Simon Watson, a young librarian, lives alone in a house that is slowly crumbling toward the Long Island Sound. His parents are long dead. His mother, a circus mermaid who made her living by holding her breath, drowned in the very water his house overlooks. His younger sister, Enola, ran off six years ago and now reads tarot cards for a traveling carnival. One June day, an old book arrives on Simon’s doorstep, sent by an antiquarian bookseller who purchased it on speculation. Fragile and water damaged, the book is a log from the owner of a traveling carnival in the 1700s, who reports strange and magical things, including the drowning death of a circus mermaid. Since then, generations of “mermaids” in Simon’s family have drowned–always on July 24, which is only weeks away. As his friend Alice looks on with alarm, Simon becomes increasingly worried about his sister. Could…
Excited and thankful to be a part of VoyageATL magazine’s series: What’s the Most Important Lesson You’ve Learned Along Your Journey? The magazine’s mission is to value communities, small businesses, and artists. Mom and pops. I posted a photo of the boutique hotel we stayed in this past June in Savannah as part of a blog post. VoyageATL saw it and asked to publish it as part of a series about artists. When you click on the series page, I am lucky #13. So honored to be part of it!! “Accordingly our mission is to build a platform that fosters collaboration and support for small businesses, independent artists and entrepreneurs, local institutions and those that make our city interesting. We want to change the way people spend their money – rather than spending it with the big, cookie-cutter corporations we want them to spend their money with the independent, creative,…
Children need art and stories and poems and music as much as they need love and food and fresh air and play. If you don’t give a child food, the damage quickly becomes visible. If you don’t let a child have fresh air and play, the damage is also visible, but not so quickly. If you don’t give a child love, the damage might not be seen for some years, but it’s permanent. But if you don’t give a child art and stories and poems and music, the damage is not so easy to see. It’s there, though. Their bodies are healthy enough; they can run and jump and swim and eat hungrily and make lots of noise, as children have always done, but something is missing. It’s true that some people grow up never encountering art of any kind, and are perfectly happy and live good and valuable lives,…
“Books are a uniquely portable magic.” – Stephen King I’m a book club veteran. What better way to hang out and talk about books you’ve read along with eating and drinking wine? ‘Course those are the best kinds of book clubs. I’ve been in ones where the members cannot agree on what to read, pick books that are entirely too long (I’m sorry I cannot read Kafka on the Shore which is 505 pages. I simply do not have that kind of time.), meet for too lengthy a session, or members don’t regularly attend. My current club is one I’ve been a member of for about 5 years. It’s a mix of moms who stay at home, work full-time, part-time, and all very involved with their kids and communities. We meet monthly on a consistent Wednesday night. Rotate hostesses and bring food and wine. Everyone is very good about showing…