by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Dec 30, 2008 | my writing, stories |
My story, “Frosting,” appears in Contrary’s Winter issue. Here’s a little piece of it: “It was overcast and warm. Also, sticky. And still. Too still. I sniffed and inhaled the smell of rain. That was easy. But there was something...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Dec 29, 2008 | journeys, shapes, truth |
In July, I read Arlington Park by Rachel Cusk, a writer I’d never read before. Upon finishing the novel, I immediately wanted to reread it. Instead, I began a journey that has lasted four months: reading each of Rachel Cusk’s books in the order she...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Dec 27, 2008 | reading |
“Bea says that the art of reading is slowly dying, that it’s an intimate ritual, that a book is a mirror that offers us only what we already carry inside us, that when we read, we do it with all our heart and mind…” Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Dec 24, 2008 | details, the day |
If you can find twenty minutes, you can listen to Dylan Thomas’ story “A Child’s Christmas in Wales,” read by the author–courtesy of Salon.com. The written story is also available online. Thomas grounds the story of this long-ago...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Dec 23, 2008 | the day |
“It came without ribbons! It came without tags! It came without packages, boxes or bags!” “And he puzzled three hours, till his puzzler was sore. Then the Grinch thought of something he hadn’t before!” “Maybe Christmas,”...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Dec 19, 2008 | memoir, the day |
My desk this morning, instead of being covered with books and manuscript pages, is covered with Christmas lists. I wanted to make a post. But it was hard to draw my mind away from the unanswered questions and undone errands on my list–with the clock ticking. ...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Dec 16, 2008 | craft of writing |
Willa Cather’s The Song of the Lark Breaking it down, as they say. Taking a closer look. Some of the similes: Ray thinking about Thea: “She was like wedding cake, a thing to dream on.” Thea thinking about an older couple she had seen together: ...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Dec 15, 2008 | reviews |
Reading Willa Cather’s The Song of the Lark is like breathing in art, instead of air. It’s in the words chosen by the author, in Thea’s artistic pursuit of her voice (a lark, of course, known for its beautiful songs), and in Thea’s love of the...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Dec 14, 2008 | reviews |
I felt like I was reading in slow motion, floating along on the words of Willa Cather. The Song of the Lark is rich. The words paint pictures and hold you. Impossible to skip any. It’s one of the best books I’ve read all year. The full text is...
by Cynthia Newberry Martin | Dec 11, 2008 | Dani Shapiro, life |
This morning, as I found myself wishing for an ordinary day without any of the extra tasks brought on by the holidays, I came across this passage from D. H. Lawrence’s Women in Love: “Ursula often wondered what else she waited for, besides the beginning...
