So you filled your hands

First, some retro tattoos, and not retro the way you think, probably. ( I think she's my favorite. )

Next, the aftermath of the Great War in England.

( A natural companion to 'Over There' )

The Emergency Peace Federation, a hastily assembled pacifist organization, had in early March summoned to the East its champion platform speaker, David Starr Jordan, retired president of Stanford University. During the last ten days of March, Jordan stumped from Boston to Baltimore on behalf of peace. On Sunday, April 1[, 1917], the eve of Wilson's war address, a Baltimore mob of nearly a thousand persons stormed the building in which Jordan was speaking, and started to rush the stage. The pro-peace audience sang "The Star-Spangled Banner," compelling the zealous patriots to stop and stand at attention in mid-aisle long enough for Jordan to slip away.

I've officially made my first purchase for researching State Lines. It claims to be a look at American society during WWI, which I imagine will help in writing a Midwestern rail town in 1920. Earlier this week I printed out my draft of The Falling Woman, with a three-ring binder and everything, and varying attempts to get some reorganizing done have gone not very far, which makes me think I need to move on to something else for a while. Hello, myth and Americana.

Here I was yesterday all excited about making progress! And today, I valiantly tried to sneak in some writing at work... nada. Nothing. Shoe shopping, yes, but novel-finishing, not tonight, apparently. Still, I think signs are pointing to this happening before I leave for my trip. Other good indicators: State Lines-related bits and bobs keep falling into my lap. I love this description of the early '20s, and there's something about this model's off-kilter smile that is really endearing and charming to me.

( Read more... )

Now, of course, to just keep this lesson in mind. And there might be hope yet if I shut the laptop and bring the notebook to bed. (Hey, I need some excitement, right?)