Pulitzer Prize for Novels

In 1917, Hungarian-American Joseph Pulitzer donated money in his will to an award for the best author in newspaper, music composition, photography and literature.  Each April, twenty one awards are bestowed by 20 juries composed of 102 judges.  Here are some novels which stand out for me:

2015  All the Light We Cannot See (Anthony Doerr)

A novel about World War II, human nature and the "contradictory power of technology".

2006  The March (E.L. Doctorow)

Based on the closing year of the Civil War during which General Sherman and his troops marched (retreated) through the South, leaving a "60 mile wide scar of destruction in their wake".

I didn't read The March, but I did read E. L. Doctorow's Ragtime, based on the Jazz Era in the United States.

1999  The Hours (Michael Cunningham)

A story based on three generations of women and how the Virginia Woolf novel Mrs. Dalloway affected them.  It was adapted for the screen in 2002.

1994  The Shipping News (Annie Proulx)

A New York State newspaper journalist marries and raises two daughters.  His two timing wife "meets her just desserts" and he moves to his ancenstral home in Newfoundland to live with two other generations of his family.

1983  The Color Purple (Toni Morrison)*

A Black woman growing up in the Deep South experiences abuse at the hands of her father, and later, her husband.

1980  The Executioner's Song (Norman Mailer)

Based on the execution of Gary Gilmore for multiple murders by the state of Utah in 1977.

1961  To Kill a Mockingbird (Harper Lee)*

Set in the Deep South, this novel is based on the trial and conviction of a black man for the alleged rape of a white woman.  It was adapted for the big screen in 1962 starring Gregory Peck as the lawyer who defends the black man.

1952  The Caine Mutiny (Herman Wouk)

I didn't read The Caine Mutiny but I did read Herman Wouk's The Winds of War  and War and Remembrance, both based on World War II.

1948  Tales of the South Pacific (James Michener)*

Based on the author's experiences in the Pacific as a lieutenant commander in the US Navy during World War II.

1940  The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)*

A string of Okies, farmers driven off their parched land by drought, packed up their Model T's and road across the desert to California to pick grapes during The Great Depression.

1932  The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)

Family life in a Chinese Village before World War II.  This novel returned to the bestseller list when Oprah made it the book of the month club selection in 2004.

1927  Early Autumn (Louis Bromfield)

Based on a custody battle between a husband and wife and the man the latter hires to protect her son from being kidnapped by her ex-husband.  The bodyguard and the son form a strong bond.

1921  Age of Innocence (Edith Wharton)

An upper class couple's impending marriage in New York City in the 1870's.

*These are the titles I have read.

http://www.pulitzer.org/node/8501

Blogging: Jump Start Your Creativity

"You can't use up creativity.  The more you use, the more you have." 
(Maya Angelou)

It is far too easy to run out of ideas once you start a blog.  Before you know it, you have abandonned your project.  You are the author of a "ghost blog".  Susan J. Getgood, in her book Professional Blogging for Dummies (http://www.amazon.ca/Professional-Blogging-Dummies-Susan-Getgood/dp/0470601795) recommends ten strategies to jump start your creativity.  

1.  Keep a Notebook

Carry around a 3 x 5 inch notebook (small enough to fit in your purse or a jacket pocket).  Every time you get inspiration, jot down the idea to look at later.  Don't forget to keep a notebook at your bedside for late night inspiration.  When you are surfing the Internet, if you come across a useful article, bookmark it at delicious.com.

2.  Read the Newspaper

As you pour over the newspaper, an interesting headline might catch your eye.  Take advantage of it to build a post.  If you don't subscribe to the newspaper, go online and read snippets from the day's news.  Or search the archives of various newspapers.  Old headlines can also serve as inspiration.  I remember when my husband helped his dad put new siding on his cottage, when they took off the old siding, underneath they found newspapers from the Second World War.  What food for thought!  

3.  Reread Your Favourite Posts

Write a roundup, a top ten of your favourite posts.  Pick a theme ex. My Top Ten Posts About Cooking Light.  Maybe you've written about a controversial issue and your opinion has changed. 

That is also fuel for a good post.  

4.  Read Other Blogs

Use another blog post as inspiration for your blog.  Provide a link to the original post.  This is where your blogroll comes in handy.  Then you have your favourite blogs right at your fingertips.    

5.  Search the Internet Aimlessly

Type in a keyword and let the searching begin.  Use aggregators like alltop.com or Yahoo! which lets you choose a trending topic and surf.  If you sign up for stumbleupon.com, the search engine will find results for you based on your likes and dislikes.  

6.  Spend an Hour on Your Hobby

Doing an activity that you like reminds you why you love it so much.  Grab your binoculars and go bird watching.  Grab your camera and photograph nature.  Grab your tools and putter in the garden. Raid your kitchen cupboards and bake up a storm.  Spending time at your hobby produces something called "flow" where, you are so immersed in the activity, that an hour seems to pass by in minutes.  It relaxes the mind, but at the same time focusses it.  

7.  Play a Game

Play games like Scrabble or Boggle.  It serves as a fun way to strengthen your verbal skills.

8.  Look Up Old Friends on Facebook

Pick someone you went to high school with who had an unusual last name.  Look him up on Facebook and see how he turned out.  If it's a girl, type in her maiden name.  If she is married, often she will include her maiden name with her married name.

9.  Take a Walk

Bring your notebook and/or camera along.  Jot down your observations.  See where your thoughts lead you.  Go to the driving range.  If the weather is inclement, stay inside and ride the elliptical machine.  Physical activity clears the cobwebs out of your head.

10.  Move to a Different Window

Move to a different chair or a different room.  Walk to the local coffee shop or library.  It's amazing what inspiration you will get in a public place.  There's a story wherever you go.  I found that out when I was taking an online writing college course.  At the specialist's office, I had an hour to kill in the waiting room.  My homework was to pretend I was a newspaper reporter, go to a cafe or park or other public place and "get a scoop".  I got out my notebook and started to record my observations. Lo and behold, there was a big story right under my nose.  The elderly man beside me asked the teenage girl beside him why her arm was in a sling.  She said she was the victim of a drive by shooting, right in Brantford!  Who would have thought?

11.  Listen to Music

Listen to your favourite songs and let your mind wander.  A catchy lyric might serve as inspiration for a blog title.  Visit http://writersrelief.com/blog/2014/12/writers-playlist-part-1-music-jump-start-creativity/.

12.  Read a book

I read the book Goals:  How to Get Everything You Want Faster Than You Every Thought Possible by Brian Tracy which gave me a whole month's worth of material for blogging. See http://alinefromlinda.blogspot.ca/2015/01/conceive-believe-achieve.html.

For more information, read Write Starts:  Prompts, Quotes and Exercises to Jump Start Your Creativity by Hal Zina Bennett (2010).

"Think outside the box" at astrologyunboxed.com. 

  

Blogging: Choosing a Niche

You have decided that you want to enter the blogosphere.  You have come to the right place.  I am devoting the month of February to blogging.

The first question you have to answer is:  "What would I like my blog to be about?"  Here were some popular blog topics for 2014.

1.  parenting:  Mommy blogs are all the rage on the Internet.  Check out my friend's blog Three Kids (A Husband) and a Teabag at threekidsandateabag.wordpress.com.

2.  hobbies:  Maybe you collect hockey cards like my husband.  Maybe you are a knitting expert.  Join a network of people who share your hobby.  Check out myhockeycardobsession.blogspot.ca.

3.  technology:  Learn about the latest and greatest in the field of technology.  Check out mashable.com.

4.  politics:  Engage in intense debate.  Be prepared to answer questions.  Grow your readership quickly.  Check out Ordinary Times:  On Culture & Politics at ordinary-gentlemen.com.

5.  news:  Share new ideas or put a new spin on an old idea.  Check out huffingtonpost.com.

6.  journaling:  Declare your hopes and dreams to the world.  Share reflections on life which resonate with readers.  Check out www.livejournal.com.

7.  deals/frugal living:  Maybe you are a coupon queen.  Perhaps you have tricks to stretch your budget.  Check out www.thefrugalgirl.com.

8.  DIY & design:  Bring your creative skills to the Internet so that others can be inspired.  Check out House Tweaking at www.housetweaking.com.

9.  fitness:  Help readers get fit.  Check out www.irunnerblog.com.

10.  food:  This theme is so popular that it has its own book Food Blogging for Dummies.  Check out Top with Cinnamon at www.topwithcinnamon.com.

11.  history:  Check sites like thisdayinhistory.com for inspiration.  Check out Civil Warriors at civilwarriors.net.

12.  fashion:  Maybe you are a fashion design student at college.  What a great forum a blog could be for your ideas!  Check out Brooklyn Blonde at www.brooklynblonde.com.

13.  travel:  If you are a frequent traveller, blog about your trips.  Check out The Traveling Type at blog.travelchannel.com.

14.  books:  A strong reader makes a strong writer.  Post book reviews.  Check out The Book Wheel at www.thebookwheelblog.com.

15.  marriage:  My writer friend shares her ideas about marriage at www.sheilawraygregoire.com.

16.  photography:  My Grandad Stroud was an amateur photographer who even won contests for some of his photos including one of my doe-eyed sister Lisa as a baby and one of a close up of a blue jay.  What better way to share your prize photos than through blogging?  Check out www.robertkruh.com.

17,  antiques:  Maybe you're addicted to the Antiques Road Show.  Check out antiquesdiva.com.

18.  gardening:  My Grandad Tufts, a teacher, used to spend his summers gardening; in fact, his backyard was simply one big garden.  Check out reddirtramblings.com voted one of the top ten gardening blogs by Better Homes & Gardens.

19.  sports:  If you like football, check out www.yardbarker.com.

20.  music:  If you like country music check out theboot.com.


Note:  For more tips, check out "All of the Good Ideas are Already Taken:  Tips to Help You Pick a Niche" at http://www.smartpassiveincome.com/niche-selection-tips/.

www.problogger.net

November for Beginners

Snow would be the easy
way out -- that softening
sky like a sigh of relief
at finally being allowed
to yield.  No dice.
We stack twigs for burning
in glistening patches
but the rain won't give.

So we wait, breeding
mood, making music
of decline.  We sit down
in the smell of the past
and rise in a light
that is already leaving.
We ache in secret,
 memorizing

a gloomy line
or two of German.
When spring comes
we promise to act
the fool.  Pour,
rain!  Sail, wind!
with your cargo of zithers!

Rita Dove

http://fc07.deviantart.net/fs70/i/2012/323/8/9/november_for_beginners_by_iampoetry-d5lk9at.jpg