Category: Books

About Writing, Books, Essays, Flash Fiction, Hot Reads, New Orleans, Pets, Poetry, Poets, Writers4 Comments

Hot Reads & Other Stuff

Charlotte Hamrick

The wind is blowing fiercely outside whipping the trees into a frenzy. The wind chimes are clanging merrily, though, giving quite the serenade. All the little birds at the bird feeder are puffed out. I guess they’re trying to stay warm in the cold wind. It’s grey. Another grey day. Every time we have one of these days in NOLA it reinforces how glad I am that I don’t live where winters are harsh. Day upon day of greyness would do me in for sure. I don’t mind the occasional gloomy day – sometimes it’s nice to cuddle up on … Continue reading Hot Reads & Other Stuff

Books, Poetry, Poets, Pop Culture, Writers9 Comments

Charlotte’s Top Five

Charlotte Hamrick

It’s end/beginning of year – list time! Although list posts are multiplying like rabbits online, I’ll go ahead and post my second annual Top Fives in books, movies, TV, and music. Note that these are not books, movies, TV, and music that debuted in 2015 but my personal Top Fives which means, although I’m not a slave to current pop culture, I am highly interested in good books, good movies, good TV, and good music regardless of when it was created. In addition, I’m posting my Top Five wanna-sees and wanna-reads for 2016. Wanna-listen is dependent upon mood. Here we … Continue reading Charlotte’s Top Five

Books, Essays, Inspiration Monday, Photography, Quotes, Writers2 Comments

Inspiration Monday: Jonathan Rauch

Charlotte Hamrick

“Leave an extrovert alone for two minutes and he will reach for his cell phone. In contrast, after an hour or two of being socially “on,” we introverts need to turn off and recharge. My own formula is roughly two hours alone for every hour of socializing. This isn’t antisocial. It isn’t a sign of depression. It does not call for medication. For introverts, to be alone with our thoughts is as restorative as sleeping, as nourishing as eating. Our motto: “I’m okay, you’re okay—in small doses.” ― Jonathan Rauch White Chocolate Blueberry Scones recipe here. Currently reading:  THE LINEUP: … Continue reading Inspiration Monday: Jonathan Rauch

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Happy Birthday, Sylvia

Charlotte Hamrick

Dear Sylvia, I read your book The Bell Jar when I was an angst-ridden teen. It made me feel less alone, less shunned, less ugly. It helped me realize there were others out there like me feeling like a dead end dirt road. I wrapped your words around me like a cloud of soft familiarality and the world’s edges felt less sharp. Some may not understand this but you do and that’s all that matters. Thank you. Continue reading Happy Birthday, Sylvia

Books2 Comments

A Lesson from “M Train”: Connections

Charlotte Hamrick

I needed a pencil for underlining. Finally found one way in the back of the pantry on the bottom shelf in a cup of pens. One lonely pencil. “Hilton Riverside” written down the length of it. It must have been from the tIme in the ’90’s when we evacuated there for a hurricane. I remember the wind was blowing the rain horizontally when we took the dogs out to pee and I had to lean into it to stay upright. I’d never seen that before. I had the best cup of coffee of my life the next morning when it … Continue reading A Lesson from “M Train”: Connections

Books, Flash Fiction, Hot Reads, Poetry, PoetsLeave a comment

Hot Reads & Other Things

Charlotte Hamrick

So I had really planned to have a good dozen links to a good dozen poems and stories for this post, but then, life happened. I’m flexible, though, and decided to go with what I have because the two flash fictions, one video-poem, and one text poem here are dynamite.  You just can’t get any better than these. So, forthwith: “Hands” by Tara Isabel Zambrano in The Sonder Review and Fictionaut. “I stay up all night. I write. I give up cashews and pistachios. I spend my time looking at his things wishing they were gone too. My only sliver of comfort about … Continue reading Hot Reads & Other Things

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Lidia on Vimeo

Charlotte Hamrick

Well, isn’t this fortuitous. A Twitter friend tweeted this Vimeo this morning so I, of course, had to watch immediately, fan girl that I am. It’s the first chapter of Lidia Yuknavitch’s new book, The Small Backs of Children, read by a group of writers and produced and created by Meg Tuite and Ken Robidoux for Crazy Rabbit Review on Connotation Press. It’s a great sampling of Lidia’s writing so get on over there and dig in. DOnt ya love it when you discover a writer that excites you? Continue reading Lidia on Vimeo

Books8 Comments

I Was Bookjacked by Lidia Yuknavitch

Charlotte Hamrick

My WIT Month reading has gotten off to a shaky start. I was about a fourth of the way through Aimez – Vous Brahms when Lidia Yuknavitch, author of The Chronology of Water (not a translated book) bookjacked me. Really. Once I began reading TCoW there was no looking back, there was no reading anything else, there was practically no other activity out of me other than reading that book. It all began with an essay I read in Guernica by Lidia which I wildly loved and propelled me to finally read this book, her memoir, which had been on … Continue reading I Was Bookjacked by Lidia Yuknavitch

About Writing, Books, WIT Month2 Comments

Women in Translation Month

Charlotte Hamrick

Did you know that August is Women in Translation Month? WIT Month was started in 2014 by blogger Bibliobio after she researched and found women writers represent approximately only 30% of translations into English. (Follow this link for facts and statistics.)This event was created to encourage reading and discussion and to increase awareness of this genre. (Follow this link for more info.) There are no “rules” for participating but I encourage you to do so by reading at least one translated book this month, by following the Twitter hashtag #WITMonth, by following the Women in Translation Tumblr,  and by sharing this issue with … Continue reading Women in Translation Month

Books, Poetry, Poets2 Comments

Review: Patient. by Bettina Judd

Charlotte Hamrick

Patient., by Bettina Judd, and published by Black Lawrence Press,  is a poetic historical account of the experiences of black women as subjects at the hands of male gynecologists. The poems tell the stories of Henrietta Lacks, Anarcha Wescott, Saartjie Baartman, and others who were “patients” of J. Marion Sims (creator of the speculum) and others as well as subjects of P.T. Barnum. Ms Judd’s own experiences at a teaching hospital adds a contemporary voice to the heretofore unheard voices of black women who historically suffered under the banner of medical treatment. Having worked for many years in the medical … Continue reading Review: Patient. by Bettina Judd