Something New: Embracing Change – Yecheilyah Ysrayl

My “Something New” Guest Post with Lisa Tetting. Thank you for having me.

Lisa W Tetting's avatarLisa W. Tetting

Try Something New Today!

Primarily, I would like to thank Lisa for giving me the keys to the house. It’s nice and cozy in here and you all look great! While I tend to be long winded, I have been given a copy of the house rules, so I’ll be brief.

Lisa asked me to write about newness today and I choose change.

We live in a world that celebrates routine and ritual, so it’s not always easy to embrace change. It is something that happens so frequently in our lives and yet remains something new; moving in and out of our day with the same glide as oil to a pan. Starting with a puddle and then auctioning pieces of itself off into different directions. But this is not easy for us to do; to forgo tradition for a road less traveled by. To be reborn in a way that blows our minds…

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Writer’s Quote Wednesday – Throwing Words

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Hey there loves, Welcome to another Writer’s Quote Wednesday Edition with Colleen of Silver Threading. I thought it would be fun to surprise her with a cartoon of us together since she got me so addicted to them.

Now, in other news, who’s throwing words tho?

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Whew, he said that.

There were lots of quotes I wanted to use from Richard Wright’s “Black Boy”, but I enjoyed this one the most as appropriate for Writer’s Quote Wednesday. I love Wright’s description of hurling words into the darkness and waiting for an echo because I think that is something all writers do. If we see light as symbolic of truth, of awakening, and of hope, then to throw our words into the darkness is to send hope out into the world. If someone responds, someone who has perhaps awaited this moment for some time, if that person responds, they are the echo that justifies the need for this light. They are the people who validate that the writing is not in vain and gives authors a kind of heads up that it is OK to throw more words out into the darkness. It is not from the perspective of writing specifically to be heard or writing for validation. The heads up instead informs us that there are others who are in need of the power these words have to offer.

About Black Boy

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Most of us are all familiar with Richard Wright by now (and if we aren’t Google is a gem) so I thought I’d give history on “Black Boy” instead, Wright’s Memoir.

From: http://www.cliffsnotes.com/literature/b/black-boy/book-summary

 

 

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(clearing throat) yes these are cliff notes, don’t judge us:

“Black Boy”, an autobiography of Richard Wright’s early life, examines Richard’s tortured years in the Jim Crow South from 1912 to 1927. In each chapter, Richard relates painful and confusing memories that lead to a better understanding of the man a black, Southern, American writer who eventually emerges. Although Richard, as the narrator, maintains an adult voice throughout the story, each chapter is told from the perspective and knowledge that a child might possess. Yet, because the narrative is told with such force and honesty, the reliability of Richard’s memories is not questioned. By the story’s end, as Richard comes of age, the voice of the narrator and of the nineteen-year-old young man he has become merge into one.”

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And that’s it for this weeks segment. See ya next week 🙂

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Its Raining…

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…it’s pouring

the old man is snoring

he went to bed

and bumped his head

and couldn’t get up in the morning..”

Who remembers this rhyme? For those of you who know this blog by now, you know I love the rain and guess what? It’s raining!

What I love about the rain is how it slows everything down. We live in an age where everything is rushed. Instant gratification has us pulling our hair out because the Internet’s not fast enough, traffic is not moving quickly enough, and if there’s an idea suddenly Writer’s Block sneaks in because the words don’t come fast enough. Everything has got to be at our fingertips or we’ll lose our minds. And then there’s the rain, which tends to put us in a relaxing mood. Some people are like the old man, and get sleepy during the rain because it’s relaxing. Its a great time to read and to reflex and to do some handwriting or some soul searching. It’s a good time to sit back and be still. I like to look at the rain as a time not to move. A time for simplicity. The rain, as a time for clarity.

Book Launch Trivia! *New Winners!*

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After we closed out the game yesterday, we had some new participants in the questions who came later on.

Congratulations to Lynette Davis for answering our Trivia question correctly on the Jim Crow Laws!

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You’ve just won a FREE Coffee Cup! Please send your mailing address to:

ahouseofpoetry@gmail.com

All prizes will be mailed in 5-7 business days. Stay tuned, more winners are coming up this week!

Congrats again and thanks for playing! Whoop!

When Inspiration Comes

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I thought of you this morning and knew that you would come. I thought to write about you then, but I tend to learn all too late that there is a time and place even for thoughts; a succession of images and ideas, some brighter than the others. Some wait patiently for me to notice the size and shape of their existence, while others show up between the colors of rainbows after the rain. Shiny pieces of ambition threatening to either cut or spark curiosity amidst the heart, causing it to act. Action, it is what I demand of these visions both beautiful and stubborn alike. They must all remember that while I love them, dreams and realities are opposites and only action makes them whole. Offer me not death on a silver platter, champagne taste against beer breath. The motivation to be inspired, it always comes at a price. In what way will I choose to spend this currency of influence now upon me? These fragile ideas of ours, this soaring hope, it must be handled carefully. Dare I let the concept of failure steal away my beating heart? When the inspiration comes, I know that it will either bend or break at my command, which will I choose?

Book Release Trivia Day! *Final Trivia Post*

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OK Everyone, I want to thank those of you who have participated so far today and who have taken the opportunity to support my work. I have personally had fun and I am really enjoying giving away these prizes to you beautiful people. I have decided to put a poll up on the Static Page of this blog with the last Trivia Question. I am leaving this up on the front page for this week only (8/24 – 8/31) The winning prizes are…

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But first, thank you all so much for playing and hanging out with me. As we close out, I will be posting my author website for the final time this afternoon along with the links to the eBook retailers. I have no intentions of stalking your emails but this is Launch Day and all, and thus my shameless self promo is warranted (smiles), but your support is sincerely appreciated. To all of our winners so far, please give me 5 – 7 business days to ship your prizes.

The winners of the question on the front page will receive a Free Copy of Stella Book #2 and a matching bookmark. I will also sign it. As a program note: those of you who buy a paperback version of the book will receive a free bookmark.

Print (Paperback)

Amazon Kindle

Google Play

Apple iBookstore

B&N NOOK

Kobo

Thanks again.

Book Release Trivia Day! Post #5 *FOLLOW-UP*

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OK, so its been about two hours since our last game and no one answered the question, no worries! I’m going to push that one down the line for our Grand Slam. Here’s an easier one:

Stella’s life takes place during many historical events, one of which being the depression. Although the United States had experienced several depressions before the stock market crash on October 27, 1929, none had been as severe. How long did this Great Depression last?

a. 5 years

b. 20 years

c. 10 years

d. None of the Above

This is for a Free Paperback of the book people! Not an eBook! A hard-copy! And if your nice, I’ll sign it. You have to be nice though. First 3 answers win. Hurry!