Marion Roach Smith’s alternate sisterly reality, with Margaret Roach.
THE SUMMER SLUMP. This is a tough time for writers–that time of year when the most seductive set of temptations to not write beckon: the great outdoors and all its wonders. I mean, who can write in this weather? Who can write when you could instead: swim/sail/run/play tennis/golf/hike, whatever? You can. That is, if you’ll willing to do a simple things. Are you? Then come along. [click to continue…]
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Margaret's godfather, Max Hirsch
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JUMP RIGHT IN and enter to win a free, signed copy of my new book, Writing What You Know: Realia. All you have to do be in the contest is leave a short piece of memoir at my on-line writing group at Beliefnet.com, where May is Memoir Month. It’s that simple. I’ll see you there.
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USE THE CALENDAR. I’ve covered this topic before, but guess what? Since I love you like a sister, I have made a calendar for you to use. Oh yeah: interactive, digital, online, and with all kinds of quirky (Quirky? Me?) dates for you to use to get those fingers typing up your personal essays. Now you’ve got no reason not to come along and use it. Here’s how. [click to continue…]
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IAM SO EXCITED TO INVITE YOU to come join the just-launched month-long memoir workshop I’m doing on the giant website Beliefnet, where (with a little prodding from yours truly) May has been named Memoir Month! The workshop is called “Writing What You Know” (sound familiar?). Why Beliefnet? Because I believe that writing what you know is the single greatest portal to self discovery. Come take a peek as we gear up, or register to join the free group class.
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MY SISTER’S GARDEN is famous. My sister’s garden is almost as amazing as she is. My sister’s garden is (almost) as eccentric as she is. My sister’s garden is not mine, but because of hers I do have a hand-me-down collection of some wild and crazy plants. [click to continue…]
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ONCE UPON A TIME there was no sisterhood. This is back when we were new to a school, or grade, the new kid in a neighborhood or a Brownie troop, back when no one seemed to like us. And then one day some kid passed us a pencil, or laughed at our joke, or slipped us a note. And soon there really was an “us,” and nothing seemed more important, or special, or forever. [click to continue…]
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ICALL IT “OUR GREAT EXPERIMENT.” My big sister Margaret calls it “Why not, and can-do.” It’s the release today (on the occasion of my “29th” birthday) of my fourth book by none other than big sister-turned-publisher. I think that’s the most unusual gift Margaret ever got me. Both of us Roach sisters also think it’s a must-have for anyone doing any memoir-style writing–whether in print or on a blog–which is what I’ve been teaching to sold-out classes for 13 years. Margaret says my writing tips helped her finish her own memoir, due out next February, which is how she got the idea to publish them. Get the details (and the book). What a birthday this is turning out to be!
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I LOVE PASSOVER. And while it’s not strictly in our religious heritage, we celebrate it yearly with friends. The meal we prepare is not always possible to perform during the proscribed days (everyone is so busy), and the music is not exactly traditionally keyed (one singer brings a decidedly Motown bass line to the otherwise melodic solemnity), but no matter. It is the traditions of the annual meal that inform me, including, as they do, the ancient questions that are repeated and pondered again. One of those questions only I ask, and ask of no one but myself, as I am reminded of my personal all-time favorite man of faith, and quietly reassure myself that it’s just fine that he was imaginary. Meet him now.
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A BIG BOOK LAUNCH IS COMING. Actually, two book launches await the Roach sisters of TSP–mine, next month, for my book on writing memoir (left), and Margaret’s for her much-anticipated drop-out memoir due next February, for which preparatory plans are already under way. And what are the sisters doing to get ready? We’re reading other writing websites like madwomen, to see who’s saying what about writing and the steps involved in publishing, and what they all make of it today. Want to read along? [click to continue…]
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MARION LOVES WATER, Margaret (left) earth.
First time here? Here's the idea: The Sister Project is a network of blogs about the many facets of the word sister, and the concept of sisterhood. A sisterhood of sister blogs, you could say. Whatever sister means to you, from identical twin to sister-in-law (or in friendship or in feminism), we’ll make room to listen in about it or express it on TSP. Like the slogan up top on our homepage says, “Don’t you have something to say to your sister?” We've got galleries of art and literature by and about sisters, and a Sisterpedia of sisterly trivia...but now we're getting ahead of ourselves. The quick study: Learn more about TSP, and how to find your way around. And oh—a giant, sisterly welcome.