In the Sun and in the Rain

June 2022 Newsletter      sophiakouidougiles.com

I believe we all have been waiting for June, a delightful time of the year. Annette Wynne welcomes it with a poem, June’s Picture:

 

Let me paint June’s picture—first I take some gold,
Fill the picture full of sun, all that it can hold,
Save some for the butterflies, darting all around,
And some more for buttercups here upon the ground;

 

(Read the full version here.) 

 

But where does this month take its name? June is named after Juno, the Roman goddess of youth and protection, Jupiter’s wife. Her name (Latin Iūnō) comes from the root word for “young” (Iuuen) and goes back to the idea of vital energy and fertility. No wonder this time of the year brings fresh energy, rebirth and sunlight, even in the midst of crisis and war.

 

The complexities of the world live in art, and as Stephanie Raffelock, editor of an upcoming anthology*, Art in the Time of Unbearable Crisis: Women Writers Respond to the Call writes, “Art keeps good alive in the worst of times. In the face of ugliness, pain, and death, it’s art that has the power to open us all to a healing imagining of new possibility; it’s art that whispers to the collective that even in the ashes of loss, life always grows again. That’s why right now, in this tumultuous time of war and pandemic, we need poets more than we need politicians."

 

As much as greener landscapes and blooming flowers set a cheery mood in our days and our readings, so does a culture where the action takes place in a book. Writers are influenced and often describe the culture/s they are exposed to. It is natural to be influenced by the collective experiences of the people that surround us. So in a sense, books become bridges that deliver stories, pictures and plots of life in another location, be it country, continent or imagined world.

 

As a reader, I look for clues and learn about everyday life, customs and values as I watch a plot unfold. Often beliefs, customs, values, and activities of a society are revealed, and literature becomes an expression of culture, whether that is in the past, present, or future. After reading books that enlighten us about different settings, we, too, can proclaim we have increased our understanding: “Veni, vidi, vici”—“I came, I saw, I conquered,” Julius Caesar’s famous brag for its brevity and economy of expression.

 

Since my own experience primarily revolves around Greece and the Pacific Northwest, I find myself drawn to fictional and non-fictional stories, set in other parts of the world. Especially in memoirs, the author documents lived personal stories at a certain location and a particular time, and true depictions of life and history add to history one story at a time.

Featured Guest

 

 

The world has multiple sets of sensibilities and correctness when addressing certain issues. This is what I found fascinating when I read Heather Diamond’s memoir, Rabbit in the Moon (follow the link to read an excerpt). Thrown into an unfamiliar culture during her middle years, she depicts differing cultural values in colorful episodes as the story pivots between Hawaii, Hong Kong and the nearby island of Cheung Chao. Her background has prepared her well to write this memoir.


Reviewing her life, Heather, who among other things worked as a bookseller, writes:

 

“I’m a late but perpetual student. When local bookstores were sunk by the first wave of discounters, I went back to school. I got an M.A. in English and folklore studies at 40. While teaching multicultural literature, I got excited about Asia, which led me to the East-West Center and the University of Hawai’i. I graduated with a Ph.D. in American Studies at 51. Instead of returning to Texas as I’d planned, I stayed in Hawai’i and taught university courses in Hawaii’s multiculturalism and American folklore. Then I became the curator at ‘Iolani Palace, a Native Hawaiian history museum, where I worked with historians and traditional craftsman representing the story of Hawaii’s last monarchs.
My cultural education is ongoing. Twenty-two years ago, I fell in love while studying in Hawai’i, and my life underwent another sea change. Within five years, I married into a big Hong Kong Chinese family. Navigating my intercultural relationship, learning about Chinese culture, and reconsidering American values are themes in my memoir, Rabbit in the Moon (Camphor Press, 2021). I live in Hong Kong with my husband and two cats."

 

In the Sun and in the Rain aspires to bring you writing from many corners of the world and introduce creative friends the world over. Consider Heather Diamond’s work for your next purchase and your gift giving.


Feel free to share this Newsletter with your reading and writing community and friends who can also subscribe. 

 

Live long and prosper!

 

Best,


Sophia

 

* P.S. The anthology Art in the Time of Unbearable Crisis: Women Writers Respond to the Call, (release date is June 28, 2022) includes 100 essays donated by She Writes Press authors, (and includes my essay, Her Name is Natasha.)

 

Proceeds from this volume will be donated to the nonprofit World Central Kitchen, an organization conceived by chef José Andrés as a way to feed people affected by natural disasters and war. World Central Kitchen financially supports food banks and restaurants that provide free food throughout the world.

 
To order a copy, and support this effort, click here.

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