Books: the Perfect Gifts for Seniors (and Others)

During the past year, I have written quite a number of book reviews, both here and in "Never too Late!" From new to older, from fact to fiction, from serious to humorous, these books have in common only their connections with aging and its problems. Many of these books are little known. For the most part, I don't review best-sellers, but try to encourage people to buy books that may be overlooked, but are well worth your attention. You may find some good last-minute Christmas gifts here, for others or for yourself. All these books are available at Amazon.com. They may be difficult or impossible to find in book stores.

Here are seven favorites from among the books I reviewed this year--and forgive me for recommending my own books as well. Links are to my on-line reviews (and for my books, reviews by others).

1. Measure of the Heart: a Father's Alzheimers, a Daughter's Return, by Mary Ellen Geist (Springboard, 2008). http://seniorwriter.blogspot.com/2008/09/realities-of-alzheimers-book-review.html

2. Leisure Daze, by Mike Mihalek (Heartland, 2008) (Fiction/humor) http://seniorwriter.blogspot.com/2008/09/high-life-in-florida-book-review.html

3 Where River Turns to Sky, by Greg Kleiner (Perennial, 2002). (Fiction) http://seniorwriter.blogspot.com/2008/08/aging-life-and-death-book-review.html-

4. As We Are Now, by May Sarton (Norton, 1973) (Fiction) http://seniorwriter.blogspot.com/2008/08/elder-disintegration-and-nursing-home.html

5. In the Arms of Elders: a Parable of Wise Leadership and Community Building, by William H. Thomas, M.D. (VanderWyk and Burnham, 2006) (Fiction/fantasy) http://seniorwriter.blogspot.com/2008/08/fighting-three-plagues-of-elders-book.html

6. One Last Dance, by Mardo Williams (Calliope, 2005) (Fiction/senior romance) http://seniorwriter.blogspot.com/2008/03/senior-romance-yes-book-review.html

7. The Fiction Class, by Susan Breen (Plume, 2008) (Fiction) http://seniormemoirs.blogspot.com/2008/03/life-and-fiction-collide-book-review.html

8. Reinventing Myself: Memoirs of a Retired Professor, by Marlys Marshall Styne (Infiniuty, 2006) http://seniormemoirs.blogspot.com/2008/08/gracious-words-of-praise-for-one-of-my.html

9. Seniorwriting: A Brief Guide for Seniors who Want to Write, by Marlys Marshall Styne (Infinity, 2007). http://www.readerviews.com/ReviewStyneSeniorWriting.html

10. Elder Expectations: My Life in Rictameters, by Marlys Marshall Styne (Lulu, 2008) (Poetry) http://www.readerviews.com/ReviewStyneElderExpectations.html

A Good Review Brings Cheer!

As many of you know, I've been away from my computer for nearly six weeks recovering from my double knee replacement surgery. Now I'm back. I'll be writing about my recent experience soon, probably first in "Never too Late!"

Right now, I want to share a good review that cheered me as I returned home. Sincere thanks to Irene Watson of Reader Views.

Elder Expectations: My Life in Rictameters
Marlys Marshall Styne
Lulu Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9781435717718
Reviewed by Irene Watson for Reader Views (11/08)

After forty years of teaching at a college, Marlys Marshall Styne turned to writing and what a pleasure it is to read her work. In her third published book Styne offers a glimpse at her life in “rictameters.” However, it’s not only her life she creates poetry about; it’s the life for many of us as we move through the years of maturity.

Styne starts off with:

“Elder Expectations”

Waiting.
Human need and
Common quirk that makes us
Dream, expect, look forward to that
Bit of news, that unexpected sign that
Still we live, we matter, someone
Cares, remembers, sends us
Cheer to live on,
Waiting.

Deep and profound, many of us that are elder can relate to this as we wait for our children and grandchildren to contact us, to tell us something exciting, or to just chat.

The rest of Styne’s book reflects on many experiences we have, like “First Day of Spring” and “Household Tasks.” I thoroughly enjoyed “Elder Expectations” not only because I’m an elder, but because Marlys Marshall Style was able to capture the reality of life. Her writing is sweet, her feelings are deep, and she reflects on paper the thoughts many of us have.

Begin a New Career as a Writer? A Book Review

A review of The Writer Within You: A Step-by-Step Guide to Writing and Publishing in Your Retirement Years, by Charles Jacobs (Caros Books 2007).

In The Writer Within You, Charles Jacobs provides a basic guide to writing and publishing anything from a novel, memoir, or nonfiction book to magazine articles, travel stories, or business writing. His target audience seems to be the educated, entrepreneurial retiree eager to start a new career as a writer.

This book covers a lot of territory in its 300-plus pages, with an index and an appendix of sources for more in-depth information. It covers the writing process, the various ways to publish, and the business aspects of writing, with both instructional and inspirational purposes: "It is designed to be an activist book that propels you to make the leap from thinking to actually doing."

This is a serious, scholarly, well-written, informative book for anyone, retired or not, who is in the early stages of considering writing as a new career. On the other hand, for the more reluctant, perhaps older retiree just thinking about writing as a possible way to discover, heal, reinvent, share, or enjoy, the person just considering writing down family stories, it may seem intimidating.

For them, my own book, Seniorwriting: A Brief Guide for Seniors Who Want to Write may provide an easier start. Its 81 pages just might encourage some to go on to try full-fledged writing careers, and The Writer Within You would be a logical next step.

Copyright 2008 by Marlys Marshall Styne

More Kind Words about "Reinventing Myself"

Another blogging friend, Barbara J. Kirby Davis of The Serenity Room, has reviewed my first book, Reinventing Myself: Memoirs of a Retired Professor. Here's an excerpt:

"I've just finished reading Reinventing Myself, Memoirs of a Retired Professor by Marlys Marshall Styne and LOVED IT!!! Her book was a pleasant surprise--filled with honest accounts of a life well-lived.

"This strong, talented lady writes about her struggles and joys, her trips all over the world and life as a resident of Chicago. What an exciting life she has lived! I am usually reading four or five books (all in various stages of completion), but when I began reading this one, I couldn't put it down until it was finished."

It's wonderful to learn that someone has read my book and loved it! Now if only the rest of the world would discover it. Thanks, Barbara.

Check out Barbara's blog at http://www.theserenityroom.blogspot.com.

Gracious Words of Praise for One of My Books!

I received a day-brightening email from my blogging friend Lydia, of Writerquake (http://www.writerquake.blogspot.com/), today. I was elated that she had read Reinventing Myself and taken the time to write me about it. There's a message here: When you are impressed by a book, especially one by an unknown writer, contact the writer and let him or her know! Everyone appreciates recognition.

I assure you that Lydia is not a relative, nor have I ever met her in person, so I believe in her sincerity. Here is what she wrote:

"Dear Marlys,

"I finished Reinventing Myself in the early morning hours last Thursday. What an enjoyable book! It makes me sad that you say it hasn’t been widely read because people are missing out on reading an exciting travel adventure, a real love story, a condensed but highly interesting autobiography, the wisdom of a professor, a frank discussion of aging – especially concerning a woman alone – and a frank but vulnerable glance from a breast cancer survivor. They are missing out on picturesque descriptions of condos and classrooms, a neighborhood bar and long thoughtful walks, quirky cats and the value of poetry and writing, tours on every continent, and the expectations for a final residence, where, any careful reader would assume, a framed needlepoint picture of Anne Hathaway’s Cottage will make it home.

"Can you tell that I was touched by your dear book? I hope so. I’ve written about it to my blogging friend, Francessa, who is a teacher in Vienna and with whom I regularly email. She is intrigued and mentioned that she thinks she will buy Reinventing Myself. (She’s in my blogroll under Francessa’s Thinking) She now refers to “when you visit me…” in her messages, and, honestly, I would have in the past completely pooh-poohed the idea. However, where I’ve only visited Mexico and Canada outside of the U.S., and travel simply is not in the budget right now, I read her words with a different feeling after having read your book! I think to myself: it is possible, not impossible. Who knows? I must thank you for my newfound optimism in this regard.

"I’m so glad you decided to write your memoirs.

"Kind wishes.

Lydia"

Another Review of Elder Expectations!

Thanks to Pat of Pat's Place for a fine review of my little book of poems, Elder Expectations: My Life in Rictameters. You may read it at http://atpatsplace.blogspot.com/2008/07/interesting-book.html.

Pat ends the review with a rictameter of her own:

"Thanks, Marlys, for encouraging me to self-publish a book of my own stories, and also for the gift of your rictameter poetry! Here is my own poem:

"Thank you,
Marlys, for the
gift of your poetry
that you have shared with us via
your lovely rictameters in your book,
Elder Expectations, and your
blog, where I first saw them,
then tried my own.
Thank you!

"They are tricky, but they are fun to work with!"

Finally: A Review of my poetry book, "Elder Expectations: My Life in Rictameters"!

I guess I'm impatient, but soon after my plea for reviewers (see below), I discovered a new review by Judith Helburn for Story Circle Book Reviews: http://www.storycirclebookreviews.org/reviews/expectations.shtml. It's good!

Of course I still want more reviews, but let me quote a few lines from Helburn's:

"Her [Styne's] message is that anyone can write 'to discover, heal, reinvent, share and enjoy,' and that the topics one writes about need not be full of drama, unusual or life-changing."

"It would be fun to use Elder Expectations in a writing group experimenting with poetry."

Thank you, Judith. And if you lead a writing group, consider Ms. Helburn's advice.

More Senior Poems: A Book Review

I've recently added another relatively unknown book to my Amazon.com Listmania list "Poems for and by Seniors Citizens." It's Poetic Musings of an Old, Fat Man by Harry E. Gilleland, Jr. (Lulu, 2008).

While it wouldn't be classified as great literature, this book illustrates my point that seniors should consider expressing their lives and their thoughts in poetic form. This book provides an interesting tour through the author's mind.

In categories including "Rhyming Poems and Storoems (Story Poems)," "Two Limericks," "Acrostic Poems," and "Free Verse Poems," Gilleland writes on many subjects serious and humorous.

"Women Just Don't Get It!" ends with these lines: "Most women simply fail to understand how deep / a man's passion runs. They just don't get it at all. / If they had any inkling, then they wouldn't keep / saying, 'Why get so excited? It's only football.'"

Senior experiences are reflected: "I stand looking wistfully / back at them, my yesterdays . . . / knowing now my yesterdays outnumber my tomorrows." In "What War Is," Gilleland sees war as "Mankind's brutality unleashed," "Failure of reason," "An abomination for all mankind," although he admits that war is sometimes unavoidable.

The final poem, "Ghetto Dweller," is written in the voice of a young man who experienced typical ghetto life: gangs, drugs, prison. "I wasn't 'fraid of nothing or nobody. / And nobody talked down to me." The young man's fate was to be gunned down in the street at age twenty-two. "What you gonna do? / 'Aint no way to break the ghetto cycle. / Just 'aint no way." Gilleland's observations about life in this and most of his other poems ring true.

Copyright 2008 by Marlys Marshall Styne

Just Released: Press Release for "Seniorwriting"

As you writers out there probably know, one way to market a book is to use a PRWeb Press Release (http://www.prweb.com/) . It's not free, but it's a good way to get the word out. You may write your own review, but I did not. As I did with Reinventing Myself, I ordered this one from http://www.readerviews.com/, which also reviewed the book.

I realize that my books will not be best sellers, but I hope they will be helpful--and interesting--to my fellow seniors.

Here is the press release. I like it.

Retirement is Perfect Time to Write and Reinvent Oneself

Writing brings clarification, joy, fond memories, and a new perspective on life. Learn these lessons and more in retirement--the perfect time to embark on an adventure by exploring the joy of writing. Begin the journey, with a few helpful hints from Marlys Marshall Styne's "Seniorwriting."

Chicago, IL (PRWEB) July 2, 2008 -- Have you always wanted to write a novel or memoir but kept putting it off because there just wasn't time? Retirement is the time to start. Don't let another day pass making up excuses. Grab the perfect starter's guide, Marlys Marshall Styne's "Seniorwriting: A Brief Guide for Seniors Who Want to Write" (ISBN 0741442965, Infinity Publishing 2007).

Many seniors do not plan for retirement. Others find it lacks the enjoyment they anticipated. When Styne lost her husband soon after she retired, she began writing to overcome the loneliness, depression, and self-doubt she faced. She soon found meaning in her life and that joy could be experienced again. Her discoveries from writing led to the publication of her first book "Reinventing Myself: Memoirs of a Retired Professor" and then her desire to help other seniors "reinvent" themselves, discover the joys and benefits of writing and pass their stories along to their families. "Seniorwriting" is the fruition of that desire.

"Seniorwriting" speaks in non-technical terms and provides guidelines to transform memories into written words, whether on paper or the computer. Rather than rules or formulas, it presents suggestions and choices to encourage confidence and creativity.The book is compact, user-friendly, and divided into three sections. Styne begins by answering the question, "Why Write?" with such reasons as discovery, healing, rejuvenation and enjoyment. She provides suggestions for getting started, and asks the reader questions to stimulate writing topics.
Ten examples are provided in the second section on how to recreate experiences and memories as written words. Journal assignments encourage observation, family stories, imagination, and recording of favorite memories. The third section helps aspiring writers transform their words from a rough draft to an organized, revised, edited and proofread final manuscript. The section includes detailed suggestions for publishing as well.

Styne wants readers to learn what she has learned--that writing provides new perspectives, clarification, and a sense of life's meaning. "Seniorwriting" is inspiring and beneficial to anyone who wants to write, but the senior will find it especially helpful for personal concerns and leaving behind a written memorial for future generations. As Styne reminds us on her website with a favorite George Eliot quote, "It is never too late to be who you might have been."

"Seniorwriting" won first place in the Nonfiction: Instructional category of the Illinois Woman's Press Association's Mate E. Palmer Communications Contest in 2008.

About the Author

Marlys Marshall Styne taught composition, British and American Literature for forty years and was department chair of English at Wilbur Wright College in Chicago before retiring in 1999. When she lost her husband shortly after she retired, Styne lifted herself out of depression by using writing to affirm the meaning of her life. Her first book "Reinventing Myself" made her realize the importance of writing for seniors, which in turn encouraged her to write her new book "Seniorwriting." She recently published a small book of poetry, "Elder Expectations: My Life in Rictameters" (Lulu 2008). Styne also writes two blogs, "Never too Late!" and "Write your Life!" and a column about writing for the eGenerations web site.

"Seniorwriting: A Brief Guide for Seniors Who Want to Write" (ISBN 0741442965, Infinity Publishing 2007) can be purchased through online bookstores. For more information, visit http://www.seniorwriter.blogspot.com/. Publicity contact: http://www.readerviews.com/. Review copies available upon request.
###

Contact Information :

IRENE WATSON, ReaderViews: 512.288.8555

Marlys Marshall Styne
http://www.seniorwriter.blogspot.com/

To read the release on line:
http://www.prweb.com/releases/2008/07/prweb1064554.htm

To read a review:

http://www.readerviews.com/ReviewStyneSeniorWriting.html

Good News on the Writing Front!

Yesterday I attended the Illinois Woman's Press Association's annual awards luncheon at the Union League Club in Chicago. Again I was pleased to receive two first-place awards, this time for my second book, Seniorwriting: A Guide for Seniors Who Want to Write and for one of my eGenerations columns, "Sharing your Experiences, Memories, and Stories."

I also received a second place award and an honorable mention, respectively, for two of my "Never too Late!" blog posts: a book review, "Retirement Planning: Looking Beyond the Money" and my post, "On Laundry and 'Going Green.'"

Here are the judges' comments on the first-place winners:

On Seniorwriting: "A very fine step by step guide for any senior who has a story to tell and who wants to write it down. Practical, interesting, engaging."

On "Sharing you Experiences, Memories, and Stories": "This is a terrific guide to self-publishing that sets out to answer the question 'What should I do with my writing? How can I preserve and share it?' In a crisply organized, smoothly written column, Styne takes her readers on a quick tour of publishing options ranging from blogging and participating in online communities, to personal printing and distribution of written pieces, to Web sites that manufacture books on order and a company that makes an audio kit for recording one's life story. Filled with good advice, this highly readable column offers writers a variety of ways to publish their writing."

The judges had good things to say about my other winners, too. About the book review, they said, "This review of the book "Your Retirement, Your Way," by Alan Bernstein and John Trauth (McGraw-Hill, 2007) raises a number of important issues that should be considered by people planning to reitre. It's not only about whether one has saved enough money, says Styne, noting the book's subtitle: 'Why it takes more than money to live your dream.' Savings and financial issues aside, Styne reflects on chapters about the importance of setting new life goals and planning the next phase of one's life, 'Preparing Psychologically for Change,' and 'Determining How You Want to be Remembered.' The soon-to-be-retired reader will find a number of helpful ideas on how to make the transition smoother and more rewarding."

On the blog post "On Laundry and 'Going Green'": "Mulling the inconveniences of being green, the author considers the suggestion to hang laundry outside to dry in order to save the energy used by clothes driers. In her humorous, unsentimental voice, this Chicago retiree draws a line in the sand. 'Those who grew up on farms (as I did) or in small towns,' she says, 'often remember sweet-smelling, right-off-the-clothesline garments fondly, but not me. To me, hanging clothes out on the line was a chore, just another of my mother's tedious responsibilities.'"

Thank you, judges, for your kind comments. Now the first-place winners go on to the National Federation of Press Women's national contest. I doubt that I'll win at that level (I did win one first there for my blog, "Never too Late!" last year and a third for my book Reinventing Myself).

These may strike some among you as minor awards, but to me they represent welcome recognition of my writing in 2007. I've never expected to become a famous, best-selling author, but I delight in these small triumphs. They support my basic belief that seniors should follow their passions, whatever they are. Mine is writing.

To read my winning entries:

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url?%5Fencoding=UTF8&search-type=ss&index=books&field-author=Marlys%20Marshall%20Styne

http://egenerations.com/article-201-6-sharing-your-experiences-memories-and-stories

http://seniorwriter.blogspot.com/2007/12/retirement-planning-looking-beyond.html

http://seniorwriter.blogspot.com/2007/11/on-laundry-and-going-green.html

Copyright 2008 by Marlys Marshall Styne

Photo by Marianne Wolf-Astrauskas: Seniorwriter at the luncheon, with fellow Chicago Cultural Center volunteer Joyce Dunn (left).

Life and Fiction Collide: A Book Review

Susan Breen's novel The Fiction Class (Plume, 2008) is a book that kept my attention from beginning to end. This book interweaves the challenges of writing and teaching writing with the challenges of life itself.

Arabella Hicks, named for the heroine of her mother's favorite romance novel, balances copy editing jobs and weekly visits to her argumentative, hostile mother in a nursing home with teaching fiction writing to a varied adult ed class.

Arabella is 38, single, isolated, unsure of herself, and still grieving for her father, who died after many depressing years in a wheelchair as the result of Multiple Schlerosis. Her mother has advanced Parkinson's Disease.

A further depressing fact is Arabella's inability to conclude the novel she's been working on for seven years, Courting Disaster.

Her Wednesdays form a pattern: teach the class, then visit her mother, Vera Hicks, bringing coveted fast food that may or may not be appreciated. Vera's condition and mood swings are impossible to predict, so Arabella approaches the visits with dread.

Like many writing teachers, Arabella seems to rely on her students' written work to get to know them. Ironically, when her talk about the class inspires Vera to write a story of her own, Arabella learns about her mother as well.

The newly-awakened Arabella learns, in a sense, to believe in miracles as she finally begins to understand her students and her mother and to open her heart to love. and as that happens, she can begin a new novel.

The connections between real life and fiction have always fascinated me. My experiences as a reader, writer, teacher and visitor of my own mother in a nursing home make The Fiction Class ring amazingly true to me. The book also supports my belief in the power of writing for all, something that Arabella and Vera and most of the writing class students seem to discover as well.

Postscript, 3/22: Author Susan Breen has an interesting web site. Visit to find out more about her, and enter her writing exercise contest to win a free copy of The Fiction Class.

http://www.susanjbreen.com/writingexercises.htm

Copyright 2008 by Marlys Marshall Styne

September University: Worth Checking Out

Like most people with an Internet presence, I Googled my own name recently. There are certainly a lot of references to me, many of them very minor. It's an interesting exercise, however.

This time, I found a new review of my book Seniorwriting on a senior site I've been aware of, but not visited very often. I was reminded that this site is worth checking out. You can find the review of my book (with a mention of Reinventing Myself as well) at
http://www.septemberuniversity.org/booksaging.html. Take time to examine the rest of the site as well.

The reviewer mentions the relatively brief length of my books. I'm happy to say that he did not condemn that quality: instead, he wrote, "Ironically short books are much harder to write than long ones and Seniorwriting contains all of the elements you need to begin writing." I guess it's not bad to be a woman of few words!

Copyright 2008 by Marlys Marshall Styne

There's an Interesting Writing Challenge Going Around

Here is an idea I found on "Wintersong," previously borrowed from "Grannymar" (an Irish blog), borrowed from . . . . You get the idea. This is one of those memes going around the blogging world. Here are the rules:

* Pick up the nearest book of 123 pages or more. (No cheating!)
* Find Page 123.
* Find the first 5 sentences.
* Post the next 3 sentences [sentences 6-8]
* Tag 5 people

I'll skip the tagging part; that's too intrusive for me. But I decided to give the rest a try.

The book on top of my "To Review" pile, one of those books sent me by a publisher for review on one of my blogs (I don't get books from the "big guys" in publishing, of course), is Send Yourself Roses, by actress Kathleen Turner, in collaboration with Gloria Feldt (Springboard, 2008).

I'm not a fan of celebrities' or ex-celebrities' books, most of which seem to be ghost-written anyway, but after all, this book does fit my criteria otherwise: it's the life story of an older woman, and it deals, in part, with aging. O.K. The cinching factor was that I happened to see one of Turner's movies, Serial Mom (1994), on TV fairly recently. It's a funny film, but not a great one. Still, I was amazed by Turner's ability to make a monster killer almost sympathetic, in a humorous way. Turner is best known, of course, for her first film, Body Heat (1981). She also had later stage successes in Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf? (2005-2007), as well as many other roles.

Page 123 of Send Yourself Roses comes in the chapter "Hold On to the Power to Say No." She regrets the one time (according to her) that she accepted a role mainly for the money. The film was Switching Channels, 1988. Turner was pregnant at the time, the film was delayed, and "Since Michael Caine couldn't do the film in time, the producer hired Burt Reynolds." As Turner's girth increased, her co-star wasn't very understanding.

Here are sentences six, seven, and eight from page 123:

"For whatever reason, he [Burt Reynolds] immediately said to me, 'I've never taken second billing to a woman.' I excused myself, ran to my room--we were rehearsing in a hotel--and called Jay [her husband], breaking into tears, saying, 'I don't think I can do this.' Burt was just nasty."

I've not finished reading this book, nor have I written my review. I may do so eventually. There is a certain charm in entering a world very alien to my own to encounter a woman whose life has been nothing like mine.

Pick up the nearest book and give this exercise a try.

http://wintersong.wordpress.com/
http://www.grannymar.com/

An update, February 21:

In the interest of fairness, I tried this with my own book Reinventing Myself. Page 123 falls toward the beginning of the chapter entitled "Taking a Walk." This passage is leading up to my explanation of why I prefer outdoor (fair weather) walking to other forms of exercise and to a description of things observed on a neighborhood walk:

"I'm not into suffering. Yes, I can exercise by using my stationary recumbent exercise bike or a treadmill at the local health club (there's one in my building), but that's quite boring. The bike's in my bedroom, so I do try to use it several times a week."

Not only is this one of the duller passages in the book, but it makes me feel guilty that I've not been exercising lately. I guess this writing exercise can be dangerous!

Another Update, March 18:

I finally reviewed Kathleen Turner's book on my other blog, "Never too Late!" Here is a link:

http://seniorwriter.blogspot.com/2008/03/lessons-from-50-something-actress-book.html

Copyright 2008 by Marlys Marshall Styne

Another Book Reviewing Dilemma

In my November 18, 2007, post "The Truth About (Old-Style) English Teachers and a Book Reviewer's Dilemma" here, I lamented being unable to review an interesting and well-intentioned book because it contained so many elementary writing errors.

As a relentless promoter of life writing and family stories, I hate the disappointment of reading a seriously flawed book, especially one that shows promise. I'm too honest to encourage readers to buy a book that I find hard to get through.

Now I've found a second book I can't review in a positive way. This book was sent to me by the author in good faith, and I have not intention of shattering her dreams with a published review. More writing errors? No. This book is very well written in the technical sense. Its "sins," as I see them, are an unrealized premise or unifying idea, weak organization, trying to cover too much ground, and a strange lack of vivid personal details. There's too much telling and too little showing.

I don't question this book's value to family members and friends. What I question is whether it has value for the wider reading public. The author, who has apparently formed her own publishing company to publish this book (I'm not attacking self-publishing; I've done it myself, although not by forming a company of my own), tried too hard to make her family's story special and unusual, and I didn't see it that way.

I guess my real point is that while I believe everyone has a story to tell, and that family lore should be recorded, not every book deserves general publication and distribution, at least until it has had serious copy and content editing. (See my eGenerations column, "Does Your Writing Need Improvement?" at http://egenerations.com/article-1053-6-does-your-writing-need-improvement). Be careful!

As for the book in question here, I hope I am wrong, and that the author's dreams will be fulfilled. I still believe in big dreams.

Copyright 2008 by Marlys Marshall Styne

Write Away Your Excess Weight? A Book Review

I've read more than enough diet books during my lifetime, from the sensible to the faddish, from the scientific to the ridiculous, without solving my weight problem. After absorbing the "wisdom" of all those books, I swore to ignore this year's diet book crop.

Then, I discovered Julia Cameron's The Writing Diet: Write Yourself Right-Size (Jeremy P. Tarcher / Penguin, 2007). With a title like that, how could I resist?

It seems that Cameron, author of The Artist's Way and much more--non-fiction, fiction, plays, poetry--teaches a twelve-week course in "creative unblocking." As her students became more creative, they astonished their teacher by becoming slimmer as well. She observed that "weight loss is a frequent by-product of creative recovery." Apparently, "Overeating blocks our creativity [and] we [also] can use creativity to block our overeating."

This book is divided into two sections, "The Tools" and "Situations and Solutions." The tools begin with "Morning Pages": basically writing three daily pages of a journal. This is the same mind-clearing, self-revealing journal exercise I've long recommended and frequently practiced. "Writing Morning Pages, our mindless lives are behind us." These pages are great places to examine all relationships, including that to food. The Morning Pages evolve into full-fledged journals, by this time addressing eating matters for those with weight concerns. Other useful tools include walking and finding a "body buddy" to cheer one on, among others.

The "Situations and Solutions" of Part Two cover more than thirty common food situations, generally with writing suggestions and/or examples. For "Scaling the Scale," Cameron quotes a student who writes, "I feel the scale is all that stands between me and disaster. I can only imagine what would happen if I tried to go a month without its input." The cure for bathroom scale panic, according to the author, is to weigh oneself monthly, not daily.

In "Eating to Please," the author points out that many believe that food is love, so we eat what a loved one eats and join in extravagant meals. We may eat to show our appreciation for "Aunt Helen's cheesecake" or other festive goodies. The suggested writing task to overcome this tendency is to "write out the worst scenario you can imagine if you refuse a dining experience." Use humor; what will happen if you stand up for yourself? "How would it feel to stick to your own agenda and even lose weight during the holiday season?" That would be great, but it's never happened to me.

This is an interestiong book, and I suspect that any fledgling or would-be writer who completed all the suggested writing tasks could develop a better relationship with food, a better figure, and some additional creative skills as well.

While the sheer number of situations and writing tasks intimidates me a bit, this book is full of cleverly-written common sense. This is a book that requires action. It does not suit the couch potato style of reading for escape or entertainment, so put down that bowl of chips and pick up a pen!

Copyright 2008 by Marlys Marshall Styne

The Joys of a Good Book Review

Do you read book reviews? Do they influence your reading choices? Book reviewing provides good writing practice, and you may discover some wonderful books in the process.

I have dabbled in the art of book reviewing; you can see a few of my reviews on this blog. Also, as an virtually unknown writer, I have eagerly sought reviews of my own two books. While neither book is a best seller, I've been pleased with several good reviews of each.

Did you know that any customer can write a customer review on Amazon.com? Perhaps some filtering goes on to avoid unfair personal attacks and porn, but there are a lot of non-professional reviews there.

If you're a reader and a writer, why not read and review some books by obscure authors for your blogs and/or for Amazon?

As an author, I was especially pleased by one of the more recent reviews of my book Seniorwriting (there are several other good ones, too.). This review from Midwest Book Review (on line) strikes me as a very good example of a short review--and I don't just say that because it's about one of my own books.

"Seniorwriting: A Brief Guide For Seniors Who Want To Write, by Marlys Marshall Styne, is a succinct 81-page instruction manual specifically designed and intended for older men and women wanting to record their thoughts, their memories, their experiences, their observations, and their commentaries for the benefit of themselves, their friends and family, and future generations.

"Short writing examples and samples are provided based on Marlys Styne's own writing skills, expertise, and personal experience as a retired college English teacher who took up writing an award-winning book at the age of 73.

"Seniorwriting is a non-technical "how to" manual and guide that is ideal for those who have never written anything before -- and holds much of value for those who have written things earlier in their lives, but who have not done anything along those lines since. There are no rigid rules or straight-laced requirements in Seniorwriting, only practical advice, inspiring examples, alternative ideas, and motivating choices.

"If you are a senior and would like to record your thoughts be they simple observations or the next Great American Novel, then give Seniorwriting your attention. It will be one of the most rewarding reads you can do!"

Happy reviewing!

The Truth About (Old-Style) English Teachers and a Book Reviewer's Dilemma

Do you think those teachers who marked up your school papers in red ink were just being cruel? Did you let them discourage you from writing and make you hate writing? Here’s the truth: we (I was one of them) really wanted to help you learn to write correctly. Another truth: writing errors still can make English teachers (and former English teachers) cringe, at least those of us who belong to the older generations.

So what brought this topic to mind? As you know if you read one or both of my blogs, I am a relentless promoter of personal writing for seniors. I am a strong advocate of sharing experiences and life stories. I advise would-be authors to write naturally, as they speak, and not to let fear of writing errors discourage them. I do advise giving some attention to correctness as a final step: rereading, proofreading, and finding proofreading and editing help, amateur or professional, if necessary. In my "best of all possible worlds," any book self-published and submitted to on-line vendors such as Amazon.com for sale should be nearly error-free.

My ability to recognize writing errors is nearly 100%, while my tolerance for errors in a finished product offered for sale is nearly zero. I just was asked to review a book that created an interior conflict between my roles as writing promoter and reviewer. Should I write a negative or lukewarm review because of the writing errors, refuse to review the book at all, or praise the many good features of the book with just a brief mention of the writing errors? Should I shatter a new writer’s confidence by mentioning the errors, or should I shatter my credibility as a reviewer by ignoring them?

I’m not talking about awkward style or a few confusing sentences here, although there are some examples. What disturbs me are the repeated misuses of lie and lay, like and as, good and well, misplaced modifiers, even apostrophe errors in "it’s." Do these things really matter? They do to me, since they sometimes make reading difficult and rereading necessary to understand a sentence.

On the other hand, I’m sure that the errors don’t matter to, and probably aren’t even noticed by, the author’s relatives and peers. They probably love the book, and they should. The problem, as I see it, is offering it for sale to the general public without the necessary copy editing. Most self-published and small-press books I’ve reviewed have been nearly error-free, but there’s already been too much public complaining about the proliferation of books by incompetent or marginal writers. An error-filled, unedited book offered on Amazon has the potential to give us all a bad name.

So there you have it. What should I do? Blame public education? Despair at the realities of the publishing industry? Not really. Here are my choices as I see them:

1. Keep quiet. Refuse to review the book.
2. Pan the book as poorly written.
3. Write a mostly-positive review (as deserved), but with a caveat about writing problems.
4. Start a small, relatively inexpensive copy-editing service to help as-yet unpublished authors.

Please add a comment. Make your suggestions. What do you think I should do?

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne

Cherry Blossom Nostalgia: A Review

Cherry Blossons in Twilight: Memories of a Japanese Girl, by Yaeko Sugama Weldon, with her daughter, Linda E. Austin, is the charming life story of a Japanese-born senior citizen. It is a book for readers of all ages, from young people learning about history and other cultures to older people who lived through World War II.

Yaeko Sugama was born in 1925 in the small town of Tokorozawa, Japan, where she could see Mt. Fuji and the Chichibu mountain range in the distance. The family was poor, and lived in a typical one-story wooden house with a tin roof. Her father's shoemaking shop was in the front. Yaeko adored her father, but somewhat resented her mother's preference for her brother. "Girls are not so good to have because they marry and leave home, but when a son gets married, he stays to take care of his parents." That was the Japanese custom.

The author describes other customs of the time: the nature celebrations, the making of origami birds and kirigami from colorul paper, Yaeko's pet owl, stories from Japanese folklore. The author's charmingly drawn illustrations from a child's life in Japan are an added bonus.

After "Childhood" comes a section on "School," and then "World War II," "After the War," and "A New Life." The book ends with an appendix of Japanese children's songs, photographs of Japan in the 1950's, and a useful glossary and index of Japanese terms.

World War II disrupted peaceful life in Tokorozawa and brought air raids, bomb shelters, and rationing, leading the children to ask, "Who wants war anyway?" While the war took away the young Japanese men she might have married, it gave Yaeko a view of the outside world. She worked for American military families, eventually married an American soldier, and moved to the Chicago area.

Yaeko Sugama Weldon now lives in St.Louis, Missouri, near her daughter Linda, who helped her put her stories together. This book is a good example of the family memories and experiences we all need to share. While Yaeko expresses her regret that she didn't learn English better, her simple, direct prose is charming. That, as well as the story itself, should make this book especially interesting to young readers. However, I couldn't put it down myself.

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne.
Link: http://www.moonbridgebooks.com/

The First Review of Seniorwriting Has Just Appeared!

It's always a pleasure for a writer to read the first reviews of his or her books (unless they are scathingly critical). Until someone has read it, we wait anxiously for confirmation that our work has merit. The author usually likes the book, but will anyone else? We little-known authors without agents know that the "big guy" reviewers from the New York Times and the Chicago Tribune and other prestigious publications probably won't be interested, nor will local or national TV shows be competing to interview us, but thanks to the Internet, we can find competent reviewers. In fact, I am a reviewer of little-known books myself.

The first review of my new book, Seniorwriting: A Brief Guide for Seniors Who Want to Write, has just appeared on Reader Views and on Amazon.com. The reviewer is Richard R. Blake. To read his review, go to http://www.readerviews.com/ReviewStyneSeniorWriting.html

I'll repeat the link to my first author interview about this book, by Paul Lam in The Elders Tribune: http://www.elderstribune.com/writing/senior-writing-ten-questions-marlys-styne-seniorwriter

Update:

Two more reviews have appeared. You can find them with these links:

http://www.storycirclebookreviews.org/reviews/seniorwriting.shtml

http://moonbridgeblog.blogspot.com/2007/11/national-life-writing-month.html

I am a realist; I know that my books have a limited audience, but I am always happy to read a favorable review or interview. If this book encourages at least a few of my fellow seniors to write their life stories, I have succeeded.

Copyright 2007 by Marlys Marshall Styne

More on the Power of Telling Life Stories

Yesterday, Federal Judge Joan Lefkow and her sister, Judy Smith, were featured in a Matt Lauer interview on The Today Show. Lefkow and Smith are daughters of the late Donna G. Humphrey, the 89-year-old murder victim who left behind a wonderful collection of poems that her daughters published recently.

The resulting book, I Speak of Simple Things (Ampersand, Inc., 2007), is a fascinating picture of a woman's life. In the Lauer interview, Judge Lefkow said that while the extensiveness of her mother's writing was a surprise, the family knew that Humphrey was constantly writing in her later years, even feeling guilty when she didn't take time to write.

You may read my earlier review of this book below, in my September 30 post, but more importantly, watch a video of this Today Show interview:

http://today.msnbc.msn.com/id/21297994/