Away from Home

May was a month of train travel, my new, favorite way to get around; and several trips to Manhattan--one of my favorite cities away from home. It was also my first visit to the Center for Fiction. This is a great space with a great mission--all about fiction, all the time. I joined Caroline Leavitt (Pictures of You) and Leora Skolkin-Smith (Hystera) for a panel we called: Mothers on the Verge--that is, mothers on the verge in our novels.

Leora, Caroline and moi

What does it mean to be a mother on the verge? Mothers who are depressed, overwhelmed, sexually boxed in? Mothers who are caught in the crosscurrents of cultural change perhaps, or misplaced either emotionally, spiritually or geographically? All of these things.  Not the happiest topic but something I believe needs to be talked about much more than it is. It seems to me that mothers endure an extra pressure to fulfill some unrealistic image of perfection, all-encompassing nurturer, and strength-giver to others. Who is supporting mothers? How are we supporting mothers who are struggling and failing?

Emily and Alison

--Loved hearing what the audience had to say about the impact of culture and religion on the role of mothers and how mothers view themselves and are viewed by others.

And appreciated the wine reception that the Center of Fiction folks put together for this event.

Thanks to author, Sara J. Henry, for showing up on this rainy night. Her novel, Learning to Swim, has won multiple awards. Buy it!

Visiting NYC? Look for ongoing events offered at the Center for Fiction.  You can borrow books, and check out the literary magazine, The Literarian.  Here's a link for more info: http://centerforfiction.org/

Meeting Mrs. Michelle Obama

It’s the morning after and I am back home in Boston, dazzled and stunned by my meeting with Mrs. Michelle Obama, yesterday, at the 100th First Lady's Luncheon in Washington, D.C., Washington Hilton. 

The whole exchange might have lasted 90 seconds, but I find myself going over it again and again in an attempt to capture every second and word, every gesture the First Lady made as she listened to my colleague, Leora Skolkin-Smith, and I, introduce ourselves as writers and novelists; how we were giving her copies of our books; how we believed in the importance of literary arts, and how much we admired her. The exchange was genuine, an impromptu conversation monitored by security, across a dividing rope,  in a massively crowded ballroom. Maybe that’s what made it extra thrilling and vital—a sense that Leora and I had seized this totally unexpected moment. (With special thanks to Leora for hunting down the First Lady's staff assistant.)

I have always liked the First Lady, but now I love her.

 

Not only is she physically beautiful—okay, she wore a rose-colored, ¾  length dress that was gasp-worthy, an off-the-shoulder cut, form-fitting around the torso, then billowing from the waist to her calves, but it’s her inner glow and warmth and realness that won me over. The First Lady possesses a centeredness that embraces you. Her ability to focus, to be present, is arresting.  In a room of more than 1000 women and a handful of men—this was the 100 Congressional Club Luncheon, an annual event for spouses of members of Congress—Mrs. Michelle Obama is confident, grounded, intelligent, caring, and connected.  She's the real deal, folks.   

Afterwards, Leora and I kept asking ourselves: did this really happen?  The eye contact?  Yeh. Yeh. Those gentle fist pumps, and thumbs up, that nod and smile to her assistant to let her know that she wants our novels to clear security? Yes. Yes. Yes.

None of this would have happened without the supreme generosity of Kimberly Vertolli, who opened her home to Leora, Marta and I (Marta is a physical therapist who drove all the way from Texas to attend), and took the three of us as her guests.  Kimberly is a knock-out force herself.  An attorney who specializes in Maritime law, she graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served as a Naval Intelligence Officer from 1995-2000. Her first assignment was at the Pentagon where she served as a liaison for the Chief of Naval Operations, handling visits from foreign naval attaches and other dignitaries.

Kimberly Vertolli, our fabulous host

A quick recap of the luncheon—a 2.5 hour gala with military colors and band; a catwalk in which Mrs. Obama was escorted by a military official to her seat at the front of the room; a short, heartfelt speech by the First Lady who once again spoke of the challenges for military families and the importance of giving service to our communities; and, after the meal, a musical performance by country singer Lee Ann Womack who sang several songs including her famed #1 country hit: I Hope You Dance.

Kimberly (l) Moi, and Marta

Leora and Marta

Goodies inside

We left with gifts in hand (a handbag, navy blue apron with 100th Congressional Club stitched on, Texas chili mix, and custom-designed bow tie pin signifying friendship). I don't think of myself as a political person, but the truth is, Mrs. Michelle Obama and her husband, the President, have made me proud to be American again. 

Miami

The famous Biltmore Hotel in Coral Gables

In Miami, I began a new life.

another view of the Biltmore

I followed my true love to this crazy, outlaw place of beginnings and leavings, escapes, travesties, and renewals. This was a city baked by white, pink and orange suns; with a sky blue as outer space, where stars sweated at night. I saw my first band of pelicans here, flying low and flat over the ocean, wings dark as bats.  Dinosaurs in flight.

This was a place where houses reflected those bright colors of the sun.

And where I came face to face with trees whose trunks and roots stretched across grand boulevards, fields and fairways. Banyan trees like palaces overhead. I had to stop the car, stare and marvel at their sculpted magnificence.

My husband and I bought our first house here, a 1917 Old Spanish bungalow with signature barrel tile roof and

               

  

a hidden courtyard inside that opened up on three sides via French doors

This tree (below) was a 4-foot plant in our front yard when we sold our house and moved away in 1992.  It's about 14 feet tall  now.  Amazing. Life goes on with or without me.                                     

                              On this street, I met neighbors who are friends for life. During those few years we lived on Lisbon Street together, we spent every weekend (it seemed) lost in our house renovation projects. Impromptu dinners. Yard conventions. Home depot pow wows. Wine tasting parties. That's Barbara (r). She picked me up at the airport when I arrived. We hadn't seen each other for 21 years but it didn't matter. 

So many beginnings and firsts took place in Miami.  I got my first letter of acceptance from an editor at a literary magazine (Chariton Review) soon after I'd moved there. I became a newlywed in Miami.  And, I gave my first short story reading at a "real" bookstore, one called Books and Books in Coral Gables.  Books and Books was Miami's cultural depot for literary arts. A guy named Mitchell Kaplan ran it.  He seemed to live in that store, graciously manning the register every day and night, building a collection of beautiful books. In these 20 years I've been away, Mitchell has expanded his original Coral Gables store to five stores including one in the Cayman Islands. It meant a lot to return to Books and Books to read from my debut novel.

TheCoral Gables store

Long ago, Mitch promised to put my published novel in his store window. A billion years later, here it is.

The multi-talented Luna Jade and Keith Cronin who came to my reading. For a full view of my reading, click on this link to Luna Jade's photos of the events, and then check out Luna's music. She has a gorgeous voice.

That's Barb and Vinny

I stayed with my dear, old friends, Daniella and Rob, one of the first people we met when we moved to Miami. 

Daniella and Rob, mighty-hearted souls. 

Daniella and Rob's backyard

another view of their backyard

Clearly, I could go on and on, but I'll end for now with these pictures of Miami beach, and this question for you: Do you have a place you stayed away from for a variety of reasons, maybe even avoided, and finally returned to? (Were you glad you did? How did it feel?)

                                                                                 

Doors and Doorways

My fetish for doors and doorways has not abated. I can't get enough of the variety and intrigue that these architectural beginnings and endings inspire in me. I wonder about all those lives passing through them--what stories have these doors witnessed? In my walk through Boston yesterday, I was once again arrested by this city's private and public entrances, their beautiful designs. Here's a tiny sampling (because my camera's battery ran out).

I love how doors announce things. Are they welcoming or not? What do they say about the building, about the people who live inside? What do they tell us about their neighborhoods?

What's leading up to those doors?

Are they simple? Symmetrical? Honest? Old or new?

 What's their history? In the picture below, can you guess what this rather grand entrance used to lead to? Hint: this building is located outside Copley Square in Boston. I know I was surprised by the answer.

Congratulations to Edith Pearlman, 2011 National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) winner for fiction!!  

Steep yourself in this wise, unnerving, compassionate collection of stories. And, kudos to Lookout Books for publishing it. What's so special about Lookout Books? This tiny press in North Carolina is on a mission to "seek out emerging and historically underrepresented voices, as well as works by established writers overlooked by commercial houses." Now go and buy Binocular Vision. It's a beauty.

The exquisite Ms. Pearlman has published more than 250 works of fiction and nonfiction in national mags, literary mags, and anthologies including Best American Short Stories, The Pen/O. Henry Prize Stories, and The Pushcart Prize. She is the author of four story collections, and lives in Brookline, MA, my home town!

Super thanks to TLC Book Tours, which hosted 19 reviews of Night Swim over the past month. Today’s review (and quote below) from The House of Seven Tails, reps the tail end of this tour. It’s been a wonderful run.

Night Swim manuscript pages pre-publication with lots of stickies to flag edits

 "It’s hard to believe this gripping, amazing novel is Keener’s debut. Her beautiful prose is exquisite and mesmerizing, absorbing you into the story immediately and keeping you hooked even when Sarah’s emotion and confusion becomes too painful or Leonard’s behavior too selfish. Keener has created an exceptional, very real character in Sarah, one whom many of us can identify with and relate to as she fights to become a woman she can be proud of...I highly recommend Night Swim especially to readers who understand the pain of losing a loved one and the struggle to find a connection to them after they are physically gone from your life. "

Launch Week links, reviews, news about Night Swim

In NY, visiting with my dear, old friend, Alison Berns Stern Simon

And another, dear old friend, Annie. (That's our hotel room)

It was a fantastic first ten days since Night Swim was released. Starting with my launch party, then a fantastic trip to NYC for a reading as part of the Sunday Salon Reading series, a date with my agent, and visits with very old and wonderful friends. Here are some links to reviews. I am dizzy with travel and meet-ups, and busy-ness. (Can over-excitement cause headaches?) This incomplete list is a way of saying thanks to the reviewers and bloggers who chose to read and write about my novel. I'll be adding to this list in the weeks to come.

Carrie Howland and Scott Cheshire (fabulous writer) attended the reading hosted by the lovely
Sara Lippmann (with a peek of Terese Svoboda in the back, and author Paul Kerschen not in picture)

The New York Times, Newly Released Books (Jan. 19, 2012) review of Night Swim:

"This earnest debut centers on Sarah as she tunnels through new depths of loneliness..."

The Boston Sunday Globe (Jan. 15, 2012):

"Keener's observations perfectly capture..."

Booklist (Dec. 15, 2011)
"Rooted in personal sorrow, this memorable debut will strike a universal chord with readers: "Life was full of befores and afters." --Hazel Rochman

Style Substance Soul Anna March Reviews “Night Swim” 
"Keener is a big talent..."
stylesubstancesoul.com/.../anna-march-reviews-night-swim-by.

..Largehearted Boy: Book Notes - Jessica Keener "Night Swim"
Night Swim is a masterfully told tale. Dysfunctional family dynamics are revealed in language evocative and honest, and her ...
www.largeheartedboy.com/blog/.../book_notes_jess_11.html

Maura Lynch reviews Night Swim as if she's lived it!  http://loudmouthkid62.blogspot.com/
"In Night Swim, Jessica Keener has brought the Kunitz family to life through the extraordinary first-person narrative of Sarah Kunitz...masterful, awe-inspiring prose is what makes Night Swim such an amazing and exceptional novel."

Books Like Breathing: Review: Night Swim by Jessica Keener  (5 stars)
Review: Night Swim by Jessica Keener. image Publisher: The Fiction Studio ISBN:1936558262. Pages:284 pages. Genre: Young Adult/Contemporary ...
bookslikebreathing.blogspot.com/.../review-night-swim-by-jes...

David Gutowski - Jessica Keener creates and discusses a ...
Jessica Keener creates and discusses a music playlist for her debut novel Night Swim. Largehearted Boy: Book Notes - Jessica Keener "Night Swim" ...
https://plus.google.com/u/0/.../posts/akoWejUp85o

BU Today: A Debut Novel nearly two decades in the making "Keener has had a rich and varied literary life..."


Beyond the Margins: Lessons in patience and craft interview conducted by Robin Elizabeth Black who says Night Swim is "an exquisite portrait of a young woman whose upbringing in a troubled academic family has done everything but prepare her for adult life-except that she finds her own ways to survive and grow. Night swim is moving and a little bit harrowing. It's tender and it's also tough as nails."

BethFishReads  Night Swim Review
"Because Night Swim can be read on multiple levels, it's a great choice for book clubs."

SheKnows January Book Review (of Night Swim)

http://wordsnwags.blogspot.com/2012/04/night-swim-by-jessica-keener-review.html (April 2012)