Thursday, August 5, 2010

My Appreciation

To All,

I appreciate all the readers, but I especially appreciate the people who clicked under "Followers" and "Friends." To those of you, this is a time limited offer, but if you like, I'll send you one of my short story. It is a fairy tale based on a true remarkable story of a Chinese monk. I haven't finished editing yet. Rebb read it and she liked it! I'm thinking of reading it tonight at a local group. I hope to finish editing in a week. I provided my email address under contact, so if you send me your name and your wish for the story, I will send a copy.

Below is a hollyhock. I took the photo in May at the sidewalk near my place in Yokohama. I grew up looking at that hot pink hollyhock in a field near my house. I admire hollyhock. They grow very tall, but very strong. And the color is strong.


Below, I took these two photos in San Dimas last month. Again, the color is strong, and look at the strength of hollyhock! They bend, but not give in. How can we not admire it. I follow hollyhock although I won't grow taller anymore.



I didn't know hollyhock is from Central Asia. I just looked it up in my dictionary. I think of the history and hollyhock, and think of the appreciation spread throughout the world. How grand it is! I just happened to take the photos because I like them. But somehow, they always end up matching to the story I write. Strange, isn't it? It's a mystery like hollyhock.

6 comments:

Rebb said...

Keiko,

I loved the story. First time I read it, I allowed myself to fall into the story without thinking too much; second time, I was able to pick up the subtleties. A joy to read!

How did the reading go?

The first hollyhock photo is beautiful and elegant. I feel like she is a beautiful strong woman, so comfortable in her skin. All of the photos are a wonderful compliment to your piece--strange--myo--Even though myo is common to you, I love it. Yes, many delightful mysteries.

p.s. I appreciate you too :)

keiko amano said...

Rebb,

I just finished rating the meeting. The members were very patient. I read the story loudest I could speak because we were in the patio and listening to the noises of a party and many cars passing by behind us. After my reading, a member said there was a honking of car went off while I read, but I was too busy reading that I didn't remember.

I appreciated that you picked up the subtleties. Just listening to a story once is not enough to get those subtleties even if a writer is a professinal as well as genius. In an ideal writing workshop, we need a printed copy in advance and read it a few times in a quiet room in order to make worthy comments. But that demands mutual committment and discipline, so the group cannot be too large. What good about this meetup group is large and sociable, so I get an overall impression of the story, and I can listen to people's concern and ask my stupid questions.

Since I read 10 pages from top of my lung, I slept so well last night. Next Thursday, I'll read the remaining seven pages. If no one show up, well..., I guess I won't tell you that!

Luciana said...

Keiko, I'd like to read your story. You know my e-mail. Beautiful flowers! You know, my stepmother's mother used to say : if you don't like children, animals or flowers, there's something wrong with you. She was a bit radical in her thoughts, but in the right proportion I can understand what she meant. Those three reminds us we're alive. :-)
Really appreciate your company!

keiko amano said...

Lu,

I appreciate the kind of thinking as your stepmother's mother. More loving and courageous speakers like her should be our leaders. If anything extreme is allowed that is the view we should employ. We are humans, so we might not love everyting, but at least, we are able to work toward that goal for good of the world.

Thank you for your interest in my story. A discovery will be waiting for you! I hope you enjoy it. I sent it through email.

jiturajgor said...

Can send me your story at jiturajgor@gmail.com
thanks.

keiko amano said...

Jitu,

Thank you for your interest. Please let me know what you think of it. There are scenes in ancient India.