May 2024 – My Corner

A Play About Life and Death: My Review of Our Town by Thornton Wilder #FantasticFridayReads #Theater #Inspiration

What Amazon Says

“[Our Town] leaves us with a sense of blessing, and the unspoken but palpable command to achieve gratitude in what remains of our days on earth.” — The New Yorker

Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama of life in the mythical village of Grover’s Corners, New Hampshire—an allegorical representation of all life—is an American classic. It is the simple story of a love affair that asks timeless questions about the meaning of love, life, and death.

Our Town explores the relationship between two young neighbors, George Gibbs and Emily Webb, whose childhood friendship blossoms into romance, and then culminates in marriage. When Emily loses her life during childbirth, the circle of life portrayed in each of the three acts—childhood, adulthood, and death—is fully realized.

Widely considered one of the greatest American plays of all time, Our Town debuted on Broadway in 1938 and continues to be performed daily on stages around the world. This special edition includes an afterword by Wilder’s nephew, Tappan Wilder, with illuminating documentary material about the playwright and his most famous drama.

Buy from Amazon.

My 5-Star Review

The book I reviewed here last week references this play. Having never seen or read it, I was curious. I’m glad I picked it up.

The nice thing about reading a play, especially when one’s vision is limited, is that the playwright often provides vivid descriptions of the set and what the characters are doing. Thornton Wilder’s stage descriptions didn’t disappoint me. It was as if I were in the theater, seeing the play. I got more out of it than I would have if I’d seen it in person.

In Wilder’s story of young love and marriage and unexpected death, he teaches important life lessons. The third act, taking place at the cemetery, in which we see characters who have passed away, is effective. I can see why this play is often assigned in high school English classes and performed in high schools and community theaters. Our Town is a play everyone should read or see.

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

I have great news! For those who use the National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled in the United States, Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me is now available in an audio format from their site. To download this book click here.

If you haven’t already done so, please subscribe to my email list to receive my monthly newsletter and other announcements. This is a one-way announcements list, meaning the only messages you’ll receive will come from me. So, you can rest assured that this list is low-traffic. Send a blank email to: newsfrommycorner+subscribe@groups.io You’ll receive a confirmation email. Reply to that with another blank message, and you should be good to go.

New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me

Independently published with the help of DLD Books.

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

Sixteen-year-old Natalie’s grandmother, suffering from dementia and confined to a wheelchair, lives in a nursing home and rarely recognizes Natalie. But one Halloween night, she tells her a shocking secret that only she and Natalie’s mother know. Natalie is the product of a one-night stand between her mother, who is a college English teacher, and another professor.

After some research, Natalie learns that people with dementia often have vivid memories of past events. Still not wanting to believe what her grandmother has told her, she finds her biological father online. The resemblance between them is undeniable. Not knowing what else to do, she shows his photo and website to her parents.

Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.

Her younger sister, Sarah, senses their parents’ marital difficulties. At Thanksgiving, when she has an opportunity to see Santa Claus, she asks him to bring them together again. Can the jolly old elf grant her request?

Out of his Dreams #SixSentenceThursdayLinkUp #WritingPrompts #Inspiration

“Hey, you, get into my car!”

“Who, me?”

“Yeah, you, it’s raining; it’s late; you’re all wet; don’t you want a lift?”

“Who do you think you are, Billy Ocean?”

“Hey, I’m just trying to be a good Samaritan.”

“Well, quoting that God-awful song is no way to pick up a girl; I’ll walk in the rain, thank you very much.”

Thanks to GirlieOnTheEdge for inspiring the above work of flash fiction with her six-sentence prompt for this week in which the given word is “lift” and the idea is to write something in exactly six sentences, using the word at least once. You can click here to participate on your blog and read other six-sentence creations. Thank you for stopping by.

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me

Independently published with the help of DLD Books.

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.

A Spring Constitutional #WednesdayWords #Poetry #Inspiration

Let me read it to you.

A Spring Constitutional

By Abbie Johnson Taylor

In the early morning, a cold wind blows.

Weak sunlight from a hazy sky offers little warmth.

Despite the chill, I’m glad to be out walking.

I smell fresh new-mown grass and hear bird songs.

In the park, a workman mows the lawn.

There’s no one else in sight.

I walk by the creek, hear its gentle babble,

the neighing of horses from a nearby veterinary clinic.

I smell their manure.

My white cane rolls from side to side in front of me.

In the late afternoon, I traverse the same path,

relieved to be out in the fresh air.

I hear the cries of children from the nearby playground.

My stomach tells me it’s time for supper.

I quicken my pace, eager to reach home.

Back Story

I wrote this poem years ago when I was single. Then, as now, I enjoyed walking. I often alternated routes, one day walking through a local park, the next along a cement path on the opposite side of the creek from the park.

This poem spans two days. In the first two stanzas, I reflect on a morning walk through the park, across the bridge, and on the cement path next to the creek. In the last stanza, I talk about a late afternoon walk along that same cement path.

“A Spring Constitutional” was published a few years ago in the spring issue of The Avocet. It now appears in the May 26^th issue of The Weekly Avocet, which can be downloaded here. Another version of this poem was published in my collection, How to Build a Better Mousetrap: Recollections and Reflections of a Family Caregiver. Thank you for reading.

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me

Independently published with the help of DLD Books.

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.

One for the Price of Two #TuesdayTidbit #WeeklySmile #Inspiration

First of all, I finally found time for a haircut. My locks had been getting scraggly, and I’d been meaning to do this for weeks. But Hubcaps performances and the two trips I took recently and getting my short story collection ready for publication kept me busy. Plus, my elderly hairdresser only works on Tuesdays and Wednesdays.

But finally, last Tuesday, I had it done. Marilyn, my hairdresser, and I couldn’t remember the last time I’d gotten my hair cut. It felt so good afterward, and I enjoyed visiting again with Marilyn, who’s been doing my hair for quite a while.

As you’ll see from the photo below, my second smile is that, despite limited vision, I figured out how to take a selfie after my haircut and get an AI description of it. I didn’t think to get a “before” photo first, but I hope you enjoy what I look like now. I’m thrilled when I find something new I can do with technology.

Just to clarify, I’ve said earlier I don’t approve of using AI for writing. Though I struggle with descriptions due to my visual impairment, I’d never have an AI generate a description of a scene in a novel or short story. But providing an accurate description of a photograph in a true story such as this one is another thing, and I have no problem using an AI for this purpose.

Now, what made you smile this past week? You can click here to participate on your blog and read other responses or leave a comment below. Thank you for reading.

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me

Independently published with the help of DLD Books.

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.

Balancing Work and Pleasure #MondayMusings #OpenBookBlogHop #Inspiration

Welcome to another Open Book Blog Hop. Here’s this week’s question. “How do you turn off your internal editor when you are reading for enjoyment?

Well, to me, that’s like asking, “How do you breathe?” I don’t know. I just do it.

When I lose myself in something I’m reading for pleasure, I rarely think about how the work could be improved or changed. If something stands out, I may mention it when I review the book. Otherwise, I enjoy what I read for pleasure, knowing I don’t have to worry about editing it. I don’t read anything I don’t like.

If you’re an author, how do you turn off your internal editor when reading for pleasure. You can click here to participate on your blog and read other responses. Thank you for stopping by.

Photo Courtesy of Tess Anderson Photography

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

New! Why Grandma Doesn’t Know Me

Independently published with the help of DLD Books.

Photo Resize and Description

by Two Pentacles Publishing

Natalie realizes she has some growing up to do. Scared and confused, she reaches out to her biological father, and they start corresponding.