Sonnets

A new book, “By Any Other Name,” written by Jodi Picoult, throws new gasoline on this long, slow burning controversy. A well researched and interesting work of fiction, it speculates that a woman, Emilia Bassano, authored many of Shakespeare’s works. Picoult is far from the first to say Shakespeare has gotten credit for the work of others. Mark Twain and Sigmund Freud are among the doubters. Many of Shakespeare’s Elizabethan contemporaries have been suggested as the real author, and some say multiple authors may have been involved. But there’s little or no evidence to support any of these theories. So Shakespeare’s fame doesn’t seem to be in jeopardy, whether it’s deserved or not.

Do you think it might be fun to have the author of the book you’re discussing present at your gathering? I have never appeared at a book club meeting, but I think it would be very enjoyable for everyone, especially the author. There are some very interesting stories behind the stories that would be fun to share, like where the inspiration came from or who the characters might be based on. I am available at no cost to appear at book clubs in the Winona,MN area, and can be reached at kjmogren@hbci.com.

My creation of new works varies from year to year. Inspiration and motivation are the determining factors. As I wrote in a previous post, inspiration comes from a variety of places, but the more I go looking for it, the more sonnet ideas pop into my head. I went looking for it this year because I was motivated to complete another book. Keeping in mind my writing is pretty much a part time thing, I typically write one or two a month, so 15 or 20 new ones is a normal year. In 2017, I wrote 31. That was the record until this year when I wrote 41. Most of these, along with about 50 written in prior years, will be included in my next book.

I am often asked where I get the ideas for my sonnets. The ideas seem to come from no place in particular, and there is no pattern to the sources. It might be a story in the news, a song on the radio, a comic strip, or some person’s behavior I observe. I’ve had friends and readers suggest topics I’ve turned into sonnets. Sometimes an idea just pops into my head for no apparent reason. I’ve learned the hard way to quickly write down any idea I think might be good. Otherwise, those ideas seem to quickly escape.

It’s late January and so far I’m keeping a resolution to write more new sonnets in 2023 than in 2022. My production slowed to a trickle last February when MSI Press offered to publish SPUNKY GRANDMAS….And Other Amusing Characters. Suddenly my efforts went in a different direction.

Turning a manuscript into a book involves more work for an author than most people realize. Manuscripts are really just a draft, so there is still an opportunity to make improvements.I went back and looked at every word and made quite a few tweaks. Then comes a final editing process which involves quite a bit of back and forth communication with the publisher.

While publishers take the lead in publicizing and distributing a book, they expect authors to be active in book promotion, as well. That meant creating and maintaining a website, harnessing social media, and calling on area book stores and gift shops to set up consignment sales arrangements. It also meant finding opportunities to share excerpts with live audiences.

Those promotional activities for Spunky Grandmas will continue in 2023, but if another book is in my future, there’s work to be done.

I’ve had folks who purchased SPUNKY GRANDMAS….And Other Amusing Characters tell me they’ve had occasion to read aloud to friends or family some of the stories in the book and say it’s been a fun experience. I’ve also had plenty of personal experience sharing them aloud with audiences on the many river cruise boat appearances I’ve made. I have learned, usually the hard way, some stories are better left exclusively to readers because they fall flat when read aloud.

If the humor is a little too subtle, audiences sometimes don’t get the joke and aren’t able to go back and figure it out. A reader has the advantage of being able to re-read and connect the dots.

For a listener, It seems to depend on the last two lines of the sonnet. If they deliver a good punchline that’s been set up well by the first twelve lines, the story is a hit. But one that might seem amusing or clever to a reader can be a real dud when aloud without a good punchline.

The book was written mostly with readers in mind, but I’ve found there are many that also work well for listeners. Obviously, those are the ones I rely on when I do appearances.

Authoring a book has led to an opportunity I really didn’t expect. I can now add “cruise ship entertainer” to my business card. It’s an interesting story how it all came about.

During the final editing process of my book, “SPUNKY GRANDMAS….And Other Amusing Characters,” my wife Sally and I happened to be vacationing on an American Cruise Lines cruise from Jacksonville to Charleston. Besides enjoying the trip, I was exchanging emails on a daily basis with the publisher. It was a bit upsetting that my onboard internet connection wasn’t very good. That turned out to be a lucky break. Sally, who unlike me, isn’t bashful about asking others for help, enlisted the help of the ship’s cruise director for technical assistance.

The cruise director became interested in the book, enjoyed some of my creations, and asked if I’d like to read a few excerpts to entertain fellow passengers during the daily cocktail hour. I jumped at the chance, and my brief “show” was a hit. That spawned the idea of approaching the folks at American Cruise Lines who hire onboard entertainers with a proposal to come aboard their ships when they’re docked in my hometown, Winona, MN. Their ships stop here about 35 times each year.

Knowing that Mark Twain is a name heard a lot on Mississippi River Cruises, I created a show called, “Humor In The Tradition Of Mark Twain,” and pitched it to the cruise line. In the show, I share some of my works and point out how they employ many of the same techniques Mark Twain used to tickle funny bones. I toss in a few of Twain’s best quotes along the way, and it makes for an entertaining 45 minutes. The presentation is about 10% enrichment lecture and 90% comedy act.

After submitting an audition video, I was given an opportunity to appear on their first Winona stop of the season. Things went well enough that I was given other opportunities, and I’ve now become a regular entertainer during their Winona stops. I usually sell a few books, but the bigger reward is the fun I have entertaining their guests.

Grandparents Day has been an official national holiday since 1978. It is always celebrated on the first Sunday after Labor Day which falls on September 11, this year. The US isn’t the only country that honors grandparents with a special holiday, but it falls on different dates, depending on the country. Gifts and cards are appropriate on Grandparents Day and retailers and greeting card companies are reminding us of this as I write. SPUNKY GRANDMAS…And Other Amusing Characters makes a great gift for this occasion, especially for a grandmother who likes a good laugh, and what grandma wouldn’t be flattered to think the gift giver associates her with the word, “spunky?