A gestation of nine months, in this case, produced an anthology, Reflections 2013, which was entirely written by members of the Academy for Lifelong Learning a Cape Cod purely volunteer educational organization. It contains prose, (mostly essays, a couple of pieces of fiction) poetry, photography and a drawing by members of the Academy, all 50 years old or upward - soemtimes WAY upward.
As Chairman of the committee I've been involved at every step, including soliciting some specific pieces, and aranging a launch party a couple of days ago at which several people read their work to crowd of about eighty. I am sorry the flash faded out part of that gorgeous photo of the Hunter's moon seen through our autumn maples. The back photo, for those who are unfamiliar with New England, is a cranberry bog ready for harvest.
Topics covered in the book range from a 75 year old woman skinny dipping at daybreak with her dog in a secluded pond --and being warned by a policman to never again committee lewd and lascivious behavior, to a man's memory of buying a $14 Model T Ford, fixing it up and driving it around to impress his teenage friends, and many, many contemplations about life in this beautiful part of the US, many rememberances of family and friends, to a visit to the burning ghat in Varanasi, India and so much in between.
When purchased flowers for the woman who gave hours of her time and talent to achieve the beautiful look of and arrangement of the book. I purchased a bunch of daffodils for myself because their scent means spring to me, and it was a 29 degree day with snow on the ground. But then I was given the great spray of flowers (first time in my life I've been given such a bouquet) so I have more beauty to look at then expected. I found myself rereading the book last night as if for the first time. I enjoyed it.
2 comments:
A book of memorable stories and photographs -- all from folks that live in your area. Surely it is a journal that your public library should have and of course historians, anthropologist, and citizens. Congratulations June and all involved. -- barbara
Duh!!! Actually, Barbara, I don't think anyone has ever thought of giving issues of Reflections to the local libraries -- there are half a dozen towns (with their own libraries) that our contributors are from. We will discuss this at our "post mortem" meeting in a couple of weeks. I feel like a dope for not having thought of it. Thanks for the idea.
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