Downtown Bethlehem, PA is decorated for Halloween with scarecrows on Main Street! Please enjoy these photographs from Candid By Liz.
Again, thank you to Candid By Liz!
beauty
Beauty In Writing: Part 1
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One of the reasons that I love to read, in addition to experiencing other worlds, walking in the path of other characters, learning about the world around us, and escaping from reality for a short time, is to enjoy the beauty of words. Some writers are able to elevate their writing to a level of poetry and beauty that is exhilarating and joyful to read.
One writer, whose use of words, reaches poetic levels is Ray Bradbury. He is a writer not easily confined to one genre and whose work is defined by love of story. I have taught his work in several college classes in both The Department of Graduate and Continuing Education at Muhlenberg College and with traditional students at Lehigh University, and his writing has been an influence on me as a novelist.
I will offer two passages from his brilliant novel Dandelion Wine, a BildungsRoman or coming-of-age story, set in late 1920s in Green Town, Illinois. These passages are from the perspective of a boy who is beginning to see possibilities in life, both the external world and in himself.
The first passage is the opening of the novel:
“It was a quiet morning, the town covered over with darkness and at ease in bed.
Summer gathered in the weather, the wind had the proper touch, the breathing
of the world was long and warm and slow. You only had to rise, lean from your
window, and know that this indeed was the first real time of freedom and living,
this was the first morning of summer.
Douglas Spaulding, twelve, freshly wakened, let summer idle him on its
early-morning stream. Lying in his third-story cupola bedroom, he felt the tall
power it gave him, riding high in the June wind, the grandest tower in town. At
night, when the trees washed together, he flashed his gaze like a beacon from
this lighthouse in all directions over swarming seas of elm and oak and maple.
Now . . .” (1).
That is an extraordinary opening to a novel. It pulls the reader into the story with a seemingly simplistic prose, but within that simplicity is beauty and the poetry of the world being seen through young eyes.
Another passage shows Douglas at night time:
“Douglas sprawled back on the dry porch planks, completely contented
and reassured by these voices, which would speak on through eternity, flow
in a stream of murmurings over his body, over his closed eyelids, into his
drowsy ears, for all time. The rocking chairs sounded like crickets, the crickets
sounded like rocking chairs, and the moss-covered rain barrel by the
dining-room window produced another generation of mosquitoes to provide
a topic of conversation through endless summers ahead” (33).
Both excerpts, in my view, are beautiful, compelling, and poetic. All writers should read and study Ray Bradbury.
Works Cited
Bradbury, Ray. Dandelion Wine. New York. Avon Books. 1999.
Update on Robert Fillman’s Poetry Reading
StandardHello to all! There was a mistake on the date of Robert Fillman’s Poetry reading.
The corrected date and the flyer appears next:
Join Robert Fillman on Zoom—Thursday, June 3rd, 2021, at 6 pm EST.
Here is a link to another of Robert Fillman’s poems: The Batter
See his chapbook November Weather Spell via Main Street Rag
Please check out this opportunity to hear Robert Fillman reading his excellent poetry!
Quotations On The Importance of Compassion
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“A human being is a part of the whole called by us universe, a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feeling as something separated from the rest, a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness. This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us. Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty.”
Albert Einstein
“Love and compassion are necessities, not luxuries. Without them, humanity cannot survive.”
Dalai Lama
“No act of kindness, no matter how small, is ever wasted.”
Aesop
“Compassion, and not brutality, is the true sign of strength.”
Charles F. French
A Quotation From William Shakespeare Part I
StandardI am beginning a new series of quotations, in which I will feature pieces from one particular author for several weeks. I begin with the best and most important, William Shakespeare.
(Photo by Mike on Pexels.com)
You do look, my son, in a moved sort,
As if you were dismayed: be cheerful, sir.
Our revels now are ended. These our actors,
As I foretold you, were all spirits and
Are melted into air, into thin air;
And, like the baseless fabric of this vision,
The cloud-capped tow’rs, the gorgeous palaces,
The solemn temples, the great globe itself,
Yea, all which it inherit, shall dissolve,
And, like this insubstantial pageant faded,
Leave not a rack behind. We are such stuff
As dreams are made on, and our little life
Is rounded with sleep.
The Tempest (4. 1. 146-158)
Shakespeare, William. The Complete Works of Shakespeare Seventh Edition. David
Bevington. Editor. Pearson. Boston. 2014.
A New Poem By Robert Fillman
StandardI am proud to announce that my friend, Robert Fillman, has published another poem–“Losing The Bed”, and it appears here: Jacar Press — Robert Fillman. This poem is both deeply personal and powerful. Please take the time to read it.
Robert Fillman is the author of November Weather Spell, a brilliant collection of his poetry. This book can be found here: November Weather Spell
You can visit Robert Fillman’s website here: Robert Fillman. Please visit the extraordinary poet’s site, consider buying his book, and enjoy the poetry of one of America’s finest poets.
Please consider reblogging this post, so as many as possible can read his work.
Quotations on Leadership
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(www.pixabay.com)
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands in times of challenge and controversy.”
Martin Luther King, Jr.
“I have three precious things which I hold fast and prize. The first is gentleness; the second is frugality; the third is humility, which keeps me from putting myself before others. Be gentle and you can be bold; be frugal and you can be liberal; avoid putting yourself before others and you can become a leader among men.”
Lao Tzu
(www.pixabay.com)
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.”
Theodore Roosevelt
“People who are truly strong lift others up. People who are truly powerful bring others together.”
Michelle Obama
Happy Beltane To All!
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Happy Beltane to all, a day to celebrate and wish all well!
And please do not worry–this pagan Wiccan/Druidic holiday does not have anything to do with the devil.
Rather, this holiday is one of nature and spirit and celebrates the renewal of life! It is closely connected to rituals of May Day and is observed in much of the world with an ancient Celtic influence.
So, please enjoy the natural world and life itself!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day
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May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
(Traditional Irish Blessing)
In this time of uncertainty, risk, and danger, please remember our connections, our strengths, and our blessings.
Merry Christmas!
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(Photo by Brett Sayles on Pexels.com)
Merry Christmas to all!
I hope everyone has a joyous holiday!
Be well, be safe, and be blessed.
charles french words reading and writing 