To celebrate my seventieth birthday I’m writing and posting long overdue thank you notes to seventy of those writers who inspired and shaped my own writing. My mother insisted I write such a note to anybody who gave me so much as a Tootsie Roll, and over the decades I’ve continued to express my appreciation in writing for the many presents and kindnesses I’ve received. But I’ve neglected to thank writers, generous souls who’ve given me some of my most cherished gifts.
A number of these beloved benefactors now live only on the pages of their books, but no matter. I’ll write to them anyway and hope that in some authorial afterlife free of deadlines, rejections, soul-stealing day jobs, and disparaging reviews, my muses will read of my appreciation. As for those authors who still walk and write among us, Google Alert will lead them here.
To readers, writers, writing teachers, and friends who find your way to this blog, I hope my thank-yous revive memories of books you’ve enjoyed and maybe even prompt you to reread one or two or try an author you’ve overlooked, and perhaps you’ll be moved to thank a few writers yourself. Do it and post your own notes here! You may lead the rest of us to a new and rewarding reading experience.
I want to subscribe, but when I hit the link “Sign me up” the page is blank. Help! What do I do now?
I wasn’t so crazy about Portnoy but your essay gives me new appreciation of what I missed and what a prudish teenager I was.
Annette, I have no idea what the problem you’re having is, but will keep checking. Meanwhile, glad you’re reevaluating Roth.
Mazel Tov on 70……..this is brilliant and I am so happy to read your writing again!
Be well and be bad……………..
To stay well these days, you almost have to be bad, Mary Alice! Delighted you like my debut blog!
Happy Birthday!!!! Wow…very ambitious to thank 70 authors. Wonder if any of them (who are still alive) will read their thank you notes?
Looking forward to the next 69 notes!!
XXOO
Thanks for the birthday wishes, Rikki! Good question. I suspect that many of the authors who are still alive have Google Alert cue them whenever their name appears on-line. But will they respond? Who knows? Not everybody’s mom was as fanatic about thank-yous as mine was, so some writers won’t thank me for my thank-yous. But others very well might. It will be interesting to see.
So good to know you’re still rocking. Happy 70th this August! What a wonderful, Jane-y way to celebrate. Hate to be trite in such a literary environment, but it must be said: letter follows.
Hi, Elaine, glad you’re joining my celebration! Look forward to letter.
A belated reply, but I just saw your post: If you didn’t figure it out already, you need to enter your e-address in the blank box above the “sign me up!” button.
Thanks for your suggestion. This person did get subscribed and now gets notices via email. Whew!
Happy birthday. I seem to remember it has already passed. Still, hope you have many more. I don’t know that I will ever write for publication-other than a private anthology that I have written for before but I know that I have to write for my own sanity- in my journal and then I put a little fiction to it to fill in what I would LIKE to have happen to keep me on balance. I can’t seem to write straight fiction or non fiction. I do know that I have enjoyed your Bel books and am looking forward to the next book you have in the works.
Happy writing.
Glad you enjoyed Bel. the Bones and the Book will be out in October! And jean, thanks for the birthday wishes. It’s never to late to get good wishes!