Fun with Words

I'm in the midst of writing a big essay on writers who address themes of motherhood and nature in their work, and having so much fun with it! 

It's been nigh on twenty-years since I last did any academic writing, and for the most part, I remember mostly writing just get the essay or research paper over and done with. This time, researching something I'm really, genuinely excited about and which is, I believe, the first time this topic has been written about in this way, is truly exhilarating. I'm even all atwitter over the MLA handbook.

This is what my side of the bedroom looks like––research central:

I ran across this post and this one, about getting this very same room all clean and orderly (I love how I called it my Sewing-Writing-Sleeping Studio...gotta remember that one). My room doesn't look very much like the after photos right now, but of course, the motivation behind all that reorganization was to be ready for these two years of focusing on writing, not housework.

M, who is in the process of researching and writing an essay of his own (and not very happy about it) is totally perplexed by my enthusiasm, and not very convinced by my assurances that one day he will appreciate the skills he's learning now.

Every book I read leads me to two or three, or a half-dozen, more that I need to order from interlibrary loan. I'm afraid my 35-page essay is going to more along the lines of 75 pages. I keep running across so much good stuff that I want to share it all with everyone, so I've decided to start a series of posts that quote some of the good stuff I'm digging up about mother-writers, to hopefully inspire others and maybe get a bit of conversation going. Stay tuned for the first post tomorrow.