Emergent memoir update

Monday (12/17): Since last I posted about my new memoir, I 've gotten lots of comments suggesting that I emphasize the sensational parts of my story, such as my mother's relationship with a member of the Purple gang during the 1920s and the incidences up in the mountains of North Carolina when my grandpa and his bothers were making Moonshine and running from the revenue agents. (I love long sentences!)

I am not averse to hanging out my dirty laundry, as I've learned that my family is not much different from most. We all have our dirty little secrets we'd rather not disclose, but it's important to me as a writer of memoir to be honest and authentic. Not that I'm looking for shocking events from my family's lives to expose but, if it's an integral part of the story, I do not want to be afraid to write about it.

The Purple gang connection has piqued my curiosity. In addition, I received an email from the brother of an on-line writer friend, who is writing a book about that era and the gang. He wants to exchange information, and I'm tempted to do so, only I really don't have a lot of information. So, I've decided to do some research about how my mother met this person, where she was living, and what she was doing at the time. 

Tuesday (12/25): I've started my research on the "Purples" and, honestly, what I've found so far is somewhat frightening. I'm not sure I want to pursue this. And, I can't believe my mother would have been involved with a man who was part of this gang.  She was a gentle person, beautiful and loving. At least as far as I know. But I only really "knew" who she was, after I became an adult. Before that, I saw her through the eyes of a child.......(more later)

Saturday (12/29): With Christmas over and my family gone, I've returned to my research. I'm going to give it another try even though the last exploration turned up some awful things about the Purple gang that turned me off temporarily. Today, I'm trying to figure out how and where my mother met her gangland boyfriend who, according to my sister, wasn't her boyfriend for very long. 

Seems my grandmother was in the room when my mother received a Christmas gift from him. It was a huge box that contained a sable coat with a diamond ring in the pocket. Guess the family, including my mother, had thought he was a nice young middle class boy with a crush on their daughter. When Roxie (my grandmother) saw the coat and ring, she freaked out and made my mother send it back and break up with him. Roxie, the matriarch,  always had good instincts and suspected immediately that he was part of  the Purple gang which, at that time, was running rampant in Detroit. Guessing again,  he may have looked like someone she saw in the newspaper.



  

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Emergent Memoir

Author's notes: This project is just getting underway. It may be too early to start posting excerpts as I haven't even finished the first draft. But I want to explore different approaches and test the content to see if a story about me and my grandparents might appeal to readers. Aside from ny children, no one in my family is still alive except my sister and she doesn't remember much. I've been able to unleash quite a few memories because I spent a lot of time with and was very close to them. But the memories are coming from all directions and I've found dealing with the time lines rather difficult. 

Also, there's a lot of research necessary to the various locations and events in the story, which is slowing down my flow (a major part of my process).  My voice as a young child seems to be coming through, which is good, but I sense there are a lot of emotional feelings that are trying to get out. It's a little scary, but I want to dig deeper and open myself up completely. 




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Profile: Meet Teresa Rhyne, author of The Dog Lived (and so will I)

Author Teresa Rhyne & Seamus
Check out Teresa's website

Due out in October of 2012, Teresa Rhyne's debut memoir is a book about triumph over the hurdles that life continually throws at us. I was one of her Beta readers and fortunate to be somewhat on the "inside", and so privy to her writing process as she worked on the final draft of her manuscript. I found it amazing that she could write with such clarity about about a subject that could have been devastating. Her humor and warmth come through loud and strong on every page.

Having gotten to know Teresa by working with her on line, my impression of her is one of a strong, courageous and loving woman who is capable of pulling up her boot straps when under fire and forging through what ever it takes to get the job done with humor, grace, and loyalty to those around her, including her dog Seamus...qualities we all hope we have. Her writing ability is evident in this poignant memoir.

The Book 

     "The Dog Lived (And So Will I)...is a tale of a dog who wouldn’t let go and the woman who followed his lead. It is the uplifting, charming, and often mischievous story of how dogs come into our lives for a reason, how they steal our hearts, show us how to live, and teach us how to love.

     Teresa Rhyne vowed to get things right this time around:  new boyfriend, new house, new dog, maybe even new job.  But shortly after she adopted an incorrigible beagle named Seamus, vets told Teresa that he had a malignant tumor and less than a year to live. The diagnosis was devastating, but she decided to fight it, learning everything she could about the best treatment for Seamus. She couldn’t have possibly known then that she was preparing herself for life’s next hurdle – a cancer diagnosis of her own. Teresa and Seamus would battle for their lives together, while at the same time she’d bare her heart for a seemingly star-crossed relationship." (taken from blurbs on back cover).

Teresa' Story

"When I found out I had cancer I said to Chris (writer, significant other...) If I die, given that Seamus lived, you have to write the memoir The Dog Lived. I love the irony. Seamus...was diagnosed with cancer more than 3 years ago and ...I was told, Seamus still doesn't know, that he would live maybe a year. Instead he's cancer-free and well into remission. That would be the great irony of my life story--the dog lives. I don't. Not surprisingly, Chris was not amused and did not want to write that memoir. Oh, and my prognosis [was}not at all that grim. So instead, in a rare mood [I attempted] to just put a positive spin on things. The Dog Lived...and so will I."

Book Trailer

Struggle with wigs

As a result of her Chemotherapy, Teresa lost her beautiful hair. "... Buying a wig should have been easy, but it wasn't...I just completely stumbled over it."  I am pretty sure buying and wearing wigs  isn't easy for most women who have had to face the same challenge. But Teresa took up the challenge and managed to wear them with style. I've included three pictures of Teresa in wigs, one blond, one brunette and a third flaming red. I think she's beautiful in all of them.

Blond Bombshell

Brunette Beauty

Ravishing Redhead

If you had to choose, which one would you pick?

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