Sunday, March 25, 2012

Anne Lamott...telling it the way it is and was

Local writer, Sioux and I had an up close visit with author, Anne Lamott and Sam, her gorgeous twenty-two year old son who co-authored her latest book, Some Assembly Required: A Journal of my Son's First Son. I was as close as the second row, aisle seat, direct line of eye contact with the mother of all mothers, writer of all writers. Anne and Sam read excerpts and shared family and parenting antecdotes.

Sam read about being anxious for his son's umbilical cord to fall off, and when it did, he thought Jax's guts were exposed and he needed immediate surgery. Actually, his navel was still gooey. The audience laughed loud and long.

Anne is such a real person, as vulnerable and humble a writer as you and I. She's a Nana who admits she has some control issues, but she is trying. She told us how her unmarried nineteen year old son had told her he'd offered his couch to a young woman. "Couch, uh-huh, (Sam actually blushed) and now I have a two and a half year old grandson."

Parenting, writing, living, loving, learning, day by day, one moment at a time; looking back, looking forward, doing our best ... their messages were honest, humorous, meaningful, spiritual and powerful. They spoke from the heart about being a family. They are on Twitter @annelamott and @SAMLAMOTT (all caps).

Are you willing to share your family stories?
Publishing Syndicate has thirty-five anthology titles in development. I am co-creating, Not Your Mother's Book...On Family. Dianna Graveman, is co-creating two NYMB anthologies: Not Your Mother's Book...On Being a Mom, and Not Your Mother's Book...On Becoming a Mom. The stories are arriving daily.

Who doesn’t have a slew of great stories to share when it comes to their family? From funny family stories handed down through the generations to more current happenings that will one day turn into family legend, we want to hear them all. No holds barred.

Tentative Chapter Titles:

I'm No Chicken! (wild antics)

• I'm Telling! You're in Trouble! (zany things you overheard, participated in or
witnessed)

• Dinner, down and dirty (stirring the pot, dishing it out, family mealtime)

• Forget the closet! (discovering family skeletons in a drawer, under a mattress, in
a letter)

• I inherited what? (keepsakes, antiques and quirks)

• Waiting in line for the john, the jam and the juice (sharing cramped spaces,
clothes)

• Ringleaders (your family circus guru, leader of your pack)

• Family reunions (unforgettable in so many ways; the missing link)


If you have other topic ideas, please send a first person essay. Submission guidelines

You know your sibling would tell on you! Beat him or her to the punch. Do you have a flaky relative?

Expectant mothers, tell us about your experiences. Shhh, I'll share one about me. My water broke, filled my blue suede shoes and when the doctor came in, he gasped when he saw me on the delivery table with dyed blue feet.

All you moms out there, I know that you have tales to tell. Your kids spilled the milk, now you can spill the goods. What made you laugh, cringe, gasp or cry?

12 comments:

Lynn said...

Sounds like such fun, wish I could have been there - wah, sick. I'll get my stories in though.

Sioux Roslawski said...

Thank god all 5 of the WWWP's were not in attendance. Imagine the snorting and decibel level.

Linda, you really summed up the evening. Listening to the two of them was a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

Claudia Moser said...

Sounds like you had lots of fun indeed!

Lisa Ricard Claro said...

As you know, my pal Cathy C. Hall saw Anne Lamott last week when Ms. Lamott was in Atlanta. I discovered the visit at an inopportune time and was unable to attend, something I regretted but couldn't change. I'm glad you and Cathy were able to enjoy the experience.

Val said...

Thank goodness you did not stand up from your second-row, aisle seat and ask, "Sam? Sam who?"

Donna Volkenannt said...

Sounds like you and Sioux a great experience.
Donna

Cathy C. Hall said...

Linda, I didn't have a chance to catch you before you went, to ask you to tell Anne "hello" from Cathy-on-a-Stick. And then I got this wonderful message from Sioux!

Holy cow, it really is a small world. And yes, Anne Lamott was worth every penny. (Okay, it was free. But I'd have paid big bucks to hear/see her!)

And now I'm getting to work on a topic or two--promise! :-)

BECKY said...

I'm so sorry I missed seeing her, but...there's always another time. And I laughed so hard at Val's comment, because I also thought something along those same lines...since you had just posted about "Sam." LOL

Jennifer Brown Banks said...

Engaging post, Linda. Thanks for sharing this!

Karen Lange said...

Glad you had a good time! Sounds like fun. :)

Debora said...

Annie Lamott is an icon! I'd love to hear her and her son speak some day! Lucky you!

Tammy said...

Sorry I missed it. And am still smiling over those blue suede...feet!