Wishes

Aerial work and Dark Dark Dark

This photo was taken during an art installation in the Netherlands by Tod Seelie; the Miss Rockaway Armada traversed the globe with their traveling art barges and wooed the masses with circus magic and street art.

Sometimes I think it'd be nice to do something like that.  I imagine that was the thought those folks had just before they actually went and did it.  It's similar to the thought I had when I decided to actually send out my last book to my friends for some feedback.

Sometimes just asking to be recognized as who you are feels reckless and brave, which strikes me as backwards.

The one friend who did read it said he loved my book.  "Nancy Drew at Monster High School!  Brilliant!"  It made it a lot easier to believe that they are worth sharing--I can't help but write them.  It's that second part that's tough.

But I think I would've loved my main character when I was her age.  The summer between eighth and ninth grade, when I was fourteen, I was mad for adventure.  I see the girl in that photo above dangling somewhere between heaven and earth, and remember my best friends and how much we laughed and did ridiculous things just to do them--dancing in puddles while it rained, scrambling up trees, taking photos of each other swinging high on the plank bench in the back yard--and I want them to find Rainey, who's currently in a different but similar kind of limbo.  Not as elegant as tissu work, but the effect is the same.  

Deep breath.  Re-write time.