Category: Books

Blogs, Books, Poetry, Women, Women in Translation Month, Writers7 Comments

My Book List for Women in Translation Month

Charlotte Hamrick

August is Women in Translation Month, a movement originated by book blogger Meytal Radzinski in 2014 which she details here. Basically, it’s an effort to encourage and spotlight translated books by women which are severely underpublished as compared to men. Meytal has posted supporting statistics for the past year on her blog here. 2015 was the first year I participated in WIT month. I chose and read three books and enjoyed them all. Honestly, what initially drew me to this effort is that I enjoy reading about other cultures and hadn’t read many books by non-American authors. I didn’t even … Continue reading My Book List for Women in Translation Month

Amalgamation, Books, Music, Poetry, Poets, Pop Culture, Women, Writers1 Comment

Amalgamation: TV,Music,Poetry,& Missing the Moon

Charlotte Hamrick

So we’re a few days past the summer solstice and I missed seeing the strawberry moon which won’t coincide with the solstice again until 2062. I’m bummed that I missed it. July is a few days away which means we’ll be entering the hottest months of the year here, July through September. On these hot summer days I like to get my house chores and errands done in the morning so I can cool it a couple of hours in the afternoon watching a movie or a series on my Fire TV. I recently discovered Acorn TV with its ‘all … Continue reading Amalgamation: TV,Music,Poetry,& Missing the Moon

About Writing, Blogs, Books, Essays, Flash Fiction, Food, Hot Reads, Music, Poetry, Poets, Pop Culture, WritersLeave a comment

Hot Reads, Etc.

Charlotte Hamrick

There’s so much good reading and listening on the Internet it’s overwhelming. How do you choose which piece to read,which podcast to listen to, which video to watch? And I’m always wondering if I’ve missed some really fantastic thing. In just the past few days I’ve read some really good stuff and, this morning, watched a very cool Periscope post by Indian chef Kalyan Karmakar. Do you watch Periscope? I downloaded the app a while ago but have only watched a couple of Lonely Planet posts. But when I logged on today there was a notification that this was streaming … Continue reading Hot Reads, Etc.

Books, Found Poetry, My Poetry, NaPoWriMo 2016, Photography, Poetry3 Comments

They Were All There, Gleaming

Charlotte Hamrick

Without him, a faint image became clearer. The curtain hanging before my eyes, flat and cold, removed. Over me, the jeweled colors appear brighter than they were. ***** So, I worked my own prompt today, my version of an erasure poem. Erasure poems, to me, are too messy – you know, all that black marker. So I just take a block of text and search for words and phrases  and either underline or write them down as I go. This poem was derived from the following paragraph in The Girl With the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (Penguin Books, 1999) … Continue reading They Were All There, Gleaming

Books, My Poetry, NaPoWriMo 2016, PoetryLeave a comment

Of Little Hands and Feet

Charlotte Hamrick

What wasn’t: Deliverance Baptismal Secular Miracle A Happy Childhood A Drowning Scene What was: A Burning Resuscitation Conversion A Sanctuary The Other Side of Drowning ***** Prompt courtesy of Greg Santos on Found Poetry Review. Greg suggested several prompts and I settled on a Table of Contents poem which ended up a list poem. My source: The Chronology of Water, Yuknavich, Lidia, Hawthorne Books, 2011. Btw, this is an astounding book. I wrote about it here Continue reading Of Little Hands and Feet

Books, Essays, Flash Fiction, Food, Hot Reads, Poetry, Women, Writers2 Comments

Hot Reads: Lists & Blueberry Cobbler

Charlotte Hamrick

Here are a few cool things I’ve read this week and I’m just realizing several are actual lists by other people. Great! That means you have a galaxy of stories to read. Women’s History Month is marching right along and Change Seven Magazine has given us this gem:  “7 Reads We Recommend: Women’s History Month” by Laurel Dowswell and Emily Ramsey. I’m slowly savoring these sweet nuggets. Also in Change Seven, “Distracted by Life” by Sandy Ebner is a frightening account of living with ADHD and how she found light at the end of that dark tunnel. A fascinating read. “Just … Continue reading Hot Reads: Lists & Blueberry Cobbler

About Writing, Blogs, Books, Hot Reads, Poetry, Women, Writers6 Comments

Hot reads: IWD Roundup

Charlotte Hamrick

So International Women’s Day kind of sneaked up on me but I did read some good stuff put out for that day. Here are a few links and a video that I found particularly interesting. 50 Great Books About 50 Inspiring Women – who doesn’t want more good books on their TBR list? From JK Rowling to Ellen: Four of the most influential and inspiring women today. – a short but powerful list from The LondonY including a video of Patti Smith when she was here in New Orleans a few years ago. I’m still kicking myself for not going to it but … Continue reading Hot reads: IWD Roundup

Books, Inspiration Monday, New Orleans, Photography, Poetry, Poets, QuotesLeave a comment

Inspiration Monday: Tupac Shakur

Charlotte Hamrick

Did you hear about the rose that grew from a crack in the concrete? Proving nature’s law is wrong it learned to walk with out having feet. Funny it seems, but by keeping its dreams, it learned to breathe fresh air. Long live the rose that grew from concrete when no one else ever cared. ― Tupac Shakur, The Rose That Grew from Concrete Continue reading Inspiration Monday: Tupac Shakur

About Writing, Books, My Poetry, Poetry, Poets, Writers2 Comments

Reading, Writing, and Publications

Charlotte Hamrick

It’s Sunday, a day I often catch up with my online reading. I like to check in with writer’s blogs and lit zines, following their links which often take me to new and exciting places. Today I followed a link about The Daily Poet, a book of writing prompts, from a Pinterest pin that took me to Kelli Russell Agodon’s website. Turns out, she’s one half of the team who founded Two Sylvias Press with which I was already familiar. So I read about her book plus some of her other posts and enjoyed it. The book looks good and who couldn’t use a … Continue reading Reading, Writing, and Publications

Books6 Comments

Book: My Name is Lucy Barton

Charlotte Hamrick

“Do I understand that hurt my children feel? I think I do, though they might claim otherwise. But I think I know so well the pain we children clutch to our chests, how it lasts our whole lifetime, with longings so large you can’t even weep. We hold it tight, we do, with each seizure of the beating heart: This is mine, this is mine, this is mine.” —- My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout It’s been a while since I finished a book in less than 48 hours time. I finished this morning. From the time I … Continue reading Book: My Name is Lucy Barton