publishing | Rita M. Gardner

Buckeye Tree at Phoenix Lake, Fall 2016

Fall is upon us, that bittersweet season where the earth takes a breather, goes fallow, and directs us to look inwards. It invites us to express gratitude for all we have been given. This year I am especially thankful for an unexpected family connection and visit – a gift I’ll cherish forever. On the literary side, I participated in the Bay Area Book Festival and LitQuake, and was a finalist in the 2016 National Indie Excellence Awards for The Coconut Latitudes. I’m delighted to have contributed to two new literary collections coming out in the next few weeks. I’ve also taken the time to read some inspiring books, such as The Body Keeps the Score, by Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.

Cover of book The Body Keeps the Score The book starts with the premise that trauma is a fact of life, one that “literally reshapes both body and brain.” As readers of my memoir know, alcoholism played a monumental role in my family, shaping lives and beliefs for decades. I am thankful for Dr. van der Kolk and all of the healers at the front lines in the battle to recover lives shattered by trauma in its many guises. While the subject is difficult, the book is uplifting and full of hope. I highly recommend it.

NEW BOOKS and UPCOMING EVENTS:

Book cover - Magic of Memoir From Fear to Freedom: A Memoir’s Journey, an essay I wrote about the (sometimes traumatic) experience of writing The Coconut Latitudes, is included in The Magic of Memoir. A collection of stories by 38 writers of memoir, it was edited by Linda Joy Myers (president and founder of the National Association of Memoir Writers) and Brooke Warner, publisher of She Writes Press. A “memoirist’s companion for when the going gets tough,” it also includes interviews with high-profile writers (including Mary Karr, Elizabeth Gilbert and Mark Matousek) whose inspiring tales shine their own light on the subject. This is the perfect gift to give anyone thinking of writing a memoir. For details or to pre-order, visit the Amazon book link: http://amzn.to/2c1BlZX . Publish date: November 2016.

Upcoming Book Event for The Magic of Memoir: Friday, November 18 at 7:00p at Laurel Books. 1423 Broadway, Oakland (just steps away from 12^th Street BART station). Please join me and the other contributors who will be reading excerpts.
wanderinginandalusiacover In other new book news, I’m excited to be part of Wanderland Writers’ latest anthology, Wandering in Andalusia: The Soul of Southern Spain. It launches with a celebration on Saturday, December 10, 7:00p.m. at Book Passage , 51 Tamal Vista, Corte Madera, CA. The collection includes several pieces I wrote during travel in Spain earlier this year. This new volume in the “Wandering” series is chock-a-block full of tasty reads from a variety of fine writers. The book launch will be a great way to kick off the holiday season with a distinctly Spanish flavor. I have it on good authority there may be some vino, flamenco moves, and castanets. I invite all my Bay Area friends to join the festivities – so be sure to mark your calendars now for some winter “Olé!” (And if you can’t make it that day, we’ll be doing another reading at Book Passage’s San Francisco Bookstore in the Ferry Building on Monday, December 12 at 6:00p.)

I hope this time of year brings you the promise of regrowth, joy, and healing. Heaven knows we can all use some healing after this fraught election process.

As leaves fall and pad California hiking trails with soft blankets of ocher and crimson, we whisper prayers for rain, but know bare branches are also necessary for rebirth and growth.

Walking on one of these mountain trails last week, I recalled words by Mark Matousek in a recent memoir writing workshop: “Growth demands a temporary surrender of security.” In the last six months leading up to and after the publication of The Coconut Latitudes, I’ve been forced to live outside of my comfort zone, to let myself become visible, and to share stories long held secret. In short, I had to surrender, and become vulnerable.

I’ve had to release the idea of appearing “perfect” when speaking in public or reading aloud to strangers and friends alike. Of course the ego still thinks it’s in charge. But what happened in surrendering, in becoming vulnerable? Nothing bad, and much that was surprising, such as the book launch party at Book Passage. It was a mind-bending experience with over 120 people packing the bookstore and buying a record number of copies. Overwhelmed by the love in the room, I forgot to be nervous when I got up to the podium. I recalled something else Mark noted: “When people read your story, they’re not reading about you, they’re reading about themselves.”

So far, my encounters with readers near and far have validated Mark’s assertion. Readers have introduced me to their struggles and their victories. I’ve reconnected with people lost since childhood, and have met individuals who poured out their own amazing and stunning tales. Most heartening, I’ve heard from my sister’s friends—who’d been kept in the dark about her past. It turns out my story fills out the missing pieces in their friendship with her, and keeps her closer to their hearts than before.

Everyone’s stories shape their past and color their present. Whether still hidden away in the fallow ground of winter, or getting ready to burst into the light, all stories matter. Often we manage to find a completely different truth when we dig deep enough below the tales we’ve told ourselves to survive. But it requires letting go. As we surrender to winter’s arrival, beneath those bare branches and fallen leaves, our roots continue to grow and gather strength. My wish for those who yearn to tell their truth—surrender to the quest.

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Fall/Winter News 2016

Gratitude and Surrender