As this world becomes increasingly ugly, callous and material it needs to be reminded that the old fairy stories are rooted in truth, that the imagination is of value, that happy endings do, in fact, occur, and the blue spring mist that makes an ugly street look beautiful is just as real a thing as […]
Read the rest of this entry »Archive for the 'Jessica Page Morrell' Category
What The New York Times Best Books Missed
Alas, the heat wave continues here in the Pacific Northwest. It was 97 on Tuesday, or doomsday for my sweet peas. They bloomed late because of a cold spell in April and May so made a brief, but lovely appearance this season. If you’ve never smelled sweet peas you’re missing out on a divine scent. […]
Read the rest of this entry »Best Books of the 21st Century???
Dawn is shouldering in here bringing another day of hot weather. It got up to 105 this past week. If you live in North America you might be in a similar hotbox. But I managed to escape to the Oregon coast for a few days of bracing Pacific air. As in temperatures in the 50s […]
Read the rest of this entry »Let me into the dark of your mind
Well, it’s another day of another heat wave. Color me bleak. And sweaty. One of the many reasons I moved to the magical Pacific Northwest was to escape the miserable, humid summers of the Midwest. When the going gets over 90 degrees farenheit, I turn to fiction and films, and, as previously mentioned, TV shows […]
Read the rest of this entry »Get Inspired: Art Surrounds Us
I post paintings on my Facebook page because in these often-trying times I believe that art affords a unique form of solace. I’m reeling from the Supreme Court ruling granting presidential immunity as are millions of people in this country and countless others around the world. And am in great need to solace. Then I […]
Read the rest of this entry »Captures
Yesterday I was awake early and my windows were open as a persistent and melodious birdsong wafted in. It was the false dawn. I’ve long been intrigued by this word pair because not only is it the liminal light that precedes dawn, but it also describes a promising situation that doesn’t come to fruition. The […]
Read the rest of this entry »Happy Solstice to writers everywhere
These beauties are harebells after a rain. They’re also called Scottish bluebells or fairy thimbles. And they’re edible. I’m not familiar with them, but grow a larger variety of Campanula, the bellflower. Their peak season is about over in my garden, but I’m going to try coaxing out more blooms. However, since the harebells are […]
Read the rest of this entry »According to Dorothy Allison: the transformative power of story
On Tuesday night I spoke to writers in Portland and while out of practice with public speaking, I returned to the topic of the importance of keeping writer’s notebooks, commonplace books, word lists, and ephemera that inspire. Because sometimes words and visions can appear so fleeting it’s best to capture them whenever, however possible. And […]
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