|
Your ad placed
here. See the Ad Rates
page for both the web site and newsletter rates.
Contests,
grants, markets that pay writers may list at no charge...as long as they pay.
Send to Hope.
| |
Connect, Reconnect and Keep Swatting Those Gnats
By Dawn Goldsmith
The phone message light blinked in the bedroom. I dropped
the bags of medical detritus that my husband accumulated
during his almost two week stay in the hospital. I pushed
the play button hoping I would not hear his officious boss’s
voice. We call her The Gnat, always darting into people's faces,
annoying, complicating, infuriating and spreading frustration.
She had been haranguing me throughout my husband’s illness.
An unfamiliar, but friendly voice with a strangely familiar
New England accent spoke from the machine. "I hope you
remember me...."
I did!
We had had such a great working relationship -- editor and
writer -- while she and another talented editor ran one of my
favorite writing markets. I knew that the two had been forced
out of a magazine after they had built it to a well respected
publication. Now some member of the Gnat sisterhood had begun
undoing everything. I saw the latest issue.
But the voice was saying something about working for another
publication and she wants me to write for her again. She wants
me to write the kind of articles I so enjoy. AND she wants me
to pitch ideas that she will happily assign to me and pay me a
decent wage. AND she wants me to begin with one of my favorite
fabric artists.
Today I began preparing interview questions by reviewing online
entries about and by the artist. One site said she was influenced
by Alfonse (sic) Mucha. Turns out he is a Czech Art Nouveau
painter best known for his images of women. Just about anyone
who has ever seen any Art Nouveau has seen his work.
I mention this trivia because one look at Alphonse’s life and
I realized that he had Gnats, too. His father found him a job
as a church clerk. But Alphonse had other ideas and applied to
the Prague Academy of Fine Arts in 1878. He was rejected with
the recommendation: "Find yourself another profession where
you'll be more useful".
Not only today's writers receive rejection with a twist of
malice and elitist intent. But, Alphonse didn’t give up. He
became a scene painter. When that job ended, he painted
portraits. There he met a wealthy sponsor who paid him to
decorate a whole castle. In 1885, Alphonse began studying at
the Munich Academy of Art.
I feel a connection to Alphonse. He believed in his doodlings.
If he hadn't persevered, believed in himself and his 'need' to
paint, he would have frittered away his life in a 'job' rather
than follow his calling. He wouldn't have become a famous artist
who influenced a whole art movement and who now inspired a famous
fabric artist. And I would not be writing this article. Of course
if I had not believed in myself, taken the steps I have taken
with my meager little writing career and had not written that
first (now rather pathetic) query to the magazine years ago, I
would not be sitting here preparing questions for an unexpected
assignment.
Notice that Alphonse did not travel his path alone. There were
people who hired him, mentored him, sponsored him, and believed
in him. Maybe the Gnats of the world are simply the things that
make us stronger so that we can lift our chins, square our
shoulders and prepare to fight for our words, our lives, our
birthright.
Enough about Gnats. I have a profile to write! If your phone
isn't ringing, take time to reach out today and say hi to those
favorite editors. You never know what they'll reply.
BIO
Dawn Goldsmith, freelancer since Reagan was president, has
seen a lot of Gnats in her time and is getting much better
at swatting them. She’s also the lead stitcher at the blogsite
Subversive Stitchers: Women Armed with Needles and is working
on a book by the same name. You may have seen Dawn’s writings
in a variety of publications including the Washington Post,
Notre Dame Magazine, and Quilters World – she’s quite eclectic
when choosing writing markets.
www.subversivestitch.blogspot.com
www.wordsogold.blogspot.com
| |
Writer's Digest 101 Best
Websites for Writers - 2001-2011
Enroll in the equivalent of an
MFA program in creative writing for just $1.60.
The famous Bylines Desk
Calendar is out for 2012. Get your now to manage your writing year right.
|
