tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50314324288689827972024-03-17T12:23:49.524-07:00Zark StreetBlogging about the crooked lines that lead us to the people we're meant to meet; bumping into faith unexpectedly; single parenting; interfaith marriage; older parents. Also writing about tween fiction, parenting tweens, rebels, rule breakers, historical 1950s fiction and an 11-year-old who wants to meet Jack Kerouac. Plus, whatever else occurs to me.
Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.comBlogger543125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-26007909879312090262024-03-17T12:22:00.000-07:002024-03-17T12:22:54.482-07:00Research Tips for the Tired: :Because You Can't Get Away from the R Word<p class="pw-post-body-paragraph acn aco acp oc b acq acr acs act acu acv acw acx nn acy acz ada ns adb adc add nx ade adf adg adh ew bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="3879" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2.14em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3FwhbyAhGh85Ktw-dBjup8E4dEiVDRhiUOpOPsC0kzy5AVII4dyuNGKRUa1DQRUcc7VeCqK3gcQMK18NeXw14xU7ys3DrtCsZkSx_KDW-gaCvlcKbsSO2C77LAPMQlgAUF8VzREw297o2pjWftPh_nGF0j6Yd3u7jZ4GAf2zYskzIwmw4_VWZLVxnGoQ/s5472/Research%20blog%20photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb3FwhbyAhGh85Ktw-dBjup8E4dEiVDRhiUOpOPsC0kzy5AVII4dyuNGKRUa1DQRUcc7VeCqK3gcQMK18NeXw14xU7ys3DrtCsZkSx_KDW-gaCvlcKbsSO2C77LAPMQlgAUF8VzREw297o2pjWftPh_nGF0j6Yd3u7jZ4GAf2zYskzIwmw4_VWZLVxnGoQ/s320/Research%20blog%20photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I’m having a frustration moment (or seventeen) this morning — can you hear me screaming? It’s</span><span style="font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">because I just realized one of the characters in my book isn’t grounded in enough research. Even though he’s a supporting character, I still need to learn more about the condition he has if I want to be true to the story. That means I need more time before I can send my manuscript to the publisher.</span><p></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph acn aco acp oc b acq acr acs act acu acv acw acx nn acy acz ada ns adb adc add nx ade adf adg adh ew bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="1a58" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2.14em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I used to think that barely anything I wrote required much research — especially if it was a book or play of my own devising. Looking at It more closely, <mark class="afh afi ao" style="background-color: #e8f3e8; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">I’ve come to understand that almost everything most of us write will require some sort of research.</mark> Why?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">We’re all trying to make sure our work has enough credibility or reality, even if the worlds we’re writing about are fictional. Besides the book I’m writing, I’m thinking about two different play subjects — one that includes a World War II idea and the other, a supernatural possession story. Not only do I need concrete historical information about the war, I need information about the source material that frames my possession play.</span> </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">--<a href="https://medium.com/counterarts/research-tips-for-the-tired-a7ccc9b50424"><i>Read more in Medium</i></a>.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Photo by </span><a class="af fk" href="https://unsplash.com/@headwayio?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Headway</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"> on </span><a class="af fk" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/black-smartphone-near-person-5QgIuuBxKwM?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Unsplash</a></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><br /></span></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-16718879070910878282024-03-10T15:37:00.000-07:002024-03-10T15:40:33.775-07:00To God and the Devil: Missing a Neighbor who Passed Away<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgbyFVidmKEmy1f0JmhZLWFe7QX7ylMXjujBrgkWZtZ6Q5zOHVDpK-GNMOCT0-pNvCXdCK8ZioWqjE13-I-bXYOFYR8PLsb6bh7-kM1bIRqd94ZmfIYaoBgG8Lws0Tyg4Ksb3Wg0ScyYYFmzXjG-AWih7jSE5itIJOP0x6el3n5-6uGy26VtWlT9XJuQe/s6048/Older%20man%20for%20Jim%20poetry.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4032" data-original-width="6048" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBgbyFVidmKEmy1f0JmhZLWFe7QX7ylMXjujBrgkWZtZ6Q5zOHVDpK-GNMOCT0-pNvCXdCK8ZioWqjE13-I-bXYOFYR8PLsb6bh7-kM1bIRqd94ZmfIYaoBgG8Lws0Tyg4Ksb3Wg0ScyYYFmzXjG-AWih7jSE5itIJOP0x6el3n5-6uGy26VtWlT9XJuQe/s320/Older%20man%20for%20Jim%20poetry.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p>A new publication on <i>Medium</i>, part of the Parasol Publications Group, is called <i>Imogene</i>'<i>s</i> <i>Notebook</i>. Focused on poetry and fiction, it allows writers like me to explore poetry more than we usually do. I wrote this for my neighbor, who passed away suddenly in Feburary.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Like a thief, breaking and entering without permission </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The world stole you away at two in the mronign and all we saw</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Was the light of the ambulance, blue-red flashes through our window</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thiking it was your wife who was ailing; but it was you.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We stood there, not wanting either of you gone</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Tears came too without permission, but still</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We thought we had reason to be hopeful</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Closing our eyes and trying to sleep.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">A week later we’d see your urn on a funeral home mantel<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Knowing your darling would take it home as keeper of your ashes<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" />Not knowing what to say to her as we edged closer</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We could see the sorrow open her like a coat, digging in.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><i>Read more on</i> <a href="https://medium.com/imogenes-notebook/to-god-and-the-devil-4f3e3badcd8e">Medium</a>.<br style="box-sizing: inherit;" /><br /></span><p></p></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-50919377231195345592024-03-04T10:18:00.000-08:002024-03-04T10:18:20.816-08:00Why Are Swordfights Such a Favorite Onstage?<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyG6LBErKH2bhWNyeefdVxfUDTlxPrnZ4ZhRdl-34vrVzfBUeIBfrt_4FwJbvW9kQXVm4w5PZ-HaF_yKO6p00e8Ck_Wy5GSHA9aMaw5OISg8KZEe5pHrxS351qU9HAHpkmQ9-U98ZcaHNfJiRW3oXj6JIJS2t_rb8G5Up5YCzmvVnKGwbndBi-__tpsaz/s4134/Sword%20-%20woman%20baran-lotfollahi-b8Yz21v8yLE-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2720" data-original-width="4134" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnyG6LBErKH2bhWNyeefdVxfUDTlxPrnZ4ZhRdl-34vrVzfBUeIBfrt_4FwJbvW9kQXVm4w5PZ-HaF_yKO6p00e8Ck_Wy5GSHA9aMaw5OISg8KZEe5pHrxS351qU9HAHpkmQ9-U98ZcaHNfJiRW3oXj6JIJS2t_rb8G5Up5YCzmvVnKGwbndBi-__tpsaz/s320/Sword%20-%20woman%20baran-lotfollahi-b8Yz21v8yLE-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Are you creating fights onstage or onscreen? Acting out these fights (or even thinking aboug it)? My own preferences shy away from guns or fists — but I am a huge fan of fencing.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">There is something about using swords and broadswords that I find absolutely thrilling — and somehow, that seem less violent than other sorts of fighting — even when I know that isn’t true. When I was just out of college, I studied acting at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco. Fencing was part of the program, and the day we had that class was one of my favorite days.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I loved sparring with broadswords, especially, but also enjoyed the lighter touch of fencing. I had only the one beginner’s class, and though I’ve thought about taking more classes quite a bit, I never did get around to it.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">At the end of the summer, there was a stage fight performance by our class, with students paired off in partners who performed fight scenes from selected plays. For some reason that I cannot even remember, I did not participate in this session. I can’t imagine I wouldn’t have wanted to, but can only say there was something that kept me from it.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.06px;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The event happened on a bright, warm day in San Francisco as the sun lit up the room. Students and faculty gathered on one side of the gym as my classmates performed. While most involved fencing, there were also great examples of hand-to-hand combat and broadswords. And while it’s a cliché to say my heart “leapt” while watching them, I couldn’t help but wish I’d participated, thinking, “You really could — if you only would.”</span></span></p><p><a href="https://medium.com/counterarts/why-are-sword-fights-such-a-favorite-e9c691e9bb78" style="background-color: white; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.06px;"><i>Read more</i> <i>on</i> <i>Medium</i></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.06px;">.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Photo by </span><a class="ba ra" href="https://unsplash.com/@baranlotfollahi?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Baran Lotfollahi</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"> on </span><a class="ba ra" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/a-woman-with-a-sword-and-a-scarf-on-b8Yz21v8yLE?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Unsplash</a></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-26659545561150211712024-02-13T12:15:00.000-08:002024-02-13T12:17:01.702-08:00Her Theater Made Me a Better Playwright: Remembering Tanya Berezin<p><span face="source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="color: #242424; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAL6SWK-J-5XushBHyOiqjftqy6cN8hMYadz46KHbUrOiIAxC2br9tja6gvfJhVvzmD7Zfx0Cf2mbIIwQorDxuW4VClOa9MyJ78l2BH4QEAI3O6oifeZdCvXyitgu7_kgVV4t3KKZciyPdRDwLBJ3bn5l_f2H2mrkGzz_Y6V7aiMTuT4oKDfbfyc372drj/s3750/Circle%20Rep%20photo%20-%20martin-de-arriba-qx6QtPOhO9I-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2500" data-original-width="3750" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAL6SWK-J-5XushBHyOiqjftqy6cN8hMYadz46KHbUrOiIAxC2br9tja6gvfJhVvzmD7Zfx0Cf2mbIIwQorDxuW4VClOa9MyJ78l2BH4QEAI3O6oifeZdCvXyitgu7_kgVV4t3KKZciyPdRDwLBJ3bn5l_f2H2mrkGzz_Y6V7aiMTuT4oKDfbfyc372drj/s320/Circle%20Rep%20photo%20-%20martin-de-arriba-qx6QtPOhO9I-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>I don’t remember how I first became aware of Circle Repertory Company, but growing up in northern New Jersey, I got into New York City as much as I possibly could. In my twenties, I discovered a theater that would (<em class="zc" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">cliché alert</em><span face="source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="color: #242424; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">) change my life.</span><p></p><p><span face="source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="color: #242424; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">The first thing I did at Circle Rep was audition for a role, and I even remember the part I wanted — that of a Yugoslavian immigrant trying to reconcile her old life and her new one. The actors I auditioned with had astonishing concentration and made me feel as though we were already in the play. It was one of my favorite auditions, though I did not get a callback that day.</span></p><p><span face="source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="color: #242424; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">I did, however, leave the company thinking about how much I wanted to return. It wasn’t so much about being part of an established theater. It was about finding a theater where the kind of work they were doing matched the work I wanted to do.</span></p><p><span face="source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="color: #242424; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">As I stepped outside of 99 Seventh Avenue South, watching crowds of people avoiding other crowds as they do so well in New York, I made a pact with myself:</span></p><p><span face="source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="color: #242424; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Some day, I will stand at the door of this theater, and be invited in to be a part of it.</span></p><p><span face="source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, Times New Roman, Times, serif" style="color: #242424;"><span style="font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.06px;"><i>Read more on <a href="https://medium.com/the-wind-phone/memory-circle-repertorys-artistic-director-tanya-berezin-9e1ada44a495">Medium</a></i>.</span></span></p><p><span face="source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, Times New Roman, Times, serif" style="color: #242424;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.06px;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;">Photo by </span><a class="ba qs" href="https://unsplash.com/@martindearriba?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Martin de Arriba</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;"> on </span><a class="ba qs" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/people-sitting-on-red-chairs-watching-a-band-performing-on-stage-qx6QtPOhO9I?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Unsplash</a></span></span></p><p><span face="source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, Times New Roman, Times, serif" style="color: #242424;"><span style="font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.06px;"><br /></span></span></p><div class="n p zd ff jv ze" role="separator" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; justify-content: center; margin-bottom: 14px; margin-top: 32px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-top: 24px;"><span class="zf ci bt zg zh zi" color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)" face="medium-content-sans-serif-font, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: black; border-radius: 50%; box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; height: 3px; margin-right: 20px; width: 3px;"></span><span class="zf ci bt zg zh zi" color="rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8)" face="medium-content-sans-serif-font, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Open Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif" style="background-color: black; border-radius: 50%; box-sizing: inherit; display: inline-block; height: 3px; margin-right: 20px; width: 3px;"></span></div>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-41643935033072119092024-01-29T14:18:00.000-08:002024-02-13T12:18:33.328-08:00Do You Have Friends Who Lost Housing? Odds are High You Do<p><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGL3Qylyfc-BApVr1rY4WPBETIk1E-Kx1IlTcuUdgTNutC9g1ug3bFz59ZU-1gS1wCORfpKr8hwk0W4DSWDklF58qLOYENbjcnbIDtXP7siyHeLipgAyFPN72tv3kdc3x1AduX4tQ0_fOWDXWpOVZg21Faew7x0ulnd7kyffuWaYOb-2nIJ-FA4hC_VFlq/s6000/Houseless%20pic%20-%20eric-ward-akT1bnnuMMk-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="6000" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGL3Qylyfc-BApVr1rY4WPBETIk1E-Kx1IlTcuUdgTNutC9g1ug3bFz59ZU-1gS1wCORfpKr8hwk0W4DSWDklF58qLOYENbjcnbIDtXP7siyHeLipgAyFPN72tv3kdc3x1AduX4tQ0_fOWDXWpOVZg21Faew7x0ulnd7kyffuWaYOb-2nIJ-FA4hC_VFlq/s320/Houseless%20pic%20-%20eric-ward-akT1bnnuMMk-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>The cold is like an animal here, but not just any animal.
It’s a T-Rex with a mouth as wide as a cave, screaming cold into your bones
until you freeze. It’s the Snow Queen, icing your heart solid while your body ices
around it. The cold perches on your chest like a wolf, draining you of all
defense and forcing you to shiver and hunt for the nearest blanket. <p></p><p><span style="font-family: Garamond, serif; font-size: 12pt;">That’s the
cold we live with in the Upper Midwest.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">That cold is bearable for those of us who have warm kitchens,
beds and fireplaces. It might even be something you seek out if you want to
spend the day skiing or snowmobiling. If you have no choice about being
outside, though, it’s a very different story. As January winds grow defiantly
stronger, I can’t help but think about the people who don’t have anywhere to go.
<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I met a woman I’ll call Sadie some years ago. She had not had
a place to live for a year. Sadie stayed in shelters where she could barely
sleep because of well-founded fears of her possessions being stolen. Luckily,
she found a community college program that allowed her to live at a care
community while she was training to be a certified nursing assistant. She was
also able to stay at that community as an employee with reduced rent.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: "Garamond",serif; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%;">I interviewed Sadie for a newsletter at my workplace, and
found her to be funny, lively, kind and unfailingly positive. Her story
inspired me and I was honored to write it. Yet, a few months later, creditors
from her former life descended on her and hounded her mercilessly. Sadie fled
the area and I was never able to discover where she went.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i><a href="https://medium.com/age-of-empathy/do-you-have-friends-who-lost-their-housing-2489041798ee" target="_blank">Read more on Medium</a></i>.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Photo by </span><a class="af no" href="https://unsplash.com/@ericjamesward?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Eric Ward</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"> on </span><a class="af no" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/woman-leaning-against-a-wall-in-dim-hallway-akT1bnnuMMk?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Unsplash</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-10630709225702958502024-01-14T13:59:00.000-08:002024-02-13T12:19:39.464-08:00Theater, Religion and Sacred Space: The Similarities May Surprise You<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZV6B0smKY0VQ6dOyjvQgz8tJ4HYgh0ptWNJOWyTf-6TUc8t8kqdebXuqwpNhT3XriNsnOvopvxPdJk7RsThZl1wrq2TZ3a7bTH8710I6esC1eVvcaK1kh3eStJkjYIa88UVGXloGEG4LEkr6v7w7PTJ1r0exbrYAVIGgbl1Mst1hJqtowxiyysh0fVl8u/s5301/Ritual%20vitaliy-lyubezhanin-gfVofr15ICc-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3534" data-original-width="5301" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZV6B0smKY0VQ6dOyjvQgz8tJ4HYgh0ptWNJOWyTf-6TUc8t8kqdebXuqwpNhT3XriNsnOvopvxPdJk7RsThZl1wrq2TZ3a7bTH8710I6esC1eVvcaK1kh3eStJkjYIa88UVGXloGEG4LEkr6v7w7PTJ1r0exbrYAVIGgbl1Mst1hJqtowxiyysh0fVl8u/s320/Ritual%20vitaliy-lyubezhanin-gfVofr15ICc-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">“</span><em class="zq" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">This is my church</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">,” they say, but you’re not standing in one.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph jb jc jd je b jf kb jh ji jj kc jl jm jn kd jp jq jr ke jt ju jv kf jx jy jz ka bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="a992" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2.14em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">“<em class="zq" style="box-sizing: inherit;">This is synagogue</em>/<em class="zq" style="box-sizing: inherit;">mosque</em>/<em class="zq" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Buddhist/Hindu Temple</em>,” they say, but it doesn’t look anything like one.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph jb jc jd je b jf kb jh ji jj kc jl jm jn kd jp jq jr ke jt ju jv kf jx jy jz ka bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="09f8" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2.14em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">They are standing on a stage when they say these things, or behind stage, or near it. They may be marking up a script with highlighter or they may be in the audience, watching a friend perform.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph jb jc jd je b jf kb jh ji jj kc jl jm jn kd jp jq jr ke jt ju jv kf jx jy jz ka bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="1f75" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2.14em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">If you spent any time in a theater community — and by that, I mean actors, writers, directors, and everyone who makes a show run — then you know what I am talking about.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph jb jc jd je b jf kb jh ji jj kc jl jm jn kd jp jq jr ke jt ju jv kf jx jy jz ka bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="fb90" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2.14em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">You may be on a rehearsal break outside. You may be in a corner with your dramaturge (if you’re a playwright), discussing an especially tricky moment in your play. Or you may have just finished a performance and then hear the audience call you out onstage one more time, with the sound of applause so loud you can hear it in your dressing room.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph jb jc jd je b jf kb jh ji jj kc jl jm jn kd jp jq jr ke jt ju jv kf jx jy jz ka bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="1f96" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2.14em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">Is that a church? Is that a mosque or synagogue? Buddhist or Hindu Temple?</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph jb jc jd je b jf kb jh ji jj kc jl jm jn kd jp jq jr ke jt ju jv kf jx jy jz ka bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="9434" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2.14em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">You can only answer truthfully if you’ve been in one — but if you have, I think you would agree that yes, theater and religion have a lot in common— starting with sacred space.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph jb jc jd je b jf kb jh ji jj kc jl jm jn kd jp jq jr ke jt ju jv kf jx jy jz ka bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="9434" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2.14em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><i><a href="https://medium.com/counterarts/theater-religion-and-sacred-space-8ccb1e342502">Read more on Medium</a></i>.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph jb jc jd je b jf kb jh ji jj kc jl jm jn kd jp jq jr ke jt ju jv kf jx jy jz ka bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="9434" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2.14em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="color: #6b6b6b; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;">Photo by </span><a class="af mw" href="https://unsplash.com/@aperinastudios?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Vitaliy Lyubezhanin</a><span style="color: #6b6b6b; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;"> on </span><a class="af mw" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/people-hands-with-tattoes-gfVofr15ICc?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Unsplash</a></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-37103492074496398382024-01-08T14:21:00.000-08:002024-02-13T12:20:38.518-08:00Frankenstein's Dad Had Nothing on His Mom: Exploring the Fascinations of Author Mary Shelley<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZEmdnSc4at7Wdlt67fCw1t4t2rC6y4oKQIBkiz1sNDLTRoidirgBO_yisJScdpAwgwq4lfB9GgNXFOkH4xwn7fqIf82WoAkrxHK07rU8Xu4DZy7wtDnRZvIJ7kP76wTRPWju4wXJT4pSfG1Nr3UT8ujZ-3L7O4qlPI0fWaBLh4a5Vj_33v8oCh6Q58VRn/s6332/Mary%20Shelley%20book%20photo%20dad-grass-jLaPiMKNoOo-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4224" data-original-width="6332" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZEmdnSc4at7Wdlt67fCw1t4t2rC6y4oKQIBkiz1sNDLTRoidirgBO_yisJScdpAwgwq4lfB9GgNXFOkH4xwn7fqIf82WoAkrxHK07rU8Xu4DZy7wtDnRZvIJ7kP76wTRPWju4wXJT4pSfG1Nr3UT8ujZ-3L7O4qlPI0fWaBLh4a5Vj_33v8oCh6Q58VRn/s320/Mary%20Shelley%20book%20photo%20dad-grass-jLaPiMKNoOo-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>As a former camper and counselor-in-training in northern New Jersey, I liked most of the activities offered up to me. One in particular, though, stands out: overnight campfire -- sleepovers and the ghost stories that went with it.<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">While they were always fun and I loved hearing and making up ghost stories, none of them compared to the classic TV horror movies I watched when growing up (think Svengoolie). My favorites were the</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><em class="ahh" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Frankenstein</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">movies, though Dracula and the Wolf Man caught my eye, too.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Then, I learned something about</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><em class="ahh" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Frankenstein</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">that endeared the movie (and later book) to me even more: the story was created by a young woman who wrote it after being challenged to write a ghost story. She was the only one in her circle who did — at the ripe old age of eighteen.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Her name: Mary Shelley. She was married to the poet Percy B. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Shelley and had what seems to be a difficult, tempestuous marriage. When I first discovered one of the most enduring horror stories in the world had been created by Shelley, I wanted to learn everything I could about her — and can see I’m not alone here on Medium. Like many of you, I keep trying to figure out why she continues to pique my curiosity.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Read more on <a href="https://medium.com/counterarts/frankensteins-dad-had-nothing-on-his-mom-164dffe96bbd">Medium</a>.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Photo by </span><a class="af nt" href="https://unsplash.com/@dadgrass?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Dad Grass</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"> on </span><a class="af nt" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/an-open-book-sitting-on-top-of-a-table-next-to-two-pumpkins-jLaPiMKNoOo?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Unsplash</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-13251055115849098242023-12-26T17:47:00.000-08:002023-12-26T17:47:21.147-08:00My First Baguette Taught Me Everything About Who I Wanted to Be<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92RmUkEtOErr5Kkb8FNE5sQePiXvuIIv9QnUHBxUOUmZ7FstDy9XGwwGHLOH5ZUAn-pku-uAGw5hbjvPfxofciG5Hac5pp7Gl5ptI_xT24Bh55PmGaF6cRgOybGeKFgJ1Sfyd71u8utltOfHbNN7TJApknqmSwKgXnbdE10lKyCs8ctxaEM8iUtSnJucs/s3550/Baguette%20sergio-arze-cWXibBbXx44-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2433" data-original-width="3550" height="219" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi92RmUkEtOErr5Kkb8FNE5sQePiXvuIIv9QnUHBxUOUmZ7FstDy9XGwwGHLOH5ZUAn-pku-uAGw5hbjvPfxofciG5Hac5pp7Gl5ptI_xT24Bh55PmGaF6cRgOybGeKFgJ1Sfyd71u8utltOfHbNN7TJApknqmSwKgXnbdE10lKyCs8ctxaEM8iUtSnJucs/s320/Baguette%20sergio-arze-cWXibBbXx44-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">I<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">t was tiny, dark, lit mostly by candlelight. There was a fireplace, and there wasn’t a fireplace, because it was too many years ago I was in this restaurant and cannot remember.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">I remember the wine, a swirling burgundy in my glass that made me feel enormously sophisticated. There was a man, not so much older than I was, and we were both in college — I was in Boston, he was in New Hampshire. He liked taking me out to restaurants, and this was our favorite. French, with seductive fragrances and attentive waiters. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;">My strongest memory of this time is the bread -- a long, crusty invitation to happiness called a "baguette." </span><span style="font-family: georgia;">The brown crust hid a puffy white bread that seemed to want to swallow butter whole. It wasn’t easy to spread the butter, but once you did and bit into the bread, your mouth closed on a little bit of heaven that promised one day you’d be in France.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">To me, it spoke of trains and one-of-a-kind dresses, café au laits, and patisserie shops near the Seine. It made me think of my favorite movie as a child,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><em class="om" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">The Hunchback of Notre Dame</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">. It made me believe I could be who I wanted to be — an actor (maybe a famous one), and more importantly, a “woman of the world.” I wasn’t really clear about what that meant, but I knew I wanted to be one.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"><i><a href="https://medium.com/the-narrative-arc/my-first-baguette-taught-me-everything-c8fc7a67f539">Read more on Medium</a></i>.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Photo by </span><a class="af np" href="https://unsplash.com/@sergich?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Sergio Arze</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"> on </span><a class="af np" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/bread-cWXibBbXx44?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Unsplash</a></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-42921378446627494862023-12-20T17:20:00.000-08:002023-12-20T17:20:49.567-08:00Thank you, No: When You're Rejected After an Audition<p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxZ_YXcueOcMze9VXl1173HpONEisMMToGxfrZ5NC0P-fz-0CWZ3moDKRStaBuLfm1-kpaOkgg_N4aFRIsO000q697AXS2KQMYSUCAGPomoUg87ijp6ydaETG_UeDTUse6yAN4jVvKBup5E6FoVwp7hNuJKId4Yj8JLCLeA6SgkCVbjV_5inmzwZwbWYY/s3814/Audition%20vladimir-fedotov--w-V5GRG9-0-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2538" data-original-width="3814" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIxZ_YXcueOcMze9VXl1173HpONEisMMToGxfrZ5NC0P-fz-0CWZ3moDKRStaBuLfm1-kpaOkgg_N4aFRIsO000q697AXS2KQMYSUCAGPomoUg87ijp6ydaETG_UeDTUse6yAN4jVvKBup5E6FoVwp7hNuJKId4Yj8JLCLeA6SgkCVbjV_5inmzwZwbWYY/s320/Audition%20vladimir-fedotov--w-V5GRG9-0-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br />If you’ve been an actor for any length of time, you probably know you’re going to suffer through your share of rejections. If you’re an actor in a city like New York, you may be getting more rejections than you ever thought possible.</span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">The good news, if there is any, is that most actors will tell you to expect a bumpy ride in the early stages of your journey. Even if or when you are successful, you’re still likely to lose out on parts that seemed like a perfect fit for you.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">If you’re lucky enough to get an agent, he or she can submit your name for auditions and give you a head start toward getting seen. If you don’t have an agent, you can still find plenty of audition opportunities, including open calls.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">I won’t go into all the</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><a class="af fk" href="https://www.actoraesthetic.com/blog/nyc-audition-studios" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;" target="_blank">ins and outs of open calls</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">and</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><a class="af fk" href="https://www.actoraesthetic.com/blog/unofficial-lists" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;" target="_blank">how to sign up for them</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">in New York, but you can find information at the links in this sentence. There are also very specific ways to audition for plays in other cities throughout the country, and you don’t need my help to find them.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">What I</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><em class="aer" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">do</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">want to share here are some ideas about how to deal with your feelings when the creative team says, “Thank you for coming,” and you never hear from them again. In the years when I was acting, that happened to me a lot. There were days when I felt that if there was such a thing as heaven, I’d surely have to audition for it — and expect to be turned away.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph adz aea xq np b yh aeb aec aed yk aee aef aeg na aeh aei aej nf aek ael aem nk aen aeo aep aeq ew bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="a805" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2.14em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://medium.com/counterarts/thank-you-no-b6c0d5dc713f">Read more on Medium</a></i>.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph adz aea xq np b yh aeb aec aed yk aee aef aeg na aeh aei aej nf aek ael aem nk aen aeo aep aeq ew bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="a805" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2.14em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-41351018382636221332023-11-27T17:26:00.000-08:002023-11-27T17:26:39.150-08:00Being Back Home Isn’t Ever What You Think It Will Be<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozFd7GZOimqjlbCrr4PAFeBbEFmkO0nrXE6_ZlF8vWSDl6Xg-REC1AtQBH2Tfsspiyr_YzNwFa0gxPCDLdSWiazg5T4OCPrLkO43_2uYrxEezxM0GpNnwTJ8wcwquKdbhE-DNRR7ZJeElPhC-jWjWfaBBt3yhcuHWFyAM21Z6Y0o1d4cUReMhioNCXnhT/s5472/NYC%20michael-discenza-5omwAMDxmkU-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3648" data-original-width="5472" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiozFd7GZOimqjlbCrr4PAFeBbEFmkO0nrXE6_ZlF8vWSDl6Xg-REC1AtQBH2Tfsspiyr_YzNwFa0gxPCDLdSWiazg5T4OCPrLkO43_2uYrxEezxM0GpNnwTJ8wcwquKdbhE-DNRR7ZJeElPhC-jWjWfaBBt3yhcuHWFyAM21Z6Y0o1d4cUReMhioNCXnhT/s320/NYC%20michael-discenza-5omwAMDxmkU-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">The city’s energy rises around me as soon as we enter, pulsing, buzzing, beating like a heart. I’m in a cab on the way to a reading for my book,<span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><em class="yw" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Crooked Lines</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">. I am trying to decide if I could live here again.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">New York, in all its glory, looms over and around me, concrete, loud and never still. When I lived here many years ago, the energy made me feel like an adventure was always around the corner.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">After living in the Midwest for longer than I ever imagined, I am almost a stranger here. Driving around midtown or the upper west side, it feels congested, like there are too many people on the streets.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">At home, when I walk around the lake near my house, I may see seven or eight people; rarely more. Here, people are everywhere, and it’s all I can do to keep from running into them.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">I am here not only for a book reading; I am here to see my sister, who is struggling with a variety of health issues. I am here to see friends and relatives and have spent a few days with my son and his family outside the city. Now it is New York’s turn, and I am up for that.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph ye yf su mf b tl yg yh yi to yj yk yl lp ym yn yo lu yp yq yr lz ys yt yu yv in br" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="796f" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2.14em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Read more on <a href="https://medium.com/age-of-empathy/being-back-home-isnt-ever-what-you-think-it-will-be-fdbdbba98ed1">Medium</a>:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; text-align: center;">Photo by </span><a class="ba qs" href="https://unsplash.com/@mdisc?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Michael Discenza</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; text-align: center;"> on </span><a class="ba qs" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/landscape-photo-of-new-york-empire-state-building-5omwAMDxmkU?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Unsplash</a></span></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-320931700641508012023-11-19T08:33:00.000-08:002023-11-19T08:33:43.246-08:00What's an Eleven O'clock Number? And Hey, Why Do They Call it That?<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCRL3C03Z5jFQ39DLck4dVR6NCrFLAqFnGt43uhaRfRwEMncYkZ-9uhzLsOiqX89gRVZGB8pUtg46sdtBUvxhjcIjh8-V2JLUukCAHG8JPCtZGa64r_MxJrjazkDXYe7a9KFfPJW6FlyQA7F9BBE6xdFB3rWlLqKqfsEuPRODpEiUo49VjlILPKjABV1a/s4896/kenny-eliason-KYxXMTpTzek-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3220" data-original-width="4896" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaCRL3C03Z5jFQ39DLck4dVR6NCrFLAqFnGt43uhaRfRwEMncYkZ-9uhzLsOiqX89gRVZGB8pUtg46sdtBUvxhjcIjh8-V2JLUukCAHG8JPCtZGa64r_MxJrjazkDXYe7a9KFfPJW6FlyQA7F9BBE6xdFB3rWlLqKqfsEuPRODpEiUo49VjlILPKjABV1a/s320/kenny-eliason-KYxXMTpTzek-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"><br />Have you ever wondered what people are talking about when they mention “eleven o’clock numbers?” If they’re talking about musical theater, they’re referring to a show-stopping song (aka</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><em class="aex" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">number</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">) that signifies a lead character’s realization, change of heart, or another big moment. The song gives the character time to work through his or her transformation and leads us into the finale, which should bring some sort of closure to the world of the play.</span></span><p></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aef aeg xx nn b yo aeh aei aej yr aek ael aem my aen aeo aep nd aeq aer aes ni aet aeu aev aew ew bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="89ca" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Why do we call these songs eleven o’clock numbers? As it happens, plays used to start later (especially on Broadway), so th<span style="letter-spacing: -0.003em;">e song</span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><span class="nn ke" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">traditionally appeared along about eleven o’clock</span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.003em;">. Hopefully, if you were falling asleep, the eleven o’clock number woke you up; and to do that, songwriting gods (whoever</span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><em class="aex" style="box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">they</em><span style="letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><span style="letter-spacing: -0.003em;">are) say it should have at least three of the following traits:</span></span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aef aeg xx nn b yo aeh aei aej yr aek ael aem my aen aeo aep nd aeq aer aes ni aet aeu aev aew ew bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="89ca" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.003em;"><i><b><a href="https://medium.com/counterarts/whats-an-eleven-o-clock-number-b7fa14361d2d">Read more on Medium.</a></b></i></span></span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph aef aeg xx nn b yo aeh aei aej yr aek ael aem my aen aeo aep nd aeq aer aes ni aet aeu aev aew ew bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="89ca" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.003em;"><span style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: normal; text-wrap: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@neonbrand?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" style="background-color: #f1f1f1; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-wrap: nowrap; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">Kenny Eliason</a><span style="background-color: #f1f1f1; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: normal; text-wrap: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/clear-hour-glass-with-brown-frame-KYxXMTpTzek?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" style="background-color: #f1f1f1; box-sizing: border-box; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; letter-spacing: normal; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-wrap: nowrap; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">Unsplash</a></span></span></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-24188024435539787112023-10-29T12:51:00.004-07:002023-10-29T12:58:58.637-07:00New Owner of My Old Work Phone Playing Ugly Games<p> </p><div class="gx wd we wf wg" style="box-sizing: inherit; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><div class="ab cm" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; justify-content: center;"><div class="em bg eo ep eq er" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 24px; max-width: 680px; min-width: 0px; width: 680px;"><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph zs zt wi nl b xb zu zv zw xe zx zy zz mv aba abb abc na abd abe abf nf abg abh abi abj gx bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="5fd6" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWguqeiDEHi178afaSheXZBPhngJClZmfxp1icZtDTkaaOPtuycrQvn3dWyhUVE4PqCIOHge0nY_f67z94qKRtZ8aqaKKRWFvBHRlrAFxGmjJjhy6FJdqaGNsaGJ0RUrPAZevNDDMDupa5OkUSOZGMSPfsN7brlm7JZ_YsHsFiQ-PEHZOcd5i2ZiXI5v8A/s1721/New%20owner%20old%20phone.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1721" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWguqeiDEHi178afaSheXZBPhngJClZmfxp1icZtDTkaaOPtuycrQvn3dWyhUVE4PqCIOHge0nY_f67z94qKRtZ8aqaKKRWFvBHRlrAFxGmjJjhy6FJdqaGNsaGJ0RUrPAZevNDDMDupa5OkUSOZGMSPfsN7brlm7JZ_YsHsFiQ-PEHZOcd5i2ZiXI5v8A/s320/New%20owner%20old%20phone.webp" width="260" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I’m scrolling through emails when my friend’s name appears at the top of my screen. “Jenna,” she writes, “What’s going on? We have two text lines for you and are getting bizarre messages on the other one.”</span><p></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph zs zt wi nl b xb zu zv zw xe zx zy zz mv aba abb abc na abd abe abf nf abg abh abi abj gx bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="cdfc" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“I sent only one message today at 9:36 a. m.,” I respond. I am in New York, visiting family and friends, and had made a date with my friend and her husband. I was really looking forward to seeing them but had to cancel after being slammed with a punishing case of laryngitis.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph zs zt wi nl b xb zu zv zw xe zx zy zz mv aba abb abc na abd abe abf nf abg abh abi abj gx bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="a2a0" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“I sent you a message after we spoke on the phone saying that we were sorry we missed you, and how we looked forward to seeing you again,” my friend continues. “That was on the other Jenna text or appeared to be — it had your photo.”</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph zs zt wi nl b xb zu zv zw xe zx zy zz mv aba abb abc na abd abe abf nf abg abh abi abj gx bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="47c9" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">My heart sinks as I begin to realize what my friend is saying.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph zs zt wi nl b xb zu zv zw xe zx zy zz mv aba abb abc na abd abe abf nf abg abh abi abj gx bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="e891" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“Then ‘you’ replied, “Me too,” followed by “Just kidding. I hate you.” My friend thought I was joking, so she replied with a crying emoji to let me know she understood I was goofing around.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph zs zt wi nl b xb zu zv zw xe zx zy zz mv aba abb abc na abd abe abf nf abg abh abi abj gx bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="d8ee" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">In fact, my friend is encountering an unwilling doppelganger who inherited my phone number, likely a few months after I gave up my office mobile after being laid off. I had sent messages to all my friends about my cell number changing, but knowing that not everyone reads every email, it makes sense that some would hold onto my old number for a while.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph zs zt wi nl b xb zu zv zw xe zx zy zz mv aba abb abc na abd abe abf nf abg abh abi abj gx bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="d8ee" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><a href="https://medium.com/age-of-empathy/new-owner-of-my-old-work-phone-playing-ugly-games-3d37f181844f" style="letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Read more on Medium</a></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph zs zt wi nl b xb zu zv zw xe zx zy zz mv aba abb abc na abd abe abf nf abg abh abi abj gx bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="d8ee" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span face="sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;">Photo by </span><a class="af zr" href="https://unsplash.com/@devinkaselnak?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Devin Kaselnak</a><span face="sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;"> on </span><a class="af zr" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/man-sitting-on-stool-near-wall-PCgVa5HmGEE?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Unsplash</a></p><div class="gx wd we wf wg" style="box-sizing: inherit; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;"><div class="ab cm" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: flex; justify-content: center;"><div class="em bg eo ep eq er" style="box-sizing: inherit; margin: 0px 24px; max-width: 680px; min-width: 0px; width: 680px;"><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph zs zt wi nl b xb zu zv zw xe zx zy zz mv aba abb abc na abd abe abf nf abg abh abi abj gx bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="d8ee" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><br /></p></div></div></div></div></div></div>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-77717864131382218682023-10-29T12:44:00.000-07:002023-10-29T12:44:34.181-07:00Is There an (OMG) Real Person in Your Story or Play? What to Know Before Writing<p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4DrvhEeIEAbJF-_AspALuYubLptLR9FSyQu22Zz1zwRyVrh8Q2r_wZ53Pl3uLFy-yueZ9XZMEfk2OryNw3_wyqXtoUv-LgsesJKx_5azfum_Pi3BDAczr9uMrIgnrqxbrvO-S9xDqDEaKqnxA53V_5KCs4EsPgAia5PM5XLcCITy-t2Z1IhoXq71JCKc/s828/Writer%201_ssSWE0E-4_9aIeHlreFRGg.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="552" data-original-width="828" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha4DrvhEeIEAbJF-_AspALuYubLptLR9FSyQu22Zz1zwRyVrh8Q2r_wZ53Pl3uLFy-yueZ9XZMEfk2OryNw3_wyqXtoUv-LgsesJKx_5azfum_Pi3BDAczr9uMrIgnrqxbrvO-S9xDqDEaKqnxA53V_5KCs4EsPgAia5PM5XLcCITy-t2Z1IhoXq71JCKc/s320/Writer%201_ssSWE0E-4_9aIeHlreFRGg.webp" width="320" /></a></span></div><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">“Don’t let anyone take the house,” my husband says. His face is calm, but his eyes are not.</span></span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph nf ng fv nh b gt ni nj nk gw nl nm nn no np nq nr ns nt nu nv nw nx ny nz oa fo bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="b977" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">“No one will take the house away from us,” I say, smiling, but little gremlins inside my stomach are doing leaps even Simone Biles would envy right now. Still, it’s a conversation I know we need to have.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph nf ng fv nh b gt ni nj nk gw nl nm nn no np nq nr ns nt nu nv nw nx ny nz oa fo bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="4496" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Just a few months ago, I pitched an idea to a local theater that involves adapting the story of a well-known mover and shaker — and they seem very interested, which is great. I think it would be an exciting play, but the person I want to write about has living relatives and is more or less a contemporary figure.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph nf ng fv nh b gt ni nj nk gw nl nm nn no np nq nr ns nt nu nv nw nx ny nz oa fo bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="1c54" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #242424;">Most writers have asked questions like this before, and the stock answer is that you are allowed to write about a deceased public figure, living relatives or no, though you want to be sure to get your facts straight. </span></span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph nf ng fv nh b gt ni nj nk gw nl nm nn no np nq nr ns nt nu nv nw nx ny nz oa fo bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="c67e" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Assuming this is true, let’s say there are living relatives. Will they want a say in what you write? Can they get it? What rights do writers have if the person they’re writing about is dead, but family members aren’t?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://medium.com/counterarts/is-there-an-omg-real-person-in-your-story-or-play-836fb7f6b32f">Read more-</a>-</span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Photo by </span><a class="af ne" href="https://unsplash.com/@christinhumephoto?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Christin Hume</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"> on </span><a class="af ne" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/person-using-laptop-computer-Hcfwew744z4?utm_content=creditCopyText&utm_medium=referral&utm_source=unsplash" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Unsplash</a></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-56524481605214663442023-10-05T16:32:00.000-07:002023-10-05T16:32:04.598-07:00The Rule of Silence: For Your Next Writing Vacation<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMUiTFBsq2rMfzg73n52Gi-h-1RAxKZWwCiMkPFFnunXFRy_UXrJsq63CklubXvACCkNMIfQXLPYHqg4we98wq8YPALDdZ0W3V4Ip1mfn_YBM7dco3iNihzuG8u7mraFIDX6QUFIvMvWXwwtDu3IOL3dgtN5kpdrLg0rNAkl3o7cqE57tPs0SGYYZJ3ZR/s5616/Norcroft%20Writer%20Blog%20Photo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3744" data-original-width="5616" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggMUiTFBsq2rMfzg73n52Gi-h-1RAxKZWwCiMkPFFnunXFRy_UXrJsq63CklubXvACCkNMIfQXLPYHqg4we98wq8YPALDdZ0W3V4Ip1mfn_YBM7dco3iNihzuG8u7mraFIDX6QUFIvMvWXwwtDu3IOL3dgtN5kpdrLg0rNAkl3o7cqE57tPs0SGYYZJ3ZR/s320/Norcroft%20Writer%20Blog%20Photo.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">You’ve got five days off and a weekend on either side. You are a writer, or at least you want to be. But every time you start writing, family, friends, vendors, even strangers find a way to interrupt you. What then?</span><p></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Whether it’s a play, musical, book, short story or graphic novel, you need to write it. You need the time, not only the time it takes to find the words, but the head space required to do your plotting and find the characters.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">You don’t even know what you need to get there — but you know you need something.</span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Enter Joan Drury. Supporter of women. Saver of lives.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph nn no fx np b ha nq nr ns hd nt nu nv nw nx ny nz oa ob oc od oe of og oh oi fq bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="36d0" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">Joan founded a group called Harmony Women’s Fund that supported women writers (and maybe other artists, too). She also owned a publishing house called Spinsters Ink and two bookstores. But what she did that saved my life no doubt saved many others.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph nn no fx np b ha nq nr ns hd nt nu nv nw nx ny nz oa ob oc od oe of og oh oi fq bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="f33c" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">It was called Norcroft, and it was a women’s writing colony on the north shore of Minnesota. You had to apply, and I was lucky enough to win two spots there during two different summers.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph nn no fx np b ha nq nr ns hd nt nu nv nw nx ny nz oa ob oc od oe of og oh oi fq bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="3691" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">Norcroft not only gave me the time to write by supplying a beautiful room and house, food, and lovely company. It enforced a rule of silence that ensured no one could interrupt me, whether I was using my writing shed, making lunch, or just sitting inside watching a rainstorm.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph nn no fx np b ha nq nr ns hd nt nu nv nw nx ny nz oa ob oc od oe of og oh oi fq bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="8a20" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span class="np gh" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;">The silence began at 9 a.m. and was over at 5 p.m.</span> Before I got to Norcroft, I was feeling a bit rebellious about the whole thing and wasn’t sure how I would handle it. I had been told it was because women rarely got to stay in their heads all day long, and writing is nothing if not about staying in your head.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph nn no fx np b ha nq nr ns hd nt nu nv nw nx ny nz oa ob oc od oe of og oh oi fq bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="8a20" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">Read more on <i><a href="https://medium.com/counterarts/the-rule-of-silence-39c70b6dd7b0">Medium in Counter Arts</a>.</i></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-88990050401979137792023-09-24T13:23:00.001-07:002023-09-24T13:23:59.206-07:00A Dear Friend Took Her Life: I Only Found Out Recently and Am Still Haunted By It<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBGGQixBYlRauDbLGgsYsbjTgc5MVaiWQM0FZG2kOrAvzo4uq2_NmXm7WOphfpBxY6KIMVbTvzpbkYy7HpGcydzVHd-LtCbDdBPXm6zHFYkKsN680huOpbgKU-KiOFa5OXPq9OdYOt8kKcg2ItbC_I0EU6B_BuT-a3j7aYhutHLBK3KEgEpYg17YZeeXX/s4770/Back%20head%20walking%20away%20-%20Nancy%20blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3184" data-original-width="4770" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBGGQixBYlRauDbLGgsYsbjTgc5MVaiWQM0FZG2kOrAvzo4uq2_NmXm7WOphfpBxY6KIMVbTvzpbkYy7HpGcydzVHd-LtCbDdBPXm6zHFYkKsN680huOpbgKU-KiOFa5OXPq9OdYOt8kKcg2ItbC_I0EU6B_BuT-a3j7aYhutHLBK3KEgEpYg17YZeeXX/s320/Back%20head%20walking%20away%20-%20Nancy%20blog.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCBGGQixBYlRauDbLGgsYsbjTgc5MVaiWQM0FZG2kOrAvzo4uq2_NmXm7WOphfpBxY6KIMVbTvzpbkYy7HpGcydzVHd-LtCbDdBPXm6zHFYkKsN680huOpbgKU-KiOFa5OXPq9OdYOt8kKcg2ItbC_I0EU6B_BuT-a3j7aYhutHLBK3KEgEpYg17YZeeXX/s4770/Back%20head%20walking%20away%20-%20Nancy%20blog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em; text-align: left;">Warning:</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em; text-align: left;"> </span><em class="zo" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em; text-align: left;">This article contains some references to suicide</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em; text-align: left;">.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em; text-align: left;"> </span><em class="zo" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em; text-align: left;">If you or someone you know is having suicidal thoughts</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em; text-align: left;">,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em; text-align: left;"> </span><em class="zo" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em; text-align: left;">please tell someone who can help right away!</em></a></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><em class="zo" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Call 911 for emergency services</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><em class="zo" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Go to the nearest hospital emergency room.</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><em class="zo" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Call or text 988 to connect with the <a href="https://988lifeline.org/" target="_blank">988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline</a>. The Lifeline provides 24-hour, confidential support to anyone in suicidal crisis or emotional distress. Support is also available via <a href="https://988lifeline.org/" target="_blank">live chat</a>. Para ayuda en espanol, llame al 988.</em></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><em class="zo" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"><br /></em></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span class="zo" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">It's three or four in the morning. I wake and sit up, rubbing my head as if I could rub my thoughts away, too. My friend, who had seemed so happy and strong--but you know what I'm going to say here because it's the month for such posts; National Suicide Prevention Month.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Could I have prevented it? I didn’t know about it, and never discovered what happened until years later. My friend and I had drifted apart. It wasn’t intentional, and I doubt either one of us had given it much thought. I had moved to a different state, and we both followed other paths.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8);"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">We had started on the same path, in a small Indiana town in the middle of winter. I had recently moved there when my (now former) husband Greg accepted a job.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Greg introduced me to Billie, who owned a popular hair salon in the town. She herself was extremely popular: a beautiful, thirty-something, talented stylist. Billie and Greg were both members of the Jewish Sacred Burial Society, a group of people who observe a centuries-old tradition of washing and</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><a class="af fj" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFKrP0o_Pws" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; letter-spacing: -0.003em;" target="_blank">preparing the dead for burial</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.8);"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">The Burial Society was only part of our conversation on the day we met. Billie promised me she was a “long hair cutter” and I could see she was, with her own hair being long and “stupid thick,” as another friend would say. Because I had long hair too, I knew she would be good at her job. Later, I told her I was just learning to drive,and she told me about her friend Diane, whose rule was, “When in doubt, turn right.”</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">Before the end of my first hair cut, Billie and I had made a date to go to Chicago. It didn’t take long at all for us to start feeling like old friends.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><a href="https://medium.com/the-wind-phone/a-dear-friend-took-her-life-1937d7d22d11" target="_blank">Read more on Medium</a>.</span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></span></p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;">Photo by </span><a class="af fj" href="https://unsplash.com/@drewcoffman?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Drew Coffman</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #6b6b6b; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;"> on </span><a class="af fj" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/15RvXKOXM4U?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Unsplash</a></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-32455872850434700812023-09-18T15:31:00.004-07:002023-09-18T15:31:36.258-07:00Spiritual Writing Shouldn't be Boring<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRaTxJnMFRnvJYVoAFmseYf483xHGMGBhO7zyv5HNNxfelLFs_GdyfSapssmA7QCEXo9dpHsvZ0G-c5H9XVqF7nHllUeYrsxsyOqd6XphY0oSNlJw9N-ng8FhEv8CJ0tN5FzylJZ1OXzMCg1grLNN1XbHAmliuBfJ93-afVUrvSoeWTJio4wt3oP3_dobr/s5781/Reading%20-%20Blog%2013.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3854" data-original-width="5781" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRaTxJnMFRnvJYVoAFmseYf483xHGMGBhO7zyv5HNNxfelLFs_GdyfSapssmA7QCEXo9dpHsvZ0G-c5H9XVqF7nHllUeYrsxsyOqd6XphY0oSNlJw9N-ng8FhEv8CJ0tN5FzylJZ1OXzMCg1grLNN1XbHAmliuBfJ93-afVUrvSoeWTJio4wt3oP3_dobr/s320/Reading%20-%20Blog%2013.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><p> <span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Not so many years ago, I thought of spiritual writing as — unfortunately —</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Boring.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph kq kr ks kt b ku kv kw kx ky kz la lb lc ld le lf lg lh li lj lk ll lm ln lo kl bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="f15a" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">I wasn’t reading a lot of it, mainly because I thought it was mostly sermons by clergy members, and I had very little interest in that. Then, little by little, a new generation of bloggers on religious subjects started to spring up, writing about their own personal connections to rituals, holidays and long-held notions about rules or laws. And, little by little, I started being more interested in what these bloggers had to say.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph kq kr ks kt b ku kv kw kx ky kz la lb lc ld le lf lg lh li lj lk ll lm ln lo kl bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="f84c" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><mark class="ajv aho ao" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">So</mark><mark class="ajv aho ao" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">me were talking about what it was like to be in a room full of people who had celebrated the Jewish Sabbath (aka Shabbat) all their lives, when they themselves had not. Others wrote about why it was important to them to be married in the church where they grew up and still others wrote about intermarriage with someone of a completely different faith.</mark></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph kq kr ks kt b ku kv kw kx ky kz la lb lc ld le lf lg lh li lj lk ll lm ln lo kl bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="f84c" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><mark class="ajv aho ao" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;"><b>Read more</b> in <a href="https://medium.com/counterarts/spiritual-writing-shouldnt-be-boring-4e0c33ec7879" target="_blank"><i>Counter Arts</i> on </a><i><a href="https://medium.com/counterarts/spiritual-writing-shouldnt-be-boring-4e0c33ec7879" target="_blank">Medium</a>.</i></mark></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-33752108564407768732023-08-29T18:37:00.001-07:002023-08-29T18:43:02.203-07:00Bridesmaids. Really? A Smutty Love Story in Black and White<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5dADALpqX7RzvGHiYk65fXgQxiCFKtSz0xw_9D8Ffq_vKfHAIE1Ql84Qx9PU09-Qs4Qr66LtpIMl4rfFJv7A0JA3a4Hq9skY2z4HMUtxgAjs5SZOidYXPb5g7fU7-0K8IsEylqy0NjApubqFNSZ5T4l7yDLMeDkpCK-maQCndL36kV_Zl0Qc9cvnjSkXg/s1400/Bridesmaids.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="933" data-original-width="1400" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5dADALpqX7RzvGHiYk65fXgQxiCFKtSz0xw_9D8Ffq_vKfHAIE1Ql84Qx9PU09-Qs4Qr66LtpIMl4rfFJv7A0JA3a4Hq9skY2z4HMUtxgAjs5SZOidYXPb5g7fU7-0K8IsEylqy0NjApubqFNSZ5T4l7yDLMeDkpCK-maQCndL36kV_Zl0Qc9cvnjSkXg/s320/Bridesmaids.webp" width="320" /></a></div><span face="source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">My husband and I boarded a plane for home yesterday after a week seeing family in New York. We were both exhausted from getting up early and getting ourselves to the airport, so when the flight attendant came by with earbuds, we each grabbed a pair and settled in for a few hours of TV and movies.</span><p></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph za zb tv nl b uj zc zd ze um zf zg zh mw zi zj zk nb zl zm zn ng zo zp zq zr ev bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="2440" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">I chose <em class="zs" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Ghosts</em> for a few episodes and then started the first episode of <em class="zs" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Yellowstone</em>, but like all FOMO streamers I had to glance up to see what my husband was watching. For a few moments I saw Nicole Kidman, statuesque, goddessy and backlit flawlessly.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph za zb tv nl b uj zc zd ze um zf zg zh mw zi zj zk nb zl zm zn ng zo zp zq zr ev bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="404f" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">It made sense he was watching a movie with Nicole Kidman, as I know she is my husband’s favorite actor. I turned back to <em class="zs" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Ghosts</em> but then a few moments later, I couldn’t resist trying to find out the name of the movie my husband was watching. I thought it might be <em class="zs" style="box-sizing: inherit;">Aquaman</em>, but couldn’t be sure.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph za zb tv nl b uj zc zd ze um zf zg zh mw zi zj zk nb zl zm zn ng zo zp zq zr ev bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="506a" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">When I looked again, though, there were no perfectly framed shots of Nicole Kidman. Instead, there I saw a group of more realistic-looking women, attractive, yes, but definitely not goddesses. They seemed determined instead to get viewers to laugh. I looked at my husband, who seemed completely wrapped up in the movie — and I couldn’t stay quiet any longer.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph za zb tv nl b uj zc zd ze um zf zg zh mw zi zj zk nb zl zm zn ng zo zp zq zr ev bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="6879" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">“What are you watching?” I asked. “Did you switch movies?”</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph za zb tv nl b uj zc zd ze um zf zg zh mw zi zj zk nb zl zm zn ng zo zp zq zr ev bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="b746" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">When he replied, I tried as hard as I could to stay calm.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph za zb tv nl b uj zc zd ze um zf zg zh mw zi zj zk nb zl zm zn ng zo zp zq zr ev bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="cf8d" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">“Bridesmaids.”</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph za zb tv nl b uj zc zd ze um zf zg zh mw zi zj zk nb zl zm zn ng zo zp zq zr ev bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="50a5" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">“WHAT?”</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph za zb tv nl b uj zc zd ze um zf zg zh mw zi zj zk nb zl zm zn ng zo zp zq zr ev bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="50a5" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">Read more on <i><a href="https://medium.com/counterarts/bridesmaids-really-88452a424eba">Medium</a>.</i></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph za zb tv nl b uj zc zd ze um zf zg zh mw zi zj zk nb zl zm zn ng zo zp zq zr ev bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="50a5" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><br /></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-73114577476807219492023-08-13T09:53:00.003-07:002023-08-13T09:53:39.322-07:00My Father's Burns Are a Family Legend<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL765yL7TgoH5f_C3Gx5yypjXTs-yt_ZAAgCwtrkgN_rPawDCSCGQUHbirUoL1KjDkZP5IOk8lbBKKVhEdglkIM6-mx5qokR4jAE_gjZRwS4UWqJAHFLzxwRGEcjzd3afk_p5R5xi1yjQ5PRdLBeihnXZR7kD5euCz484YBkqIDT1JWcqJCUL0uQAOkYat/s600/Dad%20&%20Harry%20&%20Sam%20as%20children%20-%20with%20Julius.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjL765yL7TgoH5f_C3Gx5yypjXTs-yt_ZAAgCwtrkgN_rPawDCSCGQUHbirUoL1KjDkZP5IOk8lbBKKVhEdglkIM6-mx5qokR4jAE_gjZRwS4UWqJAHFLzxwRGEcjzd3afk_p5R5xi1yjQ5PRdLBeihnXZR7kD5euCz484YBkqIDT1JWcqJCUL0uQAOkYat/s320/Dad%20&%20Harry%20&%20Sam%20as%20children%20-%20with%20Julius.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><span class="ky jx" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">I</span><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span class="ky jx" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-weight: 700; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> don’t know how old my father was when the accident happened.</span><span style="color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><span style="color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Older than two, I’d say, but younger than five, because he remembered it so clearly. I think he was four, running around his family apartment with his twin brother, and as they say of kittens, </span><span style="color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">into everything.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">My father says he reached up to the pot his mother was boiling on the stove; I have no idea why, perhaps the fire underneath the pot attracted him? The next thing he and everyone knew was the pot spilled over onto his chest and he screamed in pain and terror.</span></p><p><span style="color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">I know a doctor was called, but don’t know how long it took to get to my father. As soon as the doctor saw my dad, he knew what he’d have to do: scrape the burning flesh from my father’s chest, while his screams elevated until people on the street outside could hear him.</span></p><p><span style="color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: large; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Read more on Medium: </span></p><p><span style="color: #242424; font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="letter-spacing: -0.054px;">https://medium.com/the-narrative-arc/my-fathers-burns-are-a-family-legend-8f2614d447f5</span></span></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-35763666256824168452023-08-04T12:44:00.000-07:002023-08-04T12:44:27.190-07:00If Family Doesn't Kill You - You May Be Making Them Up: Inviting You to Medium Day<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgys6UrgfDWQH2wCGahnY30aQqCkgQLHJcBbS3-P4ZbK17jRfstjRTFV1Gm57dAz8X_sBr2ivpaR0e-Uhr5HCl4Ar6Hzp-R5yu82YdGP_AaSIwDOMte31yvH9c5CeILFK_ws_HSU8qYgcbJQ880_tjbOGRdU_NXK-bGw4RhAtV4BvpF84wdGs7uvHSR3HXE/s2898/Cropped%20Daddles%20-%20When%20I'm%2064.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2547" data-original-width="2898" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgys6UrgfDWQH2wCGahnY30aQqCkgQLHJcBbS3-P4ZbK17jRfstjRTFV1Gm57dAz8X_sBr2ivpaR0e-Uhr5HCl4Ar6Hzp-R5yu82YdGP_AaSIwDOMte31yvH9c5CeILFK_ws_HSU8qYgcbJQ880_tjbOGRdU_NXK-bGw4RhAtV4BvpF84wdGs7uvHSR3HXE/s320/Cropped%20Daddles%20-%20When%20I'm%2064.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">How do real families inform the ones we make up as writers? My own fiction choices can be like a fun-house mirror, reflecting life with family; but even in non-fiction memoirs, there are things we leave out because we don’t want to explore them.</span><p></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="10f6"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">On <b>Medium Day</b> (<b>August 12</b>) <b>from 3 to 3:30 p.m. Eastern time</b>, we’ll look at how fiction leads us to the truth, and how truth often mimics fiction. </span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="10f6"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">We’re also going to be exploring the difference between family <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">legends</em> and family <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">stories — </em>and I really want to hear <em class="markup--em markup--p-em">YOURS</em>! All you have to do is register; the conference is free.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="10f6"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong"> </strong><a class="markup--anchor markup--p-anchor" data-href="https://hopin.com/events/medium-day-2023/registration" href="https://hopin.com/events/medium-day-2023/registration" rel="noopener" target="_blank"><strong class="markup--strong markup--p-strong"><em class="markup--em markup--p-em">Just visit this link to get your schedule</em></strong></a>.</span></p><p class="graf graf--p" name="10f6"><br /><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-8698043908397404712023-08-04T12:36:00.000-07:002023-08-04T12:36:02.783-07:00After You; No. After You: Which Comes First, Music or Lyrics?<p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZv5coCy97jn8TKwTA9tbqwbe808MfQsVSloJ4UGgW8WctbDSEClQstWsG5F1RUA6zB19fsO6dKUfrnF3w6hNQ4r3KPIbBmpGdVC9fxUDdtzimS412Ir9XqcublfO-rayaKPAjjmgsh1tDMR6OrpBLA6wmoVlKjCFJVDzq9S6xqDgFrNyXoUoUGmw5Bzb/s828/Blog%208%20Counter%20Arts.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="554" data-original-width="828" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjnZv5coCy97jn8TKwTA9tbqwbe808MfQsVSloJ4UGgW8WctbDSEClQstWsG5F1RUA6zB19fsO6dKUfrnF3w6hNQ4r3KPIbBmpGdVC9fxUDdtzimS412Ir9XqcublfO-rayaKPAjjmgsh1tDMR6OrpBLA6wmoVlKjCFJVDzq9S6xqDgFrNyXoUoUGmw5Bzb/s320/Blog%208%20Counter%20Arts.webp" width="320" /></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="font-size: medium;">If <span style="background-color: white; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">you’re wondering who the chicken and egg are in songwriting, I can only say, I am too — because it’s not an easy thing to figure out.</span></span></span><p></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph nf ng fw nh b gu ni nj nk gx nl nm nn no np nq nr ns nt nu nv nw nx ny nz oa fp bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="aa88" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">As a songwriter in a folk-turned-rock band, I often had to fit my lyrics into music created by guitarists, the bass player and drummer. It was easier to start with lyrics — and because I had an understanding songwriting partner, I probably got to do things my way more than I would have in any old band.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph nf ng fw nh b gu ni nj nk gx nl nm nn no np nq nr ns nt nu nv nw nx ny nz oa fp bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="b949" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">When I joined a musical theater group, we started with lyrics for the first few weeks, and it seemed pretty normal to share them with a composer and then make some adjustments on both sides to get to a song. After about three weeks, though, the groupleader told us our next assignment was the composer’s choice — and it was up to the lyricists to fit words to music.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph nf ng fw nh b gu ni nj nk gx nl nm nn no np nq nr ns nt nu nv nw nx ny nz oa fp bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="b949" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><a href="https://medium.com/counterarts/after-you-no-after-you-b0a8d83c161e">Read more on Medium.</a></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph nf ng fw nh b gu ni nj nk gx nl nm nn no np nq nr ns nt nu nv nw nx ny nz oa fp bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="b949" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="color: #6b6b6b; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;">Photo by </span><a class="af ne" href="https://unsplash.com/@dansenior?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Dan Senior</a><span style="color: #6b6b6b; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;"> on </span><a class="af ne" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/RuxSWSdT99w?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Unsplash</a></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-16102268600708550862023-07-17T12:48:00.006-07:002023-07-17T12:59:13.346-07:00When Hell Freezes Over: an Impossible Journey to My Opening Night<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYQaT5K6dK0XymsIA2MzmQjCpbdAmAQfXSm7_I4jNxHnMOCzoyu-Q3hjmuEaEtgzero6BtEtS1xv8yaiyrf-b4M_zhEBOrnakaLo0B9zdZks-NtD0YVc91aVNHE52qPfazachG_daOK2Agui-uUiF0gaAPur9-4RWc1IoCzD4dT-zS2WwWig492KRfYnF/s3735/erik-mclean-PFfA3xlHFbQ-unsplash.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2490" data-original-width="3735" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuYQaT5K6dK0XymsIA2MzmQjCpbdAmAQfXSm7_I4jNxHnMOCzoyu-Q3hjmuEaEtgzero6BtEtS1xv8yaiyrf-b4M_zhEBOrnakaLo0B9zdZks-NtD0YVc91aVNHE52qPfazachG_daOK2Agui-uUiF0gaAPur9-4RWc1IoCzD4dT-zS2WwWig492KRfYnF/s320/erik-mclean-PFfA3xlHFbQ-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span face="source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="background-color: white; color: #242424; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">February 10, Minneapolis/St. Paul airport, mid-nineties.</span><p></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph yl ym tc mt b tq yn yo yp tt yq yr ys md yt yu yv mi yw yx yy mn yz za zb zc jh bq" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="3ce1" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span class="adp bz adq ln" style="box-sizing: inherit; float: right; height: 0px; position: relative; width: 0px;"><span class="s" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block;"><span class="ch id u adr ads ws adt" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-size: 0px; left: 0px; line-height: 0; position: absolute; top: 0px; user-select: none;"></span></span></span></p><div style="box-sizing: inherit;"><button class="az ca ba bb bc am bd w an ao ap ki" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: inherit; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer; fill: rgb(107, 107, 107); font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px;"><svg aria-label="View 1 Private Notes" height="19" width="19"><path d="M14.78 8.07a8.68 8.68 0 0 0-.43-1.38.48.48 0 0 0-.58-.27l-3.12.77V4.03c0-.24-.2-.48-.43-.5a7.23 7.23 0 0 0-1.38 0c-.24.02-.43.26-.43.5V7.2L5.3 6.41a.48.48 0 0 0-.58.27c-.18.45-.33.92-.43 1.39-.05.24.1.5.32.58l3.06.75-1.98 2.96c-.14.2-.13.5.04.67.34.33.7.63 1.1.9.2.13.48.07.62-.12l2.1-3.12 2.08 3.12c.15.19.43.25.63.11a7.7 7.7 0 0 0 1.1-.89.53.53 0 0 0 .03-.67L11.4 9.41l3.06-.76a.52.52 0 0 0 .32-.58" fill-rule="evenodd"></path></svg></button></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">All I wanted was to get to Circle Repertory Theater in New York City for the opening of a play I wrote called <em class="zd" style="box-sizing: inherit;">A Body of Water</em>. </span><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">It was the first time the play would be seen in New York and who knows how many chances you get for something like that? I was excited — beyond excited.</span><p></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph yl ym tc mt b tq yn yo yp tt yq yr ys md yt yu yv mi yw yx yy mn yz za zb zc jh bq" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="ead6" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #242424; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span class="adp bz adq ln" style="box-sizing: inherit; float: right; height: 0px; position: relative; width: 0px;"><span class="s" style="box-sizing: inherit; display: block;"><span class="ch id u adr ads ws adt" style="box-sizing: inherit; left: 0px; line-height: 0; position: absolute; top: 0px; user-select: none;"></span></span></span></p><div style="box-sizing: inherit;"><button class="az ca ba bb bc am bd w an ao ap ki" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: inherit; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer; fill: rgb(107, 107, 107); font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: inherit; margin: 0px; overflow: visible; padding: 0px;"><svg aria-label="View 1 Private Notes" height="19" width="19"></svg><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><path d="M14.78 8.07a8.68 8.68 0 0 0-.43-1.38.48.48 0 0 0-.58-.27l-3.12.77V4.03c0-.24-.2-.48-.43-.5a7.23 7.23 0 0 0-1.38 0c-.24.02-.43.26-.43.5V7.2L5.3 6.41a.48.48 0 0 0-.58.27c-.18.45-.33.92-.43 1.39-.05.24.1.5.32.58l3.06.75-1.98 2.96c-.14.2-.13.5.04.67.34.33.7.63 1.1.9.2.13.48.07.62-.12l2.1-3.12 2.08 3.12c.15.19.43.25.63.11a7.7 7.7 0 0 0 1.1-.89.53.53 0 0 0 .03-.67L11.4 9.41l3.06-.76a.52.52 0 0 0 .32-.58" fill-rule="evenodd"></path></span></button></div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;">I was also stuck on the ground as the plane’s takeoff was delayed for at least three hours, due to bad weather.</span><p></p><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><a href="https://medium.com/the-narrative-arc/when-hell-freezes-over-82bc69652e0d">Read more in Medium</a>.</i></span></div></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i><br /></i></span></div><div><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@introspectivedsgn?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-wrap: nowrap; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">Erik Mclean</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/PFfA3xlHFbQ?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-wrap: nowrap; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">Unsplash</a></span></div>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-73605488105869030112023-07-12T10:01:00.000-07:002023-07-12T10:01:04.639-07:00Not MY Darlings: When Your Song Gets Left Behind<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4UYU7Xkkopd2D1DMmgPkT2gV-yHRAMJXy5t6Ys_LlHcgwoAvBGPByULdHnvS6jkR8xxtVDksLwPrCNKGWfmN21yuCs-rIlN89INtSedZlgcpHfoRkGsB1iVLWp_sZJAFNrsLRx7ehM79-gvmPPI7W8afD2Z0C9xZrM1VImQM3MoW4T1dRlIwlifSDS6O6/s6720/Songwriter%20soundtrap-GxH1DSxzons-unsplash%20(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="6720" data-original-width="4480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4UYU7Xkkopd2D1DMmgPkT2gV-yHRAMJXy5t6Ys_LlHcgwoAvBGPByULdHnvS6jkR8xxtVDksLwPrCNKGWfmN21yuCs-rIlN89INtSedZlgcpHfoRkGsB1iVLWp_sZJAFNrsLRx7ehM79-gvmPPI7W8afD2Z0C9xZrM1VImQM3MoW4T1dRlIwlifSDS6O6/s320/Songwriter%20soundtrap-GxH1DSxzons-unsplash%20(1).jpg" width="213" /></a></div><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Long before “Kill Your Darlings” became a too-familiar phrase, writers like</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><a class="af wk" href="https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/literature/1978/singer/biographical/" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;" target="_blank">Isaac Bashevis Singer</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">said an author’s best friend was a garbage pail — and I believed him.</span></span><p></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph wl wm rf ke b rt wn wo wp rw wq wr ws jo wt wu wv jt ww wx wy jy wz xa xb xc ix bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="05ba" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Like many of you, I have murdered my darlings. But that didn’t stop me from being upset about them, especially after I lost one of my very favorite songs — EVER — in a workshop for my new musical. I say “my” but it’s really only half mine; I am working with a talented composer who wanted to cut the song. When the artistic director agreed with her, I could only agree, and move on.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph wl wm rf ke b rt wn wo wp rw wq wr ws jo wt wu wv jt ww wx wy jy wz xa xb xc ix bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="0a47" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span class="ke jd" style="box-sizing: inherit; font-weight: 700;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Only I didn’t move on, at least, not at first.</span></span></p><p><a href="https://medium.com/counterarts/not-my-darlings-6e77d9be50bf"><span style="font-family: georgia; font-size: medium;"><i>Read more on Medium</i></span></a></p><p><br /></p><p><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;">Photo by </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/@soundtrap?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-wrap: nowrap; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">Soundtrap</a><span style="background-color: whitesmoke; color: #111111; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-wrap: nowrap;"> on </span><a href="https://unsplash.com/photos/GxH1DSxzons?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" style="background-color: whitesmoke; box-sizing: border-box; color: #767676; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "San Francisco", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Ubuntu, Roboto, Noto, "Segoe UI", Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-decoration-skip-ink: auto; text-wrap: nowrap; transition: color 0.1s ease-in-out 0s, opacity 0.1s ease-in-out 0s;">Unsplash</a></p><p><br /></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-84295677588149456642023-07-04T09:23:00.002-07:002023-07-04T09:24:25.727-07:00Lost Geese -- Or Parents?<p><span face="source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2erjZieYHZ8hnypeyhF-VwP2aYIlX2k32EjLq9ZhLvaLTa8PHceazwFARO6AQKaewuPgr1QXI4ygh4JvKqeanGFQzEfUAAkxPXlGBW4KNJwEl-qEFNdKbi3eQCi67okedXUZcxmaZ44OMR_4T3YLHKfhSq16O9nIW1zqfwJOlY3v4JRcHIvb9rOk4FBb/s2485/Canada%20Geese.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2485" data-original-width="1400" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH2erjZieYHZ8hnypeyhF-VwP2aYIlX2k32EjLq9ZhLvaLTa8PHceazwFARO6AQKaewuPgr1QXI4ygh4JvKqeanGFQzEfUAAkxPXlGBW4KNJwEl-qEFNdKbi3eQCi67okedXUZcxmaZ44OMR_4T3YLHKfhSq16O9nIW1zqfwJOlY3v4JRcHIvb9rOk4FBb/w302-h320/Canada%20Geese.webp" width="302" /></a></div><span style="font-family: georgia;">Birdsong wakes me, but it’s the geese that keep me from going back to bed. I pull the shades up to see the sun winking off tiny ripples in the lake across the street, irresistible to someone living in a city where ice reigns six to seven months of the year.</span><p></p><p><span face="source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> The birds tell me summer is coming, but the geese make me laugh, especially when they pair off into couples and jabber at each other while propelling their impossibly heavy bodies skyward.</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph vx vy rf ke b vz wa wb wc wd we wf wg jo wh wi wj jt wk wl wm jy wn wo wp wq ix bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="9ea7" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><mark class="afp afq ao" style="background-color: #e8f3e8; box-sizing: inherit; cursor: pointer;">I imagine they are my parents, dead but reincarnated as the Canada geese so prevalent around here. </mark>They are trying desperately to find me. As a child, I was embarrassed by how often my parents got lost, even when driving to our cousins for Thanksgiving (which they did, year after year, for decades.)</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph vx vy rf ke b vz wa wb wc wd we wf wg jo wh wi wj jt wk wl wm jy wn wo wp wq ix bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="2a7c" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">I imagine my father-goose saying, with barely concealed frustration, “Faye. It’s across that way, that house with the red roof. We just took a wrong turn!”</span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph vx vy rf ke b vz wa wb wc wd we wf wg jo wh wi wj jt wk wl wm jy wn wo wp wq ix bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="2a7c" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="font-family: georgia;"><i>Read more at</i> <a href="https://medium.com/age-of-empathy/lost-geese-or-parents-c408de0c58f7">Medium</a>. </span></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph vx vy rf ke b vz wa wb wc wd we wf wg jo wh wi wj jt wk wl wm jy wn wo wp wq ix bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="2a7c" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span face="sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #757575; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;">Photo by </span><a class="af vw" href="https://unsplash.com/@sneha_snaps?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Sneha Cecil</a><span face="sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="color: #757575; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;"> on </span><a class="af vw" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/SXruJfBFORA?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Unsplash</a></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-59378752326169096182023-07-04T09:11:00.001-07:002023-07-04T09:11:48.764-07:00Why I Love Singers<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEias17FUM5_ekkHexM715gmxayJ2YgaVUHD6-Q330Z5pdGqYm3CbDupqDXtZAMfUN9gieMrDOsJWIxdUlwC_c0J5A-VS62tf_tg_F3Ohdei4KRblmzRIKUpA9Xxy4CCyKRNMfRUEycs8MqsXe5yQK0thWjKAZhPY-_WvLI0FuNuglIypkaWz3gHzL18Yp4_/s4000/Singer%20-%20jesse-ramirez-R1NBUvxIdu8-unsplash.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4000" data-original-width="4000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEias17FUM5_ekkHexM715gmxayJ2YgaVUHD6-Q330Z5pdGqYm3CbDupqDXtZAMfUN9gieMrDOsJWIxdUlwC_c0J5A-VS62tf_tg_F3Ohdei4KRblmzRIKUpA9Xxy4CCyKRNMfRUEycs8MqsXe5yQK0thWjKAZhPY-_WvLI0FuNuglIypkaWz3gHzL18Yp4_/s320/Singer%20-%20jesse-ramirez-R1NBUvxIdu8-unsplash.jpg" width="320" /></a></div> <span face="source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">“We sing becau</span><span face="source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif" style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">se we can’t speak anymore.” — Kristen Chenoweth</span><p></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph vx vy rf ke b vz wa wb wc wd we wf wg jo wh wi wj jt wk wl wm jy wn wo wp wq ix bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="7cbc" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">I can’t exactly remember the first time I heard someone singing. It would have had to been while I was watching TV at two or three, and though I may have liked the sound, I didn’t quite register what it was.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph vx vy rf ke b vz wa wb wc wd we wf wg jo wh wi wj jt wk wl wm jy wn wo wp wq ix bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="ed78" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;">A few years later, I heard Judy Garland sing in <em class="wr" style="box-sizing: inherit;">The Wizard of Oz</em>, which appeared on TV every Thanksgiving (or something like that.) Watching and hearing Garland was like a thunderclap that lifted me over the rooftops of my neighborhood and brought me to a place I’d never imagined. For the first time in my life, I could hear the emotional tenor of someone’s thoughts and experiences — and even the most frightening moments were better, somehow, for being sung.</p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph vx vy rf ke b vz wa wb wc wd we wf wg jo wh wi wj jt wk wl wm jy wn wo wp wq ix bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="ed78" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><i><a href="https://medium.com/counterarts/a-sort-of-an-ode-or-why-i-love-singers-185de81f910e">Read more at Medium</a></i></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph vx vy rf ke b vz wa wb wc wd we wf wg jo wh wi wj jt wk wl wm jy wn wo wp wq ix bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="ed78" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="color: #757575; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;">Photo by </span><a class="af wt" href="https://unsplash.com/@jesseskitt11?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;" target="_blank">jesse ramirez</a><span style="color: #757575; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;"> on </span><a class="af wt" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/R1NBUvxIdu8?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Unsplash</a></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph vx vy rf ke b vz wa wb wc wd we wf wg jo wh wi wj jt wk wl wm jy wn wo wp wq ix bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="ed78" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: source-serif-pro, Georgia, Cambria, "Times New Roman", Times, serif; font-size: 20px; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><br /></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5031432428868982797.post-67088615593638599042023-06-11T14:37:00.004-07:002023-06-11T14:37:52.838-07:00Mom, What's a Patter Song? Why Musical Theater Writers Love Them<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFNDwLgzZp0AgBzc61GdqplXExE8-DIaoocarYodYuSm5jaD1cHe7LeRG4BErH10YqtoDybJJaMcUvAtuvGvIqeAYso5XqK-byXdrG1Ywi-4D9nCtbg75InxJtoz6OkNj9rHbcX2hHkXTKvdGLSS1BZ8FmPzzdgGz13M1DFyHChiO4kdHb3sDopBakA/s1920/Patter%20song%20photo%20.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1920" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVFNDwLgzZp0AgBzc61GdqplXExE8-DIaoocarYodYuSm5jaD1cHe7LeRG4BErH10YqtoDybJJaMcUvAtuvGvIqeAYso5XqK-byXdrG1Ywi-4D9nCtbg75InxJtoz6OkNj9rHbcX2hHkXTKvdGLSS1BZ8FmPzzdgGz13M1DFyHChiO4kdHb3sDopBakA/s320/Patter%20song%20photo%20.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-family: courier;"><b>New announcement</b>: from time to time, I will be posting on the writing platform <a href="https://medium.com/about">Medium</a>, and will share a paragraph or two here and then give you a link to the full article. I'm excited about this change and the chance to reach a higher audience -- and I hope you are too, as it offers a new way to discover some incredible writing. My first foray into Medium is for the publication <a href="https://medium.com/counterarts">Counter Arts</a>, which touches on a range of artistic ideas and issues. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: georgia;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">I first realized I wanted to write musicals while watching</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><em class="oa" style="box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Pump Boys and Dinettes</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">. The songs were catchy and warm without being precious, and rooted me in the present, which I liked much better than musicals where everyone is in long dresses and bowler hats (though I do have a thing for fedoras). </span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">What really attracted me to</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><em class="oa" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">Pump Boys</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;"> </span><em class="oa" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">and Dinettes</em><span style="background-color: white; color: #292929; font-family: georgia; letter-spacing: -0.003em;">? The songs seemed real, instead of contrived, and because I was already half of a songwriting team in a rock band, I became curious about whether I could write a story set to music, instead of a lot of little stories in one-time-only songs.</span></p><p><a href="https://medium.com/counterarts/mom-whats-a-patter-song-73e93c909531" style="letter-spacing: -0.003em;"><span style="font-family: georgia;">Read more on Medium</span></a></p><p class="pw-post-body-paragraph ne nf fw ng b gu nh ni nj gx nk nl nm nn no np nq nr ns nt nu nv nw nx ny nz fp bj" data-selectable-paragraph="" id="8771" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: inherit; color: #292929; letter-spacing: -0.003em; line-height: 32px; margin: 2em 0px -0.46em; word-break: break-word;"><span style="color: #757575; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;">Photo by </span><a class="af nd" href="https://unsplash.com/it/@kyleunderscorehead?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Kyle Head</a><span style="color: #757575; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;"> on </span><a class="af nd" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/p6rNTdAPbuk?utm_source=unsplash&utm_medium=referral&utm_content=creditCopyText" rel="noopener ugc nofollow" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; box-sizing: inherit; font-family: sohne, "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: normal; text-align: center;" target="_blank">Unsplash</a></p><p><br /></p>Jenna Zarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17512344581106975247noreply@blogger.com0