Winter crept under my skin some time ago, slowing me as it slows the sap in the trees. I could tell you I've been busy, too busy to write a blog entry. But I couldn't tell you too accurately what has kept me occupied.
I'm in the final stages (I'm told) in writing the youth novel. Just a bit more tweaking (I'm told) and the arduous task of finding a good title.
But it's been more than two weeks since I got the last edit back from the agent and I've been too preoccupied -- with the season or other projects -- to finish that work.
Last week, I spent three days in Herndon, VA, interviewing Elaine Foster, my friend who provided me much of the research for Eight Survived. Now I'm trying to write a story about her amazing life.
But first, we are going to collaborate on a long magazine piece that she calls "The Truth about Thomas Paine." She is outraged that Glenn Beck has hijacked Paine to his cause -- which I would categorize as pumping up ratings. Her work was written some time ago. The task now will be to recast it as a broadside against Beck's claims of his affinity with Paine. She has the goods to make it work, and to break new ground about Paine's life.
When we get that done, Elaine wants me to help her with another project that she calls, in a subtitle, "What Ken Burns Didn't Tell You About the Civil War."
That's a great story, too. But I'm at least as intersted in telling Elaine's story and seeing her become, at age 86, the next feminist icon.
Two days until we get to see the grandchildren open presents. Monica is all atwitter! It should be fun.