DJ Geribo's Art Apart Newsletter
Spring 2018
Having trouble viewing in e-mail?
View this e-mail in your browser

Welcome!

Spring Fling


As usual, the year is flying by. I cannot believe we are at the half-way mark already. It seems as though I just get used to writing a new year (when I write a check, I always have to confirm the month!) and the next year is just around the corner. Knowing how fast the year goes, I have been more focused on my writing, doing my best to complete the next novel or story collection. I had a very ambitious list of goals for the year and now that we are six months into it, I think I have a good chance of completing two books and getting the better part of two others nearly done (one a novel and the other another collection of short stories). And of course, that means that finally, "Seven Storied Houses" is complete, printed, and available for purchase! Yay!

With the first one completed and out there and a second one well into the works (I hired an illustrator for this book, a fable), I have a good six months to nearly complete my second collection of short stories and a novel. I worked on the novel a few years ago and it is about 80% complete. The short stories are half-completed. My goal is to have the two released together which means there will be a lot of writing, editing, and re-writing during the next few months but also just completing each and getting a first draft. Ambitious, I know.

And that doesn’t even include the painting I want to do! I started working on a painting a couple of years ago and wanted to finish a collection and maybe have a show with this special collection – not sure all of the ones I want to paint will be completed this year. Ambitious, I know.

My husband, Jim, just signed up a new client who has a farming home business, is a doctor, and has three kids and a wife who home schools. How does he get everything done? He doesn’t watch TV (he isn’t missing much – I usually ask Jim ‘what commercials do you want to watch tonight?’ since this is what we watch more than watching an actual program, unless we watch something on Netflix or rent a movie from Redbox). I think that is the key to completing the many projects we give ourselves – turn off the TV. If I can do that I think I will be able to complete everything on my 2018 goal list. Ambitious, I know.


 
Add your comments to my website blogs!!!

Writings & Musings

Memoir vs Essays

 

I recently subscribed to a new writer’s magazine. Called “The Writer”, I just received my first issue. Perfect timing, the cover announces “Your Life, Your Story – The Memoir Issue”.

One article I read in this issue is called “Memoir Versus Essay Collection”. This was interesting because it presented me with a new way of looking at my memoir. The difference between memoir writing and an essay collection is described as such: “A memoir takes the reader on a journey through a writer’s life, whereas an essay collection takes the reader on a journey through a writer’s thoughts, sprinkled into real-life experiences.”* (*author Jen Glantz) 

One of the books I am currently reading is “Bad Feminist” by Roxane Gay. Her memoir is presented in an essay collection that is revealing about the author as well as the theme of the collection.


Link to DJ Geribo's Blog

I’m now considering this form for my memoir and wonder if it might work better with the stories I have to tell. I’ll have to revisit my memoir and see where it fits best. There are other solutions that come under the heading of ‘memoir’. So check these out before you decide on one that may not be the best way to tell your life story.

The traditional memoir is written like a novel. Another approach is memoir written like a collection of stories with a recurring theme. You can also write a shorter memoir, particularly if you don’t have a long story to tell but rather one central event in your life that you need to write about. Another option is writing a personal essay that centers on a particular topic.

There are many different forms to consider when writing a memoir.  And now I will take the time to figure out which one works best for me.

Since I am finally spending a little time in my studio and also painting with my painting pal, Shirley, I did work on a couple of small pieces. I like to have a good selection of these minis because, along with my books, these are what I have available for sale when I do holiday shows. I set up a display of two different apples with the Bosc pear and came out with an interesting arrangement to paint.

To see more of my paintings, go to my gallery on my website.

 

This mini is from a larger photo that I took with other vegetables in it. I liked the garlic next to the onion since they go so well together in many recipes. Also the onion was small and about the same size as the garlic so they look like a couple of buddies just hanging out.

Upcoming Shows

I am currently looking for Holiday shows to sell my artwork and books so I will list them here as I confirm each show.

Nov. 3 - Granite State Choral Society -
Holiday Show




These events are free to the public!
Stop by to say 'hi!' and check out my books and mini art pieces! Or commission an animal portrait!

My Books
Seven Storied Houses Completed!

Just when it seemed as if this book would never see the light of day (or the bookshelves, Amazon website, BBD Publishing, DJ Geribo, etc. websites) it is finally a reality, a completed book, ready for prime time! Yes, I held an actual copy in my hand. No, it is not yet on my Amazon account nor is it in e-book format (not as an audio yet, which I really want to do next) but it is in paper and that's good enough for me right now. 

All of my books can be ordered from BBD Publishing:
  1. The House at the top of the Trees
  2. Mouse Bound
  3. The Miracle Dog
  4. Eddie Easel and the Case of the Missing Green
  5. Seven Storied Houses
My books are also now on Amazon!


 



















To order your purchase of  "Seven Storied Houses" go to  www.BBDPublishing.com.
 

" If the world could remain within a frame like a painting on the wall, I think we’d see the beauty then and stand staring in awe."
                                                                            
                                                  -Conor Oberst

Story in 6
 
"Obvious"

An old man with a cane lives on the sixth floor of an apartment building. There is no elevator in the building. When he has to go out, he slides down the banisters to the bottom floor. More challenging is getting back up to his sixth floor apartment when he arrives home. As the old man sips his coffee, thinking about his dilemma, he flips through the newspaper. He stops at the section headed “Apartments for Rent.”

Authistpreneur

author/artist/entrepreneur

Someone who is an author, an artist, and an entrepreneur.  Any person who writes or has a published novel, who paints fine art/illustrations, and also has established businesses using the combination of artistic talents.
                                                                - DJ Geribo

 

What I'm Reading


Once again, my life seems not to be my own. As I mentioned in my Winter 2018 Art Apart newsletter, I don’t seem to be getting much of anything done. And yes, the puppy is still my excuse. I mostly work when he naps, which sometimes isn’t that often and usually 20 minutes to an hour at a time. I have brought him up to my studio but he always seems to find something on the floor that should not be in his mouth.

I don’t feel confident that I can lose myself in painting and know that my little Felix isn’t getting into something that can be harmful to him or destroying something that he should not be touching. And no, I did not ‘puppy-proof’ my house. My solution is to, most of the time, control my puppy by putting him in his house or tying his leash to an area where I know he will be controlled and out of harm’s way.

With that said, what did I read? Not much. I have started several books and was hoping, at the beginning of June, that I would have completed more than just the one. But that is all I was able to complete during this 3-month period. Maybe I need a good beach read to get lost in.
     
     For One More Day - A book by Mitch Albom, author of Tuesdays with Morrie and The Five People You Meet in Heaven, his books always make you think, and this one is no exception. A young man, whose life just didn't work out the way he had hoped it would, has one day to spend with his deceased mother who reveals many secrets that he never knew as a young boy. Drinking and driving not only nearly kill him but also ultimately save his life.
    
 

Go to My Blog to See What I'm Currently Reading

I hope you enjoyed my newsletter. If you did, please share on Facebook, Twitter, or Forward to a friend. I welcome your comments!
Share
Tweet
Forward
Copyright © 2018 All rights reserved.