As it so often happened, a slice of the present crossed the rift to a sliver of the past. Sent her ricocheting from one remembory to another, crocheting odd pieces of yarn into an afghan of crazy granny rectangles and heptagons.
Started with a writing prompt storyboard, “Surfacing.” Submerged images of the cover of Margaret Atwood’s Surfacing, read sometime during her school years. Struggle to understand the relation of its contents to it’s title, hurtling forward to reading Atwood’s Journals of Susanna Moodie at another conjuncture of her life – half remembered. The Strickland Sisters – Susanna and Catherine – night and day to each other. Immigrants to Canada as brides. Writers in/of the Wilderness; pessimist to optimist. Topics in college essays as varied as backwoods feminism to kid lit of the north.*
“Funny,” she thought, “I still remember Catherine’s ink freezing in the winter, Susanna’s grumbling about what Catherine extolled.” More to add to the growing list of rereads; the books that shaped her or escaped her.
Appealing to her love of history inherited from her father along with his warped sense of humour. And the pessimist she was; the optimist she thought she should be. Susanna was her mother in all her depressed glory. And Catherine? The historian, tale-teller she secretly always wanted to be. Her bifurcated self; her bipolarsphere world before it had such a name.
Surfacing, like the gasp of air when she almost drowned or choked to death. Surfacing, as she planed her personae, her physical self trying to polish, to carve, to perfect. Surfacing from the abyss into the sunlight. She left her mind drift; sometime, someday, it too would surface again.
* Catherine Parr Traill wrote books on life in Ontario, including natural histories. Canadian Crusoes: A Tale of the Rice Lake Plains,published in 1852, is considered the first Canadian children’s book. I took a course in Canadian Children’s Literature (paired with Fantasy Literature) when I went back to complete a BA. I did write essays on the Strickland sisters in a Canadian history course as well. My past surfacing?
A ponderance, (or preponderance); a riff on the title not the storyboard for mlmm writing prompt July 30, surfacing.
July 30, 2017 at 4:58 pm
I’ve read those diaries too – Susanna Moodie, Catherine Parr Trail, etc. and yes, fascinating stuff – makes me sometimes think I’m living some weird semi-modern bush woman tale myself – but heh, those women, they were incredible. I’m no where in the same league.
I like how you’ve gone with this – the piecing of puzzle edges and shapes and forms, and how some click now, or did then, but not now, and how it’s kind of like the story, your story itself, isn’t finished yet.
In your own way, you too are a writer in/of the wilderness – which I may have to “swipe” – what a thought and line – :P
thanks for playing the Sunday writing prompt Lorraine – I’m glad you did – however it led you :D
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July 30, 2017 at 7:24 pm
Swipe away. Yes, these are incredible woman and you are leading a semi-bush-life of which you could write. Whether a guide, a natural history, or a lament.
Glad you enjoyed my wanderings.
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July 31, 2017 at 10:18 am
Lament indeed …. *sigh* – I always enjoy your wanderings :)
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July 31, 2017 at 4:45 pm
I am actually pulling together an email — yes another report from the garden of babble on approaches. Soon, I hope. Get ready to read a long tome — this is at least a pot of tea worth! emoji of smiling.
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August 1, 2017 at 6:37 pm
thanks for the emails – worthwhile and great reading :D
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August 2, 2017 at 7:04 am
You’re welcome. Any time. And, as you say, no hurry, no worry in responding. Always free to start a new thread. And, in case, ((((((((((Pat))))))))))
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August 2, 2017 at 11:26 am
thanks and right back at you – ((((((((Lorraine))))))) – and anytime, for any reason :)
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August 4, 2017 at 5:20 am
A smiling emoji with arms outstretched in a hug.
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August 6, 2017 at 9:01 pm
thank you :)
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July 30, 2017 at 2:22 pm
This is fascinating. I love how you move from thought to thought, so well captured. I might have to check out Susanna Moodie, too.
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July 30, 2017 at 7:22 pm
She is an interesting woman. You will find her take on life in the backwoods such a contrast to her sister’s. Both wrote books advising people coming to Canada. Margaret Atwood’s book of poems is interesting too. Glad you liked my wanderings.
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