The Wisdom of Books, Artistic Patronage, and Gifts I Give for Free
Plus a creative writing prompt at the end.
Through books, we can move through time and in any direction, and attempt to unravel life’s deepest mysteries.
The Wisdom of Books
My TBR pile—To-Be-Read, for those who don’t know—is somewhat like a wish or a prayer, a ridiculous hope that one day I will find time to read all the wonderful books I’ve collected.
I keep beloved favorites beside brand new acquisitions. Some books are gathering dust toward the bottom, still enticing even as they age. I do occasionally purge and donate, but only books I know I’ll never read again. I am loathe to get rid of a book that has moved me or made me think. And God forbid I should ever get rid of any of my research!
I sometimes joke that the only things of true value in my house are my books. In fact, I once discovered that a treasured old volume on the Viking Age was worth several times what I’d paid for it. (Though the price tag was surprising, that book is still on my research shelf.)
Books are wisdom and escape. Books are imagination unleashed with the turn of a page. Books represent humanity’s greatest efforts to understand itself. Through books, we can move through time and in any direction, and attempt to unravel life’s deepest mysteries.
One of my students mentioned that she was going in for surgery soon and would have plenty of time during recovery to write and read. I wished her well, because who looks forward to surgery! But I have to admit, I was just a little envious.
Artistic Patronage—Honoring Ancient Tradition
Artifact-of-the-Month
One of the earliest records of artistic patronage goes back to Mesopotamia. The ruler Gudea, Prince of Lagash, who reigned for twenty years in the third millennia BCE, commissioned artisans to carve statues of his likeness out of hard, black diorite. Each statue is different, but bears his distinct likeness, including his signature hat and folded hands. Today, these stunning ancient works of art are displayed in major museums including the Louvre, the British Museum, and the Metropolitan Museum of Art.
Would you please be my patron?
You probably know that this Tuesday was #GivingTuesday—the day you choose your favorite charities every year and give. Well, I’m not a charity, but I sometimes feel like one. Most years, I’m lucky to bring in a low four-figure annual income from my writing. (Yes, that’s depressing, but true.)
As you’re considering your year-end giving, I could really use your help. The second installment to my publicist is due soon, and I’m racking up all kinds of expenses to get AKMARAL into bookstores and libraries around the country. If you’re willing to upgrade to a paid subscription, it would really help me offset my costs.
You’re probably asking, “But doesn’t your publisher pay for all that?” Back when I with Viking, an imprint of “Big-5” publisher Penguin Random House, the answer would have been “Yes.” They did everything except show up for author events. Ah, those were the days! But with my lovely, much smaller new publisher, all of that is on me.
I believe that writers should be paid for their work, and publicists clearly should be, too! By upgrading to a paid subscription, you’d help me ensure that at least she gets her due.
In thanks for your patronage…
I’m raffling off a private creative writing/coaching session. All my paid subscribers are eligible. The winner will spend an hour with me on Zoom talking about their own writing goals, getting feedback on up to 20 double-spaced pages of a work-in-progress, or simply trying their hand at a little creativity. That’s a $125 value! The drawing will take place on the Winter Solstice, December 21—the day I enthusiastically celebrate the return of the sun.
This offer is only for paid subscribers—I mean PATRONS. (I like that word much better. Don’t you?) So please consider joining the generous and beloved few!
Gifts I Give You for Free
In this season of gratitude and giving, our culture has taught us to focus on material things. I am still pondering a gift for my co-director at The Writers Circle, author Michelle Cameron. After working together for almost fourteen years, we’ve exchanged every writerly object we can come up with!
But are objects the only true gift? My friends and family give me gifts every day—quick texts of encouragement, a “like” or share on a social media post, an email or call. And once in a while, yes, we actually get together for a hike, coffee, or lunch.
Here are a few gifts I would like to give you for free:
1) My Favorite Writerly Podcast
THE SECRET LIBRARY PODCAST is hosted by Caroline Donahue. Hers is the voice of calm compassion I turn to when I’m overwhelmed or frustrated by my literary life. Her guests are always candid and generous with their wisdom. (My gift to you is also a gift to Caroline. Since most of us don’t make much money as writers, we all participate in a sort of “pay-it-forward” exchange that helps the writerly economy chug along.)
2) Five minutes with one of my favorite sculptures at the Met
I remember first seeing Noguchi’s Water Stone when I was a girl visiting my aunt who lived in New York City. I was stunned by the still water on the surface of the sculpture in contrast to the sound and movement as it trickled down. I stood there for as long as I could before everyone else got bored and wanted to move on.
Take your time to watch and listen. This is a gift of art, nature, and meditation, all in one. If you’re in New York, you’ll find Water Stone way in the back of the Asian Art wing, past the Chinese Garden. (Another favorite spot!) It’s almost always quiet back there, so sit on the floor, as I have done often over the years, and enjoy.
3) My last gift is the creative writing prompt below.
Writing really is a gift that you can give yourself anytime—whether you’re working on a story, recording a passing thought, or just venting in your journal. In this season when we bring small, electric stars into our yards and living rooms, try this prompt to take a look deep into the universe and consider the countless possibilities.
Creative Writing Prompt: The Pillars of Creation
NASA’s two-year-old James Webb telescope has brought us new images of our universe in breathtaking detail, like this one, The Pillars of Creation.
Consider the name of this star-birthing formation—just one part of the Eagle Nebula which is 6,500–7,000 light-years from our tiny, blue-green home. Look deep into the high resolution image. (Click to download and explore). What shapes do you see? To me, they are almost beastly, like growing appendages of living creatures reaching out toward the insubstantial stars. Now, consider this: 7000 years ago—around the time of the light that we witness in the above image—humans had not yet domesticated the horse or invented the potter’s wheel, and civilizations had not yet developed in the Fertile Crescent.
Whatever you see, consider creation: the power of it, the miracle of it. Spend some time writing about what is being created in this monumental gas cloud. Or simply write about the distance in time and space between there/then and here/now.
Pre-Orders, Book Clubs, & Pitchfest, Oh My!
Pre-Orders
AKMARAL is now available for pre-order at all of the major online retailers. Here are a few links, in order of my personal preference:
Your local independent bookseller! (You can ask them to pre-order and they’ll let you know when it comes in.)
Bookshop.org (Online retailer that supports local indie booksellers with every purchase.)
Regal House Publishing (The only place you can order a hardcover copy!)
Barnes & Noble (No longer the evil empire killing indie bookstores. We’re all in this together against Amazon now.)
Books-a-Million (I’ve never tried it, but maybe you have.)
Apple Books (I’m a PC/Android, so I have no opinion here.)
Amazon (Yes, the evil empire; but yes, I have a PRIME account, too!)
Pre-orders help my publisher promote the book to distributors who will hopefully get booksellers and libraries to have it in stock. There are a lot of books out there, and limited shelf-space, so every pre-order helps!
You’ll also find AKMARAL on GOODREADS. If you add it to your “Want to read” bookshelf and some of their countless historical fiction lists, it will also help boost awareness.
Book Clubs and PitchFest
AKMARAL and I have joined NovelNetwork/Adventures by the Book, two organizations that partner to bring authors and book clubs together. If you have a book club and are thinking about 2024 picks, please consider AKMARAL. In fact, I’ll be talking about AKMARAL in their Pitchfest “Choose Your 2024 Reads” Virtual Adventure on January 25 at 7PM ET. This event is FREE. Just register here.
Thank you, everyone, for your support. And to my paid subscribers and brand new patrons, you are ANGELS!
Forthcoming from Regal House Publishing - May 7, 2024
AKMARAL: a nomad woman warrior on the ancient Asian steppes must make peace with making war
"Meticulously researched, deeply imagined Akmaral brings the joy and hardship of a nomad woman warrior to vibrant, often aching life.”
—Cathy Marie Buchanan, New York Times bestselling author of Daughter of Black Lake and The Painted Girls
Follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and GoodReads. (I'm also on Twitter/X, but rarely.) Or visit judithlindbergh.com.
Wonderful post, Judith!