Sunday Salon for 19 March 2023
Happy Sunday! Sunday Salon is hosted by Deb at ReaderBuzz. Check out her post and the links to see what other bloggers have been up to in the last week.
How’s the weather?
Our daffodils have loved this spring. I can take no credit since every bulb in our yard was planted by a previous owner or the flowers have naturalized. We have more daffodils this year than I ever remember seeing and they don’t seem at all phased by the several nights of frost that we’ve had since they started appearing.
What are you reading?
I finished Becoming Abolitionists: Police, Protests, and the Pursuit of Freedom by Derecka Purnell on Thursday morning — which was good because I was slated to lead our book group’s discussion on Thursday evening. Fortunately, there are a couple of great discussion guides available for this book — one for general groups and one for faith communities. I’ll take some credit for choosing good questions from them, since we had a wide-ranging and deep conversation.
I also finished Hannah Gadbsy’s book Ten Steps to Nanette. If you were moved by her comedy show Nanette on Netflix and came away wanting more, this book is it. The experience was perfect on audio since Gadsby reads it herself using all the delivery skills that she developed as a comedian. I especially appreciated how she examined and revealed her brain functions and creative processes in ways that caused me to examine my own.
What are you watching?
My favorite movie of the week was Georgia O’Keefe. This was a made-for-television bio-pic that won a bunch of awards for Lifetime TV when it aired in 2009. I watched it for Jeremy Irons’ portrayal of Alfred Stieglitz but was equally mesmerized by Joan Allen’s performance of the title character. The film shows the complicated relationship between Stieglitz and O’Keefe, along with splendid views of Taos, New Mexico and effective historical glimpses of New York in the 1920s and 1930s.
What are you writing?
As I revealed last Sunday, I’m participating in the A to Z Challenge that begins on April 1. Much of my writing, last week, was devoted to those posts. I wrote the Y post this morning, Saturday, and I plan to write the Z post tomorrow. That will give me nearly two weeks to polish posts before they are published and to visit the other participants in the challenge who announced their themes last week.
I also reviewed the two most recent seasons of Death in Paradise for British Isles Friday and looked forward to Season 13.
What are you doing?
I’m planning a bit of a break for myself after leading last week’s book group meeting and participating in this panel presentation the week before:
I want to take some time to observe the Spring Equinox, perhaps with a couple of day trips, although that will depend a lot on the weather, which may be unsettled later in the week.
How was your week?
PBS is streaming another treatment of the early 20th century artists and writers in Taos — a biographical documentary about Mabel Dodge Luhan and her circle. Georgia O’Keeffe was included. Perhaps relevant to the bio you watched. Have a nice week.
best… mae at maefood.blogspot.com
I love the photo!
Sounds like you had a busy yet productive week.
I didn’t know about the O’Keefe movie – now I’ll have to look for it. I’ve always liked her art, her style, and reading about her life. Have a terrific week.
Terrie @ Bookshelf Journeys
Oh my goodness! Look at that sweet deer!
I love Death in Paradise. We have started watching Beyond Paradise and I am enjoying that as well.
I love the photo of the deer! Good luck with the A to Z challenge. I did that once, and it was overwhelming. I’d love to try it again someday.
What a cute photo of the deer. My mom always planted daffodils and our yard looks beautiful in bloom time.
I wonder if I saw that Georgia O’Keefe movie as I am a huge fan.
Wow! You have been busy! I admire your focus on social justice issues for your book club. Also, congratulations on being invited to speak on the panel discussion!
I hadn’t heard of Nanette, but just tagged the audio of Ten Steps to Nanette on Libby to borrow at some future date. Thanks for the recommendation!
Our daffodils just bloomed in our front yard while we were away for the weekend. Spring is coming, although it’s still freezing temperatures here!
We stayed in Taos at the Mabel Dodge Luhan House, and I spent the time I was there reading the work of one of the lesser-known writers who lived there. Here’s my little post about it, if you are interested: https://readerbuzz.blogspot.com/2016/09/mabel-dodge-luhan-house.html. I will look for the Georgia O’Keefe movie and the PBS series.
You do such important work. It must feel exhausting sometimes.
And now you will be able to enjoy the A-Z Challenge.