more housekeeping

Cheers, on this 97-degree mid-September day from Atlanta, Georgia. I bring you news about the transitioning of this Blogger blog to WordPress. The Anthem posts for Chapters 25 and 26 should appear in this email beneath this post. Three today, all in a row. I took Sunday off.

If you are an original subscriber to "One Pomegranate," as this blog was originally called, and I know many of you are, you've been reading posts from me since 2007 detailing the writing life, the creation of various books, finding a new life in Atlanta after great loss, the importance of -- and joy in -- a family of chance and choice, and a great curiosity about how we tell our stories. 

I started blogging in 2005, before blogs were a thing. You can read that blog at my website, right here. It was sent by email to a list Harcourt put together when I went on tour for Each Little Bird That Sings. It is text only, and was archived at my website.

I kept a tour journal, at Harcourt's request, in 2007, for The Aurora County All-Stars. Harcourt set me up on Blogger and I went to town with a daily entry of the two-week tour, complete with a rasher of photographs each day. 

I would sit up at midnight in whatever city and hotel I found myself in, writing about the day and realizing that what I was doing was as much for me as for anyone else, documenting my writing life, yes, but also my LIFE, like a scrapbook.

So I decided to continue blogging when I got home, but I didn't realize I could just continue on with the tour blog, renaming it, so I started "One Pomegranate," this blog, in 2007, which has been renamed "Field Notes" but still comes into your inbox as "One Pomegranate."

I took a four-year hiatus from blogging and all social media, from 2015 to 2019, for various reasons, which one day I'll go into. For now, though, I want to get you moved over to the WordPress blog, where I've been posting these exact same blog posts you're getting in email. 

 I want you to receive them from WordPress. The blog-in-email that will come to you is beautiful, airy, easy to read, a snap to navigate, plus you can listen to the song (or whatever I might include) right in your email without having to click over to hear it at the blog, in your browser... although the blog's homepage itself, as well as the newly-designed website, is gorgeous and worth looking at. 

The other reason I want you at WordPress is I'm working toward putting everything I do online in one place that I alone own, my website. I'll eventually move all older Blogger posts, all 700 of them, to the WordPress blog, along with the the '07 Book Tour, and the Little Bird Tour Journal. 

So. This is my very long way of saying I want you to come with me, if you want to. May I take your subscription email from Blogger and enter it into the subscription box on the WordPress blog?  

If this is okay by you, you need do nothing but click on the link when an email from WordPress and Deborah Wiles comes to your inbox on October 1, confirming you want to receive "Field Notes" blog posts from WordPress now.

And you want to do that, as I'm going to quit double-posting when I get to October 1, Anthem's publication date. The Blogger blog will be set to private and I'll quit blogging there.

You can sub to the blog at Wordpress now, yourself, if you want to, and unsub from Blogger (link at the end of this email) or you can wait until October 1 when posts will no longer be at posted at Blogger and you receive the email from WordPress. 

Right now I'm publishing a daily blog post because I'm counting down to Anthem's publication by highlighting the song that leads off each chapter of Anthem, and giving you a look into why it was chosen, along with some background on the creation of the book, and a snippet from that chapter. These posts will all be archived under #teachingAnthem1969 on Anthem's page at my website on October 1.

I don't anticipate daily blog posts after October 1. But if you still want to receive blog posts after October 1, it will be through Wordpress. (Is there a capital P in that word?)

I think this is as clear as mud. I'll try again another time. This is a heads-up for October 1. I'm going to sub you to the Wordpress blog then, unless you do it yourself before October 1, or you tell me you don't want me to sub you there, which I respect and will honor. You can comment here, or email me directly at deborah@deborahwiles.com.

It's been good to travel the road with you, all these years. Here's to many more adventures together. Thank you for coming along!

xoxoxo Debbie

some housekeeping

Well, it's August, and we've made it as far as Ruby in Summer Reading, hahaha. Lord it has been a busy time. I'm declaring Summer Reading can go into fall and even winter -- I won't abandon it. I hope you stay tuned.

In the meantime, there is this:

from the research trip and getaway I made last week to Maine, to Rachel Carson's cabin by the sea. More on this soon.

I'm juggling (delightedly, gratefully) a particularly rich time in my writing life right now. Here is just yesterday's work:

I finished researching niggling details and sent in final revisions, author's note, acknowledgements, dedication, etc etc, to a picture book I've written about Rachel Carson that publishes next fall (Random House), art by the stupendously talented Daniel Miyares -- all very exciting.

I sent in a revision of the galley letter that will go in front of all KENT STATE galleys -- which will be here very soon. That book publishes (Scholastic Press) in April 2020. Also exciting. We have an amazing cover for this book that I can't wait to share when the time is right.

I prepared for Scholastic's sales conference in NYC next week, where I'll be speaking about KENT STATE to sales reps from across the country. I'm scripting myself for this 5-8 minute talk, and selecting some slides.

I spoke with my agent about illustrators for a picture book I've worked on for many years that may be sold soon. The editor in question wants to take it to acquisitions with an illustrator and vision in mind. Very exciting! So many books take me such a long time to figure out.

I worked back-and-forth with Scholastic audio on listening to auditions and selecting a reader to be Molly for the audiobook of ANTHEM. Also very exciting! We've been bouncing this around for some time -- we have decided on Norman, and we have our narrator, and we were trying to get Molly just right. I think yesterday we found her.

I corresponded with my uber-talented and patient webmistress about moving A LONG LINE OF CAKES off its prominent "new book" position on my home page and moving ANTHEM into its place, and I set up a training time with her, so I can make these changes myself in time.

I answered a backlog of email.

When I showed up mid-afternoon to get my hair cut, here is what I heard: "Your hair is very emotional today!" hahahahaha. Yeah. It's an emotional time. And so very busy. I know how lucky I am.

I got mostly off the road late last year, which has given me the opportunity to write more and have days like I had yesterday, and like I hope to have more of going forward.

I've been writing professionally for 35 years now, in one capacity or another, and working in this book business for a little over 20 years now, publishing books since 2001, and this is the first time I've had TIME stretching out ahead of me.

Part of it is age, and stage, part of it is getting off the road, and part of it is finishing up major projects, like the Sixties Trilogy (which I sold in 2008) followed immediately by KENT STATE.

It's also the first time in 11 years I haven't woken to a publishing deadline. Everything is turned in, finished. It's luscious. I don't want to give up that feeling! But I have work to do. So -- what now?

I have two proposals to write, both for big writing projects. I spoke with my agent this week about those. I have picture books to go back to. A bunch of other writing and home projects I'm eager to paddle around with, in what's left of this summer.

Also, there is housekeeping.

I have a new website! Is it not GORGEOUS? Thank you, Cyndi Craven! We are still tweaking, and having fun with it, and I am ever grateful for such a professional looking site. I hadn't updated my website design in 9 years, since COUNTDOWN was published. Ulp.

Check out the BOOKS page, so lovely, and see how each book's page (click on REVOLUTION for an example) now has excellent information for readers, teachers, librarians, parents, and more. I see this new website as a beautiful workhorse for me into this next part of my writing life. I'll have to do a separate blog post about it at some point.

I'm moving this Blogger blog to my WordPress website soon, just fyi. It's already there, actually, and you can go sub there soon as well, although I won't be completely away from Blogger for some time yet, so no worries if you want to hang out here on Blogger with me while we transition everything.

My idea is to "own my own content" and eventually be off social media platforms and have everything about me at my website. I was off social media for four years, and it did me good. I'm trying to figure out a way to return that works for me. Hence, having all content in one place. More on that as we transition.

In the meantime, I am once again (mostly against my will, hahaha) at Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram (you'll find me here most often because I like the visual storytelling, and it feels less nekkid-making). 

And I'm at Pinterest, never left Pinterest, as this is where I catalog resources for my work in progress, so it's a work tool, it's messy, but it's process, and maybe useful to readers... it's certainly useful to me, and I love this tool for that reason.

And I'm here, once again, at the blog, and very happy about that. Thanks for hanging out with me.

xoxo Debbie

this and that to begin a new year: experimenting

I'm sifting through an experiment. I got my first smart-phone in late November, and I put down my Nikon D-40 for four months. I've just learned (maybe this is a new blogger thing) that I can work on my laptop and access my phone photos here... very good! Google has done some silly stuff with animated gifs and an end-of-year doo-dad that's sweet, silly, and confusing, as I don't know a couple of the people in this little movie, but that's fine, I did take the photos. Take a look

I like the togetherness and community I see here, and I'm grateful for these folks in my life. I've started using Instagram as a photo journal, which has left me less present on the blog, but I'm going to catch up now, with the next several posts, and pick up my camera, and see what it brings me. I'm about to travel quite a bit for REVOLUTION, as we now have galleys and we are moving into the book's debut season. I want to capture that season here.

This blog is seven years old, and I'm not ready to quit telling stories. But I am thinking about the different ways I have of capturing the days and telling stories now. I'm experimenting. I'll be talking about that here, too. Meantime, you can find me on Twitter for mostly professional conversation about teaching, writing, and stories; at Facebook for book news; on Instagram for daily photos; and on Pinterest mostly as a way to catalogue book resources, including work in progress.

I'll update the website at some point as well. For now, there is a new REVOLUTION page that I want to add content to.

We're also planning a family wedding here, and a local book launch, and a whole host of other stuff that's keeping us hopping. It's a happy time. Life is good. I have just turned sixty. Who knew that was even possible? Time to breathe deep and exhale. Time to reflect, and time to catch up a bit.

march

In a year of being home and listening to myself, I have just entered month three.

February was for.... lots of things. Some writing, yes. And more staying still, more creating routines. More discovery. It's hard to put into words. I didn't know making the decision to stay home this year was going to bring me feelings this... deep. I don't know when I'll write about writing again. I'm sorry if you've landed here to read something about writing... or the writing process. I don't know what that is right now. Everything seems up for grabs, but well-grounded at the same time, if that makes sense. 

I feel like I'm back in school, educating myself. I can't "make" anything happen. It's all coming along just-so because it's time to come along. This makes no sense whatsoever. So sorry. Just trying to put into words something that's probably more a feeling than some sort of statement.

There's a definite feeling of "breaking through" into something, although I don't know what it is. Ten years on the road is a long time to be away from the known rhythms of home, and the home (and town) I live in now is still new to me, even though I've lived here almost 8 years.

I've enjoyed this house when I've been home, that's for sure. Now I want to *know* it. I've been steeping myself in this being-home thing -- I don't have a choice, really. It's just what's happening now, and I am glad.

I looked up the other day from my perch at the kitchen island, where I'd surrounded myself with cookbooks, and said, "This reminds me so much of my life long years ago, when I had time for everything. There was time for cooking, gardening, friends, family, taking good care of myself, and writing as well... what's that word, Debbie? Balance. There was balance."

Maybe that's what I'm feeling. It's healthy, whatever it is, and I'm trying not to judge how many pages I've written (or not) or how good it is (or not), just like I'm not judging my housekeeping skills.

January was for study and putting beginning systems into place. In February, rhythms began to emerge, and I followed my nose. I listened. I took my time. I slowed down.

March so far seems to be for getting quiet. I'm not sure what will happen with the blog. And you already know how wishy-washy I am about social networking. I've deactivated twitter and facebook. I can't right now. I need all the time I can get for staring at the wall, for listening, for loving up a new grandbaby, for enjoying my peeps here in Atlanta, for home-making, for writing the next book and the next, for just being here. Walking the park. Soaking up home. Grateful for this year off.

I have dropped 25 pounds since Thanksgiving as well. For such a long time I haven't recognized the woman smiling back in all those pictures of me. I surely did morph and change on the road. I forgot who I was. Or maybe I just missed myself too much.

In any case, it is a delight to welcome me back to myself.

a little light housekeeping

Quick fyi notes:

:: It has been pointed out to me (such a passive voice!) that email is a difficult carrier for this blog when I post so many photos, as I did earlier today. I'm going to truncate the email feed from now on so I don't crash your computers when I send you a blog post that's a large file.

:: I believe this setting will also truncate the post in your google reader, although I'm not sure. I'm not even sure I'm using the word "truncate" correctly here. Let's see how it works.

:: In order to see the entire post (either in email or a reader), just click on the post title within your email or reader, and it will take you to the blog on the web, where you can read the entire post. The good news here is that you can also see what I'm up to on the blog.

:: I've started posting my current reading and research in the sidebar, so you can read along with me, or share my research finds and notes if you are also writing about the sixties (and other topics); or, if you are teaching Countdown, you can refer to the books listed on that page. See the sidebar links to guide you. 

:: I've continued to redesign, following my decision to end the blog and then not. Ahem. At any rate, how do you like the new banner? It will change from time to time, and the rethinking and redesign will go on. Me and social networking. Not a match made in heaven. But I do love the storytelling. Of course. And always.

:: Chicken and potatoes and asparagus for supper. I'm off to it!

a little housekeeping music

You'll remember I decided to delete the blog, and then I didn't. le sigh. I felt a little like Tom Sawyer, faking his death, attending his funeral. I have such a  love/hate relationship with social networking. It's not you. It's me. I'm working on it.

To that end, I've made some changes. Tomorrow I get back into book 2 of the '60s trilogy, just in time for a family gathering over the weekend and all next week in Charleston. You'll remember we go to Charleston every September, in time for hurricane season. Maybe you'll do the photo challenge with me this year -- more to come about that.

So I'll catch you up with book two tomorrow. In the meantime, click through (if you're not there already) to the blog to see the new look! New title: Field Notes. New design. New sidebar material, including a list of current reading and listening, as well as books/music/dvds I'm using or have used for research -- I created an amazon store so you could see them, too.

Full disclosure: As an affiliate, I receive a tiny portion of sales that click through from my blog or amazon store. I'm not looking for sales; I get most of my books from my local library, through inter-library loan, or from abebooks (I *love* ILL and abebooks), and you'll see that I recommend you do the same. I often start at amazon in order to read reviews and get more information before I head to my library's website. I just want these resources collected in a readily available, informational place for me, and I want to share them with you.

I was going to switch the blog to WordPress -- my Web Goddess Allison had me all set up. But I've decided to stay here on blogger for now. It's easier for me and I like the openness of the look for now -- what do you think? At some point I want to integrate the old 2007 tour blog with this one. When I started a new blog, I didn't understand I could have just kept going with the old one. Live and learn.

I've got a welcome note on the newly-designed blog as well (is this all as clear as mud?)... it better describes what I want the blog to be about, and what I'm all about these days, so maybe that will help me be as honest as I can be, and stick to what's really important to me -- the stories. 

Also created a facebook author page. (I know, Annie, I know. Now you must resume your presidential duties.) I deleted the old one. It had oodles of fans. Now there are five. We'll begin again.  Maybe. oy.

If you visit my website (which is a WordPress site) you'll also see it's had a little refresh, too. I do like it, although at times, when I think about it too much, it also feels loud to me, compared to the very understated look I had before. What do you think? I really want to know. Again.

We're just back from Hayesville, N.C. where Jim played a gig with some musician friends over the weekend. Great good fun. I have no brain cells left with which to be scintillating or even make sense. So here ya go. Some housekeeping, and some photos and (always) a little music when one can't think straight. Thanks, y'all. More anon!

The women's acappella group is the Atlanta-based "Cheaper Than Therapy." They're terrific. They were joined after intermission by Mike Whitney on the guitar, and mine truly Jim Pearce on piano and vocals.

Here's "Bad News From Outer Space," written by Mike Whitney and performed (in the silliest, loosest definition) by everyone.

I was a very good groupie. I need a some of that Bad News From Outer Space to suck up all the unnecessary stuff in my house this week. Comp'ny arrives on Sunday.

I've also decided to start wearing my tiara. Again. More on that later, too.
Happy End of Summer, y'all. xoxoxo