Witness Trees
(**I’ve tried to minimize any Spoilers here, but if you haven’t finished reading I Shall Be Near To You yet, SPOILER ALERT**)
In honor of Arbor Day, I thought I’d write a little bit about trees…
In November of 2008, I came across Bob Hicok’s poem “What I Know For Sure” in that month’s edition of Oprah magazine and was introduced to the idea of the witness trees at Antietam and Appomattox. I had not yet written the battle scenes in I Shall Be Near To You, but I knew they were coming, and I knew some of what would happen– had already written much of *that* scene at Antietam, in fact– although I didn’t yet know it would happen at Antietam. But the idea of witness trees stuck with me. Reading Hicok’s poem was the first I’d heard that phrase, in fact, and I tore the poem out and posted it to the bulletin board that was above my desk at the time. When I finally got to *that* scene at Antietam, the idea of a witness tree had taken root, and I have Bob Hicok’s poem to thank for the idea of Jeremiah’s tree.
In my search for a link to the poem, I also came across photographer Nate Larson’s poignant series of portraits of the remaining Witness Trees— the only survivors of the Civil War still living. Aren’t they beautiful?
Soldiers and PTSD
Recently, while visiting Old Town Sacramento with The Kid and some of our friends, we were approached by a young man wearing camo pants and combat boots. He walked up to us and said, “Somebody say ‘Red Light’!” The Kid obliged, and the man stopped and stood stock-still. We watched in silence, wondering what would happen next. Time stretched. Finally the man, ventriloquist-style, said, “Somebody say ‘Green Light’!” Once released from his pose, the man asked if we’d like to see how well he could impersonate a character from Mortal Combat. Without waiting for our answer, he promptly froze in a fighting stance for perhaps a minute. When he unfroze, he told us he had done three tours in Iraq, quickly rattled off his rank and company, and gave a sharp salute.
I had no ready response. I wanted to thank him for his service, but though he was affable, it was also clear that he was troubled—he was slightly unkempt, sure– but really it was the way he approached us. Complete strangers. Two women and their young children. Later, my friend and I were both admitted we were afraid if we said anything, things might become less pleasant. Instead, we said nothing, which felt wrong too. In the face of our silence, the man asked our kids if they wanted to see how fast he could run, and he took off in a full sprint. Later that night, remembering our trip, my son said, “That guy was really nice. And he could run really fast.”
A few days later, my dad handed me a copy a friend had made of an article from The Smithsonian, written by Tony Horwitz, author of Confederates in the Attic (see below), entitled Did Civil War Soldiers Have PTSD? It’s an intriguing—if very sad—look at recent scholarship that has uncovered what happened to some of the soldiers who survived the Civil War but were unable to return smoothly to civilian life.
It’s a subject I thought about often as I was writing I Shall Be Near To You. The more I studied the Civil War, and watched soldiers coming home from the Iraq War as I wrote, the more I wondered how any soldier is ever able to return to domestic life and put aside the memories of combat. How does a soldier go from a battlefield to a grassy field in the park, sitting with women and children on a gorgeous Spring day? It’s a heavy expectation.
Civil War era physicians had almost no ability to help soldiers address that challenge. Today it still seems like we are often unable to effectively help soldiers return to the lives they left behind or pursue the dreams they once held. All too often, I feel like our collective response is the same as my friend’s and mine. The reality of a troubled soul is distressing and so very sad, and yet we’re left speechless and unable to offer anything of use. And even if we managed to say “Thank You,” it would never, ever be enough.
Join me for a TwitterChat!
#HistoricalFix TwitterChats
What started as the one-time (so I thought) #IShall TwitterChat about all things historical fiction, has now (because it was so fun and people asked for more!) morphed into the #HistoricalFix TwitterChat.
What is the #HistoricalFix TwitterChat?
It’s a one-hour (more or less) discussion of historical fiction: topics, trends, time periods, research, characters and of course BOOKS. Co-hosted by some of my favorite bloggers and featuring a new line-up of guest authors each time, the chat gives historical fiction lovers (readers, bloggers, librarians, editors, agents, authors) a chance to respond to questions, participate in giveaways, recommend books, and just generally enjoy talking about the genre we all love.
When’s the next #HistoricalFix TwitterChat happening?
Tuesday, March 31, 2015
5:30-6:30 PM PST/8:30-9:30 PM EST
Co-hosts:
Cassie of The Casserole Blog
Ellice of Paper Riot
With a Cameo Appearance by:
Kelly of Belle of the Literati
Guest Authors and Giveaways:
Stacy Carlson author of Among the Wonderful (3 copies up for grabs!)
Tracy Guzeman author of The Gravity of Birds (5 copies up for grabs!)
Kelli Stanley author of City of Ghosts; City of Secrets; City of Dragons; Nox Dormienda; The Curse Maker (2 copies of a Miranda Corbie book AND 3 audio versions of Nox Dormienda up for grabs!)
What’s the best way to participate?
Add your tweets to the deluge! As long as you have a Twitter handle and remember to add our hashtag (#HistoricalFix), you’re in! It’s a bit easier to track the conversation if you use a website like Tweetchat—just log in using your Twitter account and search for #HistoricalFix. The entire conversation should load, and it will automatically include #HistoricalFix in all your tweets (because truly, remembering the hashtag is the hardest part. Well, and keeping up with all the tweets)
More questions?
The best thing to do is tweet me with any questions that aren’t answered here: @ErinLindsMcCabe (and feel free to use the hashtag so others can see your question too)
#IShall TwitterChat
What was the #IShall TwitterChat?
Inspired by Miranda Beverly-Whittemore’s #BSWT TwitterChat, I teamed up with four fabulously supportive and dedicated bloggers to celebrate the paperback release of I Shall Be Near To You and have a great time. Five historical fiction authors joined us and I think I can safely say that what transpired exceeded any of our wildest imaginings. I laugh now to think how nervous I was that no one would “show up.”
You can read pretty much everything about the #IShall TwitterChat experience in Hannah’s recap which includes a link to the list of the over 114 recommended books that came up in the course of the discussion.
#IShall Co-hosts:
Cassie of The Casserole Blog
Ellice of Paper Riot
Hannah of So Obsessed With
Kelly of Belle of the Literati
#IShall Featured Authors:
Ariel Lawhon author of The Wife The Maid The Mistress
Alex Myers author of Revolutionary
Ariel MacArran author of Another Man’s Bride
Mary Volmer author of Crown of Dust
Lois Leveen author of Juliet’s Nurse; The Secrets of Mary Bowser
Goal Setting
A long time ago, my Gramma Sprague told me that if I really wanted to be serious about achieving a goal, I should write it down.
I took her advice to heart. Here’s my list of goals from 1987. I was ten.
It took me awhile to accomplish item number ten, but there it is… When I was working on I SHALL, I had no memory of writing down that goal. It was quite a surprise when I stumbled across the “Goals for Life” file in my filing cabinet. But the memory of that 20 year old goal must have been lodged somewhere in my subconscious.
I don’t know what it is about writing down a goal, but it really helps motivate me. Making a concrete goal to hit 100,000 words with my new novel by 1/1/2015 seemed ridiculous back in the summer when I set it. But I wrote down that goal, and told a friend about it, and that accountability has really helped me keep plugging away.
I know it’s a little early maybe to be thinking about New Year’s resolutions, I’d like to pass on Gramma Sprague’s advice, and if there’s something you really want to do this year, write it down. And then maybe find someone to tell about it. I’ve definitely got some new goals I’d be putting to paper.
Dear Readers
I woke up this morning to a text from my dad with surprising news: I Shall Be Near To You had gotten enough write-in votes to be among the semi-finalists for the Goodreads Choice Awards 2014. As the news sunk in (and as more official notice came–see that snazzy badge below?), I’ve felt such gratitude, over and over.
**Sappiness Alert!**
When I was writing I Shall Be Near To You, I dreamed about the book finding readers. As I cried over *certain parts* and laughed over others, I wondered if anyone would come to love Rosetta and Jeremiah (and Will) as much as I do. When the book was really going to be a book and not just a collection of pages binder-clipped together, I wondered who you all would be.
And then the book appeared on bookshelves (another dream!) and you started reaching out to me in emails and tweets, on Facebook and Goodreads and in blog posts. You showed up at bookstores and events, you met me for coffee and sent me book recs (and books!). You shared parts of your lives with me and we discovered we had lots of other things in common (goats, for one).
Today reminded me of what a marvel it is, how books bring people together, how dreams turn into reality. I’ve felt warm and fuzzy all day, just thinking about it. Just thinking about you.
So, I wanted to thank you for your votes. But really, thank you for reading my book and letting me know you love these characters just as much as I do. I feel so honored– such amazing company I get to keep because of this book! Thank you, dear readers for enriching my life in ways I never dreamed. You’re the best, and I am so very grateful.
My Very First Visit to Bull Run
A few weeks ago, in a fit of nostalgia fueled by one of my oldest friends sending me photos of notes we’d written each other all through school (don’t tell my former teachers… or students!), I decided to go through my old journals (I kept a journal from age 7-22). In the process, I ran across the journal entry where I recounted the first time I set foot on a Civil War battlefield. Here it is, from the pen of 18 year-old me:
August 12th, 1995
The 2nd day we saw the Civil War Battlefield of Manassas (Bull Run). I hadn’t really learned it as the name Manassas, so when I realized that it was the same as Bull Run, I was even more interested in seeing it because there is a beautiful love letter written by a man (Sullivan Ballou) who died there. To see a Civil War battlefield was so interesting. One can hardly believe that it was ever covered with dead bodies and soldiers. It’s so peaceful now. It really brought history to life for me, and it was really interesting to try to piece the battle together. I want to see other battlefields now too.
I wish I’d had a bit more to say (my memory of that visit is very impressionistic and yet much more emotionally resonant than the above would make it appear). My favorite part is the the reference to Sullivan Ballou’s letter, the inspiration for the title of I Shall Be Near To You. Had I not recorded that detail in my journal, I never would have remembered that I’d thought of the letter then.
An Invitation, Dear Readers
Earlier this summer, fellow Crown author Miranda Beverly-Whittemore invited me to participate in two TwitterChats about beach reads and her novel Bittersweet. It was a blast chatting about books with readers, bloggers, booksellers, authors… When I started thinking about ways to celebrate the paperback release of I Shall Be Near To You, ways that would include as many of the people who have championed Rosetta and Jeremiah as possible and also feel really fun, a TwitterChat rose to the top of my list.
And so, I’m thrilled to announce and invite you to a TwitterChat about all things historical fiction:
When:
Tuesday, September 2nd
6:00-7:00 p.m. PST (9:00-10:00 p.m. EST)
Where:
#IShall
Who:
Eagerly and enthusiastically co-hosted by book bloggers extraordinaire Cassie (Cass With Books), Hannah (So Obsessed With), Kelly (Belle of the Literati), and Ellice (Paper Riot), there’s NO WAY we won’t have tons of fun with these four gals on board. Seriously. They are the best!
I’m also beyond humbled to announce that five (5!!) historical fiction authors have agreed to lend their knowledge and talents to the discussion. Ariel Lawhon (The Wife, The Maid, The Mistress), Lois Leveen (Juliet’s Nurse, forthcoming 9/26/14; The Secrets of Mary Bowswer), Ariel MacArran (Another Man’s Bride), Alex Myers (Revolutionary), and Mary Volmer (Crown of Dust), have all written books that I love to recommend because they embody so many of the qualities that I enjoy most in reading historical fiction (What to know what I think those qualities are? That’s one of the things we’ll chat about on Tuesday!).
I hope you’ll find your way over to Twitter–or better yet, use TweetChat; it’s a super simple way to organize the chat and make sure you get that all-important hash tag (#IShall) added onto every tweet (which is truly the hardest part)– and join us for the discussion. Feel free to invite anyone you know who might enjoy participating– because in addition to stimulating conversation, there will be giveaways! Five paperback copies of I Shall Be Near To You up for grabs during the course of the hour, and copies of Mary Volmer’s Crown of Dust too!
