Do You Remember Your First Published Writing?

I had to dig in the vaults for this one, but I found it!My first publication was right out of high school for a small press magazine, Primitive Bikini, which is no longer in print. I had thought it was published when I was in high school, but it seems my memory was fuzzy as I pulled it out from the filing cabinet this afternoon. I'm going to share a poem with you about my time spent in the Appalachian Service Project, but first I want to tell you a little about the organization.

I blogged a little about this experience earlier this year. A.S.P. is a Methodist organization helping repair homes for the poor in the Appalachian Mountains of Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia. Every summer high school kids from all over the U.S. volunteer. Long after I left the church and organized religion all together, I still traveled with the program to do this service work because I believed in the people who ran it, people who were open-minded and accepting of everyone, regardless of their religion or lack of religion.

It's amazing and sad that there are still people here in our own country who live without indoor plumbing and running water in their homes. These people in the mountains have some of the biggest hearts and I was humbled by them. I volunteered for six years with A.S.P., my last year as a youth leader, which was truly rewarding.

Here's my poem about my experience. I don't write anything like this now, but it's good to remember where I come from. If I don't remember where I came from, I can't grow as a writer.

Morning Song

In the misty morning the
mountains swell as we
join hands in the
circle of eternity
our souls intertwine
to become one
our witnesses are the
whispering leaves and the
families whose lives have
been warmed with love
and affection
like the morning star
which rewards us with
life-giving light
as our spirits
dance in
celebration
for to give love
is to receive
happiness.

What was your first published piece?

As always, happy writing and happy reading to all!

What Are You Reading Between the Covers? - #2

I finished the last book I blogged about and sunk my teeth hungrily into a collection of short stories by Ron Rash called Burning Bright. 

This collection is close to my heart because of the service work I did repairing homes for the needy in the Appalachian Mountains in high school and college.  It opened my eyes to a brand new culture, steeped in rich traditions.

Ron Rash's stories took me back to that area of the country as soon as I read the first story.  The stories span a period of time from the Civil War, The Great Depression, all the way to present day Appalachia.  There is a theme throughout the book of hardship, loss, perseverance, pride, and a sense of family and community.  These are all lessons I learned while working in the mountains of Kentucky, Virginia, and West Virginia myself.

I have three favorites from the collection.  The first story is Dead Confederates, which is about two men who decide to dig up Confederate graves in a cemetery for profit.  The second is The Corpse Bird, which addresses the folklore of the owl being a harbinger of death in Appalachia.  This instantly brought to mind the folk song I Wish My Baby Was Born performed by Tim Eriksen, Riley Baugus, and Tim O'Brien on the Cold Mountain soundtrack -- a chilling accompaniment to this tale, and the third and final favorite of mine from this collection was Lincolnites which featured the Union supporters living down south during the Civil War. 

If you're interested in picking up a copy for your personal library, here is the link:

http://www.harpercollins.com/books/Burning-Bright-Ron-Rash/?isbn=9780061804113?AA=index_authorIntro_33503

Otherwise, you might pay a visit to your local library as I did.

As always, happy reading and happy writing to all!

FYI:  This is now an ongoing series where I will discuss the books I devour like candy.  Check back for more entries such as these, if you like what you read.  They will always be titled as above, so there will be no confusion.