I think it's too abstract--the fact that you need to explain it's meaning to us is a sign to me that it's not the best option. Can't wait to see some others!
Good point, thanks Rebecca. The tag line will be similar to what it is, as I have to explain what a storyboard life it, but I’ll see what else I can come up with for an illustration.
I'm with everyone else. I have a gorgeous and fabulous cousin, and she deserves to be on the cover of her book!
That said, you've been in my thoughts with all the news coverage about the stopping of federal support for NPR and PBS. With all your work supporting documentary filmmakers being shown on public broadcasting, I hate to think what that could do to these storytellers in the future...
Aww, thanks Steve! And yes, difficult times for public media. I was speaking with a few colleagues yesterday who had just just returned from the PBS Annual Meeting to gauge their thoughts, none of which are terribly optimistic but the fight to survive and bring deserving programming to the public continues. And you’re absolutely right, this would effectively yank the broadcast platform out from underneath all of these filmmakers if PBS goes dark.
Here it is: I'm excited about your book. I wanted to answer your question about the cover. The problem, for me, is that I instantly thought it was you and I think most people will think that. I was instantly confused. It would be rare to have a photo not of oneself on a memoir, I think. I'll bet you have some awesome photos of you that show who YOU are. Just my thinking. I totally see the appeal of that photo and I would want to use it too for its beauty and application to your work, but in the instant people see that photo, they will make dozens of snap decisions about you that aren't true to your story.
Echoing what others have said about it being a little cryptic AND not being a photo of you. Looking forward to seeing some other options too. (Unrelated to the cover option question, now I need to look up what a hybrid memoir is. Thanks.)
Thanks Nica, good to hear your thoughts and thanks for echoing the others.
Btw, a hybrid memoir is one in which you actually learn about something other than the person's life. In the case of my book, about documentary filmmaking ☺️
Here's another of hers I'd like to read (but haven't yet)
Of Time And Turtles:
Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell
With elegance, journalistic curiosity, and gorgeous artwork, this nonfiction narrative relates the dramas and insights gleaned from working in a hospital from injured, sick, and abandoned turtles—and at the same time, investigates the mystery of time itself. (Really, who better than these long-lived, ancient reptiles to help probe what philosophy considers, along with consciousness, the “hard problem” of time?) Lived during the pandemic, when life for many seemed stalled and broken, the stories of courage and patience in these pages testify to the power we all have to mend our shattered world.
hahaha no. We're in the Tuamotus, in French Polynesia, on our sailboat. I'm hoping to get the tattoo as a commemoration of our passage from Panama to here, but it'll be in the Marquesas when we go back there after Christmas.
The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood
Christopher Hogwood came home on Sy’s lap in a shoebox, with a touch of every disease in the barn: the runt piglet was so sick that nobody expected him to last the night. But he grew into a beloved town character, a 750-pound Buddha master adored by adults and children alike. He grew to command a vast slops empire that extended beyond the small town of Hancock, NH. His fan club crossed oceans. His story proves that a family isn’t made of genes, but love, and that a great soul can come at any time, in any form—even with a flexible nose disk and curly tail.
I also have this one, which is a delight – I love the construct:
"How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals"
National Book Award finalist Sy Montgomery reflects on the personalities and quirks of 13 animals—her friends—who have profoundly affected her in this stunning, poetic, and life-affirming memoir featuring illustrations by Rebecca Green.
Sure! My favorite in this category is Sy Montgomery’s "The Soul of an Octopus."
It’s a memoir that explores the author's relationship with octopuses, it chronicles this growing scientific appreciation of the octopus, but also tells a love story. “By turns funny, entertaining, touching, and profound, The Soul of an Octopus ultimately reveals what octopuses can teach us about the nature and consciousness of the mind.” (from the author’s website).
I loved this book so much I swore off eating them forever (I think I’d only ever tried one once), and got an octopus tattoo on my leg 🥰
I think it's too abstract--the fact that you need to explain it's meaning to us is a sign to me that it's not the best option. Can't wait to see some others!
I actually agree said nearly the same in my message.
Good point, thanks Rebecca. The tag line will be similar to what it is, as I have to explain what a storyboard life it, but I’ll see what else I can come up with for an illustration.
I'm with everyone else. I have a gorgeous and fabulous cousin, and she deserves to be on the cover of her book!
That said, you've been in my thoughts with all the news coverage about the stopping of federal support for NPR and PBS. With all your work supporting documentary filmmakers being shown on public broadcasting, I hate to think what that could do to these storytellers in the future...
Aww, thanks Steve! And yes, difficult times for public media. I was speaking with a few colleagues yesterday who had just just returned from the PBS Annual Meeting to gauge their thoughts, none of which are terribly optimistic but the fight to survive and bring deserving programming to the public continues. And you’re absolutely right, this would effectively yank the broadcast platform out from underneath all of these filmmakers if PBS goes dark.
Nope. A photographer once instructed, “If you have to explain it, delete it.”
This is fun. ☺️
Thanks Lois! I agree. And yes, it's so much fun to have my readers weigh in on what I should or should not do, I LOVE this part of the process!
It's not you....and you shine. How about that wonderful picture of you sitting in a river?
Thank you Marty! ❤️
Having lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains, I have a bunch of shots of me in rivers & waterfalls. But I think I know which one...
Here it is: I'm excited about your book. I wanted to answer your question about the cover. The problem, for me, is that I instantly thought it was you and I think most people will think that. I was instantly confused. It would be rare to have a photo not of oneself on a memoir, I think. I'll bet you have some awesome photos of you that show who YOU are. Just my thinking. I totally see the appeal of that photo and I would want to use it too for its beauty and application to your work, but in the instant people see that photo, they will make dozens of snap decisions about you that aren't true to your story.
Echoing what others have said about it being a little cryptic AND not being a photo of you. Looking forward to seeing some other options too. (Unrelated to the cover option question, now I need to look up what a hybrid memoir is. Thanks.)
Thanks Nica, good to hear your thoughts and thanks for echoing the others.
Btw, a hybrid memoir is one in which you actually learn about something other than the person's life. In the case of my book, about documentary filmmaking ☺️
Here's another of hers I'd like to read (but haven't yet)
Of Time And Turtles:
Mending the World, Shell by Shattered Shell
With elegance, journalistic curiosity, and gorgeous artwork, this nonfiction narrative relates the dramas and insights gleaned from working in a hospital from injured, sick, and abandoned turtles—and at the same time, investigates the mystery of time itself. (Really, who better than these long-lived, ancient reptiles to help probe what philosophy considers, along with consciousness, the “hard problem” of time?) Lived during the pandemic, when life for many seemed stalled and broken, the stories of courage and patience in these pages testify to the power we all have to mend our shattered world.
Another level of meaning for my hoped-for turtle tattoo!
You don't have it yet?
hahaha no. We're in the Tuamotus, in French Polynesia, on our sailboat. I'm hoping to get the tattoo as a commemoration of our passage from Panama to here, but it'll be in the Marquesas when we go back there after Christmas.
Any recommendations on other ones to read?
You can see the full list on her website @ https://symontgomery.com/about-sy/
And this one is also both charming and endearing:
The Good Good Pig: The Extraordinary Life of Christopher Hogwood
Christopher Hogwood came home on Sy’s lap in a shoebox, with a touch of every disease in the barn: the runt piglet was so sick that nobody expected him to last the night. But he grew into a beloved town character, a 750-pound Buddha master adored by adults and children alike. He grew to command a vast slops empire that extended beyond the small town of Hancock, NH. His fan club crossed oceans. His story proves that a family isn’t made of genes, but love, and that a great soul can come at any time, in any form—even with a flexible nose disk and curly tail.
I also have this one, which is a delight – I love the construct:
"How to Be a Good Creature: A Memoir in Thirteen Animals"
National Book Award finalist Sy Montgomery reflects on the personalities and quirks of 13 animals—her friends—who have profoundly affected her in this stunning, poetic, and life-affirming memoir featuring illustrations by Rebecca Green.
Sure! My favorite in this category is Sy Montgomery’s "The Soul of an Octopus."
It’s a memoir that explores the author's relationship with octopuses, it chronicles this growing scientific appreciation of the octopus, but also tells a love story. “By turns funny, entertaining, touching, and profound, The Soul of an Octopus ultimately reveals what octopuses can teach us about the nature and consciousness of the mind.” (from the author’s website).
I loved this book so much I swore off eating them forever (I think I’d only ever tried one once), and got an octopus tattoo on my leg 🥰
I also loved that book - and similarly have sworn off eating octopus. Now I'll read it again with a closer eye to structure!