A Walk on the Wilder Side
Posted by Ashley Memory in Uncategorized on May 27, 2012
Today as I wade through my co-worker’s copy of Nicholas Carr’s The Shallows: What the Internet is Doing to Our Brains, I keep thinking about just what makes the book superior to any electronic form. You see, I’ve resisted buying a Kindle, Nook, or I-Pad longer than most folks. My most recent literary love affair has been with a paper copy of The Wilder Life: My Adventures in the Lost World of Little House on the Prairie by Wendy McClure.
This book brings back so many memories—my own love of the Little House books and how I could so easily escape into “Laura’s world.” You see, like McClure, I, too, imagined myself making candy by boiling maple syrup and pouring it onto snow; I, too, had wanted to help Pa make those twists of hay that kindled the family’s fires; and I, too, had wondered how on earth Ma could feed her starving family on nothing more than a bag of wheat during the Long Winter. Thanks to McClure, who does all these things herself and more, I think I now understand why Ma sometimes seemed to be in a bad mood!
As she retraces the steps of Laura’s life, McClure takes us on an enchanting journey behind the real story that leads her on some interesting adventures of her own, from sleeping in a covered wagon during a hailstorm to participating in a homesteading experience hosted by some “kooky survivalists.” If you are a Little House fan who’s ever suspected that the real story may not have been the saccharinely sweet version portrayed by Michael Landon, this book is for you. Ever wondered why the Ingalls family moved around so much? McClure does her own detective work and reveals that Charles Ingalls may have been skipping town for a reason. And did you know that the Ingalls family had once included a baby brother named Freddy who died tragically young? And have you ever wondered about the relationship between Laura and her only surviving child, Rose Wilder Lane? It’s a lot more complicated than I ever thought.
So the real story wasn’t as pure and simple as the books led us to believe, but that knowledge doesn’t diminish my appreciation of the Little House books one bit. It brings Laura’s story to life even more, told through the lens of an author who also admired Laura and longed to experience a fragment of Laura’s life herself. While McClure’s book is nonfiction, her story underscores the role of fiction in our lives. Her book reminds us of the beauty of novels and the importance of letting oneself enter the world of an author and feel something felt by someone besides ourselves.
As Carr so painstakingly reveals (with neurological evidence to boot), our brains are being reprogrammed to resist the urge to lose oneself in a book thanks to the “ecosystem of interruptions” surrounding us. Who would have thought that my mother’s torment (“Don’t think you can lose yourself in a book today, Missy; we’ve got chores to do!”) might one day be physically impossible? With a nod to Laura, this tragedy is a little bit like waking up one day and finding the wheat field of your mind destroyed by locusts.
Naked and Hungry Featured in the N.C. Collection at Wilson Library
Posted by Ashley Memory in Uncategorized on May 22, 2012
If you follow the popular blog Read North Carolina Novels, which is maintained by the N.C. Collection at Wilson Library on Carolina’s campus, you might see that Naked and Hungry is today’s feature novel.
I thought it was pretty neat to have an ISBN number but I think it’s equally cool to have a call number in the state library system: C813 M533n.
Thanks to Google Alerts for letting me know and to the kind state archivist I met during a radio interview last fall who held true to his promise. And if you like novels set in our home state, check out How to Find More N.C. Novels.
Nobody Goes Naked and Hungry at the Market!
Posted by Ashley Memory in Uncategorized on April 8, 2012
What a day! Making crepes at the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market was an unforgettable experience. It was a fantasy come true—not just one but two. I experienced the life of a restauranteur AND Iron Chef competitor. There’s nothing like taking and trying to fulfill orders placed by fellow epicures and giving a demonstration at the same time.
Needless to say, I emerged with new respect for those who are brave enough to run a restaurant and those who can perform on the spot. We’re not sure but we think we made about 100 crepes yesterday. And all with locally-sourced ingredients such as fresh eggs, milk, goat cheese, spinach, spring onions and strawberries.
As exhilarating as it was, nothing compared to the enjoyment of handing a young girl her very first crepe!
Among the happy marketers, the day yielded a few surprise guests, including Lynne Dardanell from the Piedmont Land Conservancy and Justin Catanoso, esteemed journalist, professor and author of My Cousin the Saint.
Both of these fine folks have been very supportive of Naked and Hungry and Justin even posed for this picture.
Amidst the frenetic activity—which did not let up for 3 hours—the public was very patient as I got my crepe mojo on. A gregarious Japanese man snapped some pictures while offering his own suggestions for a spring-roll inspired crepe.
Special thanks goes to my husband Robert who kept the gas flames burning (and put out the fire!) and not only took these great pictures but donned an apron and sauteed spinach and green onions for the savory crepes! Somehow, he also managed to sneak in a few peeks at the Master’s on his smart phone.
This picture is a great expression of the day’s attitude: getting by with a little help from your friends. Here sweet Bella gives a boost to her young neighbor Cameron who was determined to get a better glimpse of the crepe-making
And speaking of friends, the day wouldn’t have been possible at all without Donna Myers, who organized it all. From the big things like handling publicity to little things like dashing home to replace the spatula we shattered on our way in, Donna is a true credit to her profession.
Last but not least, we thank dear Josie, who stepped in as sous chef. Not only was she super-effficient at slicing strawberries and spring onions, she seemed to have a chef’s instinct about what needed to be done next. Her grace and kindness was observed by all, and we have no doubt that she is destined for great, great things.
Naked and Hungry Returns to the Greensboro Farmers Curb Market!
Posted by Ashley Memory in Uncategorized on April 6, 2012
And this time, we’re making CREPES! That’s right. Thanks to my dear friend Donna Myers, who is the new events coordinator extraordinaire, I’ve been invited to appear as the guest chef tomorrow at the market.
With the help of my sous chef (husband Robert), we’ll be making two types of crepes: goat cheese, braised spinach and spring onions and for dessert, our famous strawberry cream crepes. The ingredients in these two recipes are provided by N.C farmers so you know that what you’ll be eating is healthy and fresh and comes from a sustainable, eco-friendly source. What could be more delicious? And wouldn’t you like to see Robert in his new Naked and Hungry apron?
At the end of the demonstration, we’ll also be giving away a FREE CREPE PAN to the winner of a raffle. This means that you could pick up your own fresh produce and make the same crepes at your house that very evening. So we hope that you’ll plan to attend and help support our N.C. farmers. Without them, we truly would be naked and hungry!
The market is located at 501 Yanceyville Street in Greensboro, N.C. and the demonstration will last from 7 a.m. – 11 a.m.
Naked and Hungry Makes The News and Record!
Posted by Ashley Memory in Uncategorized on March 30, 2012
Last week I learned that Naked and Hungry received its first review in a major media outlet. The review made the front page of the Books section of the Sunday, March 18 edition of the Greensboro News and Record.
Titled “Environmental Shenanigans, Southern Style,” reviewer Linda Brinson praises the book for its balance of humor and environmental awareness. The article isn’t yet available online so I’ll provide a brief excerpt below.
“If you had to slot Memory’s slim novel into a fictional genre, it probably would land somewhere in the realm of Southern comedy and satire. Memory, who lives in Pittsboro, knows her territory. She gets the details of 21st-century small-town North Carolina right. She obviously enjoys poking a little fun at such staples as good ol’ boys, restless housewives, hypocritical preachers and slickly crooked politicians. The humor isn’t too heavy-handed, however, and as a result, the book is really funny.”
The same week that I learned of this review, Naked and Hungry was also mentioned in the College Bookshelf section of the spring issue of Arts & Sciences Magazine (page 31) which is the alumni magazine of the College of Arts and Sciences at Carolina.
These mentions wouldn’t have been possible without the loyalty of a growing network of “Naked” fans, who continue to help spread the word throughout the state and beyond. Again, I thank you.
Naked and Hungry Returns to Asheboro!
Posted by Ashley Memory in Uncategorized on March 15, 2012
Join us at the Asheboro branch of the Randolph County Library for the return of Naked and Hungry!
When: Thursday, March 22, 2012 at 7 p.m.
Where: Randolph County Public Library, 201 Worth Street, Asheboro, N.C., 27203
At this special event, which is sponsored by Friends of the Library, I’ll read a short passage from Naked and Hungry, talk about the connection between cooking and the literary life, and reveal one of my top secrets for turning real life into fiction. As always, we’ll give away a crepe pan to one of the lucky attendees. Hope to see you there!
When is Teacher Appreciation Day? Every Day!
Posted by Ashley Memory in Uncategorized on March 4, 2012
Upon of learning of the 80th birthday of one of my favorite junior high school teachers, I was curious to learn if there is a national Teacher Appreciation Day. After all, the breadth and depth of national holidays astounds: Sweet Potato Day, Umbrella Day, Hug a G.I. day, there’s even a Peanut Butter Day. To my relief, (please excuse my ignorance), there is indeed a day of celebration for teachers; this year it will be May 8.
But as I reflect, I wonder if one day is enough? I firmly believe that the teachers I know—my own, my friends and my colleagues at UNC-Chapel Hill—should be honored every day. The gifts they give are the most enduring because of their ability to see the potential in young people and to spark within us a lifelong path of learning. My soon to-be-80 language arts-social studies teacher is special because of his passion for ideas.
Yes, we memorized facts; yes, we diagrammed sentences (ugh); and yes, we wrote papers (thank you), but the knowledge I retained was more profound than that. In his classroom, we were free to talk about ideas previously reserved for adults: politics, death, love, betrayal, even teen pregnancy and addiction. In fact, the examination of ideas was required. Our reading list was edgy, especially for the times: Death be Not Proud, Flowers for Algernon, and Watership Down. But my teacher was brave and he knew that the value of exposing young people to ideas far outweighed the risk.
To be clear, teachers aren’t perfect; they would be the first to decry such a label. They are human and within that scope lies the full range of virtues and foibles. But because of their life’s work, the best of them have a nobility that no other profession can match. I think of another great educator, a man for whom I was fortunate enough to write a speech or two for in my time, the teacher-governor, James B. Hunt. He was fond of quoting that old axiom that goes: “You never stand so high as when you stoop to help a child.”
So here is to my beloved junior high teacher and all the great ones who followed him. Without their influence, and with no disrespect to farmers and truckers, it is safe to say that a great many of us would indeed be sitting at home naked and hungry.
Naked in Hungary
Posted by Ashley Memory in Uncategorized on February 25, 2012
This morning I caught Nando on my laptop surfing the internet. Not surprisingly, his search history included terms such as “rawhide,” “how to catch squirrels,” and “how to cope with a neurotic owner.” All innocent fun but suppose he had been there a minute longer? He did look a little guilty so I hesitate to ponder what other frontiers exist in the canine mind.
As for humans, there are no surprises. WordPress gives bloggers a handy little report that lists all the terms that internet surfers use to stumble upon our blogs. Needless to say, with a novel titled Naked and Hungry, one must be prepared for the tone and scope of search terms you will see. It’s also fair to say that these surfers were not always looking for what I had to offer.
However, I do find quite a bit of amusement in the terms that bring surfers to my blog. One of my favorites has been “Naked in Hungary” which has appeared far too frequently for it to be a mistyping of “Naked and Hungry.” It certainly brings a bit of adventure to the idea of traveling in Eastern Europe and may explain why it’s such a popular tourist destination nowadays. Other gems have been “naked celebrates” which appears so often that I’m thinking it’s probably a mistyping of “naked celebrities.” So if any of my writer friends are seeking a sure-fire title that would bring a steady stream of traffic, I’m offering this term up for your use.
I try not to ponder too long on the kind of person who would enter “caroline I would love to see you naked” in the search engines, but instead I find joy in knowing that so many people share my love of authors William Trevor (“william trevor favorite author”) and Flannery O’Connor (“conflict in a good man is hard to find”). I only hope that these kindred spirits will stay long enough to read a posting or two or perhaps even comment.
Have any search engine stories of your own? Share them here and at the very least, we’ll have a good laugh. As for Nando, I’m going to have to keep a closer eye on him.
A Valentine for the Artists Among Us
Posted by Ashley Memory in Uncategorized on February 14, 2012
Go into the arts. I’m not kidding. The arts are not a way to make a living. They are a very human way of making life more bearable. Practicing an art, no matter how well or badly, is a way to make your soul grow, for heaven’s sake. Sing in the shower. Dance to the radio. Tell stories. Write a poem to a friend, even a lousy poem. Do it as well as you possibly can. You will get an enormous reward. You will have created something. –Kurt Vonnegut
This quote comes courtesy of good friend John Graham and it’s my valentine to all of my friends, who are artists in their own way. You make the world a better place.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Who Is Your Publicist?
Posted by Ashley Memory in Uncategorized on February 11, 2012
Today I had the honor of appearing as a guest blogger for good friend and fellow writer Rick Bylina, the author of One Promise Too Many and other great books. The subject was publicity, a necessity for any writer nowadays.
Can’t afford to hire a publicist? No problem. Hire yourself.
