Comments for A Wandering Eyre

Comment on Things I Learned From My High School Band Director by Amberley

Amberley — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 23:17:47 +0000

This is so great. I came across it on google, as I was trying to find a list of things that we learn in band, besides the musical lessons. It’s written beautifully, and the pants anecdote was delightful. I think about that every time I fold pants as well. I went to high school in Houston, and am now a college student in Utah. Marching Band is so different outside of Texas, and people just don’t understand, do they?!

Anyway, thank you for this breath of fresh air. I can completely relate to your sentiments. Congratulations to Mr. Johnson and his retirement! I’m sure he impacted many students throughout his fantastic run.

Comment on Out of All the Titles, Really? by ChiLibrarian

ChiLibrarian — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 22:03:14 +0000

I suspect she’s working off of some list she got from x group. I find it hilarious that generally the books people want to ban have some literary merit (I said *generally*). In the public library I always want to ask the people to whom I’m handing a reconsideration form if they’ve read any of the Lora Leigh threesome books we have. Probably not, they’re checked out with a waiting list.

Comment on Out of All the Titles, Really? by Jane

Jane — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:13:54 +0000

I have much more respect for parents who actually read the entire book and then say, “I do not want my child to read this.” Two things happen in this scenario that are correct and not crazy:
1 – You read the entire book and made an informed decision. Good for you.
2 – You decided to not let your child read it but have decided that the rest of us can parent our own children. I appreciate the vote of confidence in my parenting skills even of they collide with yours.

I am of course that implying that banning books is crazy. Because it is.

Comment on Out of All the Titles, Really? by Stephanie

Stephanie — Thu, 25 Feb 2010 21:09:49 +0000

Did you ever notice that the book burnin’/banin’ types are always either snaggle-toothed hicks that are barely able to get through this month’s edition of Field & Stream or are super uptight matronly-types that have probably never even read the books to which they so adamantly object?

Comment on Writing in a Canyon by Jane

Jane — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 15:31:44 +0000

The question about fiction and history related things is a good one. I was thinking about it as I was writing, but decided to skirt around it. I do not think this applies to fiction. Fiction, I think, is an entirely different animal and continuous feedback is not as important, perhaps detrimental. Non-fiction history books would still benefit from a feedback process though and I do think these ideas apply to them, though in a different way. The sources for history are not ever changing, but the new discoveries and insights are. It would be interesting to see, for example, a book about the Holocaust written by a community of regular German citizens and Jewish citizens of the time. Throw in a few of the next generation and that would be a powerful community written book!

However, I do still think that printed fiction books will also cease to be as common but for entirely different reasons. I think fiction books too will be printed only for collecting and vanity, not for simple reading. Printed books are already prohibitively expensive for many. A new hardback easily costs $30+tax and that is more money than most people are willing to spend these days. I only buy print books that I want to keep, to collect and I am running out of physical space to keep them. Plus, my Kindle is much easier to cart around then a 5 lb hardback.

Comment on Writing in a Canyon by Danielle

Danielle — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 14:51:09 +0000

I understand your point for the type of writing you are currently doing, but do you think the same holds true for fiction or possibly even less time sensitive non-fiction subjects like history or literature criticism?

What kind of continuous feedback would be useful to fiction authors? I obviously understand that they have people who critique their work along the way, but I don’t see how putting their creative work out to be critiqued by an endless number of people while they are still in the process of writing would be useful. It would most likely result in to much disparate feedback that would hamper instead of benefit the writing process.

Comment on Writing in a Canyon by Judy Hauser

Judy Hauser — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 12:42:17 +0000

Jane – I share many of your sentiments. I had a book published last year: “The Web and Parents: Are You Tech Savvy?” and I did use specific Websites and tools and I know that some will disappear from the Web while people are still buying the book. Several example sites and tools I chose disappeared during the writing process forcing me to choose others. It’s a risky thing to write about the Web. However, I think the part that worries me just as much is that the book will not be sold in stores and it’s a book for people who don’t know much about the Web. That means that they have to go online, find it and order it in an environment that they are unsure about!

Comment on Books Read in the Year of Our Lord 2009 by Jane

Jane — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:41:46 +0000

It always tickles me when Sandra Schwab replies to my postings about Castle of the Wolf. Just goes to show that she is that fabulous.

Comment on Things I Learned From My High School Band Director by Jane

Jane — Tue, 12 Jan 2010 15:40:39 +0000

Michael,
I sent the link on this morning. The party was a surprise, so I could not ruin it by sending on Friday!

My mom has similar feelings about being a band parent. She was one for 9 years, all told. I think she missed band more than we did when we went to college!

I am hoping the Bairn ends up in band. Mr. Rochester is still holding out for football. *eyeroll*

Comment on Things I Learned From My High School Band Director by Michael Golrick

Michael Golrick — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:59:26 +0000

I hope that you print this out and send it, if not to Mr. Johnson, to the principal and superintendent of his school.

I was not in band in High School. At the time, my school did not have one. I was, however, a Band Parent. For ten years. That is five years for each of my kids in Band. I helped create the inner-city high school’s band parent organization in my first tenure. They “made me” stay an extra year after the first one graduated. Then I came back, and, of course they had me for another five years.

That band’s director used to say, “If it were not for band, I would be dead.” I know it was true, and part of why I did it was because I knew that it was true for some others in those bands.

So, Michelle, remember this story in 12 or 13 years, when your now little one enters high school.

And it is a great story, I love it!