, I get to do both; I just haven’t been to an author reading in a while. 

Last Friday I saw Milos Forman’s first American movie, Taking Off, at the Wexner Center for the Arts.  He was there to introduce the film and afterwards he participated in a discussion.  I had no idea what to expect from the evening and I must say it was amazing.

Going into the event, I had no familiarity with the movie but I knew the basic plot.  It was a very funny movie.  Early scenes led into later jokes.  It was a bit like life in that respect. 

Milos’ English wasn’t very good yet and after every scene he would look at Buck Henry.  If Buck Henry nodded his head, Milos moved on to the next scene.  If Buck Henry shook his head, then Milos complimented everyone and asked for another take.  When asked if Milos considered himself an independent filmmaker his response was, “I don’t think so… I have a wife and four children!”  After much laughter he continued, “Other than that… yes.” 

Someone from the audience asked him which films or filmmakers influenced him.  Prior to the war, he’d only seen two movies.  The first was Snow White and sadly, he didn’t name the second one.  It was a silent black and white movie of Czechoslovakia’s most famous opera.  The lights went down, the movie played on the screen and everyone around him was singing it.  He thought everyone went to the movies and sang. 

Milos shared why James Cagney agreed to do the part in Ragtime, seeing Hair performed for the first time on stage, and how it’s preferable to have a Communist government ban a film for life (though it was only twenty years in actuality) than to have the studio heads edit and release a film.  It was very much like listening to a beloved uncle or grandfather.  The pictures he puts in your head from his stories are even better than what he puts on film.