I spent a good chunk of the morning reviewing “Oppenheimer,” and the diversity of our culture struck me. Just a few days ago, I spent a chunk of time studying “Barbie,” there could hardly be two movies more different, one from the other, and I loved both of them.
The truth is I love movies very much. With all of the strikes, it could be a while before I saw some more good ones. I’ve never thought streaming was the same as sitting in a movie theater.
I took these art photos yesterday and some others this morning. I’m going to have lunch and then get at it again. I have to up posts when they are done or they’ll never see the light of day.
I have more things to write, and more severe storms are coming this afternoon. I might just take a nap. This one was tough; Oppenheimer is an important movie deserving of being seen and talked about. For that matter, so is Barbie.
People keep telling me I should write more books. I wonder why it’s so hard for people to see that the blog is my book; it doesn’t have to be in print to be a book.
I call these peeping photos, because I do some peeping.
I’m grateful to my Lisanthus, they are helping the bed bounce back from the rain.
I don’t think I ever quite realized how soon flowers can die. That somehow got past me. I thought it was the beetles.
These “strawberry fields” are a lot of fun.
This photo is about gracefulness.
I really like your strawberry field flower; I don’t think I have ever heard the name or seen them. This is my second year growing drumstick flower and it is similar to your strawberry one but the color is yellow. The drumstick ones dry very well and I put them in dry floral arrangement that I make up so that I have color in the house during winter. I also used my dry flower arrangements as gifts for family and friends.
Hi, Jon,
You say, “I wonder why it’s so hard for people to see that the blog is my book; it doesn’t have to be in print to be a book.”
I respect that. Your blog IS a book.
But I wonder this.
Your words and topics are deep and worthy of pondering on. Indeed, a necessity sometimes, because they are so valuable.
I wonder if, for some people, your words are something to read a bite-size piece at a time, on in these long summer days, while swinging in a hammock, or sitting in a wooden Algonquin chair while the sun sets over a lake, or in bed while lying next to someone loved. Some people (me included) love the physical feel of a book in my hands at those times, the visceral touch of the soft pages, the hard stop of finishing text on a page and not turning it until one has thought about and tried to distill the essence of the wisdom contained.
Perhaps this is why people want a book? I don’t know. Just a theory.
You, yourself, read actual physical, hold in your hand, books.
Why do you choose that method instead of reading your books online?
If you answer that, perhaps you can find the answer as to why your many followers would like a physical copy of a book from you.
It does not mean that you have to satisfy that longing. What you want to do is up to you.
Laurie, thanks for writing. I have written 26 books and understand a book’s value, beauty, and meaning to me and others. I don’t need to ponder it, I live it. I am a lifelong and passionate book reader. There isn’t a day when I am not reading a physical book.
But I can’t write my books because of what others might want or prefer for many reasons. That is not the way real writing works. And no publisher is asking me to… I can only write for what I want, and I want the freedom to write what I want about what I want when I want, typos and all, and not just dogs and animals.
Publishers no longer offer that freedom, they are all corporate now (at least not to me.) They only want what they know will sell; the writer is cast aside when it doesn’t. I was cast aside, people had stopped buying my books, and I was eager for the freedom to write what I want at long last. My editors stopped speaking to me or answering my calls or e-mail.
People say they miss my books, but few were buying them any longer. I’m not one to sit and bitch and rot. It was time to move on and into this new world. I belong here.
I went to work on my own new book here and am very happy with the decision; I’ve never written better, or so I believe. Several million people pass through my blog every year. And I get to write every day, not just every few years.
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I am very happy here. The blog is popular and successful, and it pays my bills in part. More importantly, to the aggravation of many, I am free of what the market wants and write what I wish. I appreciate your nice feelings about books. But it isn’t my job to determine why people want a physical book. I know the answer without blinking. As I said, the blog is my book now, and I will write here until I drop. Best to you and thanks for being here and caring..P.S. People are always free to print out anything I write or save it in their smart phones or computers. Many do.
Jon – Your ‘peeping photos’ are just amazing, especially the second photo in this piece. The soft colors, and misty effect are so magical. I need to look into getting some Lisianthus for my gardens…