Sipping on Glogg While Writing This Blog

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

Yes, I know Christmas 2018 has come and gone in a whirl, so please indulge me. I want to go back 10 days and share part of our family Christmas Eve tradition of going to The Peabody Hotel in downtown Memphis. The Peabody is bejeweled for the holidays. We snag a table in the lobby bar by the elegant baby grand piano, order specialty drinks and enjoy watching the people. Even though the lobby bar is the center stone for the activity of the hotel, the lobby is comfy cozy and welcoming to guests. Every morning the Duckmaster escorts five North American Mallards from their luxury penthouse accommodations to the lobby fountain, delighting guests.

We have seen the duck march a gazillion times, so we prefer to arrive after that event when swarms of people appear to watch the duck march daily. We like to arrive mid day. If you haven’t seen the duck march, it’s worth the time to enjoy and watch. It happens twice a day when the ducks arrive and depart the world-famous Travertine marble sculpted fountain. The fountain was carved from a single piece of Travertine. It’s impressive.

Nothing shows off The Peabody’s marble floors and stately columns like the Christmas decorations and 2 story Christmas tree adorned in lights and ornaments. At Christmas, my eye is drawn upwards to the beautiful stained glass ceiling, and the painted, beamed ceiling that is further highlighted by all the colorful holiday decorations. We like to sit at a corner table by the piano which is always playing holiday music by the Christmas tree. It gives a full view of the Lobby bar and all the activities. It’s a writer’s delight in storing up ideas for new stories. Many authors have stayed and written at the Peabody Hotel, including William Faulkner. 

The Peabody is a constant in our ever changing city. It’s said the Lobby bar is “the living room of Memphis; the place to see and be seen as well being the beginning of the Mississippi Delta.” If you want to learn more about the history of The Peabody check out this page with pictures of the hotel from 1869 to today. It’s fascinating. 

Only at Christmas can you see the gingerbread village, themed differently each year. You can smell the gingerbread from the Lobby bar. It adds to the writer senses, as do the themed drinks, in a layered effect that helps bring life to any writing. This year the gingerbread theme was based from Roald Dahls book, Willie Wonka and The Chocolate Factory. It was a masterpiece. Well done, Peabody chefs.

This year I tried a new-to-me adult beverage, a Glogg. It was a chilly Christmas Eve, so the warm beverage was perfect. Glogg is a sweet, warm, spicy, and merry musings of its Old Norse origins, meaning "glowing ember” drink. It’s a drink like Scrooge from Charles Dickens, “The Christmas Carol” enjoyed with the ghost of Christmas present.

So Christmas Eve 2018, I enjoyed time with my family while writing this blog and storing up ideas for a future Christmas story.

‘‘Twas the Afternoon Before Christmas
When all through The Peabody
Families were coming and going in a rush
Gingerbread smells wafted through the lobby
The piano played, Jingle Bells, 

while I sat at the corner lobby table sipping a Glogg and writing this blog.” 

Dickens, Poe and Manet Connected Forevermore

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine 

My husband and I used to have an annual Halloween costume party. In the 1990's the hit party game was Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon? According to to Wikipedia, the game is "based on the "six degrees of separation" concept, which posits that any two people on Earth are six or fewer acquaintance links apart. In the game, movie buffs challenge each other to find the shortest path between an arbitrary actor and prolific character actor Kevin Bacon. It rests on the assumption that anyone involved in the Hollywood film industry can be linked through their film roles to Bacon within six steps. The game requires a group of players to try to connect any such individual to Kevin Bacon as quickly as possible and in as few links as possible."

In the mid 1800's you didn't need Six degrees to connect Charles Dickens, Edgar Allan Poe and Edward Manet. Did you know?

Charles Dickens' historical novel, was published in 1841. As fate would have it, Edgar Allan Poe reviewed the first four chapters of Dickens’ Barnaby Rudge for Graham’s Magazine, published serially. Poe predicted the end of Dickens' novel, correctly.  One of the  characters was a chatty raven named Grip.

Fast forward a year later. Dickens planned a six-month family trip to the U.S. Poe and Dickens exchanged letters prior to the trip (which you can read here). The two authors met in person. Poe also met the character he liked best, in person, Dickens pet raven. Poe scholars are in agreement. Poe’s fascination with Dickens pet raven (and his Grip character) was the inspiration for his poem The Raven.

Unlike many authors and artists, Edgar Allan Poe achieved almost instant fame during his life.  For the publication of The Raven in 1845, he was paid a whooping $9.00. Poe however doubted his talent. 

During his life he continued to struggle to make a living from his writing. In 1875 he made a French translation of the The Raven, Le Corbeau.  The French version was illustrated by one of my favorite impressionist painters, Édouard Manet. Although this version was not a commercial success, it highlights the talents of two great artists of that time. View and download high-res scans of the engravings here.  The engravings are haunting and descriptive. 

So on Halloween Monday, when the trick or treaters knock on your door, put a raven on your shoulder. Pass out the candy and see if they notice. 

You may inspire them forevermore. 

Words in Print

By Ron Shaw

So, I hear you're a writer. How many books have your written? Wow, eleven published works! That's marvelous. How's the whole putting words into print going? It must be an incredible feeling of accomplishment to be an author. You're obviously an experienced one. What does it really feel like when your words finally make it into print?

If you're an author, you've probably heard questions such as the ones above and many more. Although I never tire of answering them, my responses have seen a dramatic change over time. For instance, the following sentence is how I now answer the last question above. Publishing a book is like the excitement you experience on your wedding day only to find after the joyous "I do" you'll be honeymooning for two weeks alone in the desert. The title of Charles Dickens novel GREAT EXPECTATIONS comes to mind here.

How do you handle the solitude that comes with writing, and then, flip the switch to warp speed as you attempt to market yourself and them? More importantly, how do you manage the disappointments that follow your greatest expectations once your book or books are out there? Is it possible to juggle the demands of your characters and stories and have a normal life? I’ve struggled as a sophomoric newborn to the often-wacky world of penning books with these questions. I fear there are more questions than books basking in the evening sun at Amazon.

Writing is an endeavor cloaked in solitude. I've had to learn this, and after a few books in print, I've come to embrace this aspect of the alluring obsession. But, with that said, the drastic change of pace that naturally comes once a book is out there and you're called into action to hawk the product is nothing short of phenomenal and frightening. Writing is innately introverted and everything else involved after the fact is obligatory extroversion and sadly, narcissistic. The whole yin yang thing here takes ample time to process.

With time and loss of sleep, the characters, stories, and writing epiphanies will begin to cooperate better. In fact, I've been amazed how quickly they simply roll over and go back to sleep when they're directed to do so. Their circadian clocks can be synchronized with yours.

I can't speak for any writer other than myself, but as for me, the selling of books remains an unadulterated mystery. I've evolved to the stage where the act of giving mine away is far more gratifying and rewarding than taking money for them. I'd never encourage others to do so.

So, I hear you're a writer.

_____________________________________________________________________

I'm Ron Shaw, a southern author and radio host. I'm a retired Atlanta Police officer. Atlanta born and raised. My journey into words for print began in early October 2013 after a near death experience. My first book SEVEN FISH TREE is the result of this miraculous dream or NDE. Before winter this year, I'll have eleven or twelve works published. Every Monday evening from 8 PM to 9 PM EST I host a live International radio show that's cleverly named The Ron Shaw Show over at the ArtistFirst Radio Network. I've had guests on my shows from around the globe like authors, publsihers, musicians, entertainers, storytellers, and celebrities. Visit my show web site by clicking this link artistfirst.com/ronshaw.htm My personal web site and blog link is http://www.ronshawmedia.com Often, I can be found knocking about at Twitter @rongizmo Facebook https://www.facebook.com/authorronshaw?ref=hl or my show site at Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TheRonShawShow at Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/gizmoshaw/the-ron-shaw-show-on-artistfirst-radio-network/ My Amazon author's page link is http://amzn.to/1xsKGKs I'm also at many sites like Tumblr, LinkedIn, iAuthor, BeeZeeBooks, Readers Gazette, Wise Grey Owl, Authorsdb, and more. I very much appreciate the opportunity to be associated with you. I'm very proud of my heritage...my southern roots.

Writing a Christmas Legacy That Will Last For Generations

By Annette Cole Mastron, Communications Director for Southern Writers Magazine

Several years ago, my family and I had the pleasure of seeing Gerald Charles Dickens, the great-great grandson of literary master Charles Dickens perform A Christmas Carol. He bears a striking resemblance to the author of this classic Christmas story. Dressed in a cravat, embroidered waistcoat, and frock coat he transported the audience to 1800’s London. In 1867, Charles Dickens originally toured the U.S. reading his literary works before captivated audiences. Historians report that A Christmas Carol was his favorite piece to perform. Gerald Charles Dickens has embraced Dickens’ enthusiasm and it is indicated in his performance.

It was “the best of times” to watch him leap, creep, laugh and cry performing his one-man show. He embraced and characterized all 26 characters in this beloved Christmas tale of his ancestor. His only props were a hat rack, wing chair and table. Our children were familiar with the story but his version was mesmerizing holding their attention for the entire performance. It was a wonderful family memory for us. If you have the opportunity to see his performance, I highly recommend it for you and your family.

Another Dickens ancestor, Cedric Charles Dickens, the great-grandson of Charles Dickens authored the book, Christmas with Dickens.  He also wrote The Sayings of Charles Dickens, Drinking with Dickens, The "George and Vulture" in "Pickwick Papers", The Miracle of Pickwick or... the Goodness of Pickwickedness and Dining with Dickens. 

The writings of Charles Dickens has certainly sustained his family for generations, through various venues, including reissued books, new books themed after his characters, television shows, movies, musicals, annual Christmas plays and Dicken’s descendants’ careers. We should all strive to write a classic tale that has the potential of lasting for the entertainment of the “ghosts” of the past, present and future.

We can do this, so in the words of Tiny Tim, “God Bless Us, Everyone!”