International Book Fair

Yesterday I went to Sao Paulo with my mother to go to the International Book Fair and I stayed there all day long. I was so tired of walking there all day and carrying all the heavy books my mom wanted to buy that now I cannot even sleep so much my back hurts. There I also went to a conference lead by a new authour, and illustrator (just as I am) who spoke up about his beliefs which in a way echoed my own thoughts about the publishing media. I could keep listening to him for the whole evening. He said that everyone has a story to tell and he certainly did have a lot of his own, not to mention of other people he met (and you can view his blog here: http://walthermoreirasantos.blogspot.com/). But I was so overwhelmed by the exhaustion that I could not even speak with the contact I had with the editor. I passed right through him, saying only a brief "hello" and then leaving for I was already late to my mother's appointment. Later on we still went to see my sister rehearsal as she said she was singing just for me who won't be there when she has her presentation in two weeks. Saturday I will go to a lecture of a writer friend of mine at the local library right at the beach. She's been writing for the major newspaper here in Santos. So I kind of look up for her. Next week i will be back in Santiago. Already missing the sunny days I've been spending at the beach...

"A Terminal Episode"

I know at least one famous comedian who is not laughing today. At least, not today. One who I consider a great comedian must be mourning the death of another one with all his ingeniousness, George Carlin. What I really enjoyed of Carlin was his linguistic detours, being myself a tongue twister. I love acrostic too and to quote his own saying of if he died on a hospital he would have "A Terminal Episode" the acrostic "ATE" is a farewell word in Brazil which in Portuguese means, "See You"!! So see you, George. You know I hate farewell so much that I actually "ATE" them all... And as a ballerina I've got "two-too" to show respect to Carlin's memory:

"If your name was a footnote in American legal history, what would be the photo on your ID: A toe-nail?"

"If you "died" your hair, would that make your hair drop? And would you bury it in a hair style?" I know they were lame (I just in-vented them in a "Minute Made"), but I hope I can make you laugh the heck out of it.

So to stir and spur us to forget the tears, and cheer up a little bit (at least myself;) here below I leave what some of my other fellow writers have been saying about my writing (for instead of deleting I kept them to share to the world:)

"I've taken a look at your web sites and it seems that you are incredibly talented."
David Cole from Launceston, Tasmania

"I have taken some time to read your postings. You are an amazing writer! I will post some comments on your writing, but I just thought I would e-mail you and let you know I am now officially a fan. Do you have any writing available for purchase? Bookstores....Amazon.com...? Anyway, I'll stop now to avoid sounding like I am just blowing sunshine up your arse. I look forward to reading more of your writing. Dustin."

"Working on anything new? You can't keep a mind like yours all to yourself...Its just not fair to the rest of us here on earth."
Dustin Doornbos from Grand Rapids in Michigan

"In a fit of self-destructive pique I've recently decimated my collection with the "delete" command, but there's still a little left. And now I can explore your writing, since I truly enjoyed the small part of it I've seen."
Bill Kowalski from St. Louis, Missouri

"Keep that pen moving. Rock on..."
-Metal Mark from Tucson, Arizona

Soon I will have some very good news about my books (and more messages coming on my way:)

"I happened across your website, and I am awe-struck. I just want to say that you are one of the most talented and multi-faceted people I have seen.

Your choice of words is exhilarating, your book's preview is captivating, and on top of all that are you behind Lulu (and soon on Amazon and other major retailers!:)

I will have to look into it more, but from what I see already, compliments to you and the many roles you fill.

Happy Holidays.

Sincerely,

Shad Nunemaker"


"I am writing to you because I tell you, I was really impressed with your

diverse experiences. You have done some interesting stuff, plus you have

used the time you spent on this planet to include some of your life in your poetic works!

I am looking forward to reading more of them. (I only read the samples.)

You seem to me to be a wonderful,

substantial writer who has done so many enriching things with her life.

I am so proud of you. I mean this from my heart: I hope

more people can find out about you through

the promotion of this anthology. You are really inspiring!

Good luck to you!

Theresa McGriff "

World Book and Copyright Day

Today is dedicated worldwide for reading and reflecting upon the services and the labour of the writers all around the globe. It was on an April, twenty-third, in the same year of 1616, that Miguel de Cervantes, William Shakespeare and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega (a Peruvian writer who lived in Spain and whose writings were also very much appreciated by Cervantes) died. Being a writer myself since I was a child when I would start to tell stories with my drawings and tales to myself, first, and when I had the courage to show them to people (and they wouldn't believe I invented and wrote my own poems) then I realized how hard a task that is, to prove the stories one owes to oneself are the ones one's written and owns right on! They are the stories one saw, viewed or observed, experienced or was told about. Then we cannot be sure they were really one's own stories if they belong to all of us. So today is about copyright day too. Although I believe we cannot dimension which story was the original one, if you see that all stories came from somewhere else, I know how much it hurts when people just steal one's ideas. That happened to me right when I was on fifth grade and I wrote sonnets to my colleagues in class, which were later copied by other girls who, by the way, never mentioned my name on them. That's where copyright cannot reach. For how can you prove you had the idea first? Ok, right, I wrote my name right after the title, but someone else wrote the same thing. What better example than seeing all those poems being circulated on the internet when people give credits to Shakespeare, or Borges, the latter very much influenced by Cervantes, with texts varying from "live if there is no tomorrow" to "If I Had My Life to Live Over" and all that they could say if they were still alive and read those poems would probably be that they would die if they wrote that. When it is to give respect to the author's ownership of their works I am on! It is that simple to just mention the RIGHT name on the copy (when you do know the authorship, and if you don't just go find out who did it!:) And that's what COPYRIGHT is all about.

Create Your Own
"Have a Good!" (Sorry, don't know who invented that greeting, but probably was someone in such a hurry who didn't even want to be known for that;)

Why We Write

There are just many, many hidden (ridden and read on) reasons why do writers do the write thing. Isn't that so? Click on Why We Write (with a comment of mine:) and read a piece of Danny Rubin, writer of “Groundhog Day” at whywewriteseries.wordpress.com to view how many successful writers may cope with when they are not allowed to write. (Well, even when they cannot, they write). I remember each and every phrase of a good conversation, and if I do not have a pen and paper, at least I count on my own memory to Words Wide Wrap. I remember having read in some newspaper that if the educational system continued as it was, as people were reading books less and less, the world would be full of idiots who cannot even write their names. I recently read (not in the same news, but still a paper) that there is a Sci-Fi book written by a famous author (that I never read/heard) where only ignorant people would inhabit the planet, for the real intelligent ones wouldn't have children. Thank God neither one of those predictions seem exactly right. At least, the majority of people in this planet can read or write. And with the upcoming of the internet, more and more people are writing and reading. But prior to that all, quality and intention must be at the upfront. If there are poor information, most clearly they will generate poor educated people. If families, as a support system, didn't exist at all, more and more children would be left in their own devices, which in turn would be a shame for humanity. So, what really matters here? Is it just to write, or to write well, or what we write to our children? The same goes with television, cinema, theatre and all the media which make accessible information (including, especially, the internet): Good choices lead to better results. And by having a clear vision to make those choices we must share information, we must write our ideals, our experiences, our lives. I'm not a Imdb name holder, or am I on any internet "move" database nor am I a journalist (I gave up that dream when a man to whom I entered my inscription to the University told me I would add in the already big list of liars in the media) to discuss and make opinions (as I do not have any 'pinions neither am I-care(^l^)ess a peanut to think I can win one). But I recently heard (now at a TV News station) two journalists complaining about "opinionating blogs made by amateurs with no comments added" to their sharing. And I got to the conclusion, with a Confucian confusion in my head saying that Yes/No, we should write to be read, but most importantly with guts to read and hear our own selves (and now is my Socratic stomach speaking). And yes, this is a narcissistic activity, but what is not? Even when we are helping someone else, as much as it seems so altruistic, we are actually helping and thinking of ourselves, for that action comes from solely, only and lonely our own hearts, making it beneficial to our own personal growth, and if we are lucky enough may benefit others in our way to our epiphanies. And that's why I write.

United Artists

There is a very nice blog here where they explain little by little (and with minimal and decimal of details) why the writers are on strike in America. There are many, many reasons, but the bottom line is:
"Don't let
them get
us out like pet
on the internet" (and I just in-vented that!;)

Now they posted a video where screenwriter Phil Alden Robinson of "Fields of Dreams" tells us how in each generation (let's say, twenty years) that technology advance takes place, and writers find themselves LOST (no pun intended) and like the Desperate Housewives (no pun here either) they too complain to get their bargain. (the Desperate Housewives' comments)

So I went there and commented about how grateful I am that they are on this fight now. I just didn't know I would get into another fight. (giggles) View the comments and see it yourself what I am talking about:
Comments on United Hollywood Blog

Now I feel obliged to apologize if ever the captain of that titanic ship (or any other writer) comes to read my comments there or my ramblings here on my humble spaceship:

"dear captain:
Being a writer I should have known you would take my comments literally (gasp) Mea Culpa (gasp) But since I sympathise with the whole deal, in solidarity with the "WAG" (gasp) and the WGA, and just to cool things down a little (no pun intended), here is a dollar coin to go buy you a beer
...but no strings attached. Cheers!"