"NEITHER A LOFTY DEGREE OF INTELLIGENCE NOR IMAGINATION NOR BOTH TOGETHER GO TO THE MAKING OF GENIUS. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE, THAT IS THE SOUL OF GENIUS." Wolfgang Amadeus MozartI first "met" Patricia (Pat) Wood through her blog, which, BTW, currently shows a highly unflattering photo of yours truly. But last night I got to meet Pat in the flesh at her book reading at Annie Bloom's. Amazing. Pat is amazing, her story of being published is amazing, how she was just "downloaded" one morning the premise for Lottery, all of it, amazing! But most amazing is her true "getting it" of those with developmental/cognitive challenges or differences.
A friend of mine, Joan, was with me last night. We are both raising "Perrys." Joan is wonderful for many reasons, but she taught me a highly helpful technique a few years back, for the stopping of unchecked tears due to menopause/being highly sensitive/life. "When the tears start to come and you can't make them stop, but want to, just think, can of beans. There is nothing emotional about a can of beans."
I've used the "Can of beans" strategy many times, and usually it's quite effective, but not last night. When Pat got to talking about why she REALLY wrote the book, and after looking at me dead in the eyes and saying, "I wrote it for people like you," I lost it. I tried to sneak a look at Joan and could see that "Can of beans" wasn't cutting it for her, either. we were both right on that verge of "ugly cry."
To those of us raising a Perry, read this book.
To those of us that love a Perry, read this book.
To those of us that don't want to be "one of those people" that marginalizes the Perrys of this world, and I know that covers everyone that reads this blog, read this book.
Love, love, love, that is the soul of a genius. Pat's a genius.
11 comments:
I love that photo of you on Pat's blog. You are adorable!
Will order the book! You should see how many books I've ordered because of YOU!!! You keep me on my toes!
Now, I have to find time to read. Maybe we should host a reading weekend somewhere. Everyone brings a few books and we sit together and read all damn day!
That would be DELICIOUS!
I loved the book!! She is such an amazing writer and has amazing insights into Perry's world. It must have been so amazing to meet her and hear her speak. Totally jealous.
I am going to try your can of beans story theory. Very funny. Although, it reminds me of a high school guy I dated. Picture a campfire on the Tennessee River and me insisting you can't heat a can of beans by placing it in the fire. Picture, the guy insisting his training in Boy Scouts taught him otherwise. Picture beans exploding all over the place because tin cans explode when placed directly in the fire. That was our last date, by the way.
XOXO
Can of beans, can of beans, can of beans.
Wonderful. Thanks. And I will pass this on to my bff.
;)
This is one of my favorite all time books. I'm so bummed I didn't know she was in Portland. I love that you love it too. I find myself thinking of Perry at odd moments, and the thought that giving people what they want always seems to work out.
I'm up for the sit around and read weekend. I'm up for a sit around and write weekend. Great idea la!
P.S. I agree with la la. The picture of you is great and you are adorable!
How the f*ck can you say that that is an unflattering picture of you? You are 1) a skinny bitch (and I mean that in the best way) and 2) you have a REGAL profile. REGAL, I tell you.
I don't ever want to hear you talking about yourself like that ever again. Hear?
Oh yes. The book is transcendent.
I loved Pat's book. Loved Perry and especially loved his Grandma.
Glad you got to meet Pat!
Cute picture Ms. Carrie.
I read that book, after you had recommended it to me. There were parts I had a hard time reading, like how his family treated him. Made my skin crawl, but yes, it was a lovely, hopeful book.
I concur that Carrie is cute as a bug's ear...
wait...
Do bugs have ears?
anyway it was so wonderful to meet her and all the others who came.
Sorry you missed it Deb!!!!
I'm getting the book today. Thanks.
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