Spring Beginnings

Dear Friends,

Spring will not make up its mind. It wants to be apart of winter’s existence, but won’t commit to becoming its own season. This is why I am freezing in the end of March. I know for some of you, you might be in LA, not freezing, however that is not real weather and you all know it. People who live in southern California think they’re cheating the Earth out of its normal, seasonal cycle. In some ways, they are. But I personally like seasons. It’s nice to feel like different things are happening as the weather changes. You can say things like, “It was a cold and stormy night,” without sounding like Stephen King, because it actually was a cold and stormy night. You can also say, “I feel as foggy as the layer above my apartment,” because sometimes you do, and fog layer is actually on top of your apartment because you live on the thirtieth floor. But mostly I like seasons because you feel renewed. Or muggy and disgusting, but that’s not for another few months. You can say clothes and outfits are, “So last season,” because they are. Growing up in California, I didn’t have seasons and everything seemed the same. I could not decipher a memory from February or July because the weather was the same. So, if anything, seasons heighten your sensory memories and expand your wardrobe.

I just started something new. I’m not sure what it all means yet, but I am excited. No, I’m not talking about a man – I’m talking about an enhancement in my career. A chance to finally bring The Butterfly Groove to the people! A chance to unwind all of the thoughts in my head that I might not have been able to articulate during the whirlwind of the six months it took me to write my book. Any writer or editor will say that writing is a process, but it doesn’t have to take forever to cultivate. I don’t really believe in following rules that stringently when it comes to creativity. Sure, things take time, but they don’t always have to. This is how I calm myself down when things seem far away. Time is a figment of our imagination – we don’t have to adhere to deadlines we make up just because we have clocks on all of our technological devices. People ask me: did you write every day, all day? And the answer is no. I thought about writing each day, was conducting interviews each day, and so when I went to write, I was productive. I can remember one moment I stared at my blinking cursor, getting lost in the painfully white Word document. Just one time. It was a cold day in October and I think it was raining (it actually was even though I was in LA). I was sitting at the kitchen table, staring at the rain, thinking I could never finish the book by December. But then, something amazing happened, and I was able to finish with great ease. And eventually, it stopped raining. Weather is surreal because it’s something that is happening to you that makes up the framework of your life. You don’t really have a choice but to break out the umbrella, and brave the atmosphere.

 I can remember the very first time I wrote about 1964 and Westchester. It was last summer. All I wanted to do was write a piece of realistic fiction about my mom’s life and I am amazed at what it has turned into. The book was born in summer, finished in winter, and will be tamed in the spring. By this summer, it will be well on its way to fluttering to a store near you. Cross your wings for me, and stay tuned!

 Kisses,

Jessica

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