Full circle...

Again, I am sitting on my pretentious lanai, inhaling the scent of meat cooking on a neighbor's grill, listening to the the birds calling like wild pterodactyls, back and forth, breaking the silence. If it weren't for interrupting children, I might feel a little like Joe in his homemade shack on the back of the Gilmore land, typing away. Of course, the screen is too pretentious and the momma gator gliding in slow ripples across the lake make it feel less so!

A couple of blogs ago, I talked about Joseph Lee Gilmore. What you see propped up on my art easel (the lovely ribbons added by my youngest) is the last book that Joe wrote, The Butterfly Doctor. His daughter, Jody, sent me the manuscript almost two weeks ago. Spending a long afternoon with the pages, I was pulled into a world of beauty-painted scenery, mountains and rivers, and the colorful characters of pre-war West Virginia.

I believe the first time we read a novel or story, we are more consumed by the plot, actions, and dialogue filling each page. We often miss the artistry. The Butterfly Doctor was no exception - in first reading, I actively followed each turn in the winding story, shedding tears at the end…but this time, I am caught up in the artistry - the near poetic concoction of words followed by the bluntly raw.

Back to the title of the blog - the full circle…
Years ago, my grandmother, Ruth Darling, typed many a hand-written manuscript on her typewriter for Joe's publishers. Here I am, decades later, sitting out on my ever-pretentious lanai, using the typewritten manuscript of his last book and inputting it into digital form! There is also the bit about my opportunity to partake in the journey of having Joe's final novel, post humous, into the published world…Joe - who red lined my first story and gave me honest editorial in my first, ten-year-old writing venture! I doubt that little girl would believe me if I shared what her future would hold. It borders the surreal...

Happy weekend to you all!