tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84392202001523840632024-03-18T05:48:27.202-04:00AUTHOR SUZANNE DEWITT HALLSuzanne Marie DeWitthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09724481265474654929noreply@blogger.comBlogger271125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-62536027893161180712024-03-13T15:44:00.003-04:002024-03-13T15:47:30.911-04:00First born of my first born<p> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXyaAqLQj_BRKqqYMvpN6T7H-Q35VCyumD3CS3hs7Rs5xzl7-kQNKLrWIes05XubV7lcEEGn-fszX1kgvNwyloesgtvs8cRJGTVkCkodrQtB11EXo-MzALYw9rdjkVce1qXfRFaA1HuX63zwkWJDlClpBZILINLodG_tZbYkzXaISSSF7nQt0RXBnh93N/s1800/BabyAndMommas.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img alt="Baby being held in the lap of one of their mothers, with the other mom's hand resting on top." border="0" data-original-height="1800" data-original-width="1440" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXyaAqLQj_BRKqqYMvpN6T7H-Q35VCyumD3CS3hs7Rs5xzl7-kQNKLrWIes05XubV7lcEEGn-fszX1kgvNwyloesgtvs8cRJGTVkCkodrQtB11EXo-MzALYw9rdjkVce1qXfRFaA1HuX63zwkWJDlClpBZILINLodG_tZbYkzXaISSSF7nQt0RXBnh93N/w512-h640/BabyAndMommas.jpg" title="A new life, nestled in the safety of her mothers' hands" width="512" /></a><br />Our daughter had a baby last month. Declan asked what the "new shape" was that I mention in the last line of the poem below. I replied that I didn't know, but what I'm sure of is that it is lumpy and expanding with emotion in search of words.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;"><b>Watching Newness: a note to Theodora</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">In the days following the day<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">you emerged from warm safety<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">into a shocking world<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">first born of my first born<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">I got to watch you<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">eyes flexing toward focus<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">lips exploring the idea of hunger and satiation<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in; text-indent: 0.5in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">soul grappling with sensations of separation and self<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">all of it new for you<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">and for her too, your mother.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">I watched her as she watched you<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">examining her face<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">as she examined yours<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">as I’d examined hers<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">in the days following the day<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">she emerged, like you<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">miraculously manifest.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">I watched as she watched<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">time unfolding<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">the wonder of the moment<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">pressing my heart<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 21.4667px;">into a new shape.</span></p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-79811053405061271092024-03-08T11:22:00.001-05:002024-03-08T11:22:13.593-05:00People who read my books also read...<p>I was poking around on my GoodReads author page today, and came across this. Pretty great company, I'd say!</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUx8-T4mTpRkFqhp3xcjqXdcN7I4TEqWUBftJ928423Uyg9DrD0NFxl6Hxdq8TtJdkiqGeC5zXe3ZrEJmc5P4Sp6t4zRVqbPLHImHy0SdT3IcGP0aD9i7TyKsmiy_Llis_8fCjH3g5MIInd2xUXyp6N2qKPzbfIu2hHjtpe_lI4sHWNgvS9YZj9aKFLkZH" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="1296" data-original-width="1298" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiUx8-T4mTpRkFqhp3xcjqXdcN7I4TEqWUBftJ928423Uyg9DrD0NFxl6Hxdq8TtJdkiqGeC5zXe3ZrEJmc5P4Sp6t4zRVqbPLHImHy0SdT3IcGP0aD9i7TyKsmiy_Llis_8fCjH3g5MIInd2xUXyp6N2qKPzbfIu2hHjtpe_lI4sHWNgvS9YZj9aKFLkZH=w640-h640" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-73448736208943059662023-10-04T10:34:00.003-04:002023-10-04T10:37:18.637-04:00Book cover design and Halloween<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXrHGNbRmOCHlhwMAZsdWIz0KqfT_YfyMTPmtdzY-GQI_ugmx-Am2atWZpKBtfqUPg23dQOaskwu6aujWfP_gQU_E5mpp6pQWNN72H4y_xjAjUOwZZOP9J_z4W0jXAsTfbVfnjds8VMS7SAfw4u3Vr9afk-EXxuj8Y2GVyGqaCALbEMrEuJvthEgiMrF9p/s888/BodyFront.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="888" data-original-width="587" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXrHGNbRmOCHlhwMAZsdWIz0KqfT_YfyMTPmtdzY-GQI_ugmx-Am2atWZpKBtfqUPg23dQOaskwu6aujWfP_gQU_E5mpp6pQWNN72H4y_xjAjUOwZZOP9J_z4W0jXAsTfbVfnjds8VMS7SAfw4u3Vr9afk-EXxuj8Y2GVyGqaCALbEMrEuJvthEgiMrF9p/w424-h640/BodyFront.jpg" width="424" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>It's October, which means Halloween, so I'm sharing what was <i>almost</i> the cover for my debut novel, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/83063/9781954907461" target="_blank">THE LANGUAGE OF BODIES</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div>Book layout and cover design are super important. People <i>do</i> judge books by their covers despite the oft-stated advice not to, and encountering unreadable or unprofessional fonts, odd word or line spacing, non-standard front and back matter, and all the rest of the details which contribute to polish can also push readers away.</div><div><br /></div><div>I've had training and experience in these kinds of tasks, so it was a bit scary to work with a publisher. What if I didn't like their choices? </div><div><br /></div><div>Luckily Woodhall Press created a lovely book design, and was happy to work with me on the cover. I'm sure other publishers have different processes, but for this book, I provided images and concepts about tone etc., and received back mockups. I offered feedback, and sometimes found it easiest to just create what I had in mind rather than trying to explain it. Showing versus telling, and all that.</div><div><br /></div><div>The image at the top of this post is one of the designs I sent. I liked the idea of old, torn paper, and a vintage drawing of the human form. I liked that the words on the callouts didn't connect to the body parts which would typically be correlated. <a href="https://amzn.to/3PJldNr" target="_blank"><i>The Language of Bodies</i></a> is odd, dark, connected to history, and a bit spooky, so this imagery resonated.</div><div><br /></div><div>But this is the cover we went with:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0r4B4yN-mffLmrAThkOClWDryHIXaF0gkeCSmD8BnYqjekM46fej5lgu9r80KR6sYoQ6RgfAoUYFZVQoziIbF78bBwuJwMzxbKQPu86FodD6K9GJv8d5WHdJqfX2lvtFhGx_s0_SWLaDoygRETBbQfaMy3jgK_-iVc0mrdQgI7OdqFhMYNMvcn40527-9/s4959/FinalJPG.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4959" data-original-width="3306" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0r4B4yN-mffLmrAThkOClWDryHIXaF0gkeCSmD8BnYqjekM46fej5lgu9r80KR6sYoQ6RgfAoUYFZVQoziIbF78bBwuJwMzxbKQPu86FodD6K9GJv8d5WHdJqfX2lvtFhGx_s0_SWLaDoygRETBbQfaMy3jgK_-iVc0mrdQgI7OdqFhMYNMvcn40527-9/w426-h640/FinalJPG.jpg" width="426" /></a></div><br /><div>It's completely different, and reflects the story's heart: beauty, darkness, love, pain. Both covers feel true and right for the book, while being near total opposites. So if you like spooky reads, have I got a book for you! But if you like novels which make you think, feel, laugh, and maybe even cry, I also have a book, and it's the same one.</div><div><br /></div><div>I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments. Which version do you prefer? Which one would you choose if you were the author?</div>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-41543730973094646392023-09-20T12:01:00.002-04:002024-01-19T16:39:23.444-05:00Poetry pub news: Rivers of Ink anthology<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3Ocy76N" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img border="0" data-original-height="648" data-original-width="432" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEik517gjq-hpjuvYK9UDYVmnbpXXPPRgfxnCwXbziQSDenp6Aqv99kPdDzub7rds3WRwCQ1295YRCH19mf5xnw0-nE-UwxmG6ePaM1oXtu0JuogTR5IvEDrQctcXqpbrzIOp5I0TXf4_dEwWvVgiOAC6tQpgL6ZndaJvy1VQVIw8Xvsa_duRHlmC5-aOAW5/w426-h640/Rivers%20of%20Ink%20Front%20Cover.png" width="426" /></a></div><p>This week's lovely news is that a piece I wrote called <i>Becoming the Food of Stars</i> will be included in the <a href="https://amzn.to/3Ocy76N" target="_blank"><i>Rivers of Ink</i> anthology from 12 Willows Press</a> this December! The anthology is a collection of work from Maine authors on the topic of the Penobscot river and watershed. Can't wait to read the other other pieces exploring the magnificence of our region.</p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-75357691494642567212023-09-12T12:04:00.041-04:002023-09-20T12:15:42.700-04:00Poetry pub news: Slamming Bricks 3 anthology<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvsTps1jAZccgBvC7139p6xzV1k6m8bj8lAhvftwzQ4SMAyQMjlaosh3AfxQ1YP74VN9t7vrQcjKUCB2uidljj5JysMTeEls0pP6fr-Jr3Gs4zqDGVl5geyv2EiFjPNYuhkimyTgk21Xdjh_JfW40z1oJRN2EJrzPf2sH20bpDa-YY7KAroLehGDCGx1K/s522/SlammingBricks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="326" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEvsTps1jAZccgBvC7139p6xzV1k6m8bj8lAhvftwzQ4SMAyQMjlaosh3AfxQ1YP74VN9t7vrQcjKUCB2uidljj5JysMTeEls0pP6fr-Jr3Gs4zqDGVl5geyv2EiFjPNYuhkimyTgk21Xdjh_JfW40z1oJRN2EJrzPf2sH20bpDa-YY7KAroLehGDCGx1K/w400-h640/SlammingBricks.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>I'm honored to announce that two of my poems will be included in the 3rd annual edition of <a href="https://amzn.to/44Wzn3r" target="_blank">Slamming Bricks</a>: an anthology featuring poetry from LGBTQ+, BIPOC, and AAPI poets addressing themes of resistance and liberation. The anthology is an extension of the <a href="https://westerncoloradowriters.org/event/slamming-bricks-2023-poetry-slam/" target="_blank">Slamming Bricks Poetry Slam</a> which was created to honor the resistance begun by the Stonewall Riots.</p><p>Get your copy now to support marginalized poets, and read explorations of how we push back against oppression.</p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-60472964002797710252023-08-29T10:54:00.001-04:002023-08-29T15:53:18.958-04:00What does fairness look like?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CKYDqpUe87MeeZbKn44MTxh2Nx3b4VPU-iMagoKTlkDySLOCCwicBUSYh4z7H-iOKoJkqAvgYiSUjkT6RW3_UDuJKJwpK9Gy6jv2pTpAjG_6xF_EwNhbj-mPw3_w6uMDq_g8aNmk3kQPijyUWHavECD-WiGaFihu21_IQyMgmor7qP_W71muKVpJvawq/s1773/PhillipAndPenelope.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1678" data-original-width="1773" height="606" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5CKYDqpUe87MeeZbKn44MTxh2Nx3b4VPU-iMagoKTlkDySLOCCwicBUSYh4z7H-iOKoJkqAvgYiSUjkT6RW3_UDuJKJwpK9Gy6jv2pTpAjG_6xF_EwNhbj-mPw3_w6uMDq_g8aNmk3kQPijyUWHavECD-WiGaFihu21_IQyMgmor7qP_W71muKVpJvawq/w640-h606/PhillipAndPenelope.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p>My beloved posts a lot of photos of our terrier puppy on social media: shots in the backyard, in the car, on the beach, or in random acts of naughty terriorism. In fairness to Declan, Penelope Pumpernickel is very photogenic. (Have I mentioned she's a puppy?) But the photographic abundance comes from a deeper place than mere aesthetics. The pictures are silent gasps of gratitude Declan can't help but utter; each one a thank you because Penelope was such a gift to us, and Declan is damned grateful.</p><p>Social media friends know we have <i>two</i> dogs, and people sometimes comment about our other pup (Phillip) not being with us on adventures. The questions seem to hint that we aren't being fair to him. So I wanted to talk for a moment about what fairness looks like.</p><p>We lost our Rumplepimple six months ago. He was a one-of-a-kind dog of high intellect and determination mixed with gentleness of spirit. He had all the makings of an alpha creature, but was too soft-hearted to step into the snark and snarl of the role, letting the dogs we fostered across a handful of years pretend they were in charge rather than taking them down a peg or two as they frequently deserved.</p><p>He was such a sweet, sweet boy.</p><p>It's not easy to bear the brain and stubbornness of an alpha canine but the heart of a lover, so when we heard about Phillip 8 or so years ago, we thought he might be a good companion for Rumple. Phillip was neglected for some time before being picked up by animal control, and was scheduled for euthanasia when a terrier rescue got him out, cleaned him up, and loved him into readiness for our family. The rescue knew what we were looking for in a new family member, and Phillip fit that bill; energetic but submissive. And so he came to live with us.</p><p>The match was remarkable. Rumplepimple got to be alpha without having to be a brute. Phillip had a brother, leader, and friend; regular meals; and lots of love. They made a brilliant team.</p><p>In many ways Phillip is a simple dog, with simple desires: to eat as often as possible, to cuddle, to occasionally perform astonishingly fast zoomies. He's not a deep thinker, nor is he demanding, but the rough start to Phillip's life left emotional scars. He doesn't like having wet feet, being cold, or being hot. He wants the mailman to be fired. He wants all dogs to be banned from the streets near our house. He wants joggers to just... not. He wants horses on television to stop being horses, and cartoon monsters to evaporate. And he makes these desires known physically; leaping at windows and knocking over lamps in response to passers by, jumping at the TV and bashing it with his nose, panting, pacing, and trying to tell us that SOMETHING VERY IMPORTANT IS GOING ON.</p><p>Our attempts at training him to not freak out didn't work. Xanax didn't work. Cannabis oil didn't work. Trazadone didn't work. Anti-depressants didn't work. We've simply had to accept that he's an anxious little guy and give him lots of love to balance that out.</p><p>Prior to Phillip, Rumplepimple went many places with us. He loved car rides, meeting new people, and checking out the world. Phillip, on the other hand, becomes dangerously unhinged in the car. He's chewed through multiple kinds of restraints, barks in the driver's ear, and tries to climb on the driver's lap, crying as if the world is on fire. Taking him places isn't safe and doesn't make him happy. And so, out of fairness, we thought we should leave Rumplepimple with him when we went out. It didn't seem "fair" for him to get to go when Phillip couldn't handle it. Fairness, in our minds, meant treating the two creatures the same way.</p><p>When Rumplestinky was diagnosed with degenerative myelopathy, the ticking of his life clock pounded loud in our hearts. The pain of that timeframe isn't something I'm going to delve into now, but one of the things we eventually did was resume taking him places. Water therapy was the start, and then it morphed back into the kind of travels he used to experience. And Phillip stayed at home, away from windows so he couldn't hurl himself through the glass in a bloody blast of unhingedness. </p><p>We don't have a lot of regrets related to our time with Rumple. Our love as a family was grand. But one thing we <i>do</i> regret is that our idea of fairness to Phillip created an unfairness for his brother. Rumplepimple missed out on a lot of joy during those years. And so did we.</p><p>Now here we are with a silly, headstrong adventure dog named Penelope Pumpernickel, who loves car rides, watching people, and experiencing new things. And Phillip remains the creature he's been from the beginning; a dog who longs to be an indoor cat.</p><p>Fairness doesn't mean serving peas as the sole vegetable every day because it's the only veg one child will eat. Fairness isn't spending the same dollar amount on Christmas gifts for two children, when the heart's desire of one of them can be purchased for a quarter of the amount of the other. Fairness isn't doling out the same thing across the board. </p><p>Fairness is evaluating the wants, needs, and anxieties of individuals, and responding to each with the same level of attention and care. The "fair" action for one creature might be the very definition of torture for the other.</p><p>If you're a contact on social media, you'll continue to see photos of our fur babies in a variety of settings. They spend hours playing, napping, and sniffing around the yard together every day. They love each other and bring us all joy. But you'll also see pictures of Penelope on car rides and beach adventures, with Phillip nowhere in sight. He and Chicken the cat will be at home where the boundaries are known, the food is available, and the bed is comfortable. The place where mom, dad, and Penelope always return for hugs, treats, and playtime.</p><p>Because that's what fairness looks like.</p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-32254621706260186462023-06-27T11:24:00.001-04:002023-06-27T11:24:09.944-04:00Going to be in Maine mid-July? Come say hello!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgA-AOu6opahcreZpkSy6-qHztLW1Mor69si2jdxttQ3wIFaP5PHoFnLnnv2TXPpcnb8OaFGbPfNcNwE21J69ePuhxzW2Xd9xaQTp1JRcRizZYCQ7QouKTxeqBPK4R_Y4SpiQ_7yvASBVWHOl6hwspHY9AItYSU6Y_lPfA3dVus1KSEZt-mOdaNAsuhvPc/s940/Copy%20of%20Book%20Reading%20and%20Author%20Meet%20and%20Greet.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="940" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgA-AOu6opahcreZpkSy6-qHztLW1Mor69si2jdxttQ3wIFaP5PHoFnLnnv2TXPpcnb8OaFGbPfNcNwE21J69ePuhxzW2Xd9xaQTp1JRcRizZYCQ7QouKTxeqBPK4R_Y4SpiQ_7yvASBVWHOl6hwspHY9AItYSU6Y_lPfA3dVus1KSEZt-mOdaNAsuhvPc/w640-h536/Copy%20of%20Book%20Reading%20and%20Author%20Meet%20and%20Greet.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-51802322932200747012023-06-20T11:36:00.001-04:002023-06-27T11:24:41.874-04:00When real life appears in fiction, you get: COOKIES!<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpfKMk7k7r4PThawrELM74Xr2dK148eBLEP25xB0jvBz3dWw2Z3zIZnpNTdLa0jk7z4oKzXOVKjq9vY592goIKHf9-M0pJzu88rGlVl3_8Y1_bQc68RYVVUDQ44-SRT5tFTWUtbiVp-vVrD04zZOhyQZMGZgxo7EyC96rnjc3tfda6mo4RJfZlsQnofSp/s1280/stirring-device-491301_1280.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="853" data-original-width="1280" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnpfKMk7k7r4PThawrELM74Xr2dK148eBLEP25xB0jvBz3dWw2Z3zIZnpNTdLa0jk7z4oKzXOVKjq9vY592goIKHf9-M0pJzu88rGlVl3_8Y1_bQc68RYVVUDQ44-SRT5tFTWUtbiVp-vVrD04zZOhyQZMGZgxo7EyC96rnjc3tfda6mo4RJfZlsQnofSp/w640-h426/stirring-device-491301_1280.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />Fiction is a surreal mix of things from the real lives of authors, and things which are formed solely in the neural pathways of their brains. Sometimes it's easy to spot the drawn-from-life bits, sometimes not. Reality snippets can range from personalities authors meet, locations they visit, illnesses they've dealt with, even foods they've eaten.<p></p><p>My novel, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/83063/9781954907461" target="_blank">THE LANGUAGE OF BODIES</a>, is an interrupted love story: a tale of passion and vengeance, set in vintage oddness and with a driving tempo. Given the darkness of the theme, it was important to regularly intersperse moments of light and humor, which is managed both through the narrator Maddie's voice, and through the presence of an old Italian woman named Maria. </p><p>I don't know a Maria (though everyone should have someone like her in their life) but I DO know the cookies she teaches Maddie to make. They were a favorite when I lived in a city with a large Italian population in New York State, and were known as Lemon Meatballs. I had a hard time finding a recipe while researching the novel, but eventually, <a href="https://lipsmackinggoodness.blogspot.com/2011/12/lemon-meatballish-cookies.html" target="_blank">I found this post on a blog from 2011</a>, and it seems the closest to the dense, lemony cookie balls I remembered. I modified it a tiny bit; adding in food coloring so the finished product is the vivid yellow of my memory, but otherwise, the recipe is essentially the one from the blog.</p><p>My book isn't cozy. It isn't the kind of read which includes recipes at the back. But it does convey the warmth of a kitchen, and the importance of care and nurturance which sometimes takes place through food.</p><p>Want to make the cookies? First, <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/83063/9781954907461" target="_blank">read the book</a>. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWZhE3N8lYcx7CLJU0BK851DpB8A_-spS6rMlxbdauFCAftwMJTWm-9YwSUxLamuUnlg13zr6xuPGw-NosAB-EtCJw0wjzicvqNRmkgOCtPf4adRjoCwVK4MxizJTei7noU6suQIrEQ9VtYUOA4aEQQLF_h0sqczJTuhGWvT6QTo3t1785qyzq_ahgWst/s1600/mock-00165.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1147" data-original-width="1600" height="287" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxWZhE3N8lYcx7CLJU0BK851DpB8A_-spS6rMlxbdauFCAftwMJTWm-9YwSUxLamuUnlg13zr6xuPGw-NosAB-EtCJw0wjzicvqNRmkgOCtPf4adRjoCwVK4MxizJTei7noU6suQIrEQ9VtYUOA4aEQQLF_h0sqczJTuhGWvT6QTo3t1785qyzq_ahgWst/w402-h287/mock-00165.png" width="402" /></a></div><p>Then, here you go!</p><h3 style="text-align: center;">Lemon Meatball Cookies</h3><h4 style="text-align: left;">DOUGH INGREDIENTS</h4><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup shortening<br />1 1/4 cups granulated sugar<br />4 eggs<br />1/3 cup plus 2 Tbsp sour cream<br />2 1/4 teaspoon lemon extract<br />1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />Yellow food coloring<br />Grated zest of 2 lemons<br />4 1/2 cups all-purpose flour</div><div style="text-align: left;">4 1/2 tsp baking powder</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">GLAZE INGREDIENTS</h4><div style="text-align: left;">1 cup confectioners' sugar<br />2-3 Tbsp lemon juice<br />Yellow food coloring</div><h4 style="text-align: left;">DIRECTIONS</h4><p>Preheat the oven to 350F. Spray baking sheets with non-stick spray, or line with parchment paper.</p><p>In a large bowl, beat together the shortening and sugar until light. Add eggs, sour cream, lemon extract, vanilla extract, and lemon zest; beat until combined, scraping down sides of bowl. Add a few drops of food coloring until it reaches a bright yellow color.</p><p>In another bowl combine flour and baking powder; add to wet mixture and beat just until moistened. Do not over mix.</p><p>Shape dough into small balls, using about 1 level tablespoon for each. Use a cookie scoop if you have one.</p><p>Arrange the balls about 1 inch apart on cookie sheets. Bake 10 min, until lightly browned. Do not overbake. Remove from pans and cool.</p><p>Combine confectioners' sugar, lemon juice, and a few drops of food coloring in a small bowl; whip lightly until smooth and slightly thick. </p><p>While cookies are still warm dip tops in icing. Let set until icing is dry to the touch. </p><p>Enjoy!</p><p><br /></p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-61095916199819713332023-06-08T12:19:00.003-04:002023-06-08T12:19:29.937-04:00Reader love from Norway!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8H0hm3QZ1w-SELY5wboP7jOigL-qopIBn3Jd78gPK-QaqxTbpnszwXPx4rn5hQhSp-NSHahVCYhoBb4VWSeogLDk4n5tuyGnceIWV44ygXF4bd05Q2Q3YYO0WWlP1seVyjuC8LFrAIThj84_pX35Z2rKaWzwNeTVQhhvLkvd5mZfCOXm8UYfwz3wkAw/s954/Norwegian.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="589" data-original-width="954" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8H0hm3QZ1w-SELY5wboP7jOigL-qopIBn3Jd78gPK-QaqxTbpnszwXPx4rn5hQhSp-NSHahVCYhoBb4VWSeogLDk4n5tuyGnceIWV44ygXF4bd05Q2Q3YYO0WWlP1seVyjuC8LFrAIThj84_pX35Z2rKaWzwNeTVQhhvLkvd5mZfCOXm8UYfwz3wkAw/w640-h396/Norwegian.png" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p>This comment showed up recently on Instagram, and refers to my novel <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/83063/9781954907461" target="_blank">THE LANGUAGE OF BODIES</a>. I had no idea it could be listened to on a Norwegian app! How cool is that?</p><p>If you'd like to hear the book as narrated by the astonishingly talented <a href="https://www.nickyendres.com/" target="_blank">Nicky Endres</a>, <a href="https://www.audible.com/pd/The-Language-of-Bodies-Audiobook/B0B64GTW8T?qid=1686240598&" target="_blank">click here.</a></p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-80242482804157141892023-06-07T17:21:00.002-04:002023-06-07T17:21:59.827-04:00Let me tell you about these boots<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_7uVu7YCop1btIgobDIdsEgh053AvPP6-r1omShin3Sjaq-nca6guriyGu7cIPlbd2VFrTyU_Y0WWHUHU6d8JQy4SMbHQvF--SaxWWAcvia5foT4X8ddMEMbykDG91-9uD4fS4_TFZVMrVHZPfop47Ha-Lyq-mSf1HxjUUYGoIMGgDY2vX0PUa3d7w/s662/boots2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="515" data-original-width="662" height="498" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz_7uVu7YCop1btIgobDIdsEgh053AvPP6-r1omShin3Sjaq-nca6guriyGu7cIPlbd2VFrTyU_Y0WWHUHU6d8JQy4SMbHQvF--SaxWWAcvia5foT4X8ddMEMbykDG91-9uD4fS4_TFZVMrVHZPfop47Ha-Lyq-mSf1HxjUUYGoIMGgDY2vX0PUa3d7w/w640-h498/boots2.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />For most of my life, I was a girly girl. Long hair, makeup, high heels: the works. <br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;">(Also submissive, guilt-riddled, and emotionally simmering. Coincidence?)</div><br />But things have shifted over the last decade as my emotional health has improved.<br /><br /><div style="text-align: right;">(Can't recommend the love of a good person enough.)</div><p></p><p>So let me tell you about these boots. </p><p>They're red. </p><p>They're chunky. </p><p>They're Doc Martens; a brand I'd heard of, but never coveted, and a look I'd nod at on other people, but never considered for myself. </p><p>But a few weeks ago, a nearby town was having a put-all-your-junk-on-the-curb-and-we'll-take-it-away-no-questions-asked weekend, so Declan and I drove around to see if we could find anything for our new/old house since we gave so much away before moving cross country. We did find a few useful things, like a rollermajig for the garden hose we've yet to purchase, an old rocking chair we're using as a plant stand, and some paving stones. </p><p>We pulled over to look at some furniture which had great curb appeal but disappointed close up, and discovered a few bins full of miscellany. Including these boots. </p><p>Brand new. No dirt on the soles. No scuffs. Pristine. </p><p>I didn't know what they were, didn't stop to investigate too closely. They looked about my size and seemed very well made, so I just popped them in the car, and off we drove in search of the next bit of treasure.</p><p style="text-align: right;">(One of the things I've learned about Maine life is the importance of weather-appropriate footwear and coats.)</p><p>Back home, I discovered they fit, and did a bit of googling to sleuth out what they were. </p><p style="text-align: right;">(Then I turned them upside down and read the brand imprinted on the sole. Doh.)</p><p>Not only did they fit, but they were comfortable. </p><p>Cushiony. </p><p>Protective, like if a motorcycle drove over my foot, my toes would be just fine.</p><p>Heavy, but not in an "I'm going to pull your feet off" way. More of an "I'm ready if I need to kick someone's ass today." </p><p>Plus, they're red. </p><p>RED.</p><p>The last red pair I owned were faux-leather 4-inch stilettoes, which I wore with linebacker-shouldered blazers to my corporate job in the 1990s. They gave me a sense of power in the only currency I knew at the time.</p><p style="text-align: right;">(I'm not dissing stilettoes or those who wear them. I just recognize the layers of fucked-up that went along with <i>my</i> wearing them. I'd <i>still</i> stalk around in a pair once in a while if my poor gnarled feet were capable of contorting into the shape of Barbie's.)</p><p>I've been wanting a pair of red shoes for a few years now. Not high heels, though a bit of lift would be required. Not sneakers, because they were never really my thing. I had a hazy vision of retro Mary Janes, or embroidered patchwork Oxfords that looked like they were crafted from pokeberry-dyed squirrel hide by a bearded recluse in the mountains of Georgia.</p><p>But nope. Instead, I got these boots.</p><p>Gorgeous boots.</p><p>Strong boots.</p><p>Superhero boots.</p><p>Boots that say "look at me!" but not like those cheap tottering heels did. </p><p>I've worn them out in the world twice now, and they make me feel playful and powerful, their leather tongues proclaiming "I don't give a damn what you think, but admit it: aren't we cute?"</p><p style="text-align: left;">These boots are pure fucking magic.</p><p>And they were a gift from a universe who listened to my unspoken cries for shoes, glorious shoes, and knew better than I ever could about what kind my soul needed.</p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-81911650952625257872023-04-27T12:08:00.003-04:002023-04-27T12:08:35.230-04:00Sometimes a toy isn't a toy<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdMXSNTK1D9K-woVoIw9QeTX3R5wDl9OA6aokRoLmqlnD92AaWWr_FJHUtjK7QoA2IGo-hDiIxWvwh8s9hDvW0igr1-tPzAWSssoRb-nE5aT_32mSomkGKSXPKkcCHyDQt799ghWLetXjZ_JQfAtfBf0-OtOUZr_Nh32IFeaV30O7RQYNdjfY2iJBHA/s1133/Tractor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1014" data-original-width="1133" height="572" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjdMXSNTK1D9K-woVoIw9QeTX3R5wDl9OA6aokRoLmqlnD92AaWWr_FJHUtjK7QoA2IGo-hDiIxWvwh8s9hDvW0igr1-tPzAWSssoRb-nE5aT_32mSomkGKSXPKkcCHyDQt799ghWLetXjZ_JQfAtfBf0-OtOUZr_Nh32IFeaV30O7RQYNdjfY2iJBHA/w640-h572/Tractor.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />My beloved Declan and I have made three major relocations since we became a couple in 2010. Our most recent was a move from Missouri to Maine. Each home has required extensive work, and our current house is the biggest challenge yet. It's a wonderful building with a tin roof and seven gables, built in 1900 and owned by a single family until us. The most recent resident was a nonagenarian, so maintenance and general upkeep slid into oblivion a decade or two ago. It's a heaping pile of projects and decades-old grime.<p></p><p>We returned to our beloved New England without knowing where we were going to land, and spent three months evaluating locales. Our funds are extremely limited and real estate is not cheap, so we had to make hard choices, but a few things were must-haves. Proximity to healthcare and culture. Minimal distance from mountains and oceans. A bit of land in which to putter. A fence to keep the pups safe. Heat. Running water. Roof. Foundation. </p><p>And a tractor for Declan.</p><p>The fence will be installed in a few weeks, and the black and gold beast in the photo arrived today. We joke about it being Declan's toy. But sometimes a toy isn't a toy.</p><p>After two other homes fell through, we ended up in this seven-gabled house, with all it's warts and wrinkles. We'll be busy for years, cleaning, restoring, painting, fixing, propping up. These things weren't already done for us because we chose to have a tiny bit of land. We want to plant things. And take the dogs around for sniffs. And clean up the woodsy bits. And mow the parts that remain grass rather than transforming into garden or prairie. <br /><br />When mobility is impacted, these activities are things you <i>watch</i> rather than <i>do. </i>And that's not okay, which is why when we budgeted and prioritized, we chose a house in which a single living room corner is a multi-day project. </p><p>Because sometimes a toy is not a toy, it's a requirement.</p><p><br /></p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-55717192251305461772023-04-10T16:37:00.003-04:002023-04-10T16:51:11.385-04:00Meet Me this Thursday, April 13!<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77gNaLpXiT4XWDCIPuYJeaUGVIZtkTyKW8XLLpiGXQjSC8su-xW6yFxbg4D_0_ui5uDnf0168LpvQjv3PtPog3VrL3iUUgDotnCNU24CjU5NO0aUUKFx2u1wbvxZx5Lt7VhGo2rz7exd3a02Jou9cuzUaXMOc4tVzQhO8ykLxYVI1RgZUf0VpQvR2zA/s1639/HaverhillPLCalendar.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Registration form for The Language of Bodies book event" border="0" data-original-height="798" data-original-width="1639" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj77gNaLpXiT4XWDCIPuYJeaUGVIZtkTyKW8XLLpiGXQjSC8su-xW6yFxbg4D_0_ui5uDnf0168LpvQjv3PtPog3VrL3iUUgDotnCNU24CjU5NO0aUUKFx2u1wbvxZx5Lt7VhGo2rz7exd3a02Jou9cuzUaXMOc4tVzQhO8ykLxYVI1RgZUf0VpQvR2zA/w640-h312/HaverhillPLCalendar.png" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p>I'm looking forward to a wonderful book discussion at the <a href="https://haverhillpl.org/" target="_blank">Haverhill Public Library</a> this Thursday evening at 7:00, and hope you can be there. </p><p>In this era of social turmoil, novels have the power to inform as they entertain, breaking down barriers to compassion and communication. <i>The Language of Bodies</i> is a page-turner which does just that. The love story at the center of the tale moves readers and helps them realize the essential humanity of transgender people, and the very real danger prejudice presents. </p><p>I'm so grateful that the <a href="https://www.cummingsfoundation.org/" target="_blank">Cummings Foundation</a>'s focus on diversity and inclusion has made this event possible, in cooperation with the wonderful <a href="http://www.buttonwoods.org/index.html" target="_blank">Buttonwoods Museum</a> and Haverhill Public Library.</p><p>If you don't have a copy of the book yet, don't worry: they'll be on hand, and FREE to attendees. Kindle versions can also be provided. And if you haven't registered, that's okay too! <a href="https://www.eventkeeper.com/code/ekform.cfm?curOrg=HAVERHILL&curID=634803&CFID=77290357&CFTOKEN=dcf053e601ac80d3-40762D6D-D4AE-528A-5350CDFDC96B11C7">Click here to register</a>, or just show up!</p><p>Discussion questions related to the book are below, so if you've read it by the time Thursday evening rolls around, you can keep these questions in mind. If you've not yet read it but plan to attend, you'll have them in hand for when you encounter the story. </p><p>And email me (<a href="mailto:sdewitthall@gmail.com">sdewitthall@gmail.com</a>) if you'd like to attend via Zoom!</p><p>The event is sure to be an insightful time of considering how fiction contributes to constructive social discourse. Can't wait to see you.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHKLQU_dPuzqtmue5kNZrfkNbO_NkIgjLLmCFts-FddK-8S0fxvzMZ24PK-0nKljDCkl74NSo584zLVi_-bwNX8fFQw_IAOS_UpWJLma6rh9uamzQ3qz6X27r6H6tMJNg1TNwrk8pQtG8WzYBUnjn6W48ZjTQyCq-qVEENl_SA-t0EEQy33lia7EYsg/s1056/buttonwoodsDiscussionQuestions.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1056" data-original-width="816" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXHKLQU_dPuzqtmue5kNZrfkNbO_NkIgjLLmCFts-FddK-8S0fxvzMZ24PK-0nKljDCkl74NSo584zLVi_-bwNX8fFQw_IAOS_UpWJLma6rh9uamzQ3qz6X27r6H6tMJNg1TNwrk8pQtG8WzYBUnjn6W48ZjTQyCq-qVEENl_SA-t0EEQy33lia7EYsg/w495-h640/buttonwoodsDiscussionQuestions.jpg" width="495" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-83014130577648369212023-03-30T11:28:00.002-04:002023-03-30T11:28:57.301-04:00Book event to foster dialog about transgender realities April 13, 2023<p> </p><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="templateContainer" style="background-color: #fafafa; border-collapse: collapse; border: 0px; color: black; max-width: 600px !important; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td id="templatePreheader" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: none; background-origin: initial; background-position: center center; background-repeat: no-repeat; background-size: cover; border-bottom: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 9px; padding-top: 9px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnImageBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnImageBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnImageBlockInner" style="padding: 9px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnImageContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnImageContent" style="padding: 0px 9px; text-align: center; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="top"><img align="center" alt="" class="mcnImage" src="https://mcusercontent.com/6567196c0d834c942f21c80f7/images/d26358f7-7837-f3eb-4f4c-b5b3d52ec1eb.jpg" style="border: 0px; display: inline !important; height: auto; max-width: 400px; outline: none; padding-bottom: 0px; vertical-align: bottom;" width="400" /></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnTextBlockInner" style="padding-top: 9px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="top"></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td id="templateHeader" style="background: none center center / cover no-repeat rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom: 0px; border-top: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-top: 9px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="top"><table border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextBlock" style="border-collapse: collapse; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody class="mcnTextBlockOuter"><tr><td class="mcnTextBlockInner" style="padding-top: 9px; text-size-adjust: 100%;" valign="top"><table align="left" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="mcnTextContentContainer" style="border-collapse: collapse; max-width: 100%; min-width: 100%; text-size-adjust: 100%; width: 100%px;"><tbody><tr><td class="mcnTextContent" style="color: #202020; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 16px; line-height: 24px; padding: 0px 18px 9px; text-size-adjust: 100%; word-break: break-word;" valign="top">As part of a diversity initiative, the Cummings Foundation is hosting author Suzanne DeWitt Hall for a community book study in partnership with the Buttonwoods Museum and the Haverhill Public Library. The no-cost event will be held at 7:00PM at the Haverhill Public Library on Thursday, April 13, 2023. Free paperback, audio, and ebooks are being provided as part of the foundation's grant, and can be received at the time of registration, or at the event itself.<p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="color: black;">Transgender identity is the eye of our current social and political hurricane, and the need for ways to increase understanding and foster discussion has never been greater. Novels have the power to inform as they entertain, breaking down barriers to compassion and communication. DeWitt Hall's <em>The </em><em>Language of Bodies</em> is a page-turner which does just that. The love story at the center of the tale moves readers and helps them realize the essential humanity of transgender people, and the very real danger prejudice presents. Sponsoring a community interaction with <em>The Language of Bodies</em> is one example of the Cummings Foundation's efforts to support positive social change, in this case, through literature.</span></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><strong><a href="https://www.eventkeeper.com/code/ekform.cfm?curOrg=HAVERHILL&curID=634803&CFID=76462004&CFTOKEN=9738e9f97c5884b2-FEC4E9CF-D4AE-528A-5350EB10AFED35F5%C2%A0" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank"><span style="color: black;">CLICK HERE TO REGISTER<span style="font-weight: normal;"> </span></span></a></strong> or go through the library's event page at <a href="http://www.haverhillpl.org/" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">www.haverhillpl.org</a>. <br /><br /><span style="color: black;"><strong>BOOK DESCRIPTION</strong><br /><br />Maddie Wells’ life spirals out of control after the murder of her wife Char, a transgender woman of color. Hunger for vengeance drives Maddie to take a job at a wax museum near the murderer's hometown, where she studies revenge and plots how to strike back. Befriending the murderer’s wife is the first stage in Maddie’s plan to make him pay.<br /> <br /><em>The Language of Bodies</em> probes the seduction of vengeance using vivid, sensual imagery to explore how love transcends the particulars of body parts, and how revenge blurs the line between victim and perpetrator, hero and villain. It’s a gorgeous, dark tale about the enduring power of love, and the human spirit’s unwillingness to give up.<br /><br /><strong>EDITORIAL REVIEWS</strong><br /><br /><em>In Suzanne DeWitt Hall's The Language of Bodies, a grisly murder sets in motion a grieving wife's plan for retribution. What follows is a struggle for dominance between vengeance and virtue. The novel is a film noir between covers—dark, tense, and sexy. And hats off to DeWitt Hall for shining a light on the potential dangers faced daily by transgender individuals. </em></span></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="color: black;"><strong>Wally Lamb</strong>, author of six <em>New York Times</em> bestsellers and two <em>Oprah Book Club</em> selections, including <em>I Know This Much is True</em> </span></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"> </p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="color: black;"> <em>Dark and glowing as a ruby, DeWitt Hall’s debut is a page-turning exploration about what any of us might do for love, including succumbing to the dangerous allure of revenge.</em></span></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><strong><span style="color: black;">Caroline Leavitt, <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of <em>With or Without You </em></span></strong></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><br /><span style="color: black;">Lyrically written, deeply human, and deeply humane, this beautiful novel seethes with characters who love, bleed, and grieve just like the rest of us: in surprising and unpredictable ways. This compelling book deserves attention.</span></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><strong><span style="color: black;">C.B. Bernard, author of <em>Chasing Alaska</em>, and <em>Small Animals Caught in Traps</em></span></strong></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><br /><span style="color: black;"><em>Brimming with passion, dark, and immersive. Even as Maddie Wells edged closer to becoming the monster who murdered her beloved wife, I couldn’t stop rooting for Maddie and hoping she’d refocus her grief. The Language of Bodies dares to mine the recesses of the human mind and the paper-thin boundary between obsessive love and madness. What a wild ride!</em></span></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><strong><span style="color: black;">Lorrie Thompson, award-winning author of <em>A Measure of Happiness, What’s Left Behind, </em>and <em>Equilibrium</em></span></strong></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><br clear="ALL" /><span style="color: black;"><strong>Suzanne Dewitt Hall</strong> is the author of <em>Reaching for Hope: Strategies and Support for the Partners of Transgender People, </em>the <em>Where True Love Is </em>LGBQI+ devotional series, and the <em>Rumplepimple</em> <em>Adventures.</em> She's been a contributor for the <em>Huffington Post, Sinister Wisdom, </em>and <em>Cognoscenti</em>. Author interview requests can be sent to <a href="mailto:sdewitthall@gmail.com" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">sdewitthall@gmail.com</a>.<br /> <br /><em>The Language of Bodies</em><br />978-1-954907-46-1• Paperback • October 2022 • $19.95 • Pages: 206 • Size: 6 x 9</span></p><p style="line-height: 24px; margin: 10px 0px; padding: 0px; text-size-adjust: 100%;"><span style="color: black;">Distributed through IPG: <a href="https://sdewitthall.us17.list-manage.com/track/click?u=6567196c0d834c942f21c80f7&id=9802d53562&e=7bfcf060c6" style="color: #007c89; text-size-adjust: 100%;" target="_blank">bit.ly/TLOBonIPG</a><br />(800) 888-4741</span></p></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-24045320767355851462023-03-01T16:26:00.001-05:002023-03-01T16:28:44.494-05:00He was a terrier on a mission<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95T4ahp7pxhf3dai9mXqtBVsUYLLRImTbveumluW_2HVd63hdqEf6f5-B2SI5ePzUkOEkkkT-YlOxEtDM8YWCcEeKCTjFuRQnnw5L1Q4JqpNOItaYedc6sWYEF_1a-SRZ1erTjGzFY7t4ylytjk-VDsV0qiXsMV7a039mpVe9v211pfAQ7WtOupIxMQ/s716/334263874_151047037468839_5782249440546490314_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="716" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj95T4ahp7pxhf3dai9mXqtBVsUYLLRImTbveumluW_2HVd63hdqEf6f5-B2SI5ePzUkOEkkkT-YlOxEtDM8YWCcEeKCTjFuRQnnw5L1Q4JqpNOItaYedc6sWYEF_1a-SRZ1erTjGzFY7t4ylytjk-VDsV0qiXsMV7a039mpVe9v211pfAQ7WtOupIxMQ/w640-h360/334263874_151047037468839_5782249440546490314_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p>We made the impossible decision to end our beloved <a href="https://www.facebook.com/RumplepimpleBook" target="_blank">Rumplepimple</span></a>'s distress last Friday. He'd progressed to the final stage of <a href="https://www.vet.cornell.edu/degenerative-myelopathy" target="_blank">Degenerative Myelopathy</span></a>, and every voice of wisdom from vets and the DM support community counseled that letting him go while some spark of dignity and joy remained was preferable to waiting for things to get even more heartbreaking.</p><p>I tend to go internal when I'm hurting, silently fumbling around to understand the boundaries of the pain. My Declan, by contrast, becomes eloquent, a fountain of words attempting to ease the agony. And so our friends and followers have heard Declan's voice, his tributes, his unwavering support of me throughout the months as I struggled to provide the physical care our pup required. But you've not heard much of my voice.</p><p>I'm still largely mute with the hugeness of the impact of this loss, which followed so quickly behind the loss of my mother, which came on the heels of moving away from what had been our home for seven years. My normal grappling with concepts through language has failed, but I need to post something, and so I write these feeble words.</p><p>Declan often says that Rumplepimple saved us. He was Declan's buddy and soul companion. He was inspiration for adventures in my kids books. He was brother to Phillip and Chicken the Cat. He partnered with Declan to be a voice of love, humor, and advocacy, reaching hearts all over the world.</p><p>He was a terrier on a mission. </p><p>We miss him, so much.</p><p><br /><br /></p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-59925062720109137142023-02-06T15:48:00.005-05:002023-02-06T15:50:18.594-05:00My mom died about a week ago<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqNFxOBrpiQsMW86ZSZNUuRmGbjmz20izfphi4L9qNonaalQbn5Siv1FPOv0upWPdgghV-rv1UTh1N0HKbFUdiAHWAcidppqBQg4S120DtOJDBvbK4EpCaBEcQqHMMftUgI2Rpjs8X0AKY8D--lVdw1pglhdQOmuzoY-EEd2aHxVjxWqNXvDq-kd1bw/s294/mom.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="267" data-original-width="294" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicqNFxOBrpiQsMW86ZSZNUuRmGbjmz20izfphi4L9qNonaalQbn5Siv1FPOv0upWPdgghV-rv1UTh1N0HKbFUdiAHWAcidppqBQg4S120DtOJDBvbK4EpCaBEcQqHMMftUgI2Rpjs8X0AKY8D--lVdw1pglhdQOmuzoY-EEd2aHxVjxWqNXvDq-kd1bw/s1600/mom.jpg" width="294" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>That's a picture of the two of us, from some years back. It's not great film quality, because most of my photos are either in storage or on an aged laptop that I have to figure out how to download. But she's smiling, and it was a silly shot, and I like that.</p><p>She was like a cat, my mom, repeatedly surviving events that should have killed her. But the last series of strokes was too much, and she decided it was time.</p><p>I'll be processing and pondering this shift in the universe for years to come, and writing about it, I'm sure.</p><p>But for now, I thought you should know.</p><p>Return to the stardust, Kathleen Bascomb DeWitt Golden. Fly free.</p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-56806224765193229652023-01-06T11:50:00.001-05:002023-01-06T11:50:22.533-05:00Book talk on the Must Read Fiction podcast<p> I had a wonderful time chatting with Erin Popelka recently for the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vazODSgXXE" target="_blank">Must Read Fiction podcast</a>. We talked a bit about <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/83063/9781954907461" target="_blank">The Language of Bodies</a>, generational trauma, the importance of facing internal darkness, and other cool topics!</p><p>Have a listen.</p><p><br />
<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/9vazODSgXXE" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe></p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-20198840661801576552022-12-19T17:53:00.001-05:002022-12-19T17:53:51.453-05:00Q Spirit reviews THE LANGUAGE OF BODIES!<p> Love this summary by Kittredge Cherry of Q Spirit; keeper of all things queer-saint-related.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMdUzqkvVvijA76934_Rn6NalKEYHGyom2ECXN9Qcy6FPhuegayi7bVlPU2ezBMAxrRqxZzXTs5kX3Vuh4NwVtbIaeKCm1E5nLZLBYIvNz3VRX1fBuqnIH4IaFJDWgXrL46EuiMRrUq0TDyB1_aFd32VJX8_00SZ-TcKX31soSUoegzki0wv6ssDOgw/s1089/QspiritReview.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1089" data-original-width="1021" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKMdUzqkvVvijA76934_Rn6NalKEYHGyom2ECXN9Qcy6FPhuegayi7bVlPU2ezBMAxrRqxZzXTs5kX3Vuh4NwVtbIaeKCm1E5nLZLBYIvNz3VRX1fBuqnIH4IaFJDWgXrL46EuiMRrUq0TDyB1_aFd32VJX8_00SZ-TcKX31soSUoegzki0wv6ssDOgw/w600-h640/QspiritReview.png" width="600" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-1883316173890592782022-11-07T14:58:00.001-05:002022-11-07T15:00:49.206-05:00Reframing Our Stories podcast, discussing SEX WITH GOD<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91r4uPr9ETDfoDNApJzCd-otpY0wKyjFVvoHKnKBCu531v-e1CYyk0pD4oEX9OfYeE0bamiDtrWpkmWMNNV5_HJzTFp_NSyHTIAhuw5ghJYQi3CwPornQerZq7sGikfoFqnq8G5Yg_xqQuHGRyes1pm0eDfEyy5GDei08NqGkSJUHRet8egYrI10Pqg/s1080/314509152_661714041998648_712092181199512831_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi91r4uPr9ETDfoDNApJzCd-otpY0wKyjFVvoHKnKBCu531v-e1CYyk0pD4oEX9OfYeE0bamiDtrWpkmWMNNV5_HJzTFp_NSyHTIAhuw5ghJYQi3CwPornQerZq7sGikfoFqnq8G5Yg_xqQuHGRyes1pm0eDfEyy5GDei08NqGkSJUHRet8egYrI10Pqg/w640-h640/314509152_661714041998648_712092181199512831_n.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>Some people think the terms "sex" and "God" shouldn't be used in the same sentence. Kara Haug and I think otherwise. </p><p><a href="https://www.reframingourstories.com/podcastlisten/episode45" target="_blank">Listen here.</a></p><p><br /></p>
<iframe allow="autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen="true" frameborder="0" height="706" scrolling="no" src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/post.php?href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freframingourstories%2Fposts%2Fpfbid0dJZLAkVPAbExTobAcUQLPJ7xprp5RWTxeb5isspdPhZTnAf7EExJDGPMcJLJFvsl&show_text=true&width=500" style="border: none; overflow: hidden;" width="500"></iframe>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-3000004381268503432022-10-03T15:23:00.005-04:002022-10-03T15:51:24.661-04:00In remembrance of Phil Gebhardt<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4Fj2UOSp67FJBcmg8s4wfGuz0NWBkKXw7iObRw1cN4NuNeEhgNhOyVq_SbBLGy3lyQH-ls28a695SJyOgZ3EIeq5MOLU1XXSuIL8DvqdKtLzYgNqze4NrG6JeITpt8-Xx4ehXsvSA6NVi8GOTUIp-ddkCvckBHcQf2Oo6-tB8zImVe4gv1PFrrNSIA/s660/PhilMaryAnneSonia.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="660" data-original-width="629" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo4Fj2UOSp67FJBcmg8s4wfGuz0NWBkKXw7iObRw1cN4NuNeEhgNhOyVq_SbBLGy3lyQH-ls28a695SJyOgZ3EIeq5MOLU1XXSuIL8DvqdKtLzYgNqze4NrG6JeITpt8-Xx4ehXsvSA6NVi8GOTUIp-ddkCvckBHcQf2Oo6-tB8zImVe4gv1PFrrNSIA/w610-h640/PhilMaryAnneSonia.jpg" width="610" /></a></div><br /><p>Our friend Phil died this week, after several years of exhausting physical struggles. He had a quiet wisdom and humor, and a deep mystical understanding of the presence of the sacred in things which spring from dirt.</p><p>During the time we shared, he inspired me, as in this poem, which I originally wrote in 2019. May his spirit rejoice in transformation.</p><p><b>THE SCANDAL OF MESSY ABUNDANCE</b></p><p>by Suzanne DeWitt Hall</p><p><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 14pt;">Our cemetery guide
explained</span></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">that
the shining white obelisks<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">dwindling
into the sky<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">signify
our journey toward God.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">When
doing it right<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">we
disappear at the very tip<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">when
stone ends<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">and
God begins.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">He
drove on,<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">slowing
our bus disguised as a trolley<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">to
show us<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">a
fruit-heavy paw paw tree<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">then
stopping so we could glean.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">A
friend from our war-torn church<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">named
Phil<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">led
the way, and I followed.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Phil
planted a garden<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">in
our church yard<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">beneath
a spire<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">which
signifies our journey toward God.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">It's
messy, that garden<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">with
zinnias and bursting tomatoes<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">dying
cucumber vines<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">and
sprawling overgrown greens<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">which
may be weeds<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">or
sweet potatoes<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">or
the most gorgeous fall blooms<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">waiting
to surprise us<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">if
we resist the urge<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">to
tame the tumult.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">The
murmurers inside don't like it<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">overgrown
and frowzy<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">too
full of life and chaos<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">too
free with invitation<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">for
people who are not them<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">to
come<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">to
pluck<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">to
be filled.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">Phil
led the way<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">toward
the paw paw steeple<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">which
signifies a tree's journey toward God.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">I
followed, bending to step beneath<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">low
branches<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">fruit
scattered on the ground<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">in
messy abundance<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">some
overripe and rotting<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">some
eaten by those who were not invited<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>those who dared forage on sacred ground<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>dared stare up at edifices of stone<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>dared taste the sweetness growing there<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">without
permission.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">We
gathered the fruit which<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">had
not yet grown soft and brown<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">had
not been ravaged<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">by
the hungry teeth of rodents<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">of
vermin<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">of
other.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">We
gathered until our hands were full<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">and
then boarded the trolley<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">which
wasn't.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">We
handed the fruit<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">to
whoever wanted a taste<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">of
what grows so close to death<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">the
sweetness side by side<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">with
sorrow<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">our
journey toward God not up<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">into
the sky<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">but
in the fecund earth<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">and
the faces of the people<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-top: 0in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-margin-bottom-alt: 10.0pt; mso-margin-top-alt: 0in;"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 14.0pt;">reaching
to taste.<o:p></o:p></span></p><br /><p></p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-40182562731594475172022-09-30T15:17:00.008-04:002022-10-03T13:51:52.793-04:00One year ago today...<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFkr5McDwZZiDJ2SSO-lm8YafCyMK_1Hpq-xYINN_ujeSPXGh_DPLgK9fieapQosHj-iXKs5HbdxZfMcDa2QG9HyX9jxdN7vsHpRkBtL6ku_3ZXyWYvYj5f8Hj1jNgo3zaTYLbwnobY_EV4njeGJHhLcsPJo43Ry79IRpKwI4wyd1Azc9-4pl2QMZfQ/s1141/ContractOffer.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1141" data-original-width="1088" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvFkr5McDwZZiDJ2SSO-lm8YafCyMK_1Hpq-xYINN_ujeSPXGh_DPLgK9fieapQosHj-iXKs5HbdxZfMcDa2QG9HyX9jxdN7vsHpRkBtL6ku_3ZXyWYvYj5f8Hj1jNgo3zaTYLbwnobY_EV4njeGJHhLcsPJo43Ry79IRpKwI4wyd1Azc9-4pl2QMZfQ/w610-h640/ContractOffer.png" width="610" /></a></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p style="text-align: left;">A year ago today I received a contract offer from Woodhall Press for <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3E7beNJ" target="_blank">The Language of Bodies</a></i>.</p><p style="text-align: left;">It was a long journey to get to that place. I began playing with the idea of a novel set in a Wild West wax museum in 2017, and then the shocking murder of a young transgender woman named <a href="https://www.hrc.org/news/hrc-mourns-the-loss-of-ally-steinfeld-a-trans-teen-murdered-in-missouri" target="_blank">Ally Steinfeld</a> drove my decision to center the story around someone who lost a loved one in a similar way. The writing took several years, followed by what seemed like endless editing. I eventually pitched it to about 75 agents and editors. Form rejections or complete silence were the norm, but a few people replied with feedback which I incorporated while I kept submitting. </p><p>It was an exhausting, dispiriting process, as most authors know.</p><p>In January of 2020, the ever serene Laura Strachan of the Strachan Literary Agency offered to represent my strange, lovely book, and the cycle of submission resumed, though this time, she did all the work and I merely waited impatiently. After a year and a half of her efforts, Woodhall's offer arrived. </p><p>Declan bought me flowers. I probably cried.</p><p>The year which followed has been its own journey, peppered with firsts. The first feedback from a publishing house editor. The first formatted version of the manuscript. The first round of potential covers. The first time seeing my novel on Amazon. </p><p>Declan is a wonderful champion. He reminds me regularly of how hard it was to get to where we are today: less than a week away from the book's launch on October 4. I don't think I could have pushed through all the discouragement if it weren't for him. And of course, the novel itself would never have been written without him. Our love is the heartbeat of the book; the pounding drive of Maddie's rage and sorrow, the depth of her passion, and the dark beauty of her memories. </p><p>We're in the final countdown now. The days will soon dwindle to hours, and the book will be out for the world to read. It's exciting, and terrifying. I'm tired and exhilarated from the endless work of spreading the news. And through it all I think about Ally and all the other transgender people who simply wanted to live their lives, and the suffering of those who live on after their loved ones were taken from them.</p><p>I have so many hopes for this weird book. I hope the opening pages grab readers and pull them into a strange world of heartbreak and laughter, of dark thoughts and soft memories, of an irritating wax Jesse James, and the lulling comfort of old cookbooks. I hope readers cry, and giggle, and worry about Maddie, and think more deeply about the particular beauty of bodies and the profound depth of love. I hope I've made Declan proud, and I hope for a world to come when people like Maddie's wife Char, and young women like Ally can live out their lives in peace.</p><p>We'll see what happens. Meanwhile, today is an anniversary of a very significant first. And we're going to celebrate.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><span><a name='more'></a></span><p>Find <i>The Language of Bodies</i> at the following booksellers or your favorite book store:</p><p><a href="https://bookshop.org/books/the-language-of-bodies/9781954907461" target="_blank">Bookshop.org</a> <a href="http://Indiebound.org" target="_blank">Indiebound.org</a> <a href="https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-language-of-bodies-suzanne-dewitt-hall/1141117431?ean=9781954907461" target="_blank">Barnes and Noble</a> <a href="https://amzn.to/3SEcwUQ" target="_blank">Amazon</a></p><p><br /></p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-17695885197913745242022-09-29T12:50:00.006-04:002022-09-29T12:50:53.115-04:00So this happened today...<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSSIA3FavpxDcAanLZG_P19dqt1JkWznB3z2qliJScpHL9KJdTDRHJne7R-oDhlGa6qhLfN0BB1xFZ9ldU9qJTKimQAQq9-1UfPPRZts533ME2zW0xpNVZUWt0M1TIHZU-i47EVE0cJvA64hTkdpUXKxiAfA0rUQWatrwhacURaJtIxR5TIDTCypJ3A/s1518/308118663_615840783541296_2216266929000801329_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1084" data-original-width="1518" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtSSIA3FavpxDcAanLZG_P19dqt1JkWznB3z2qliJScpHL9KJdTDRHJne7R-oDhlGa6qhLfN0BB1xFZ9ldU9qJTKimQAQq9-1UfPPRZts533ME2zW0xpNVZUWt0M1TIHZU-i47EVE0cJvA64hTkdpUXKxiAfA0rUQWatrwhacURaJtIxR5TIDTCypJ3A/w640-h458/308118663_615840783541296_2216266929000801329_n.png" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p>Screams.</p><p>Faints.</p><p>Dances.</p><p>It's a good day.</p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-87733216676999883872022-09-22T17:59:00.006-04:002022-09-22T18:01:57.961-04:00First library sighting!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTE7inLVfgc3MNXiy9NskMbeCxov4wf2NxJxl8wb6nb8u6b_gz_mN33UFTMLtef-dT5p4NQi6aVFcWmYXanGYVcJiTOHxFRzObuo8hmCScEznMDZ-BanSnB_IB_NvEDj5nyl_pdtKK8YFFz3L1WrvG1ZgMHCnxcsO9GTbovAjXYJ3g0Al0IT2Fw-_iFg/s2380/FirstLibrary.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1160" data-original-width="2380" height="312" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTE7inLVfgc3MNXiy9NskMbeCxov4wf2NxJxl8wb6nb8u6b_gz_mN33UFTMLtef-dT5p4NQi6aVFcWmYXanGYVcJiTOHxFRzObuo8hmCScEznMDZ-BanSnB_IB_NvEDj5nyl_pdtKK8YFFz3L1WrvG1ZgMHCnxcsO9GTbovAjXYJ3g0Al0IT2Fw-_iFg/w640-h312/FirstLibrary.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Here's a thing you may not know authors do: </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Google their own books. Particularly near launch. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">And when we do, we sometimes find fun surprises, like this!</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://bookshop.org/books/the-language-of-bodies/9781954907461" target="_blank">The Language of Bodies</a> is appearing in public libraries. It just doesn't get any better than that.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p></p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-19502935175637263602022-09-21T12:37:00.004-04:002022-09-21T12:37:35.271-04:00THE LANGUAGE OF BODIES featured in Kings River Life Magazine<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOxieyLSgFYEOcf4zNv_i-5N_KbNqe2wnnTeD2Ytpme_buf6BqLLpBHE3e4YNrS5fuQC84JKlsnKeLQlpSzIldZRIUpcZbB-56uEEwBVrnKvLq7EdvbaBLJfIKWhmtOxH-qKr5YSh7-IJf390_-AI9Qj8A00UH6nY03tDwyPv8nrDg-3FdfNSDDvqOZQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img data-original-height="542" data-original-width="736" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjOxieyLSgFYEOcf4zNv_i-5N_KbNqe2wnnTeD2Ytpme_buf6BqLLpBHE3e4YNrS5fuQC84JKlsnKeLQlpSzIldZRIUpcZbB-56uEEwBVrnKvLq7EdvbaBLJfIKWhmtOxH-qKr5YSh7-IJf390_-AI9Qj8A00UH6nY03tDwyPv8nrDg-3FdfNSDDvqOZQ=w640-h472" width="640" /></a></div><br />Psyched to see my debut novel in this <a href="https://kingsriverlife.com/09/17/queer-mystery-coming-attractions-october-2022/" target="_blank">list of great titles!</a><p></p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-86418838678827478472022-09-14T17:08:00.005-04:002022-09-21T12:43:46.158-04:00Countdown to launch party begins!<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-tCCdn8zoPg5lAEW3SELo5MyPkD_hkWt4EABfBmo-38oL7aamVks16RwsPsoS0KonxJGCf2om9tCL6p9wFh_LMm5axqTtYBMtSb7UND4lTdof-st3APaXortPWoolAW4UXkXJpPCh6s0SJJkfA3cpGknu4_YTeG8LGQ1RJrhCO2F6QYYKKCab_jhkA/s1080/Day1Sunglasses.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9-tCCdn8zoPg5lAEW3SELo5MyPkD_hkWt4EABfBmo-38oL7aamVks16RwsPsoS0KonxJGCf2om9tCL6p9wFh_LMm5axqTtYBMtSb7UND4lTdof-st3APaXortPWoolAW4UXkXJpPCh6s0SJJkfA3cpGknu4_YTeG8LGQ1RJrhCO2F6QYYKKCab_jhkA/w640-h640/Day1Sunglasses.png" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">The launch celebration for my debut novel, <a href="https://amzn.to/3DDaFey" target="_blank">THE LANGUAGE OF BODIES</a> is one month from today! To honor the countdown, I'm going to post a pic of something featured in the book on various social media accounts each day, along with a quote which applies to it. Today it's the first two lines from the prologue. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">If you'd like to follow along, check out my <a href="https://twitter.com/smDeWittHall" target="_blank">Twitter</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuzanneDeWittHallAuthor" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, or <a href="https://www.instagram.com/authorsuzannedewitthall" target="_blank">Instagram</a> page.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Hope you enjoy the journey!</div><br /><p></p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8439220200152384063.post-37663952383416433622022-09-09T16:52:00.001-04:002022-09-09T16:52:55.329-04:00On deciding what kind of creature to be<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja87MWs6pM_0NcU-hblzozo9h8Fy6mY174fkqHYjRj0b5lD9tj7rDLxwmc2ZtUnwMNhOSLOBBhD54XI6hsAu19QfMNORBmQ6FDJyVZTQsBS9_kGMZOzBf70KcnsUERIFTQA2YwtatHeiplNu7Zbci7InRetTaMRJnklA7uDuYz9WKc1x25SEiIH99zfA/s3024/squash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2840" data-original-width="3024" height="602" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEja87MWs6pM_0NcU-hblzozo9h8Fy6mY174fkqHYjRj0b5lD9tj7rDLxwmc2ZtUnwMNhOSLOBBhD54XI6hsAu19QfMNORBmQ6FDJyVZTQsBS9_kGMZOzBf70KcnsUERIFTQA2YwtatHeiplNu7Zbci7InRetTaMRJnklA7uDuYz9WKc1x25SEiIH99zfA/w640-h602/squash.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />On a recent morning walkabout with the dogs, I checked the burgeoning blanket of vines growing from a butternut squash I'd left on the counter too long and tossed into the central flower bed months before. A vibrant burst of butterfly startled away, it's flutter the same rich yellow as the blossoms. I peeked beneath the leaves, checking for swelling in places buds used to be, but found nothing but flowers in varying stages of bloom.<p></p><p>A patch of iridescent agitation buzzed nearby; a small mound of flies crawling and lifting into the air, then settling again. It was hard to tell what gathered them; dead slug, vomit, feces.</p><p>Declan and I have been navigating through shifting clouds of darkness lately, seeking light, seeking wholeness, seeking hope. Struggling to know when to speak and when to shut up, when to try to "help" and when to withdraw. What battles to enter, and what to watch from a distance. </p><p>It's been overwhelming, and our spirits are tired.</p><p>This mass of flies buzzed a message in their incessant hovering, their addiction, their feasting. Their inability fly away from the festering pile. They can't help it, of course; their beings are captivated by decay. </p><p>Watching it made me recognize the rightness of the direction our decisions have been stirring; the urge to startle and flutter away. To be drawn by beauty rather than rot, and to fly when the tender flesh of our spirits is threatened.</p><p>We all have to decide which kind of creature we want to be. </p><p>And we have chosen.</p>Suzanne DeWitt Hallhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07583887810030631352noreply@blogger.com0