Archive for the 'writing' Category

Addicted to Writing

Published on January 30, 2012 in Creative Nonfiction, Healing With Words, Health, Uncategorized and Writing for healing.

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Dear Readers:

My new book WRITERS ON THE EDGE: 22 Writers Speak About Addiction and Dependence (Modern History Press) http://www.LHPress.com/writers, is being released on Wednesday, February 1st … Read about it and the idea of writers also being addicted to writing in my latest Huffington Post Post below:

Also, if you live in the greater Los Angeles area, come to the big book launch on February 25th at 4pm. Refreshments served. Surprise guests also!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diana-m-raab/the-need-to-write_b_1234878.html

Have a great week!

Diana

Telling Personal Stories

Published on January 9, 2012 in Author Blog, Baby Boomers, Creative Nonfiction, Depression, Huffington Post, Memoir, writer blog, writing, Writing for healing and Writing, journaling.

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When I was in grade school I wanted to be a writer and one of the first things my English teacher told me was that to be a good writer you must be a good reader. Since that day, I have been a lover of books and have some ever-lasting visual memories of my mother taking me to the library and coming home with a stack of books piled all the way up to my chin.

My preference has always been to read real stories written by real people doing real things. Ralph Waldo Emerson once said, “No matter where you begin, read anything for five hours a day and you will soon be knowing.” My parents used to tell me that “knowledge is power,” and after having survived World War II and having lost most of their possessions as a result, they believed that knowledge was something that could not be taken away from you.

While growing up and through my teen years, I devoured biographies. I enjoyed compelling stories about spiritual journeys and also about other teens adjusting to the trials and tribulations of adolescence. Later, when my daughter got mixed up in a bad crowd, I sought stories written by other parents to help me cope with raising a strong-minded and rebellious adolescent. I even wrote a few of my own stories on the subject. When faced with cancer, I read cancer survivor stories. All these stories helped me navigate difficult times. Reading and learning about people in similar situations helped me realize that I was not alone in my journey.
The ringing in of a new year is a good time to come to grips with what might have plagued us in the previous year.

Journaling is a good way to do this, and another way is to read and hear the voices of others who have been in similar difficult situations. This was my impetus for compiling with co-editor, Jim Brown, my forthcoming anthology, Writers on The Edge: 22 Writers Discuss Dependency and Depression. As renowned author Jerry Stahl states in the foreword, “Open to any piece in this collection, and the scalding, unflinching, overwhelming truths within will shine light on places most people never look.” In fact these are the places many people want to visit – the dark places which are the most difficult to face. Many of us have experienced or at least been exposed to someone with an addiction or depression and the writers in this collection share their stories with honesty and candor. Some write as a cathartic exercise, while at the same time helping others through their own tenuous times. These short essays, confessions, or mini-memoirs share the author’s emotional truth about their addiction. The stories offer hope and ideas and all have a positive slant discussing addictions such as drugs, alcohol, food, sex, love, and gambling.

Poet Chase Twichell in her essay, “Toys in the Attic,” says, “A poem is a portrait of consciousness. It’s a recording of the motions of a mind in time, a mind communicating to others the experience of its own consciousness. When I read or write a poem, I’m trying to open a window between my mind and the minds of others. Poetry is written for others. But it’s also a study of the self, which is a private kind of work.”
In discussing memoir, William Zinnser in his classic book, Inventing the Truth, says, “Memoir is how we make sense of who we are, who we once were, and what values and heritage shaped us.” In another book, Writing About Your Life, he beautifully states, “We come from a tribe of fallible people, prisoners of our own destructiveness, and we have endured to tell the story without judgment and to get on with our lives.” The authors in Writers on the Edge do just that, whether they were involved in a twelve-step program or used writing as a healing modality—they have all succeeded despite their demons, and lead productive lives.

Reading the stories of others can help you learn about yourself. Discoveries are made, memories are revealed and wisdom is shared. Memoir writers courageously face the issues of their pasts and they can serve as role models for all of us. Their stories can provide an understanding of the inner workings of different types of people. Sometimes hearing someone else’s transformative story can inspire you to write your own, keeping in mind that the best writers allow the reader to formulate their own conclusion about the dark places that they or loved ones visit.

Please make your comments here and on where this article was originally published:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/diana-m-raab/the-power-of-personal-sto_b_1187170.html

Have a super week!
Diana

Tribute to John Lennon — 31 years later …

Published on December 12, 2011 in Author Blog, Baby Boomers, inspiration, Journaling, Journals, writer blog and writing.

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(October 9, 1940 – December 8, 1980)

Last week celebrated the 31st anniversary of John Lennon’s death. As a hippie of the 1960s, who danced and made love to his music all day and night, my memories of his essence and songs will live with me forever. Like the rest of America, I remember seeing him first appear as part of the Beatles on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1965. There was something about the music, which resonated with everyone, and the proof is that The Beatles were one of the most successful commercial groups in the history of popular music. What is even more interesting is how the lyrics can continue to resonate in your head even this many years later. Lennon had an edge to him and perhaps it was his rebellious nature, politically, socially and musically which really resonated with many of us. Rolling Stone Magazine rated him the 5th greatest singer of all time. As what you might expect from a man with five sisters, he really understood women and his relationship with Yoko Ono is one, which many of us admired.

I just finished a few pages in my journal dedicated to Lennon and the powerful influence he had in my life. In addition to loving his music, I have another connection with Lennon. My last boyfriend, before getting married lived in the Dakota, and I know exactly where he got shot by Mark David Chapman. But that’s another story…
Check out this You-Tube of Lennon and one of my favorite songs of his: IMAGINE…

Here are the lyrics:

IMAGINE
Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today…
Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace…
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one
Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world…
You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one

Serendipity, Synchronicity and Stanilav Grof

Published on December 5, 2011 in Author Blog, Baby Boomers, Creativity, Psychology, Spirituality, writer blog and writing.

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Serendipity and synchronicity are two words that I always get mixed up, yet I am fascinated by them both. As a writer I decided I should use make a more gallant attempt to use the words appropriately, so in the past week I have done some reading. Here’s what I learned. Serendipity refers to happy events which occur by chance, such as when you meet the love of your life at the most opportune time. It is a form of luck in someone’s life. Synchronicity refers to a series of thoughts or events that seem to be related but their connections are not overtly obvious. It is a coincidence that can be accompanied by a feeling that there is a reason or purpose behind occurrences, such as when you keep seeing the same person over and over in different places and think, “ok we should introduce ourselves, there’s a reason we keep running into one another.” These occurrences are usually difficult to explain as was something which happened to me last week.
Every Tuesday night some local writers gather for drinks at a local bar here in Santa Barbara. It’s casual and everyone attends when they can. We all have a great time when we are all together, as if no time passed in between. Due to travel and work load I had not been in about two months, but something compelled me to attend last week. I arrived late and there were no seats left around the table for ten. Two gracious male writers hunted down a chair for me and put it beside the only person I did not know at the table. Her name was Melodie Sullivan. We introduced ourselves to one another. On the table in front of her was a children’s book. “Melody has a new book,” another writer told me from the other side of the table. “That’s awesome,” I said picking it up. There was a beautiful illustration of a caterpillar on the cover and in the lower right corner Melody’s name as the writer and beneath it was “Stanilov Grof, illustrator.” Grof was the keynote speaker at my first seminar at The Institute of Transpersonal Psychology in September where I am doing my doctorate. I had written a blog about him on his fascinating research September 5th, 2011.
I wish I could have seen my face at that moment when I saw his name on the cover of a children’s book, the last place I thought I would see the name of a man who has researched non-ordinary states of consciousness for healing and who has researched the effect of LSD on the psyche!
“How do you know him?” I asked. She sighed and said, “Now that’s a long story.” In short she took one of his breath work seminars. In talking to him she learned that he was an illustrator and when she decided to write a book about one of her dreams, she solicited his illustrations. She told me that his passion in his younger years was to be an illustrator and by some fluke (another interesting story) he ended up studying psychology. I glanced at the bio note on the back flap and there was nothing mentioned about his psychology background. We joked and I said, “I noticed they didn’t mention anything about his work with LSD.
“Ha,” she added, “We decided that would not be something to add to a children’s book and my publicist said that the mention that he was a therapist might, in fact, hurt book sales!”
We laughed together, however, I returned home and thought that was not very comforting for me, the writer who is studying to be a psychologist, but so be it!
I walked away in awe and at home watched a video of Grof reading this fabulous book. If you are in need of a children’s book for a holiday gift, this would be a great option — and might be in line with your studies. Here it is:

Tribute to James Hillman

Published on November 14, 2011 in Author Blog, Creative Nonfiction, Creativity, Psychology and writing.

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(April 12, 1926 – October 27, 2011)

As a new student in psychology the first book we were asked to read in my doctorate program at the Institute of Transpersonal Psychology was The Soul’s Code: In Search of Character and Calling. This book had a huge impact on me. First, as someone who has numerous degrees from health administration to journalism, to creative nonfiction and now transpersonal psychology, I feel that my soul is still calling me and steering me.

In this book Hillman professes that we are “born with a character; it given; a gift, as the old stories say, from the guardians upon your birth.” His ideas characterize what has been known as the “acorn theory,” whereby it is said that we all hold potential unique characteristics similar to the pattern of an oak tree. In a psychologically healthy life, these unique characteristics are manifested throughout a person’s lifespan, and will be manifested in what is known as their “calling,” or what I prefer to call, “one’s true passion.” The Romans called it “your genius,” and the Greeks called it “your daimon.” Others might call it “your destiny.” Whatever term you are comfortable with works just fine. This concept goes beyond the nature nurture tenet we most often hear about. The acorn theory goes much deeper into the soul or person’s psyche. Sometimes people know their calling early in life and they become possessed by it. This is often seen amongst creative individuals, such as writers, artists and inventors.

My forthcoming book, Writers on the Edge (Modern History Press, February 2012) is a collection of essays written by well-published writers who have not only used writing to help them navigate through tenuous times, but also writers who knew quite early in their lives that they were destined to be writers. Many had turbulent childhoods that resulted in expressing their frustrations creatively through writing. Interestingly, in terms of general success, Hillman says, “According to biographers, the source of success appears to lie in a mother’s doting—or in her neglectful selfishness, which forces an offspring out on its own.”

Hillman passed away on October 27, 2011 at the age of 85. He was a psychologist, scholar, lecturer and author of more than twenty books. He’s considered a Jungian analyst originated the post-Jungian “archetypical psychology.” This branch of psychology identifies with fantasies and myths (gods, goddesses, demigods, mortals and animals), which he claimed, shape and are shaped by our psychological lives. Hillman taught in numerous academic and professional institutions including, Yale University, Syracuse University, the University of Chicago and others. He passed away in his home in Connecticut.

Journaling in China

Published on November 7, 2011 in Author Blog, Blog, Creativity, Musings, The Sacred Space, writer blog, writing and Writing, journaling.

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I just returned from two spectacular but exhausting weeks in China, visiting Shanghai, Xian, Hangzou and Beijing. Traveling always inspires new perspectives and a multitude of journaling ideas and angles. If you were to ask what was my favorite part, I would simply say, the part that I was visiting at the time. Their world is so different than our world that I walked around each and every day in amazement. Particularly captivating was the long historical backdrop of the dynasties and the lives of the emperors and how much time was spent in making the emperor’s lives so superior during their lifetimes and in the afterlife. The palaces and mausoleums left me in awe, saying nothing about the number of concubines each emperor had. As someone who has been reading a great deal on Buddhism, I was also amazed by the gigantic temples and number of larger than life-size Buddhas. Here is a summary of the trips highlights:

Shanghai. At the airport I was glad to be greeted by a guide, because no signs were in English. There was a sense of culture shock in other ways also, such as not being able to access certain aspects of the internet from Google to social networking sites. In some areas, internet was either not possible or intermittent in a way that had little to do with remoteness, but more as a result of government control over services. This city has been considered the Paris of the east because of its women and sex clubs. In general, it was not as congested, polluted or dirty as I imagined. Many of the city’s sensibilities were a merging of east and west, the businesses and the fashion, for example. What I witnessed were the results of a massive growth spurt during the last 15 years. We visited the Shanghai Museum, an eclectic collection of relics, bowls, phenomenal Buddhas and more. We visited what was known as the Jewish Quarter or by western definition, the tenement quarters, where three or four families lived in an area smaller than my kitchen. I had heard about all the Jews who fled the Nazis to land here, but I had no idea about their enormous influence on the city’s growth. Philanthropist businessmen like Viktor Sassoon and the Kadoorie family who owned many of the city’s hotels, made their productive mark in so many parts of the city.

The Chinese people have sayings about everything – I could not write quickly enough. Some made immediate sense while others I needed to ponder. Here are only some which I quickly scribbled down while the guides interjected their wisdom into their historical discussions:

• the bird is a messenger to heaven
• the peach is a symbol of longevity and has nine lives. good to give as a gift
• bamboo is loved by the Chinese as they see it as meaning a long life. they should always be upright as this means there should always be something to learn
• Chinese coins are always round (symbolizes heaven) and square (symbolizes earth)
• Buddha was born under the gingko tree therefore it is considered a Buddhist plant
• Do not step on thresholds because they are thought to be the shoulders of Buddhas and should never be stepped upon.
• The Chinese (or people in general) believe in religion because it guides you and gives you parameters
• Laughing Buddhas hold a bag with troubles in their hand. They fill them up and forget them. I love this idea and will try to incorporate it in my life!
• In talking about relatives – they like when their family lives ‘soup distance,’ away, meaning that by the time you bring soup it will still be warm. Not many of us in the United States have this luxury, and certainly with all three of my kids on the east coast, I do not, but look forward to possibly one day being able to bring my homemade soup to them!
• The lotus is a symbol of purity and integrity.
• The Lily flower is used at weddings and signifies the couple will have a harmonious life for 100 years to come. Never use willows because if a woman is compared to a willow it means that she is flirtatious. However, if a woman is compared to a lotus, it means she is a natural beauty and does not need make up. Speaking of marriage– The Chinese say that the husband makes all the important decisions, but it’s the wife who decides what’s important!

Hangzhou. I loved this place. Our hotel was situated on beautiful West Lake. The first night we saw a water show of an unusual sort. There was a stage about three inches under the water, spanning the lake and the performers/dancers were dressed in traditional attire. They were like dancing fish performing a remarkable love story. Absolutely spectacular, with large boats and little row boats taking the lovers off into the sunset.

Hangzhou has been known as a honeymoon town and hometown of silk and tea. As a lover of green tea, I adored the private tour of the Mei family tea plantation and tea ceremony known for the best green tea in China, especially Dragon Well tea. (BTW, after buying boxes and bags of the stuff, I heard that we can get this tea, although a lesser quality, at Teavanna which is only minutes from my house!) This tea has three qualities, depending upon the season in which it was harvested. By the way, the water for a good cup of tea should not be brewed in a temperature more than 85 degrees. The hotter the water, the more bitter the leaves. The best time to drink is 30 minutes after meals as it aids in digestion. There is a big statue of Lu Yu (Literati) because he was considered the father of Chinese tea. He wrote the first book on Chinese Tea. I will never use tea bags again and I might have figured out why the Chinese women have such good figures.

We visited an herbal pharmacy that has been in business for centuries. I learned that herbal medicine consists of herbs, animal parts and mineral rocks.

Beijing. The great wall goes on and on. We were on the west side of the wall and took a cable car part of the way. The towers were built first and it’s amazing they even built a wall on this very mountainous terrain…there were a few times when I wondered about its real purpose! Visiting Tiananenmen Square and the mausoleum of Chairman Mao was a powerful way to end the trip. There were many visitors on this week day and we were told that many younger families bring their older relatives to remind them of the way things were. It was fascinating to see the history sweep across the faces of the seniors who vividly remember the perils of the Communist Regime. Our guide told us that two things the Chinese really value is their food and their freedom—and after visiting China, I can attest to this, even though I don’t think I will have another bowl of rice or marinated meat for a long time. We welcomed a big platter of French fries on our last evening out.

One last thing. When we asked the guide what American tourist attractions they associate with us, he said, Hollywood and Vegas! Now that’s a thought to ponder! No mention of the Empire State Building, The Statue of Liberty, Mount Rushmore, The White House or The Grand Canyon!

The Stress of Deadlines

Published on September 19, 2011 in Author Blog, Psychology, Psychology Today, Stress, writer blog and writing.

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The Stress of Deadlines

We all have deadlines. We love them and hate them. They force us to get things done but they stress us out. There is no escaping it. Whether you are a writer, artist, administrator, health care worker, educator, painter, physician, engineer, technician, mother, father or grandparent, life is full of deadlines.

According to a recent cover article, “Splintered By Stress,” in The Scientific American Mind (September/October 2011), “With the right training and preparation, we might be able to face any stressor with equanimity.” For starters, you can take their stress test to see how you can handle stress. The author, Robert Epstein did a study and found that prevention is the best way to cope with any type of stress. “It is empowering to learn how to do that,” he says.

So here are my ideas on how to handle deadline stresses:

• Review everything that you need to do. Seeing it laid out decreases the tension
• Focus on the now, rather than what you need to do
• Work backwards from your deadline. This will help you plan your next step of action
• Prioritize
• Formulate an early deadline, just in case of unexpected eventualities (you know, your cat gets run over, you lose your power, you run out of ice cream, etc.)
• Recite the Serenity Prayer:

G_d grant me the serenity
To accept the things
I cannot change..
The courage to change the things I can
And the wisdom to know the difference ….

MOST IMPORTANT:
Remember that “stressed” spelled backwards is “desserts.” So why don’t you start meeting your deadline with a yummy dessert.

Autobiographical Fiction vs. Fictional Memoirs

Published on August 30, 2011 in autobiographies, Creative Nonfiction, Institute of Transpersonal Psychology and Memoir.

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One of the most common questions from my students is, “How do you decide if you should write a memoir or a novel?” The answer may not always be cut and dry, but experience has taught me that most writers know the answer before they actually pose the question and are just looking for some sort of validation. If they do not know before starting out, then they quickly learn during the writing process. For example, if they find themselves making things up and/or have a vivid imagination, then they should consider writing a novel.

A fictional memoir generally focuses on an actual story, time or event in the writer’s life, but also incorporates enough fiction or fictional technique. An autobiographical novel is a type of novel which merges autobiographical and fictional techniques. In this instance, the names and places in the book are typically changed and events are recreated to give the story more of a dramatic arc. In other words, the events in the author’s life may be altered and thus the writer uses his or her “fictional license.”

Although the terms, “Autobiographical Fiction” and “Fictional Memoirs” are relatively new, the genre is not. It has a rich tradition and has been a good alternative for those who have a story to tell and who want to use a genre that is more accommodating than a traditional memoir. Using these genres which openly utilize fiction techniques helps to avoid what some writers call CYS Memoirs or ‘cover your ass memoirs’ where in the preface the author explains his/her creative process and excuse themselves from being blamed for anything mentioned the book.

The elements used in creating a compelling memoir and works of fiction are similar. They both use drama, conflict, dialogue, scene and descriptive detail. Another vital element of the memoir is the importance of identifying special moments. A moment is the basic unit of dramatic structure, sort of analogous to the scene in fiction. In general, a memoir moves forward by the writer exploring all the important moments in their life and this is done through reflections/thought-processes revolving around the book’s theme or focus.

When all the moments are listed on the page, the writer can figure out what in the situation or character has changed from the beginning to the end of the story, sometimes a special truth or revelation might have emerged. The reader gets the essence of the revelation from reading the writer’s reflections.

Focus is critical to memoir and highlighting important moments that move the story forward. This is done by providing all the details of the moment, including the emotions in a given situation. Diving deep into life’s special moments using all the senses allows the reader to become engaged in the story.

An example of a fictional memoir is True at First Light by Ernest Hemingway that was his last unpublished work after his return from Kenya in 1953. In this book he muses on the act of writing and the author’s role in determining the truth. In other words, what is fact and what is fiction. I recently discovered this book and highly recommend it.

Some Other Fictional Memoirs include:

Lying: A Metaphorical Memoir by Lauren Slater
It’s me, Eddie: A Fictional Memoir by Edward Limonov
Grace by Robert Ward
The Professor’s Daughter by R. Igor Gamow
Sylvia by Leonard Michaels
I, Joaquin by Melvin Litton
Deeper Water by Michael W. Boyd
Alzmek: The Fictional Memoir of a Tainted Life by R.M. Guzman
I Mary, Daughter of Israel by Jacqueline Severia Hure
Chain of Fools by Charles B. Sobczak

The Magic of Number Ten

Published on August 22, 2011 in Author Blog, Creative Nonfiction, Creativity, General Information, Healing With Words, Health, Health and Wellness, Writing for healing and Writing, journaling.

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I believe in and have a high regard for the number ten. In many ways, it’s regarded as the perfect number. Today, I have even more reason to believe in this number as I celebrate the 10th anniversary of my breast cancer survival. In my self-help memoir, Healing With Words: A Writer’s Cancer Journey, you can read about my journey. Also, at the end of each chapter there are writing prompts for you to do your own writing, whether about cancer or other life-changing events.

While we are on the ten-year-thing, here are some other reasons why I believe 10 is an important number:

• The number 10 implies a sense of completeness and full cycle
• A scale of 1 to 10 is used for ranking things
• There are 10 pins in a bowling lane
• There are 10 official inkblots in the Rorschach inkblot test
• The Snellen chart uses 10 different letters
• We have 10 digits on both our hands and feet
• Ten plagues were inflicted on Egypt in Exodus
• There are 10 Commandments – the cornerstone of Christianity and Judaism
• Jews observe 10 days of Repentance from Rosh Hashanah to Yom Kippur
• There are 10 provinces in Canada
• In the Torah, Jews give 1/10 the of their produce to the poor
• The number 10 is the base of our number system
• In numerology the number 10 brings all sorts of new changes in your life

And finally Verse 10 in Jack Kerouac’s Sutra (Scripture of the Golden Eternity, 1960) says this:

“Kindness and sympathy, understanding and encouragement, these give; they are better than just presents and gifts: no reason in the world why not.”
~ Jack Kerouac

Congratulations to the New U.S. Poet Laureate !

Published on August 15, 2011 in Philip Levine, Poet Laureate and Poetry.

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Last Wednesday, 83-year old Philip Levine, the Pulitzer Prize winner, was named the nation’s 18th poet laureate. His term will be for one year and will begin in October 2011.

When Levine received this very high honor he said, “I want to bring poetry to people who have no idea how relevant poetry is to their lives.” He also plans to bring some lesser-known poets into the forefront. My readers and me are certainly happy to hear this!
Many of Levine’s poems describe Detroit, where he was born, raised and where he also worked in the factories. Most of his poetry depicts the day-to-day life of America’s working class.

The Library of Congress in Washington, D.C selects the U.S. poet laureate. He receives an annual stipend of $35,000 and his duties are primarily ceremonial.
Levine succeeds poet W.S. Merwin. Other former poet laureates include: Kay Ryan, Charles Simic, Ted Kooser, Louise Gluck, Billy Collins, Rita Dove, Elizabeth Bishop, Robert Frost, among others.

Here is one of his many famous poems:

AN ABANDONNED FACTORY IN DETROIT

The gates are chained, the barbed-wire fencing stands,
An iron authority against the snow,
And this grey monument to common sense
Resists the weather. Fears of idle hands,
Of protest, men in league, and of the slow
Corrosion of their minds, still charge this fence.

Beyond, through broken windows one can see
Where the great presses paused between their strokes
And thus remain, in air suspended, caught
In the sure margin of eternity.
The cast-iron wheels have stopped; one counts the spokes
Which movement blurred, the struts inertia fought,

And estimates the loss of human power,
Experienced and slow, the loss of years,
The gradual decay of dignity.
Men lived within these foundries, hour by hour;
Nothing they forged outlived the rusted gears
Which might have served to grind their eulogy.