Welcome to my blog.
I thought long and hard about launching this blog. Why should I blog? What would I blog about? “Should I then presume?/And how should I begin?” (The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock)
A friend suggested that I blog about ballet. The idea has merit. I love the ballet, ballet dancers, ballet music, ballet novels, attending the ballet, and reading about the ballet. But I am not an expert and could not compete with the many excellent ballet blogs. Why would anyone think I want to blog about ballet?
Another friend suggested that I blog about Finding Giselle, my yet-to-be published young adult novel about a naïve ballet student . . . Oh, now I understand.
But while ballet plays a central role in Finding Giselle, the story centers on Lily’s struggle to trust again after her faith in herself, her friends, and her family is shattered. Hope is at the heart of that novel, and hope is also at the heart of my work-in-progress and second young adult novel, A Rose by Any Other Name.
Eureka! I found it. A topic close to my heart.
Hope is what keeps people of all ages moving forward. I think young adults, in particular, need something to hope for. Not a wishful thinking, wishy-washy kind of hope, but hope based in strength that leads us to act.
Once I chose my theme, I realized that it had been staring me in the face all along in the rainbow, the masthead image for my website. For many people, rainbows symbolize hope; they are enduring signs in nature that life goes on after the storm. When Emily Dickinson wrote “Hope is the thing with feathers,” she was referring to this enduring hope.
And so, that is what I will share with you. I will look for signs of hope in our world—inspiring stories about young people, young adult novels that celebrate the human spirit, and inspiration in nature and in the arts. I may digress from time to time—because that is how my mind works—but my focus will be on finding those moments of beauty that can bring us the hope and courage to move forward even in the most difficult times.
I invite you to share your stories of hope. What does hope mean to you? Is it possible to be a hopeful person in our modern world?
Congratulations, Loretta! Your website is wonderful, and I truly enjoyed reading your blog posts.
I look forward to reading the stories of hope your readers share with you. As for me, I always find hope in the voices of children. I’ve had the privilege of working with children of all ages over the years. They represent, without a doubt, everything good in the world. I remember starting each school year at Tumble-In Nursery, a preschool program I co-directed, determined to find the very best in every child. I quickly learned that the children brought out the best in me. I am forever grateful for the lessons of hope and courage I’ve learned from children over the years.
Wishing you every success!
Thanks, Carol. I admire the work you’ve done with children and the way your compassion shines through in your writing. It’s a gift.