UPCOMING ARTICLES
Acorn Press...
Summer Grilling
Holiday Special Edition
CandlewoodWriters'
Writers' WorkshopFall, 2010
Book
Randi Jane Davis: The Paintings of Faneuil Hall
Who I am....and what am I doing here....
During the summer, while still in college, my first job found me sitting at the reception desk on the seventh floor at ABC television in New York City. That particular floor housed the offices of the Channel 7 local news team, their producers and staff. No one really spoke to me. The elevator doors opened at my right and to my left were three televisions, one muted to CBS, another one, also muted, to NBC and the third, with sound to ABC. All day long it droned on in the background. game shows, soap operas, more game shows. At first I thought I had the best summer job in the world. Within two days I couldn’t stand it anymore. Although I answered phones, nodded and greeted whoever came in, by 10:00AM boredom sat down beside me. So I started to write stories. My fingers racing around one of those old electric typewriters, I daydreamed away the entire day, lost in the words and textures of the stories I wrote. I’ve never had as much free time. I majored in Journalism at the University of Missouri in Columbia, Missouri. Quite a distance from my north Jersey upbringing, not only in miles but in the cultural panorama which is the Midwest. And the Midwest back then, like most of the inner states, was only rafting along side the rest of the country, as radical shifts for women, under privileged races and young men of draft age all attempted to force a change at the very same time. I found I straddled one foot in the east and one in the Midwest and eventually became a New Yorker with Midwest values, which still holds true today. Always I loved to write. Journals, poems, stories and essays, though not necessarily for others eyes, which never seemed a reason to stop jotting down whatever I thought. Later in life, it finally occurred to me to put my thoughts out to anyone who wanted to read them. And so I did. I found they were enjoyed. It came as a surprise to me. I started to send my essays out and soon, one became published. I began writing for the local newspaper, which has an award winning supplement, and I discovered the fun of interviewing someone and the challenge of putting down their story in a way which would entice the reader. I started branching out to other magazines from there. “I’m up to the task,” I thought and began to stretch myself, putting a novel into place....but that’s another story. I view myself as a writer for I think about writing all the time. If I’m not writing, I’m reading. I look forward in anticipation as to what I’m going to write, and ramble through, more often than not, many beginnings. But, then, somehow, the words begin to make sense, and I’m off, like a day old foal, heading in directions I never knew existed. It’s not always a glorious ride from start to finish, and I fall many times while it’s happening, but I’ve been able to get back on, and keep going. I’m not stopping now. You’ll find here a sampling of some of my writings and a blog, which hopefully will take me out into new fields. I’ve included a book review page for anyone to post whatever thoughts they might have on something either recently read, or on any piece they feel is worthy of comment, good or bad. I only ask you keep the comments and wording in line with the topic. Read that as, keep it clean, please. We’ll see what happens. Yes, I still do only watch the local Channel 7 News. I know where my loyalties lie. After all if it wasn’t for that seventh floor typewriter, I might not be writing this right now.
