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Two Book Reviews - written by me

Mon, 28 Apr 2014 03:12:38 +0100

“I come from a place where breath, eyes, and memory are one, a place from which you carry your past like the hair on your head. Where women return to their children as butterflies or as tears in the eyes of the statues that their daughters pray to. My mother was as brave as stars at dawn. She too was from this place. My mother was like that woman who could never bleed and then could never stop bleeding, the one who gave in to her pain, to live as a butterfly. Yes, my mother was like me.“

Breath, Eyes, Memory, a literary fiction novel by Edwidge Danticat, tells the story of a woman’s struggles with sexuality and race. Born in Haiti and raised by her aunt, the main character and narrator - Sophie Caco - has never known her mother. At age twelve, she is sent to New York to live with her mother; this novel tells the story of her life from the age of twelve until her late twenties. Throughout this time, she struggles with finding her roots and finding herself.

This book is so beautiful. Each sentence is like a poem; a jewel. it is the kind of book that you need to own yourself, the kind that you want to read over and over because there is simply so much to take from it. Breath, Eyes, Memory is incredibly powerful and is one of the only books that has ever made me cry - the pain that the characters feel is so real, and so easy to connect to. Even one who has never dealt specifically with what the characters are going through will be able to relate to what they are feeling.

Breath, Eyes, Memory is an excellent book that I believe everyone should read at some point in their lives; however, it is for mature readers. It deals with many difficult themes and topics that can be difficult to deeply understand. The characters in this novel deal with so much internal struggle, with problems and pasts that are often very challenging - because of this, only mature readers should read this book. Nevertheless, I believe that Breath, Eyes, Memory is an important book that everyone will be able to learn from.

--

“‘You know, Isabel,’ she said, ‘sometimes I want to die.’

Isabel retied a shoelace, light-headed. The room seemed to get brighter for an instant, then faded to normal again. Maybe that was a sunspot. The sea roiled as the sunspot blazed, overturning a ship sailing over the sea past the farm where she and Ann lived. ‘Why?’ she said, staring at the sea.

Isabel’s mother pressed her long fingers into the corners of her eyes, squeezed her eyes shut, shaking her head. ‘I just do,’ she said. ‘I just want to die.’”

Tea, a realistic fiction novel by Stacey D’erasmo, is one girl’s fascinating exploration of love, art, and independence as she struggles to find herself and break free from her past. In 1968, eight-year-old Isabel Gold’s mother has always seemed sad. It is not long until she takes her own life.

After this, Isabel grapples with connecting with people and putting her life together. Tea follows her from ages eight to twenty-two, through many relationships and friendships that never seem to last.

Tea is so beautiful and yet so simple. The characters are flawed and flawless, ordinary, yet incredibly extraordinary at the same time. It is one of those books that you read slowly because you don’t want to reach the end. It is not only plainly one of the best books I have ever read, but also one of the most intriguing. Every thought is so real, so genuine and so honest.

To me, Tea seems like a book that is important for everyone to read; it might be more enjoyable for girls, but I think everyone would benefit from reading it. I think that it is so significant because of the way it explores life’s many obstacles, problems that - although specific to the characters facing them - can be related so easily to the readers’ own lives.

I would recommend Tea to everyone who is looking for a book that will make them think, feel, and ultimately fall in love with every character, every thought, every word.

Updates

Sat, 26 Apr 2014 17:59:02 +0100

A few updates:

I've been semi-published! Check out this link to see the essay.
Heather Vogel Frederick has responded to my interview request, becoming the second author to be featured on our Author Interviews page! I encourage everyone to check it out.
I just finished the [very] rough draft of my first novel; it is about the length of Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451, just as a reference. I'm so proud, and I hope that it is only the beginning of a long and prosperous writing career.
The Google+ page will continue to be updated. Go to plus.google.com and search for "The Writer's Journal" to find it!
I'm ALWAYS looking for submissions. It's been months since I've updated the site for one reason: no one has been reading it. Email me at submitwritersjournal@gmail.com to submit writing, give feedback, or ask a question.

I'm glad to be back! I'll be working a lot more on getting this site out there, and hopefully it will turn into something amazing.... who knows; anything is possible, after all.

Changing the Perspective

Sun, 10 Nov 2013 15:55:02 +0100

The idea of looking at an object as if it held opposite qualities has always fascinated me. Take, for example, a poem I recently wrote. I took a delicate object, a flower, and compared it to a dragon, a flame. This might seem strange to some at first, but it makes for an eye-opening piece of writing.

Changing the way we look at things - writers do it all the time. And although I am just an aspiring writer, I figure I can try it as well. So take a look at the poem below!

Dragons

Ignited by the end-of-summer sun

flowers burn in red fire fury

mouths opening with dragon-tongues

as weeds creep up like silent snakes, strangling them slowly

slyly

but the flames burn on

The presence of these small

strangled flowers

is immense

in a mass of mellow green

explosions crackle and burn through the calm

like a fire-breathing dragon in the night.

And, as always, I'm open to constructive criticism. What worked? What didn't? Try using this style for yourself - it doesn't matter how you use it! All of you poets, essayists, playwrights, and fiction writers alike can enlighten your writing by simply changing the way that you look at things.

So go ahead and take a look outside! Does that old rusty pickup truck remind you of an antique chandelier? Can you compare a wilted leaf to a bonfire? Feel free to play around... always make sure your having fun with your writing!

And don't forget to send me some of this wonderful writing when it's finished!

The Writer's Journal - in a photograph

Fri, 20 Sep 2013 13:22:09 +0100

I like to have an image that I can associate with the site. So I created the photo collage below, compiled of two pictures that I took (the bottom two) and two that I did not, as well as a Wordle* about the reasons that I created The Writer's Journal.

You'll see this picture throughout the website as well as on my Google+ page.

*If you don't know what Wordle is, I completely recommend checking it out. Go to www.Wordle.net and try one out for yourself! It's very simple and you'll find all of the information that you need on the website.

Book Recommendations

Sun, 01 Sep 2013 23:17:55 +0100

Do you love reading? I'd certainly hope so, since you seem to like writing enough to be here right now, and reading and writing go hand in hand. If you don't that's okay. Keep reading anyway - it's worth it.

But if you are like me and happen to love both reading and writing, I've got some recommendations for you!

This past summer, I was lucky enough to be given two spectacular books by my wonderful language arts teacher. These books, The Pocket Muse by Monica Wood and Writing Down the Bones by Natalie Goldberg, completely changed the way I think about writing. They give you permission and ideas to simply write and write and not worry about creating anything great. And that's how every writer starts, isn't it? By creating pages and pages and perhaps notebooks full of rough draft; we may only create one paragraph that we truly love, but if we really love it and are able to do something with it, isn't it worth it?

So journey to the bookstore, or even better, the library, and see if you can find a copy! I assure you, it will be worth it. You'll never look at the page or the pencil in the same way again.

Let me know how you enjoyed these books, and go ahead and send me any other book recommendations you have!

Happy reading!

It's Ba-ack!

Mon, 26 Aug 2013 13:51:22 +0100

Hey, all!

By now I'm assuming that, for most of you, school is back in session. And despite the stress that you may be feeling, there's no better time to write. You'll be in new surroundings, you'll meet new people, you'll learn something new, and this can net you with more writing material than you've had in months.

And what better time to get feedback on your work? Now you have teachers and peers to give you constructive criticism and help you improve your writing.

So stop stressing and start writing - you may find that you'll become more relaxed in the process! And don't forget to send some of that lovely new writing to me and I'll get it up here as soon as possible!

Happy writing!

Exciting News!

Thu, 01 Aug 2013 21:10:20 +0100

Hey, writers!

The approaching school year (yes, it's coming!) is not the only news right now! I have been working very hard on TWJ, and I think it's beginning to pay off...

Check out the new Author Interviews page to see an interview with award-winning author Tony Abbott! And he's not the only one - Heather Vogel Frederick has also agreed to do an interview, and you should see it up there any day now! Have a favorite author that you'd like to see an interview with? Send me a link to their site and I'll get on it as soon as possible!

But wait... there's more! I am now officially on social media! Check out my Google+ account (Search for "Danielle Cooke") to see updates about the website and just about anything else TWJ.

¡Hasta pronto!

Inspirational Quotes

Thu, 20 Jun 2013 23:35:20 +0100

Hey, All!

I have something pretty exciting for this post. I'm trying something new with my blog and posting other people's ideas! So here it is, my very first suggested post...

Cate L, of Colorado, suggested a collection of wonderful quotes that she would like to share and be able to inspire others with. Some are funny, some are beautiful, some are empowering, but they all have one thing in common - they are encouraging and inspirational. I hope that they are able to inspire you in your writing, artwork, and life!

"Not knowing something doesn't mean you're stupid, it just means there's room left to wonder."
            -Sarah Weeks, So B. It

"Don't tell me the sky is the limit when there are footprints on the moon."
            -Paul Brant

"Shoot for the moon, and if you miss, you'll land among the stars."
            -Les Brown

"Life's a climb, but the view is great."
            -Miley Cyrus

"Nothing's impossible - even the word impossible says 'I'm possible!'"
            -Audrey Hepburn

"'We'll be friends forever, won't we, Pooh?' asked Piglet. 'Even longer,' Pooh answered."
            -A. A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

"If you live to be 100 I want to live to be 100 minus one day so I'll never have to live without you."
            -A. A. Milne, Winnie the Pooh

I hope these inpsire you to do some writing, or create some artwork, or even to just think a little deeper.

Live, Love, Laugh, and Write,

Danielle

Summer and Spoken Word

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 16:08:04 +0100

Hi, and happy summer!

Well, it's finally here - time for rest and relaxation. And with all this free time, writing is probably the last thing on your mind. Why spend your time writing when you could be swimming? Or hanging out with friends? But it is incredibly important to continue writing over the summer months, just like it's important to practice math or a foreign language. So if you can't write, read.

During the summer, I usually choose light, short books such as YA Realistic Fiction or even magazines. However, poetry can also be a fun and relaxing read as well. Still don't feel like reading? Then do the next best thing... listen to it. Try going online and searching for some spoken word poetry.

What is spoken word poetry? Spoken word poetry is poetry that is performed instead of written and read. Because it is a performance art, spoken word usually includes heavy rhythm and improvisation. Here are some of my favorites to get you started:

Sarah Kay (http://www.kaysarahsera.com/)
Shane Koyczan (http://www.shanekoyczan.com/) - Check out his anti-bullying project, To This Day (here) for major inspiration.
Anis Morgani - unfortunately, he doesn't have a website that I can find. See one of my favorites of his poems here and look him up on YouTube for more.

And there are many more out there. Just "Googling" Spoken Word Poetry will give you a whole slew of wonderful poetry to explore.

And who knows? Maybe after this, you'll feel like writing your own...

Stress, stress, stress, and.... Poetry?

Sat, 01 Jun 2013 15:34:31 +0100

Well, it's that stressful time of the year again. The school year is winding down, and all of those big projects and assignments are due. I don't know about you, but I feel like this windup toy, unable to stop and unable to go anywhere worthwhile. We've just got to hang in there and know that we'll get there eventually.

So, try something relaxing. Everyone has different coping strategies, but mine.... you guessed it... usually involve writing. For times like these, it's usually poetry. When you're fried, you best ideas come. Or it's all just nonsense. Either way, it's sure to get your creative juices flowing, and maybe you'll find some peace from it.

I've got to go now - that report won't write itself!

If any good poetry comes from this, be sure to email it to me!