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?

Turning the dogs loose

Yesterday we exceeded a weather record here in St. Louis. On March 14, 1971 it was 82 degrees. Yesterday the thermometer reached 86 degrees.

I am so ready to release my puppies. Would it be terribly wrong of me to just turn them loose and let them run the town? They have been barking for days, they want to be freed, but I am using retraint. They aren't cute young pups anymore; in fact they are old dogs. You know old dogs have problems, and it wouldn't be fair of me to release them on the unsuspecting.

First I'm going to have to groom them, take care of their paw pads which are in need of some Burt's Bees. Trim a wild hair or two, might even paint their nails just for fun. I'm like the dogs, I want to scamper, leap, trot, roll in the grass, but with my luck, I'd roll in a pile of something smelly.

So, I am going to tweeze that wild big toe hair, paint my nails, moisturize my heels and ease my old dogs into a pair of flip flops. That cute T.V. meteorologist promised an entire week of 80+ degrees days. I'm so excited, I am yapping and chasing my own tail. If that weather dude were here in my house, I'd lick his cheek and sit pretty.

A couple of posts back, I personified a purse. If you are interested in personifying an animal, here is a submission opportunity for you.


MAD AS A HARE
-------------
DEADLINE: March 31
GENRE: Short Stories, Nonfiction
DETAILS: Entries must be about personified animals in some way,
shape, or form. Beyond that, there are no limits! 2500 words or
fewer.
PRIZES: $50 first prize, $25 second prize
URL: http://www.scribophile.com/contests/mad-as-a-hare-contest/


Please check out the variety of anthology titles seeking submissions at Publishing Syndicate. I am co-creating Not Your Mother's Book...On Family. Go to the website, scroll down the left side menu and click on NYMB...On Family, where you can read my bio, and see two of my cuties. Guidelines here.