August 2022 Newsletter      sophiakouidougiles.com

When Stephanie Raffelock and my publisher, Brooke Warner of She Writes Press, sent a call to action, one hundred authors responded. The reason? The call was inspired by a current event prominent in the news that resonated with many of us: the horrific war in Ukraine. The result is a rich anthology that contains essays of pain, hope, and inspiration to comfort and uphold the reader. The title: Art in the Time of Unbearable Crisis.

With unusual speed, and the mission to support the people of Ukraine, this anthology is now in bookstores. The proceeds of the varied and rich content will benefit the World Central Kitchen, a nonprofit organization that provides meals to people in times of crisis, the heart and brainchild of Chef Jose Andres.

Eight Seattle-area authors have contributed to the anthology. I am proud to be among them. Third Place Books in Lake Forest Park, at the intersection of Bothell and Ballinger Way NE, will host an author event on Thursday, August 11, at 7:00pm, celebrating the release of the anthology. This is an invitation to my local friends to join us.

Permit me to linger for a minute on what is involved in getting an anthology from the authors’ pens to the readers’ hands. (Ten years ago, when I decided to ask for admission into this writing life, I did not know what it takes.) First readers are the people who review and offer feedback to the author, sharing comments and an honest opinion. That results in drafts and redrafts of the essay until its final form. Either the author or the agent submits it to presses and to people like Stephanie who collect relevant works and settle on selections. Editors touch it in large (developmental) or small (copy edit) ways before it is ready.

Have you heard that a book is judged by its cover? That is the next phase, where talented designers labor to create the cover but also the page layout, down to the selection of fonts. Finally, after printing and distribution, then comes the work of making readers aware of its existence. And that is a description in brief!

In my small way and through this newsletter I am part of making you aware of this anthology, hoping that by participating I have expressed my outrage at war and its impact on young and old, while supporting the people caught in its ugly jaws.

Featured Guest

Time to introduce today’s featured author, Jean Gilbertson, a writer who lives in Washington State. She is the author of Dancing on the Whisper of God, a novel written by a skilled writer and editor. The story details a creative challenge for a San Francisco Ballet Troop that is preparing for the new season. Calvin, the director and choreographer has not produced anything new in the past few years when a voice tells him it is time! All you need to see is the excerpt from her book to feel the spiritual message leap out of the page somewhere between ballet and prayer. I agree with the reviewer that wrote “…Tremendously touching and authentic to both the world of ballet and the experience of blossoming spirituality.” It comes from a sensitive, aware eye, as you can see in the following quote from her blog, which can be found at jeangilbertson.com:

“From time to time, this blog looks at something about writing, which can sometimes be as much of a spiritual practice as meditation or prayer or labyrinth-walking.

“Writing, though, is usually more intentional than many other spiritual practices. Part of the intentionality is how deliberate the writer must be about word choice and image choice.

“Just in case you don’t believe that, here is a short and somewhat playful demonstration:

“Her face reddened means one thing. (Has she been caught in a lie?)

“Her eyes reddened means something altogether different. (Is she sad, or about to cry?)

“Her hair reddened is a whole other thing. (Only her hairdresser knows for sure.) And her ears reddened is another shift in meaning. (Likely embarrassed about something — or possibly just caught out in the cold without earmuffs.) Yet, all of these are about redness occurring on the head.

“We also talk about red-handed, which means something different from her hands were red. And a business might be in the red but might be saved by a red-letter day.

“The English language offers so much meaning, often layers of it. It is a gift to find a writer who knows the depth of what’s possible with our language and how to employ it artfully.”

In the Sun and in the Rain aspires to bring you writing from many corners of the world and introduce you to creative friends and their books to consider for your summer reading. Feel free to share this Newsletter with your reading and writing community and friends who can also subscribe. Your comments are always welcome.

Live long and prosper!

Best,

Sophia