Bebe Moore Campbell recently passed away from brain cancer. Here is a wonderful essay she wrote in 2002, with such beauties as: More often, I remember what teaches me, what spurs me on, what is wise. When I finish a book, just saying aloud the line or two that have stuck with me allows me to relive the wonder of the story, to recall the precise magic that the author has evoked. The lines literally jump from the page into my mind. These words say, “Keep me; I’m yours.”
Or this: “The Cat in the Hat,” Dr. Seuss’ silly, imaginative yarn contains the most uplifting passage I’ve ever memorized. The coolest cat of all times climbed into my heart when I was in the third grade, and he still makes it beat faster. His rhyming nonsense has always made perfect sense and helped me establish my own literary standards. To wit: Does the book delight me? Do the words captivate me? Does the tale horrify me, make me feel dread, make me laugh? Does the story resonate? Do I want to share it? Do I walk away with something in my head, welded to my heart? Did it make me a wiser person?
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King Kong is on. It’s the first time I’ve ever seen this movie. God willing, it will be the last. Not that I don’t love Peter Jackson, or all the actors involved—because I do—and not that the film doesn’t have some entertaining bits—because it does—but watching this just depresses the heck out of me. It’s a train wreck. I can’t stand to watch Kong suffer. Which I suppose means that Jackson & Co. did their job, but whoa. I need a Bill Murray infusion to cheer me up.
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Flatulence forces plane to land. Enough said.
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Finally, many thanks to everyone who left such positive comments about my new sale. I appreciate it very much. No information on when the first book will be released, but I’ll post when I have more information.