An Evening with the Authors of Short Shorts

This Saturday (9/10), at 9 pm (EST), authors Miriam L. Jacobs and Susan E. Henry will be discussing their newly released collection of short stories. Please tune in! It promises to be a fun show.

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/chaklet-coffee-books/2011/09/11/a-night-with-the-authors-of-short-shorts

A Little More Shameless Self-Promotion.

I can't help it. I'm very excited about this project.

An excerpt from Short Shorts.





A Walk in the Park


Susan E. Henry

It was so cold that night. Below freezing. But the man who was, and still is, the most alluring man I’ve ever seen seemed completely impermeable to it. I remember being puzzled by him as I watched him saunter along the pathway through the park. I had never witnessed such nonchalance in another person. He was completely unafraid and uninterested in his surroundings. That’s what I thought, anyway. He truly was unafraid, but uninterested? Well, get comfortable, and I’ll tell you about it.

You see, the park was my home then. It’s a long story – how I became homeless. But that’s not what you’re interested in, and it’s not what I want to tell you. I had a small make-shift tent between two large evergreen shrubs. That was my shelter and my bed. Just a couple of ratty old blankets on the ground and a plastic tarp secured to the shrubs with clothespins. I guess I had been living there for about a month when I saw him for the first time.

I couldn’t stop staring – he was so…magnetic. That’s the only way I can describe it. He was of average height and weight, and his features were masculine, regular and proportionate. There really wasn’t anything tremendously remarkable about his features by themselves. But they seemed to be arranged so perfectly, in such total harmony, that he was undeniably and irresistibly beautiful. The sight of him excited me…physically excited me. It was more than that, though. I could feel him – his…his presence, his being, his very soul, drawing me to him. It wasn’t a request; it was a command. My body was being commanded to approach his. It was the strangest sensation, especially since we didn’t even make eye contact. I stared as he strolled through the park, and he never looked my way. I resisted the overwhelming urge to move toward him; I remained there in my little tent. Once he was out of sight, that strange calling to me also passed, which was a great relief.

Empowerment

I just read an interesting blog about empowerment, and I would like to know what others think about the meaning of empowerment. What does it mean to you? What makes you feel empowered? What does it mean to empower someone else?

I feel more empowered now than I ever have. Ever.  That tremendous feeling is due, in large part, to my wonderful friend and publisher, Miriam L. Jacobs. She urged me to start writing again after many years of leaving my gift inactive. The simple act of stringing words together in a way that was meaningful to me was completely empowering to me. It gave my life a purpose that had been lacking for far too long. I was born to be a writer. I ignored that fact for a long time, but the need to write never really went away. It got buried and shuffled and pushed aside, but it was still there.

Now, as a result of her friendship and encouragement, I am a published poet. I dreamed of that accomplishment when I was younger. I couldn't imagine anything better than having my own poetry collection published. At the end of last year, I had the honor of placing my book - MY book - on the shelf with the books of all the authors I have enjoyed reading over the years.  That was a truly monumental experience for me.

I'm dreaming new dreams now! I hope you are accomplishing yours and dreaming up others, too!