Novel November

It's Novel November and I've spent it spilling over my old Trina research, intent to sit at a Starbuck's table in southwest New Hampshire, plugging away again at completing a manuscript of the illustrator who so inspired me. Having researched Trina way back in 2003, then in depth in 2008, this year of 2012 seems far removed from those adventures of interviewing famous and notorious contributors to children's literature, and friend's of Trina's. I find myself cocking my eyebrow at emails I boldly sent to famous people, and yet all the time receiving overall a wonderful response and great tales. I also recall the $150 dollar fine I accrued at the Miami University library having not returned a special lecture booklet that had a speech by Trina.. the lecture who's pages remain tucked in the "In Trina's Own Words" section of the worlds largest binder.

What fun.

What a wonderful portrait of an artist I was able to piece together. And yet, as I type across from my mother who's grading papers on this fall day, I laugh. "Mom I think Trina was a bit of an imp. I think she found humor in just making stuff up to respond to people. Like she just told stories about various things. There's inconsistencies in her descriptions of things. Then again if I had people asking me this and that all the time I'd probably get a bit bored too. I feel like I could see her laughing inside on some of these things though..."

People use to fascinate me. I would study them. Think about them. Wonder about their place in the world and how they are puzzling it out, as I myself, was puzzling. After the 'dark period' this lessened some, though I still find my initial interest in Trina, aside from her stunning art, remains the same. She was unique. She wasn't traditional. She had to find her way with untraditional ideas and untraditional gifts in a world that was shifting and applying the pressure to say, "Hey, do this. Look like this. Be this."She saw the world in the small details. The small details that often we're taught to not mention, talk about, grow out of. I appreciated that. I still appreciate that, perhaps more because she maintained that push against the norm even as an adult. I wonder sometimes if she ever found peace around it. I suspect she did in some ways. That sense is what I think would still be valued today in my many slews of words, even if she is drifting away in some circles--the ability to connect to someone, to relate to someone, is perhaps what we all look for as we puzzle through our own place.

Okay, back to the writing... leave the musings for another day...