Beautiful, beautiful piece. I missed it the first time because I was not a subscriber back in 2022. So glad you brought it back. I love what you said about there being a balance between effort and effortlessness and how the spirit engages itself in the latter. Thanks for the inspiring writing, Janisse.
Thank you for re-sharing this, Janisse. A welcome piece to read as I contemplate turning 70, with a more disparate voice in the world than has been your path.
Janisse, Reading all of this the day after our truly Magical Class ended and spending the free moments of my day thinking how much I will miss spending next Tuesday with you and the amazing group of people you brought together for our class. It was all beautiful and helped to restore faith in humanity. That’s no small thing today. Your writing is beautiful as is your teaching. Keep doing both. It all matters. I’m a therapist at a community mental health agency and I was thinking of how much you too hold as a teacher. Deep thanks from another eggless graying woman.
No need to miss us, Sheila. We will all still be in your life. We're going to figure out ways to support each other. Thank you for appearing in my life & turning out to be such a great writer. More soon.
Reading this comes at the right time for me, both for my writing and my age. I have been questioning the worth of my writing recently, in these troubled times, and I'm not sure there is any reason to keep writing. Except, it makes me feel better! It makes me feel better, to have accomplished something in a field that I value, words working with other words to make something meaningful. Whether others see it or not, seems not so important to me anymore, though I still submit my work to journals. And I have been questioning my place in the these troubled times, my place and my role, as an old white woman, graying, still pretty healthy. But not by any stretch of the imagination, a marketable commodity as a poet. Thanks for your words, Janisse, thanks for your honesty.
You could also take today as the first day of the rest of your life. Turn a corner, walk down another street. And...have you thought about incorporating your poetic tendencies into creative nonfiction? It's a beautiful pairing. Or keep getting your poetry out in the world. Heaven knows the world needs it. Also, I hope you take a course with me one day. Magical Craft is the one.
I do have a habit of reminding myself that today is the first day of the rest of my life. And I remind myself that I can start that first day anytime, breakfast, lunch, or dinner, morning, noon, or night. And I am still sending poems out to the world, as much as I can. Yes, I'd love to take a course with you, maybe soon. We are going to Lubbock in a week to sell the house, arrange the shipping of the rest of our belongings, see our local doctors and dentist one last time, sell the car. See friends and relatives. Go to the Sowell Conference. I hope we get back to the NW in time to see the flowering plants and new leaves in our yard.
This book sounds amazing! I can't wait. But also, this whole idea (from the linked post) of the gatekeeping around this kind of writing makes me so sad and confused. Even before I'd read any of your books, I knew your name as one of the "greats" of contemporary nature writing. So, if your books don't get published and don't sell...then ugh. What's happening?
As another 60-year-old who will continue to write, I appreciate your words here. I am glad I found writing, as nothin g quite matches what it feels like to become absorbed in a story. Whether i achieve some measure of success with my books, I will continue. Thanks for your post.
Good for you, Will. What you're achieving is what they call flow. It's such a hard thing to get to, so I'm happy for you & a little jealous. I'm glad you're going to continue, no matter what. Just work on getting better & better at it.
I turned 60 in March, so thank you for this. I'm a teacher and thinking of retiring at 62. I want to use my time to write, and while I hope I can get my current WIP published, I know I'll keep writing even if that doesn't happen. I do have a group of stories I can't wait to write.
I wrestle with some of the same questions, Janisse. I feel I've lost traction in the mud, and I'm trying to "right" myself, but I'm not sure how to go about it. Thank you for the post.
Janisse, at 74 I'm hoping to finish the first draft of my fourth novel by the end of the year. The first was published when I was 71, bringing me and my very few readers great joy. The second and third are seeking a home, and are unlikely to find one. Literary Hub just linked to an article re serial writing (as Dickens and others did) and gave me an idea. If no one wants to publish me, I may very well try putting a chapter at a time on my website and tell my fairly large number of FB "friends" it's there. I never thought I'd make a dollar out of this, just wanted finally to write the very best stories I can, and get as many readers as possible.
If a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears does it make a sound? I'm very glad to have found this blog - you need to say it, we need to hear it.
I see you, I hear you, and I relate to this in so many ways, Janisse. You have touched my life and so many others that may likely be invisible to you, but it matters and I am grateful for you and your words. Keep writing and spreading your wisdom. It will still find the ears and eyes and minds of those who need to hear them. <3
Janisse! I’m so glad to find your newsletter to subscribe to!! I love your stories and words and YOU!! You have been an inspiration since I discovered you (when was that??)!! Of course, living in the community with Square Books (in Oxford, MS) I still have books and their authors as central players in my life — and it’s one of the key reasons I love that community. And, just so you know, I grabbed at least a dozen copies of ‘Wild Spectacle’ this year and so happily gave them away with ribbons around them over the holiday season… (There was a really fun moment when I gave a copy (yet unread) to Gail Stratton and and Pat Miller and they gave me one — and we opened them at the same time!!). AND I’ve loved reading those pieces myself! So, amen to your decision not to stop writing!! Being ‘a writer’ was, perhaps, never what you’ve really been — you’ve been a mentor and an inspiration and an educator all these years! The writing was just one of the ways you’ve communicated with the world… Much love and many hugs..!!!!!
Your work does indeed matter and you are not invisible to us. You have inspired and encouraged so many of us to continue, to write, to stay engaged. I’ll be turning 68 this year and I hear you about not being seen. I was saddened that my university decided they no longer needed my services as faculty, but I haven’t stopped. I feel like I still have much to offer and my work isn’t finished. We’ll keep fighting the good fight as long as we can.
I'm 90. I love to write. I think I'm OCD about writing. I write stories, literary fiction. I love to produce. I'm getting better all the time. I will publish a collection of stories about a professional couple next month on Amazon's KDP platform. It is not dreaded. It is a place to put my work for the future when it gets discovered and it will. And I've begun a new––my second––novel. And my list goes on. So I'm not marketed. OK. I'm like a painter with a gallery–KDP–where the work can be found and it is being found. I'm good with this system. I don't see how anyone my age could do better because there is an active and admitted ageism in the agent/publishing business. The hell with 'em. I produce. And that's all that matters. billbruehl.com
This is so poignant and beautiful! Keep doing what you’re doing! Share your passion and inspire others! Thank you for all you do! 🙏💕
Things are soooo much different now. I would never go back.
Happy Birthday!
Beautiful, beautiful piece. I missed it the first time because I was not a subscriber back in 2022. So glad you brought it back. I love what you said about there being a balance between effort and effortlessness and how the spirit engages itself in the latter. Thanks for the inspiring writing, Janisse.
Thank YOU, Janisse, for being my friend! You are such a blessing to so many, and I am lucky to be one of them! ❤️
I'm the lucky one, Parjit.
Thank you for our beautiful friendship. And for your stories!
Thank you for re-sharing this, Janisse. A welcome piece to read as I contemplate turning 70, with a more disparate voice in the world than has been your path.
70 is just the beginning. Don't accept any other narrative.
Janisse, Reading all of this the day after our truly Magical Class ended and spending the free moments of my day thinking how much I will miss spending next Tuesday with you and the amazing group of people you brought together for our class. It was all beautiful and helped to restore faith in humanity. That’s no small thing today. Your writing is beautiful as is your teaching. Keep doing both. It all matters. I’m a therapist at a community mental health agency and I was thinking of how much you too hold as a teacher. Deep thanks from another eggless graying woman.
No need to miss us, Sheila. We will all still be in your life. We're going to figure out ways to support each other. Thank you for appearing in my life & turning out to be such a great writer. More soon.
Reading this comes at the right time for me, both for my writing and my age. I have been questioning the worth of my writing recently, in these troubled times, and I'm not sure there is any reason to keep writing. Except, it makes me feel better! It makes me feel better, to have accomplished something in a field that I value, words working with other words to make something meaningful. Whether others see it or not, seems not so important to me anymore, though I still submit my work to journals. And I have been questioning my place in the these troubled times, my place and my role, as an old white woman, graying, still pretty healthy. But not by any stretch of the imagination, a marketable commodity as a poet. Thanks for your words, Janisse, thanks for your honesty.
You could also take today as the first day of the rest of your life. Turn a corner, walk down another street. And...have you thought about incorporating your poetic tendencies into creative nonfiction? It's a beautiful pairing. Or keep getting your poetry out in the world. Heaven knows the world needs it. Also, I hope you take a course with me one day. Magical Craft is the one.
I do have a habit of reminding myself that today is the first day of the rest of my life. And I remind myself that I can start that first day anytime, breakfast, lunch, or dinner, morning, noon, or night. And I am still sending poems out to the world, as much as I can. Yes, I'd love to take a course with you, maybe soon. We are going to Lubbock in a week to sell the house, arrange the shipping of the rest of our belongings, see our local doctors and dentist one last time, sell the car. See friends and relatives. Go to the Sowell Conference. I hope we get back to the NW in time to see the flowering plants and new leaves in our yard.
This book sounds amazing! I can't wait. But also, this whole idea (from the linked post) of the gatekeeping around this kind of writing makes me so sad and confused. Even before I'd read any of your books, I knew your name as one of the "greats" of contemporary nature writing. So, if your books don't get published and don't sell...then ugh. What's happening?
Thanks Janisse for this post. We need you to keep writing. Happy Belated (only a year or more late). thanks, Andy Kavoori
As another 60-year-old who will continue to write, I appreciate your words here. I am glad I found writing, as nothin g quite matches what it feels like to become absorbed in a story. Whether i achieve some measure of success with my books, I will continue. Thanks for your post.
Good for you, Will. What you're achieving is what they call flow. It's such a hard thing to get to, so I'm happy for you & a little jealous. I'm glad you're going to continue, no matter what. Just work on getting better & better at it.
I turned 60 in March, so thank you for this. I'm a teacher and thinking of retiring at 62. I want to use my time to write, and while I hope I can get my current WIP published, I know I'll keep writing even if that doesn't happen. I do have a group of stories I can't wait to write.
I wrestle with some of the same questions, Janisse. I feel I've lost traction in the mud, and I'm trying to "right" myself, but I'm not sure how to go about it. Thank you for the post.
Janisse, at 74 I'm hoping to finish the first draft of my fourth novel by the end of the year. The first was published when I was 71, bringing me and my very few readers great joy. The second and third are seeking a home, and are unlikely to find one. Literary Hub just linked to an article re serial writing (as Dickens and others did) and gave me an idea. If no one wants to publish me, I may very well try putting a chapter at a time on my website and tell my fairly large number of FB "friends" it's there. I never thought I'd make a dollar out of this, just wanted finally to write the very best stories I can, and get as many readers as possible.
If a tree falls in the forest and nobody hears does it make a sound? I'm very glad to have found this blog - you need to say it, we need to hear it.
As for being old, https://elizabethmccullochauthor.com/old-woman/
The link to the article on publishing is https://ellegriffin.substack.com/p/publishing-industry-truth
I see you, I hear you, and I relate to this in so many ways, Janisse. You have touched my life and so many others that may likely be invisible to you, but it matters and I am grateful for you and your words. Keep writing and spreading your wisdom. It will still find the ears and eyes and minds of those who need to hear them. <3
Janisse! I’m so glad to find your newsletter to subscribe to!! I love your stories and words and YOU!! You have been an inspiration since I discovered you (when was that??)!! Of course, living in the community with Square Books (in Oxford, MS) I still have books and their authors as central players in my life — and it’s one of the key reasons I love that community. And, just so you know, I grabbed at least a dozen copies of ‘Wild Spectacle’ this year and so happily gave them away with ribbons around them over the holiday season… (There was a really fun moment when I gave a copy (yet unread) to Gail Stratton and and Pat Miller and they gave me one — and we opened them at the same time!!). AND I’ve loved reading those pieces myself! So, amen to your decision not to stop writing!! Being ‘a writer’ was, perhaps, never what you’ve really been — you’ve been a mentor and an inspiration and an educator all these years! The writing was just one of the ways you’ve communicated with the world… Much love and many hugs..!!!!!
Your work does indeed matter and you are not invisible to us. You have inspired and encouraged so many of us to continue, to write, to stay engaged. I’ll be turning 68 this year and I hear you about not being seen. I was saddened that my university decided they no longer needed my services as faculty, but I haven’t stopped. I feel like I still have much to offer and my work isn’t finished. We’ll keep fighting the good fight as long as we can.
I'm 90. I love to write. I think I'm OCD about writing. I write stories, literary fiction. I love to produce. I'm getting better all the time. I will publish a collection of stories about a professional couple next month on Amazon's KDP platform. It is not dreaded. It is a place to put my work for the future when it gets discovered and it will. And I've begun a new––my second––novel. And my list goes on. So I'm not marketed. OK. I'm like a painter with a gallery–KDP–where the work can be found and it is being found. I'm good with this system. I don't see how anyone my age could do better because there is an active and admitted ageism in the agent/publishing business. The hell with 'em. I produce. And that's all that matters. billbruehl.com