One of my favourite parts of New Years when I was a kid was the seemingly never-ending supply of lists. Every newspaper had its own “Best of” list. Each tv station ran its “Year End Show of Favourites.” And, of course, every person I knew had their own list of New Years resolutions. There’s something quite satisfying about these admittedly banal offerings. They feel like the final gifts in this season of gift giving, a way to wrap up everything that has happened in the last twelve months with a nice bright bow so you can put the whole package away on some shelf somewhere and get on with your life. So, of course, given that this is my first New Years as a blogger, I couldn’t resist coming up with a few lists of my own.
2008 was the year not only when I became a published novelist, but just as importantly when I became a part of a wider community of writers, many of whom I met on the internet, some of whom I have actually met in person, but all of whose writings I have enjoyed and admired. Here’s my first list then….Sue Guiney’s 2008 Roll Call of Writers (in no particular order):
Carolyn Smailes, In Search of Adam, Black Boxes, Disraeli Avenue
Patricia Debney, Losing You, How to be a Dragonfly
Gareth Calway, River Deep Mountain High
Deborah Rey, Rachel Sarai’s Vineyard
Debi Alper, Trading Tatiana, Nirvana Bites
Emma Darwin, A Secret Alchemy, The Mathematics of Love
Sarah Salway, Leading the Dance, Messages, Tell Me Everything
Vanessa Gebbie, Words from a Glass Bubble
Tania Hershman, The White Road and Other Stories
Denyse Kirkby, From Zaftig to Aspie, Without Alice (coming soon)
Joe Stein, Another Man’s World
Patrick Chapman, The Wow Factor
Ruth O’Callaghan, Where Acid Has Etched
Leah Fritz, Going, Going…
Nigel McLoughlin, Dissonances
Stephen Gyllenhaal, Claptrap
Todd Swift, Seaway: New and Selected Poems
J.D. Smith, The Best Mariachi in the World
Katy Evans-Bush, Me and the Dead
Alison Brackenbury, Singing in the Dark
Susan Wicks, Roll Up for the Arabian Derby
Susan Richardson, Creatures of the Intertidal Zone
…and I look forward to adding to this list in 2009 with the published work of other talented writers I have met who are out there hovering on the brink of well-deserved recognition.
And finally, if I may, here’s a short list of My Resolutions for the New Year and Beyond:
1. To speak what I mean and write what I feel
2. To battle the forces of evil (intolerance, prejudice), one by one, as they rear their ugly faces in my life
3. To continue to strive for faith
4. To walk the fine line between demanding too much and demanding not enough of myself and those I love
5. To write because I love and need to, despite the vagaries of the marketplace.
HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE. MAY 2009 BRING PEACE, HEALTH AND HOPE TO US ALL!
Thank you, Sue, I think you’ve just fulfilled one of my ambitions, to make it onto someone’s New Year’s list!
As for the resolutions, that’s a very tough group. I think many people stick with what they think are difficult resolutions, diet, keep fit, finally clear out the shed, but they’re all just physical. These are going to be far more complicated, but I guess more rewarding if you can see them through.
Be interesting to revisit your list in March and see how it’s going. (Don’t worry, I wouldn’t expect you to blog how you’re doing with them!)
Hope you are continuing to feel better after your hospital stay,
Joe
What a wonderful list of resolutions, Sue!
I hope that 2009 will bring you all that your heart desires and that there will be still more publication!
Yea for the resolutions, and thanks for including me.
I especially love resolution #1, which goes with Vaclav Havel’s call to “live in truth.”
I don’t have resolutions per se except to remind myself, again, more writing and less whining.
Thank you for including me on list 1 and bravo, yay and go fer it re list 2. xxx
Thanks for including Stephen Gyllenhaal’s poetry collection!
– Cantara
Owner & Publisher
CANTARABOOKS
http://cantarabooks.com
Sue, may your year ahead be filled with creativity, love and extraordinary adventures.
Your New Year’s resolution list puts mine to shame!!! My New Year’s resolution was to never make any more….I think it’s the only one I’ll ever be able to keep 🙂
I do like lists though and we spent a lot of last night discussing who would make it into our top 10 movies of all time, top 10 books of all time and top 10 songs of all time….it was surprisingly difficult!!
Happy New Year
C x
That’s a great list of resolutions. Here’s hoping we all have a thoroughly satisfying 2009.
Your resolutions are so thoughtful. Thanks for sharing them.
Wishing you all the absolute best for this year Sue. x
Thank you for including me on your list, Sue. (I’m a list addict too!)