by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Jan 16, 2010 | accumulation, craft of writing, details, journeys, mfa, place, reading, the day |
Thank you to everyone who’s asked what it was like going to my first residency at the Vermont College of Fine Arts. I think it’s taken so long for me to write this post because, in addition to catching up with life and not getting behind on my work, I was...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Jan 13, 2010 | Columbus GA, place, the day, time |
At 10:15, this day appears to be another one of those where I feel like my right arm is going in one direction and my left in completely the opposite, the same with my legs, and my head just might explode. I want to do so many things ALL AT ONE TIME. Each thing I do...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Jan 11, 2010 | first novels, my writing, reviews |
An Equal Stillness, the debut novel by Francesca Kay, who grew up in South-east Asia and India and now lives in Oxford, was one of the best books I read in 2009. My review of this book is now online in Contrary Magazine’s Winter Issue. An Equal Stillness also...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Jan 8, 2010 | accumulation, craft of writing, journeys, mfa, place |
I lie down and get back up only minutes later. I close my eyes and then open them. I’m filled up and emptied out at the same time. Exhausted and yet energized. I’m on my way home from Vermont College of Fine Arts after 8 days of a residency full of...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Jan 1, 2010 | How We Spend Our Days |
Annie Dillard wrote, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” On the first of each month, Catching Days hosts a guest writer in the series, “How We Spend Our Days.” Today, please welcome writer Abigail Thomas: It’s too...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Dec 27, 2009 | craft of writing, life, mfa, place, time |
As some of you know, French was my first passion. The summers after seventh, eighth, and ninth grades I spent seven to nine weeks in Ferrisburg, Vermont at Ecole Champlain, a French camp on Lake Champlain. I just loved it. While I was there, I had the opportunity to...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Dec 24, 2009 | details, the day, time |
You can read Dylan Thomas’ story “A Child’s Christmas in Wales” online. You can also listen to the author read a substantial excerpt from the 1952 recording. In addition, you can hear the interesting story of how this recording came to be in...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Dec 22, 2009 | memoir, the day |
My desk this morning, instead of being covered with books and manuscript pages, is covered with Christmas lists. I want to write, but it’s hard to draw my mind away from the unanswered questions and undone errands on my list–with the clock ticking. I...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Dec 20, 2009 | craft of writing, details |
Wanted to share this quote with you from Anne Enright’s The Gathering: “I love this undertaker. He has that thing that young people got, sometime after I grew up. He does not pretend. He does not judge. He talks about the caskets in a...