Bully Book Review: "Why I oughtta MAKE you read....."

The Education of Little Tree by: Forest Carter

This is the book I have recommended to 3 different people this week, and that's saying something, since it has been 5 or 6 years since I last read it. It still lingers in my mind like the remembrance of a good, not embarrassingly intimate, yet cozy conversation with a dear friend. My husband, Aaron, finally got around to reading it, after my constant bullying, and even read one of the chapters aloud to me. Just one chapter brought back my unshakable sense of what a prize this book is. Just a warning to any naysayers out there: it is vulnerable to your naysaying both in title and opening...this book dazzles sloooowly. In order to savor the home-grown flavors of this story you have to be willing to walk along with the characters for a spell or two, as if you are on the Southern Appalachian mountain trails with Grandfather. Ok, I won't say anymore, for I fear I'm only going to scare off anyone already uncertain about the merits of a book with no readily apparent frills or thrills. Just READ IT...ok? Or I'll steal your lunch money.

The Rocking Horse Manifesto

The Rocking Horse exists to bear witness to any and all artistic dealings and goings-on and general hubub that its writer, Whitni Roche, either initiates herself or discovers and finds compelling. It is a fact of said writer's life that she is a fated "jack-of-all-trades, and master-of-none." Although she will, in June 2010, be universally (or at least academically) recognized as a "Master" of English, she still feels uncomfortable with the notion of utter specificity. In light of the writer's condition, she cannot, though she would like to, seem to buckle down and focus purely on writing stories, poetry, books, comic strips, and the like...though she hodge-podgedly dapples with all of the above. Thus, The Rocking Horse provides a way to house various ideas on a multifarious range of subject-matter--all accessible to her friends and family with the click of a button (or touch of a screen--for all the fancy i-everything people). But if you lean in close, what follows amounts to ultra-secretive fine print about bigger and better plans for The Rocking Horse:

Eventually The Rocking Horse could become a physical reality in the form of an older, multi-story building with one floor as a venue, another as a tea-shop/lending library/yoga studio/ fiber arts collective, and another as recording space. This is, of course, a far off dream--but in the meantime we'll just keep rocking along in cyber space.

New Year New Decade New YORK

It's pretty cool being in the "world capitol" to ring in a new era. I am sad to be missing the best New Years event in Orlando--the Rossist Art Trade at the Copelands' place. But a chilled out Brooklyn party with a view of the Manhattan skyline for fireworks is a pretty good consolation prize. I think we may move here! Also, I don't know why I tend to forget how simple it is to hang out with family, listen to stories, eat Grandma's baked beans, and be grateful for holiday riches that don't really cost much, but are priceless. Also...I like snow but it will be great to get back home to CA tomorrow and eat a $.99 delicious fish taco and get 10 limes for a dollar at Maxi Foods (our local Mexican grocery store).

To come in the near future on "The Rocking Horse":

A visionary outline of "The Rocking Horse" manifesto
Recent photography endeavors by various artsy friends
A mini-online-museum-exhibit of things I've recently made with my own two hands
A list of cool, exceptional children worth getting inspired by
An essay on what I think about church (I like it by the way--)
A 3 part imaginary tale about life in 1950's Upstate NY
Whitni's top 2009 Booklist (and possibly Filmlist)
A Tribute to all things Riverside
A Sonnet referring to growing up in Orlando, FL circa 1990's
A true story on how Aaron Roche and Whitni McDonald ended up married (and loving it!)

Stay POSTED!! and HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Upstate New York

Here is the land of snow and old Roche and Fischer stories. Harbors are frozen and geese form noisy v-shapes criss-crossing the skies. The prayers Grandpa Roche prays are straight to the point. "For life, for food, for family, Lord, we thank you." And the turkey is on the table right next to Uncle Bill, even the family vegetarians venture a taste. It doesn't seem possible to have such a roaring fire in such a tiny living room, but Grandpa's furnace is a new, efficient model that he's proud of, although Grandma misses the way the old one looks. And even though I miss opening stockings on my parents' bed in Florida, the fire is something we actually need here, which is a nice change. Later, we'll go eat pie and root-beer floats with a million other cousins, aunts, and uncles, and probably toss a few snowballs at each others' faces. Merry Christmas from the little Roche-infested township of Union Springs, New York.