While cleaning up all the spam on my site, I forgot why I came here in the first place. But in coming back, I also realized I hadn’t heard from any of you in months and months. And then, in realizing this, I also remember why I’ve avoided posting these last few months and it probably relates to many of you.
In addition to holidays and all the other things that overwhelm our time, I stopped writing here because I didn’t like and couldn’t master the new format. Everytime I turn around, I’m confronted with new and different in the world of technology. Ergo, I’m still living with a 2010 cell phone. I know how it works.
However, that’s all old news and I’ve titled this piece New News, so here ’tis.
I have a publisher for my memoir!! – the same memoir I’ve been writing and revising and editing and revising for about five years. Over the past few months, I spent a lot of time researching and querying agents. No doubt, you have an idea of how that endeavor turned out. Several rejections, and most of the time no answer at all.
So. I began researching small publishers. For months and months and even sent proposals/synopses/ full chapters etc etc with about as much success as I had with agents.
And then, a sudden realization came. I’ve been working with a small publisher for years: Shanti Arts which along with publishing books, publishes a bi-yearly journal Still Point. Christine, the publisher, has published several of my essays over the years, most recently accepting an essay, To Everything a Season for the Still Point Journal coming out any day now, with the focus of elders.
So I queried her about the book manuscript with the required several documents, pdf of contents, etc etc, and a pdf of the entire manuscript. She replied to me in about four day. It’s such a cool reply, I have to reprint it here:
Janet, Thank you for your patience. I always get a bit behind during the last couple of weeks before the journal needs to be finished. But, I just sent it to the printer, so now it’s catch-up time. I proofed your piece “To Everything a Season” just a couple days ago, and I was thinking how much I love your style. It’s free and easy, the power of it sneaks up on you and that keeps moving you forward. Because I get so many submissions, one of my rules is that if, after reading the first couple of paragraphs, I’m not eager to continue, I stop. Not the case with your work. So, I’d be delighted to publish your book. It will be great fun to work with you on this, and I look forward to it. I’ll put a contract together and send that to you soon. Thanks for sending this to me. Many thanks!
Wow! I immediately wrote back with capitalized and YES!!! And a profuse thank you.
At the moment the title is From Ocean to Desert: a journey to find me although she’s said she wants to change the subtitle to stronger words – which is fine. This manuscript has had so many titles over the years — The Reluctant Master was one — and I trust her judgment. The subtitle can be whatever she chooses – as can the title for that matter!
So. That’s my “new news.” I have a publisher for ‘da book!!
No doubt there will be more work involved and that’s fine. I’ve been working on it so long, what’s another few months.
But I wanted to spread the news and I knew you, who have been writing here and responding to my posts and have become friends if only on paper, would be happy for me.
Janet
Thank you all for being my writing friends and for coming with me on this new ride.
janetsunderland.com 
Oh my!! Its not quite ‘new’ when I am reading it but the news is still wonderfully exciting. So happy you have found a publisher who appreciates your work Janet … I’m thinking many might grind their teeth when it comes out – other publishers I mean 😛. Not being nasty … just being happy and enjoying the news amidst so much bad news.
How have you been? It’s been a couple of weeks since your post so have you started the work yer ?
And BTW, why am I seeing a “follow” button. I was following you but am finding the new set up annoying to master and its been one of the reasons I’ve given up. Voluntary self isolation to help the world beat this may result in my sitting down to master and write again. Who knows …lots of time on my hands. .
Hope you and the family are good. Hope you stay safe.😙
Hi Rose, so nice to hear from you. The world is in a mess and “new and different” came along just before the Covid 19 outbreak “so everything old is new again!” Which I could really do without, quite frankly.
I’m really good at self-isolation, too. When the news came to “shelter in place,” I said, okay. No problem.
But both son and husband are home now too which somewhat cancels the home alone, but we’re all managing. And healthy. And not going out.
I found the new WordPress pretty annoying too. Spent a lot of time texting with tech people re: how do I? But I guess I understand more or less. It’s really set up for photography more than essays. However….
The publisher has the manuscript right now and so I wait for her to dig in. She said she wouldn’t get to it “for awhile” whatever that means.
In the meantime, I’m editing a manuscript for a 90 year old woman who has been writing this for about thirty years so it’s in bits and pieces. Which I am finding and sorting etc etc. But it’s a good story about knowing Franz Jung, C.G. Jung’s son. She was a Jungian analyst.
Hope all goes well with you.
Janet
So nice … long newsy letter. Yes world in a mess. Heard a new one today that I liked … Seems like we humans were acting like a virus to Mother Earth !!!
Sri Lanka is taking some drastic action .. think the first I;ve heard of island wide curfew tonight 6 pm till 6 am Monday. They had imposed a district curfew where there were a substantial number of workers returning from Italy … but now they have extended island wide.
A little bit too late I think … I was calling for curfew when they declared holidays on Monday as some idiots think acted like the holidays were for socialising. Hopefully now 3 day curfew will flatten curve.
And we will read, relax and rejuvenate along with Mother Earth. And Pray And if we feel like it try to post again if can overcome the new unfriendly WP system.
Hi Rose, There is a link on the page that reads something like “classic style” so you could try that. I gave up for a while too, but then just started writing and ignoring the blocks. That seems to help. Or work. Or something. At any rate, I’m on it again. Give it a try and ignore the blocks. I always enjoy your posts.
And guess what … have been meaning to get my lenses changed and kept postponing and now … indefinite curfew.😬🙃 will try though … and hope there are not too many typos. Good thing is that I do touch typing … something I am always thankful for – my Dad made me follow a Pitman’s course in shorthand and typing whilst waiting for O Level results. – Shorthand -know that one ??Wonder whether there is now an app for that. One of those things that became obsolete. 🙃
Rose, you’re going to love this: local grocery stores have set aside the hour before they open for seniors and pregnant women to shop. i.e. from 7 a.m. to 8 a.m. Of course, this is the hour when the clerks are restocking shelves, pushing around great huge containers of stuff, and the shelves, while not completely empty, are short on supplies. We only found this out after my husband and I arose at 6 a.m. today in order to shower and dress before leaving the house, while still dark, at 6:45 a. Not fully conscious, shower or no shower. I think we’ve decided not to do that again…..hahahhaha….
Oh dear … what a travail. Did you manage to get reasonable stuff ?
My brother whose fiance is Chinese has been warning us of the cycle so we managed to get some provisions well ahead thank God and did not have to hit the stores before the lockdown. The government took early measures to declare curfew but all went to nought when curfew was lifted for a few hours to allow people to purchase provisions meds etc. The crowds were out in droves. Maintaining disciplined distance etc but still .. massive crowds. Now indefinite curfew imposed for badly hit regions and government has instructed super chains to switch to mobile trucks delivering house to house.
Sri Lanka is presently under control. People have been magnanimous. Big businesses have offered 200 roomed hotels for quarantine and hospitals. and have offered factories for making masks etc. I heard a little tailor shop had made 7000 masks free of cost for armed forces and prisoners, another made 2500 again free. Situations like this do indeed bring out the best in some … sadly also the worst though no price gouging allowed here. Stocks confiscated. I did not vote for this President but beginning to think that in times of crisis dictatorship better than democracy.
Cheers Janet you and yours. Praying you stay indoors and ride the storm.
Came across Proverbs today
@The prudent man forseeth the evil and hideth himself (takes refuge) , but the imple pass on and are punished. Prov. 22.3 and 27.12
My daughter in law is Korean and so I think sometimes about crazy people targeting her. Our fav grocery store takes our order over the phone, then delivers outside to our car. So far, that’s working okay.
Niice. 👍
We are finding that the indefinite curfew that has been declared in three high risk areas has its advantages (for us)..as all requirements delivered to doorstep.
Unfortunately those in other districts rural areas are finding it difficult to get provisions due to crowd rush in the 5 hour windows when curfew lifted.
The poor too who depend on daily wahmges are severely impacted.😏☹☹
I think these disasters always target the poor more severely. We have some backup. They don’t.
So right😒
Dear Janet (yes, we have missed your posting) I am so very, very happy! Congrats. Well deserved. And it seems you two will be a nice fit.
Muchas felicidades.
Hugs.
(If I may be so bold)
😉
You may always be bold, my dear! And hugs back to you.
🙂
Congratulations Janet. I am very happy you found what you were looking for. Much love and many wishes of success to you.
Thank you. I still remember the days when we were working together. Thanks for that. J.
You mean the days on the Big Island?Something good happened there Something i will not attempt to analyze, define, categorize, boxify. Rather let the memories bring back a sweet energetic connection. The link was definitely spiritual one.
Blessings on Kansas. Looks to me that a lot of good things are happening in the state You for One.
Yes, The days on the Big Island are a big part. I’ll post when the book comes out. You might like remembering with me. Hugs.
PS: you are, in fact, in the book. And I still read The New Siddur. You taught me good things.
Congratulations, Janet! It has been and will be a labor of love for you to work on this memoir.
Theresa
Thanks, Theresa. It will be a labor of love for sure. I like the publisher and we’ve worked together before so I’m encouraged. I’m also editing a manuscript for a friend who was a Jungian analyst and has written a book on Franz Jung, C.G. Jung’s only son. So I’ll be editing one book and working with an editor on my book! A little crazy.
Crazy is good, as long as it’s happy crazy.
What wonderful news! Hearty congratulations from another Janet.
janet
Thank you, Janet. It’s lovely to hear from you. I think we have been out of touch for far too long. Hope your life goes well.
Thank you, Janet! It’s lovely to hear from you. I hope your life is going well, too.
It is going well, thanks. We’re moving to Arizona in April, where my parents and brother and family live. My parents can use some help now and we also want to see if we want to retire there. It will be a new experience for us living where there aren’t four seasons. I just wish the actual move was over!!
Whew! That’s a big move. From trees to desert. But no doubt an adventure. I liked living in the desert when I was in New Mexico. You can see the sky!!!
Yes, South Dakota, Wyoming, and Montana are the same way. The sky goes on forever. It will be an adventure and I do like the desert. We just haven’t ever lived there year-round. We’ll still be going to Wyoming during the summer, so I can get trees and grass then. 🙂
Janet, I’m so happy for you that your book finally found a home. Congratulations. ❤
Thank you Viv! It’s quite a heady thing as you can imagine. Now there’s more work! I’ll keep you posted.
What GREAT news, Janet! Congratulations!
Thank you Susan! It’s kind of you to say so. I really am excited.
Congratulations, Janet!
Thanks, Jill. It’s kind of you to say so. It really is a very cool thing to have happened. I’ll no doubt keep everyone posted.