3/30/10

STOCKING THE BOOKSHELF

Guest Blogger:  Angela May,  PR liaison and Assistant for Mary Alice Monroe

Since Mary Alice has been busy these last couple of weeks getting to know her newest grandchild, I offered to be this week's guest blogger.  If you were hoping to be spared from baby talk for the month, sorry to disappoint.  Mary Alice and I both have baby on the brain these days.  Actually, I've got baby and books on the brain.

My little mister is not due until mid-June, but my husband and I have spent most nights reading to our little one.  As we read slowly with child-friendly expression to my growing belly, we're also wondering which books he’ll want us to read to him time and time again.

We don’t even have the nursery furniture ordered yet, but we do have a bookshelf in place, already more than halfway full of a hodgepodge of children’s books (we're serious about storytime in this family).  Part of the collection is thanks to the kind donations of friends, while the rest are oldies dating back to husband's and my childhood.

Hubby and I recently visited the local bookstore and had a great time pointing out some of our childhood favorites and flipping through some of the more recently published stories. There are so many choices-- the classics, award winners, bestsellers and local authors. Where do we start?

I’ve been quietly wondering which dozen or so are the most important books to buy for my baby’s personal library? Which ones will best feed his imagination, stoke his curiosity and fill his heart with the fondest storytime memories?

I think our current collection already has several standouts-- Dr. Suess’ Hop on Pop and The Velveteen Rabbit by Margery Williams, Eric Carle’s colorful creation The Very Hungry Catepillar and an autographed copy of Mary Alice Monroe’s award-winner Turtle Summer to name a few.

Note: for anyone for has not read her book-- even though it's for children, I was surprised by how much I learned about the beach, and I'm a native!

I must admit that our baby's book collection is off to a good start.  And even though I don't know which ones I'll be buying during the next several months, I look forward to watching the collection grow along with my child’s love for reading. I eagerly wait to see which ones he’ll pull off the shelf for me to read over and over again.

3/18/10

THE AQUARIUM’S NEW STANDOUT

It’s a rare sight in nature and anyone who catches a glimpse of one in the swamp might wonder if they just saw a ghost. An albino alligator. This light-sensitive creature is the latest addition to the Blackwater Swamp exhibit at the South Carolina Aquarium in downtown Charleston.
This is a rare and wonderful opportunity for all of us to learn more about the world of albinism, which occurs naturally in American alligators once in every 100,000 hatchlings.

As a longtime, devoted aquarium board member, I encourage everyone to attend the Albino Alligator Grand Opening on March 20th. If you can’t make it that day, I hope you’ll plan a trip or two this summer to learn more about this elusive reptile, along with the snakes, owls and fish in the expanded Coastal Plain gallery. And that’s only one section of the aquarium.

The American alligator has an amazing story of survival, and the facts about the albino alligator are even more interesting. I know where I’ll be taking my grandchildren when they come visit me this summer. Seeing the wonder in a child’s eye as they learn and interact with the world around them is a priceless moment.

Want to learn more about the albino alligator?  Click here.

3/16/10

SHRIMP LOVERS TO THE RESCUE

The shrimp were plump, pink. A side of crunchy, creamy coleslaw rounded out this perfect Southern meal served earlier this month at a local fundraising event down the road from my house. It was a great opportunity to help one of the Lowcountry’s beloved shrimpers and the crowds turned out on that warm, sunny Sunday afternoon. Hundreds of well wishers from across the Charleston area came out in support.

Captain Donnie Brown is no stranger to tough times. As a longtime shrimp boat captain at Shem Creek, he and his family have had to ride out the storms that come along with his line of work. The latest storm to strike—a fire on board shrimping vessel, the Miss Karen—destroyed his trawler. His source of livelihood was gone and another shrimp boat lost to the area.

Even on the best of days, American shrimpers have a hard time making ends meet. A flood of farm-raised, flavorless (in my opinion) imported shrimp sold on the cheap has undercut the local market. But the shrimpers have hung on. So imagine the toll it takes on a shrimper’s family when your business literally goes up in smoke.

This is a fire that affects more than just one local family. It affects the shrimping community, which dwindles each year as folks look for land jobs that promise a steady paycheck. It affects me, my neighbors, our local restaurants and the U.S. industry.

So as I filled my tummy with shrimp on that particular Sunday, my heart was filled as well to see hundreds of people enjoying the shrimp boil at Goldbug Island, right next to Sullivan’s Island. Great food, good drinks, toe-tapping music and a lot of smiling faces. No smile seemed to shine quite as bright though as those of Captain Donnie Brown and his wife, Karen, for whom the lost boat was named.

My hope is this flood of community support is exactly what Captain Brown needs to make sure the Miss Karen is a common sight along the Atlantic Coast horizon when the shrimping season begins this spring. See you at the Blessing of the Fleet at Shem Creek on April …..

3/9/10

SWIMMING LESSONS: True Tales at the Sea Turtle Hospital

There is no denying my deep affinity for sea turtles, particularly the threatened loggerhead. This ancient creature of the deep blue swam its way into the pages of two of my novels, THE BEACH HOUSE and the sequel SWIMMING LESSONS.

SWIMMING LESSONS is being re-released as mass market this July with a fresh seaside front cover. My hope is a new wave of readers will find themselves taking interest in the loggerhead as well as the sea turtle hospitals that care for the sick and injured.

In SWIMMING LESSONS, my protagonist Toy Sooner, a single mother raising her young daughter on Isle of Palms, is also caring for injured sea turtles at the Sea Turtle Hospital located at Charleston's South Carolina Aquarium. Each turtle Toy handles at the facility are reflective of actual case histories there.

Biologist Kelly Thorvalson, who is the South Carolina Aquarium Sea Turtle Rescue Program Coordinator, blogs about the amazing turtle cases the staff and volunteers handle. Their mission is to help sea turtles survive in our ocean by healing the ill and injured for their return to the wild. It is through her dedication, and that of the volunteers, aquarium staff, and a long line of generous donors, that the SC Aquarium’s Sea Turtle Hospital has grown into the amazing facility it is today.

After reading, or re-reading, SWIMMING LESSONS when it makes its return to bookstores in July, I encourage you to plan a trip to the SC Aquarium. We have two fabulous new exhibits—an extremely rare albino alligator and a 3D theater that lets you feel the splash of water and more as you watch a film. Also, the penguin exhibit has been extended. And don’t forget to take for a tour of the Sea Turtle Hospital. I hope the pages of my novel come alive when you see with your own eyes the spectacular sea creature that inspired me to write my turtle novels. I hope they capture your heart just as they did mine!

MAMBO, ROUND TWO

I’m about to fall in love again this week.

I’m visiting a pint-size fellow with dark chocolate brown locks and sparkling brown eyes who lovingly calls me “Mambo.” He is my grandson, my one and only. My Jack. But any day now, I will be Mambo to another precious life.

Mambo, you say? Where did that name come from?

First, can I ask if I’m the only one that’s noticed that no one seems to be called Grandma or Granny anymore? When I was young I don’t remember asking another child, “What do you call your Grandmother?” There were a few Nanas. I had a German grandmother I called Oma (which my friends thought was weird). But most of the time, our grandmother was Grandma.

Not so for the baby boomers, it appears. It seems no one is called Grandma anymore! My friends now ask, “What will you be called?” when they learn one of us is gong to be a grandmother. I think the image of the elderly grandmother doesn’t jive with our self images or our active lifestyles. I notice a lot more Nanas and Mimis and Mawmaws and such. Even Gorgeous Grandma, shortened to GG. All cute! But is this a trend?

When my turn came around I’d thought I’d be another in a long line of Nanas, but my mother in law is called Nana and to my mind, as long as she is alive, that name is taken. I still like Oma. I’d suggested the grandkids call me Mam. My itinials, I thought, would not only be easy to say, but if they called my in public, for example, “Good morning, Mam!” everyone would think I had the most polite grandchildren. My daughter nixed that.

Anyway, after Jack was born, I heard my daughter singing to him, “Mambo loves Jackie. Jackie loves Mambo.” I rolled the name on my tongue. Mambo. I saw the MAM in the name. We had a contender.

In the end, it was Jack who chose the name, as it should be. We’d played with Nana, Oma, Grandma, and Mambo. Poor child, I don’t think he knew what to call me for almost a year! I was getting upset because Jack could say “Papa Markus” without any problem, and that’s a mouthful! But then, on one glorious morning I went to pick him up from his crib. When he saw me he brightened and called out, “Mambo!” That was it.

I cherish my grandmotherly title and can’t wait to hear myself called Mambo by my new grandbaby. Boy, girl, I don’t know yet. The only thing I know is I will love this second grandchild just as much as my first and I feel so blessed. If your name is Grandma, Nana, Oma, Mimi, Susu, GG, or anything in between then you know exactly how I feel. What a glorious gift it is to be a grandparent!

3/4/10

Thoughts on Writing: The Quest for a Literary Agent

Note:  This blog entry is also posted today on A Good Blog is Hard to Find

Behind every successful published author stands a good agent. Securing that partnership is the most important hurdle in this wild, wonderful world of publishing. However, it’s no easy feat.

I first began looking for an agent in1986. I had a novel written but was clueless how to go about the business of getting published. During those early years, I felt I had to achieve the title of “published author” to view myself as a “real writer.” That accomplishment-- that crossing of some line I’d drawn in my mind--would be a validation. Only then would I consider myself on an equal footing with my published author friends.

Back in the day, from time to time we heard stories about fellow writers who landed book deals after their novel was plucked out of the mysterious slush pile by an editor. Yes, it really happened! That kind of good fortune is almost unheard of now. There is an old saying that literary agents are the first line of defense for editors. Today more than ever, agents and editors are deluged with submissions. The best weapon for getting your novel pushed to the top of the stack in an editor’s office is your agent.

Choosing the right agent is critical for the author. It can be a mistake for an author to accept any literary agent that says “yes.” Take your time doing research. Attend conferences where agents are speaking. Find out which agent represents books in your genre. Who are his/her clients? Does she demand a fee for reading your manuscript? You want an agent who believes in your work. If your agent doesn’t fight for your work, you could waste years.

Every relationship between author and agent is unique. But the common denominator is respect: an author’s for her agent’s time and effort, and the agent’s respect for the author’s work. Because in the end, it always boils down to the novel.

Choosing your agent, the right agent for you, is one of the most important business decisions you’ll ever make. There is a mountain of rejection in the world of publishing, and sometimes, getting published is a matter of your idea being at the right place at the right time. So believe in your talent, go to conferences, submit your work, and keep writing. Let me share with you one important thing I learned in the past twenty some years. You are a writer whether you are published or unpublished.

Mary Alice Monroe is a NYT Bestselling author and has written more than a dozen books, including Last Light over Carolina, Time is a River, and The Beach House. Her books have achieved several best seller lists, including SIBA and USA Today. Her latest novel, The Butterfly’s Daughter, will be out in spring 2011. You can follow Monroe on Facebook, Twitter and her weekly blog

3/2/10

SWEETGRASS: Then and Now

Almost six years after its nationwide debut, my Lowcountry novel SWEETGRASS is gearing up for a springtime comeback. This May will be the first time it appears at bookstores in trade paperback (It’s one of four paperback releases this year).

In preparation for this literary redux, the publisher has given the book cover a makeover (I think the pop of green and yellow color is eye-catching).

As for the story of Mama June Blakely-- her family’s crisis and unlocked secrets—I left the story untouched.

I was inspired to write this story by watching a woman’s strong hands weave together the disparate grasses into a work of art. How like a mother and her family, I thought. And in a flash I knew what my story would be about.

During Mama June’s tumultuous personal journey, the reader also learns about the intricate southern art of weaving sweetgrass baskets. The story raised many harsh realities about the current issues threatening this centuries-old craft.

I’m delighted to report that since its first publication in 2005, some progress has been made to help preserve the ancient African art of Sweetgrass basket weaving.

  • Sweetgrass basketry was named South Carolina’s state handcraft in 2006.
  • In 2006, the Gullah/Geechee Cultural Heritage Corridor was designated by Congress, thus helping protect one of Southern America’s unique cultures shaped by enslaved West Africans.
  • In 2009, the Sweetgrass Cultural Arts Pavilion opened at the new Mount Pleasant Memorial Waterfront Park in South Carolina, in an effort to help keep the basketmaking tradition alive.
  • Local efforts have been made to encourage residents to plant sweetgrass for basketmakers.

However, commercial and residential development in coastal islands and marshes continue to make the indigenous sweetgrass difficult to find. It’s an ongoing issue, one that was prevalent when I was writing SWEETGRASS years ago and continues today. Southern coastal communities must continue to work to find ways to protect our precious coastal resources.

My hope is that anyone who reads or re-reads SWEETGRASS when it’s released in May will enjoy this family saga of a plantation family and come to appreciate the sweetgrass basketmaking culture.

If you don’t have a sweetgrass basket in your home, go out to the new Cultural Arts Pavilion in Mt. P, or to the Market in Charleston, or stop at one of the many basket stands along Hwy 17. Each sewer is a unique artist. By learning about the baskets, you’ll better understand the cost and appreciate that the baskets are a historic and impressive art form of the Lowcountry. I adore them and have them all over my house. 

Here's a photo of the baskets in my office.