back to school
Summer is ostensibly over; school started last Wednesday so students line up at my door, antsy to draw and paint and tell stories. I spend the first class reminded them why we do art in the first place; but I think, without words they may understand this intuitively, in bone and muscle. We do art, they seem to know, because we are human.
Our new principal gave us teachers a copy of ‘Brain Rules’ during our in-service week, a book about the way our minds work. This read has made me think that although we are often asked to justify art and music and physical education, our so-called peripheral subjects—their core tasks of moving and making and imagining—are at the core of our evolutionary memory, our ways of living and surviving.
Photos by Billy
To receive notices of new posts on Jocelyn’s Stories, click here
Filed under art, family matters, photographs | Tags: Brain Rules | Comment (0)coconut, part 3
—You two could be just like sister, Papa said to me later that evening. I could see how much he approved of Satya, with her too long hair, and the clothes my mom might wear. She really is a beautiful young lady, he said. Then he hugged me, tightly, but it felt like he was hugging that other girl.
Just click to listen.
Or subscribe to the podcast on I-tunes here
To receive notices of new posts on Jocelyn’s Stories, click Filed under Podcast, short story, writing | Tags: charlottesville podcast | Comment (0)
mock rock
Briefly, William and H.J. practice rock posture.
Video by Billy
To receive notices of new posts on Jocelyn’s Stories, click here
Filed under family matters, video | Comment (0)coconut, part 2
Does anyone ever feel like they really fit in? Maybe so, for a moment or two, but as for me, I mostly feel just a bit out of place. This is the second installment of ‘Coconut’, a story about wanting to belong, but cherishing those shirt-tail parts of one’s self that come untucked at the most inopportune moments, exposing our true hearts.
We were halfway through our unit on Asia and Mrs. Gracie wrote ‘India’ on the board in her newly shaky script. So I sunk in my seat, waiting for what always happens to happen. Whenever they bring up India in school, everybody looks over at me. Me in my t-shirts and jeans from Regency Mall, right where their clothes come from. Me who like plain cheese pizza and hanging out with my friends. They stare as if waiting for the Real-Indian-Me to burst through like a song and dance in a Bollywood movie. As if I will start bobbing my head like Abu on The Simpsons or chanting with my eyes rolled way back. Even though I have lived here since I was a baby; I’ve known most of these kids since grade school, for Christ’s sake.
Just click to listen.
Or subscribe to the podcast on I-tunes here
To receive notices of new posts on Jocelyn’s Stories, click here
Filed under Podcast, fiction, short story | Tags: charlottesville podcast, fiction, Middle School Story, YA story | Comment (0)so long summertime
This summer has been wet and wild as a rain forest, everything growing too fast; packed full too, like a 2-year graduate program where all you can hope to do is skim the surface of the material, tend only to the most egregious weedy outbursts.
For my part, I’ve made lists, read novels, cleaned closets, and written 100 pages of setting and dialogue. It all feels tangled, unreal in these first cool days. And already I am anticipating that inevitable change: the zen-like drifting of one leaf after another—of fall.
Photos by me and Billy Billy
To receive notices of new posts on Jocelyn’s Stories, click here
Filed under photographs, the world we live in | Comment (0)spinning wheels
Happy to be going nowhere, William fools around on his upturned tricycle. To be four.
Video by Billy
To receive notices of new posts on Jocelyn’s Stories, click here
baseball field on 1st street
–9-1-1, state your emergency
–There was a man, a woman
–What were they doing?
–I was walking my dogs. He was cornering her, pushing, shoving…
–Where were they?
–By the baseball field on 1st street
–Can you describe them? Black, white?
–Black, both black; he had on red
–Did anyone look injured?
–He was pushing, yelling. It was escalating. It didn’t look good
–Do you want to leave your name?
–I don’t think so
–Okay then, we’ll send someone by to see
–It didn’t look good
–I know, ma’am. Okay.
I’m enjoying this local blog of a mom I know. Check out Coconut girl, here, or read a review of her at stlworkingmom.com
Photos by Billy
To receive notices of new posts on Jocelyn’s Stories, click here
Filed under photographs, the world we live in | Tags: domestic violence | Comment (1)children and technology
William (4 years old) and his Grandma (older than 4) answer questions about technology. Long story short: William wants to play games, and my mom is funny. Enjoy
Video and Photo by Billy
To receive notices of new posts on Jocelyn’s Stories, click here
girlfriend
I discovered odd candy wrappings and a crust of a PB& J in William’s lunchbox, things I hadn’t packed for him. So I asked him about it. He looked at me sheepishly before answering:
–Maggie gave them to me
–Who’s Maggie?
–My girlfriend.
–So she gave you some of her lunch…did you give her anything?
–My salami.
–But you’re always saying you don’t like girls…
–Well, I like Maggie.
–Why is she your girlfriend? How did you know?
–I looked at her; she looked at me.
Here are a few new talented girlfriends from my writer’s retreat:
Smart, salacious sex and travel writer Jenny block who writes columns for Huff Post and Fox News. I’m looking forward to reading her memoir, ‘Open.’
Vivacious, clever, Vivian Lawry, Author of the Chesapeake Bay Mystery, Dark Harbor.
And our teacher, Hollins Professor, Cathy Hankla, with her many books, recent winner of the Boatwright Prize for Poetry, and to whom I am thankful for her generosity and guidance.
Photo by Billy
To receive notices of new posts on Jocelyn’s Stories, click here
coconut, part 1
The first installment of ‘Coconut’, one of my favorite stories from ‘The One You Remember.’ This short was a finalist for the Jane’s Story Annual award in 2/2009. It begins:
I was a nice girl before Principal Jackson ushered Satya into our English class. ‘Her family just moved her from India,’ he told our teacher, loud enough for us to hear. When he said ‘India’ he brought his hands together and squeezed and predictably, half the class looked over at me.
Just click to listen.
Or subscribe to the podcast on I-tunes here
To receive notices of new posts on Jocelyn’s Stories, click here
Filed under Podcast, fiction, short story, writing | Tags: charlottesville podcast, Middle School Story, Podcast, short story | Comment (0)