Yule Postcards

As a writer, all holidays inspire me. I've written a number of tinsel-y stories...some perhaps less tinsel and more spider webbish, but sadness too is part of the season. Yule contains both the light and the dark. For example, presents are given to express love. But did you know that gifts were bestowed long ago to reaffirm bonds in case loved ones did not make it through the harsh winter? Something to think about.

Here are some vintage holiday postcards that represent the joy and the mystery of this glorious season. I hope they inspire you.

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I picked these two because they are such iconic symbols of the season. And whatever your beliefs, many of the holiday trappings we enjoy are very very old. Evergreens and holly are two such decorations.

Here's a couple of quirky ones. Apparently seeds are a lot smarter than I thought. I'm thinking these pine cone people could tell a fine tale. I especially like the one with the doll. Or is she a doll???

Fairies and elves are very much a part of Yule. I love the poinsettia fairy woman. But these elves. Just what are they doing? Carting around cookies with tiny children on the top? Honey...the elves shrunk the kids...

Here's another one with cookies. This young man does not look happy. Who knew cookies could be so mischievous?

I included these next two because I think they represent the longing many of us have for warm weather during this time of year. Where is this boat going piled high with blooms? And what is the young girl contemplating? I have to say that although the holidays would not be the same if it wasn't chilly, a part of me dreams for fresh flowers and my toes in the sand.

And now the strange, weird, and somewhat disturbing. You knew I'd get to these. Here's a frightening clown. I never have liked clowns all that much. Just what's hiding behind that makeup? I really don't like this one. What's with the greeting? I don't want to get either a slap or a bang from him or his freaky little dogs.

Here's a happy cheery card. Don't worry, it says. Uh huh, sure.






OK, so why is the little girl in Santa's backpack??? Was she bad? Is she being taken away somewhere? The pink highlights are rather creepy too.

This one just floors me. A mummy Christmas baby? Actually, I think it's supposed to be the Christ child..."born natale" literally means happy birthday in Italian...they say it during the holidays. I still think it looks like a mummy. Or perhaps a bloody mermaid. Sorry. I do write horror stories.

Little Red Riding Hood meets Christmas. Or maybe three little pigs. (Have you ever noticed when the word "little" is in a fairy story title some unpleasantness will occur?) I believe this postcard is handmade. Even weirder.

This one is strange and funny. Let's lord it over others with our holiday greetings, shall we? But what a great story this would be!

Here's another funny one. I like this woman. She's obviously all set for any and all holiday occasions. Bill for the office party, Sam for the Christmas dance, and I think Percy will do just fine for that Hanukkah brunch. And then there's Antonio. Um. He's for in front of the fireplace...

Of course, the Yuletide holidays are filled with magic. Cards today don't seem to include enchantment as much as they used to. Check out this spell-like greeting.

Moon magic is especially nice during Yule, don't you think?

Elves again. But this time they are bringing luck.

I love this one. The enchantment isn't overt, but magic is definitely in the air. I wish I could get my hair to curl like this woman's.

And last but not least, a bit of romance...the best holiday magic of all.

Published!

I will say that this is not a new story; I sold it last year to Darwin's Evolutions, and the magazine has just now come out with the Halloween issue. My story, Tea and Fairy Cakes, won second prize. The stunning artwork is by Jesus Lopez. Here is the link to purchase if you are interested.

http://www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/evolutions-vol-2-iss-1/7904466

Kinda nice to see it even after all this time. I've been focusing on novels lately. Seeing my story in print has inspired me to write more shorter works again.

Review

Finished The Year's Best Fantasy & Horror (8th collection) edited by Ellen Datlow & Terri Windling. Wow. Maybe because these two have done it eight times they know how to put a collection together. Whatever the reason, every collection I’ve read of theirs has been creepily good.

This collection is dark. But very different from the last anthology I reviewed. If you recall, I became weary of bad things happening to those who don’t deserve it. Interestingly enough, that also happens in this anthology. I’ve been thinking a lot about why this book was different. Unaware or clueless people did get into trouble. Bad trouble. They didn’t particularly deserve unpleasantness: they wanted it.

That’s not quite right. Let me try again. The best horror, in my opinion, is not about vampires, werewolves, or alien creatures…it’s about the monster that lurks within all of us. These stories explore the ying and the yang of violence; that there always must be a victim for every perpetrator. As a character in the best (or worst) story in this collection, The White Temple by Douglas Clegg, said to his victim and partner, “we complete each other.”

There is something terrifying in that statement. The reader is forced to contemplate all sorts of disturbing thoughts, such as are we destined to play out a victim or abuser? Can we fight our destinies? Should we? And if our lives are not set in stone at birth, how does it feel knowing we have chosen to suffer or inflict pain?

Or is it that we have both within us…the capacity to hurt, and also the capacity to endure great suffering? Is this what makes us human…knowing we have both characteristics but striving nonetheless to discover the middle way?

For writers all of these contemplations can be especially troubling, as I believe all stories must have conflict. Authors must think about these things. We sometimes wallow in it. And that means we face the dark side of our souls, and the possibility that we could be monsters or participating victims in the right circumstance.

The author of The White Temple so gets that. It is completely unafraid; all traces of civilization are peeled away, exposing the raw, red underbelly of the human psyche. I thought it was the best example in the anthology. If you read it, though, know I couldn’t eat for the rest of the day. It continues to haunt me. It is that disturbing. And that well written.

In the end, The White Temple and many others in this collection invited, sometimes forced, me to consider: which side of the coin am I? If faced with the situations in this book, what would I do to others or allow done to me???

Whew. I need a nice fluffy romance now. Or maybe I'll start getting out my Yule decorations. My husband says it's too early. But I need some tinsel, elves, and bright lights. And a big mug of hot chocolate. With peppermint schnapps.

Yeah.

Point Count-Point

People have asked me what makes a good writer. I’m not sure I know how to answer that, although I do believe there may be some common characteristics. For example, I think most writers are solitary, or at the very least, are OK with spending vast amounts of time alone. Writers are also able to observe the commonalities of human existence, yet understand how to filter that through their own viewpoints and experience.

What inspired this post, however, was something else entirely. Writers have chosen the written word as their way of expressing the artist in themselves. Like the visual arts, a novel or story is created and then polished, prodded, and edited until (hopefully), it is the best it can be. The product exists for viewing any time, any place, as perfect as the day it was completed.

Not so with the performing arts. In a sense, you are only as good as your last soliloquy, debate, or pirouette; every time you put yourself out there the possibility of failure or excellence is equally represented. Writing is not scary…disappointing and frustrating yes, but never frightening, at least for me. Conversely, no matter how hard you practice or how bad you want to be fantastic, a performance may flop.

And that’s scary.

But isn’t writing a risk, you may ask? Absolutely. Every story exposures a piece of the author’s soul and the rejection of something so personal can be hard. But at least you have done your best when you send a story or novel to a publisher; you don’t have to compose on the spot.

And so perhaps we writers need a counter-point to spending hours and hours constructing that hoped for perfection. If you’ve read my dancing blog I write with my husband you will already know another passion is dancing. Dancing is, of course, performance art. It gets me out if the house and with other people, but I think most importantly dancing forces me to take the risk of not being perfect.

No performance one does over and over can always be “on”. You will have an off night whether you want to or not. I’ve written other blogs posts concerning work ethics and how a writer has to be disciplined. You will also note that I stated moving your writing profession forward doesn’t have to mean actual writing; you can market, edit, or research topics.

I learned this because of my dancing. Sometimes, no matter how hard I try, ideas just don’t come…shock of shocks, I was having an “off” writer’s day. Through dancing, I now know that creativity, like performance, ebbs and flows. But that’s OK. The stories will come. I don’t have to worry during those times the flow just isn’t there. Tomorrow is a other day of writing, just like next week maybe I will do that rumba step correctly.

And although the two activities are very different, selling a story and having an “on” dancing night instills the same feeling of joy and exhilaration. If you are a fellow author, maybe dancing isn’t for you, but perhaps another “in the moment” activity could be: storytelling, teaching, sports, acting, and good old conversation are all performance arts.

Try it. I’ve come to love having both in my life.