Sleepovers, gardens, secrets, curses…and the Presidency

16 May 2013 2 Comments

by Cocktails With Hemingway in Ambition, Authors, Childhood, Hutchison, Quotes, Words of Wisdom, Writing

“Either write something worth reading or do something worth writing.” ~ Benjamin Franklin
One of my favorite Hutchison memories involves the yearly book created by Lower School (grades 1-5) students.  Every girl wrote and illustrated her own hardbound book each spring.  While our teachers offered proofreading and general guidance, we had complete autonomy in terms of the artistic and written content.  I think I speak for all of our classmates when I say this was one of the best times of the year.  Not only did we have a blast– but it taught us the importance of creativity– and showed us that our ideas, expressions, and contributions outside of the academic realm were worthy and valuable.  Every elementary aged child should have this as a part of their curriculum.

The Big Sleepover (1993)

The Big Sleepover (1993)

“I don’t care who you are.  When you sit down to write the first page of your screenplay, in your head, you’re also writing your Oscar acceptance speech.” ~ Nora Ephron

Composed in Ms. Isom’s first grade class, this is my debut novel.  To the best of my recollection I had several sleepovers of epic proportions that year, so I’m sure that served as my source of inspiration.  Write about what you know, eh?  In my book I had a slumber party where I ate pizza and ice cream and then got into our non-existent outdoor hot tub with Huxley, Parker, Lisa, and Dorothy. 

The English Garden (1994)

The English Garden (1994)

“When writing a novel a writer should create living people; people, not characters.  A character is a caricatures.”  ~ Ernest Hemingway

If you think what I did in Ms. Ketner’s class merely involves perennials, you are sorely mistaken.  There’s a sinister twist.  Are you intrigued yet?

The Secret Of House 205 (1995)

The Secret Of House 205 (1995)

“Writing is like prostitution.  First you do it for love, then for a few close friends, and then for money.” ~ Moliere

Hail To The Chief (1996)

Hail To The Chief (1996)

“Easy reading is damn hard writing.” ~ Nathaniel Hawthorne

You should already know that the ‘chief’ referred to in this context is yours truly and I thank Ms. Drummel for indulging me.  Apparently most people missed the memo that we’ve already had our first female president– me– and our first minor president as well as I was only ten when I ascended the democratically elected throne of this great nation. 

Nila's Curse (1997)

Nila’s Curse (1997)

“There are three rules for writing a novel.  Unfortunately, no one knows what they are.” ~ W. Somerset Maugham

….because your teenage babysitter whisking your children off to the Middle East is a very real possibility.  The charges don’t seem too unhappy though so I guess America wasn’t working out for them.  Those over-educated, under-stimulated, and privileged youth…so ungrateful!  I wonder if Ms. Koehn noticed my camel was missing a few legs.

With infinite love, gratitude, and respect,

Sloane

MBC2

06 Mar 2013 2 Comments

by Cocktails With Hemingway in * R. i. P. *, Adam Sontag, Admiration, Authors, Books, Films, Quotes, Sylvia Plath, Uncategorized, Words of Wisdom

• March Blog Challenge •
Day 2: Favorite Quotes

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“The Edge…there is no honest way to explain it because the only people who really know where it is are the ones who have gone over.”
~ Hunter S. Thompson

“I live life like the captain of a sinking ship.”
~ Atmosphere

“There is nothing in the world like a persuasive speech to fuddle the mental apparatus and upset the convictions and debauch the emotions of an audience not practiced in the tricks and delusions of oratory.” -Mark Twain

“So avoid using the word ‘very’ because it’s lazy. A man is not very tired, he is exhausted. Don’t use very sad, use morose. Language was invented for one reason, boys – to woo women – and, in that endeavor, laziness will not do. It also won’t do in your essays.”
~ Dead Poets Society

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Facebook sure has come in handy with the blog challenge. Taken from the favorite quotes section on my profile:

“You are neurotic and depressed it doesn’t mean that you are sad.”
~ Everclear

“There’s a fine line between genius and insanity. I have erased this line.”
~ Oscar Levant

“They say you only live once; but if you live like I do, once is enough!!”
~ Frank Sinatra

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“Happiness amongst intelligent people is the rarest thing I know.”
~ Ernest Hemingway

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“Janie, today I quit my job. and then I told my boss to go eff himself, and then I blackmailed him for almost sixty thousand dollars. Pass the asparagus.” ~ Lester Burnham (American Beauty)

“You can search throughout the entire universe for someone who is more deserving of your love and affection than you are yourself, and that person is not to be found anywhere. You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve your love and affection.” ~ Buddha

“Out of the ash
I rise with my red hair
and I eat men like air.”
- Sylvia Plath

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:: Les femmes qui lisent sont dangereuses. ::

R. i. P.
* Adam Sontag *
4/25/84 – 7/7/03
Thank you for showing me true love. <3
"The dead govern the living" – Auguste Comte

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With infinite love, gratitude, and respect,
Sloane

Christopher Hitchens

17 Dec 2011 Leave a Comment

by Cocktails With Hemingway in * R. i. P. *, Authors, Christopher Hitchens, Death, Heroes, Illness, Journalists, Writing

1949-2011

Last night sleep evaded me, a rarity in this late stage of pregnancy.  I simply couldn’t shake the feeling that somebody was about to pass and I needed to remain awake until I received closure.  It wasn’t that gut wrenching panic associated with the agony of losing a loved one….more like a sort of unfinished business that I felt compelled to attend to before I went to bed.  For hours I stayed up, strangely absent of dread, waiting.  Upon refreshing my browser I discovered that Christopher Hitchens succumbed to cancer only several hours prior.

As a longtime follower and admirer of his work, I knew about the disease.  He never shied away from discussing his illness– or the fact that it was aggressive, terminal, and time was limited.  His last article for Vanity Fair can be found here.

Most knew of Hitchens’ aversion to the concept of a higher power [God Is Not Great:  How Religion Poisons Everything]….but what a narrow definition of such a complex and multifaceted person.  “A brilliant wit, matchless rhetorician, and masterful critic” says Graydon Carter of Vanity Fair.

One day I will attempt to articulate how the writings of Christopher Hitchens impacted my life.  Tonight I will use the words of others to speak for me.

On assignment for Vanity Fair

Graydon Carter’s poignant tribute to his dear friendpaints a clearer portrait of who this man was and the things for which he stood.

No one stood more diametrically opposed to Hitchens than his own brother, Peter Hitchens, also an author [and a conservative Christian].  Read his perspective regarding his late brother’s courage.

Unlike the previous two eulogies, Richard Dawkins embraces Hitchens’ atheism.  Let not his religious preferences [or lack thereof] sour you to his other ideas.  A hallmark of solid faith involves the ability to be comfortable with the ‘opposition’ expressing their beliefs and– in my personal opinion– that individuals can agree to disagree and still having meaningful interactions with the power to inform and educate both parties.

Godspeed, Hitch.  Your words are immortal.

With infinite love, gratitude, and respect,

Sloane

Doomsday

21 Nov 2011 1 Comment

by Cocktails With Hemingway in Poetry, Sylvia Plath

The idiot bird leaps out and drunken leans
Atop the broken universal clock:
The hour is crowed in lunatic thirteens.

Out painted stages fall apart by scenes
While all the actors halt in mortal shock:
The idiot bird leaps out and drunken leans.
Streets crack through in havoc-split ravines
As the doomstruck city crumbles block by block:
The hour is crowed in lunatic thirteens.

Fractured glass flies down in smithereens;
Our lucky relics have been put in hock:
The idiot bird leaps out and drunken leans.
The monkey’s wrench has blasted all machines;
We never thought to hear the holy cock:
The hour is crowed in lunatic thirteens.

Too late to ask if end was worth the means,
Too late to calculate the toppling stock:
The idiot bird leaps out and drunken leans,
The hour is crowded in lunatic thirteens.

~ Sylvia

With infinite love, gratitude, and respect,
Sloane

“The Dead” & “Don’t Fear Death”

08 Jul 2011 Leave a Comment

by Cocktails With Hemingway in Authors, Death, Poetry, Sylvia Plath

Sylvia Plath

Revolving in oval loops of solar speed,
Couched in cauls of clay as in holy robes,
Dead men render love and war no heed,
Lulled in the ample womb of the full-tilt globe.

No spiritual Caesars are these dead;
They want no proud paternal kingdom come;
And when at last they blunder into bed
World-wrecked, they seek only oblivion.

Rolled round with goodly loam and cradled deep,
These bone shanks will not wake immaculate
To trumpet-toppling dawn of doomstruck day :
They loll forever in colossal sleep;
Nor can God’s stern, shocked angels cry them up
From their fond, final, infamous decay.

Aleksandr Blok

Don’t fear death in earthly travels.
Don’t fear enemies or friends.
Just listen to the words of prayers,
To pass the facets of the dreads.

Your death will come to you, and never
You shall be, else, a slave of life,
Just waiting for a dawn’s favor,
From nights of poverty and strife.

She’ll build with you a common law,
One will of the Eternal Reign.
And you are not condemned to slow
And everlasting deadly pain.

With infinite love, gratitude, and respect,

Sloane