Can We Interest You in a Blog?
AKA: Writers with Floyd-ties Hobnobbing
One of the best parts about participating in the Franklin County Book Festival this past weekend was hanging out with Fred, Floyd’s First Blogger, and running into fellow presenter and old friend, Jim Minick. Jim is a regional writer, past Roanoke Times columnist, a teacher of writing and literature, and the author of, “Finding a Clear Path,” but I remember him most as a blueberry farmer who lived in Floyd County for many years.
Although Fred’s first book, “A Slow Road Home,” wasn’t back from the printer in time for him to be a presenter this year, he participated Friday night as one of the Festival’s scheduled authors, reading excerpts from his book at the Edible Vibe, a café adjacent to the library. I knew Fred was going to be there Saturday as well, but meeting up with Jim, who I hadn’t seen in more than a few years, was a pleasant surprise.
Rapping on the window, I waved when I first saw him in the library’s glass paneled makeshift author’s book store. He smiled and came out. We exchanged a hug. Although our presentations were scheduled to start at the same time, mine was slated for a half hour and his for a full one, which meant that I would be able to catch some of his reading.
I concluded my talk by answering a few questions and reading an excerpt from my book, from which my presentation, “Mining the Gold of a Story,” was named: In this physical world, we have to mine for treasure. Gold and silver and precious gems are not usually found laying around on the surface of the earth. It’s the same with us; we have to excavate our own treasure, down through the door of our childhood, through the pain of what hurts, into the grief of our losses. Life nudges us to go deeper because to live only on the surface is superficial. There’s so much more.
I went from images of mining the gold of a story to those of digging potatoes, as Jim was in the middle of reading his essay entitled “The Holy, Lowly Spud” when my husband, Joe, Fred, and I finally arrived. We grub for orbs of light: Kennebec, Pontiac, Yukon Gold. Earth eggs perfect in their potato-ness.
Jim’s reading took place in the children’s part of the library, and I couldn’t help but notice the rug with its larger than life prints of monkeys and trees in bright primary colors. “I’m glad they didn’t put me in this room,” I thought to myself, considering my book’s subject matter, grief and loss. Giggles rippled through the room at the start of his next essay: I inherited my hate for groundhogs from Grandpa. He instilled in me, while I was still young, his utter disgust for those hairy varmints that live in holes.
After Jim’s reading, we were all off duty, and so we headed over to the Edible Vibe for lunch. It was there, while munching on marinara soaked angel hair pasta, that I uttered these words to Jim, “Can we interest you in a blog, Jim?”
He answered calmly, slightly suspicious, as though we were playing poker and he was upping the ante, “How long do you spend at it?” he asked.
Fred and I broke out our litany of reasons why, as writers, we blog … it’s so much more than a business card… a motivator to write… a networking tool. But Jim held his ground.
“How long do you spend at it?” he repeated, causing us all to laugh as we realized our complete avoidance of Jim’s repeated question.
Clearly, as a farmer and ecology activist, Jim would rather be in the blueberry patch, or rambling down a country road, than creating more reasons to be at the computer. And he’s probably right.
“Well, you at least need your own web page,” I conceded.
“Smile, someone will blogging this!” Joe said, as he snapped a picture of the three of us laughing.
Photo: Fred, Jim, and Colleen
August 21st, 2006 8:19 am
Earth eggs perfect in their potato-ness.
Oh, how I do love this line; it’s just perfect.
August 21st, 2006 8:41 am
Yeah, that’s the crucial question – “How long do you spend at it.”
If I spent as much time *writing* as I do blogging, I’d be a best seller by now.
August 21st, 2006 9:07 am
For me, I’ve come to this conclusion: Blogging this past year and a half has been an amazing writer’s training ground. It’s like I’ve been in a self study course for a Master’s Degree. I think of blogging as rapid fire writing, like target practice everyday. Doing it daily, I can’t help but improve my writer’s aim. But sometimes my arm gets tired!
August 21st, 2006 9:31 am
He might be right about the time thing….I’ve often thought twice about it. But I just can’t imagine not having my little site at all. It would be to sad letting go!
Great pic! And yes, he should at least have a website!
August 21st, 2006 10:11 am
Have to agree, it IS very time consuming…always trying to think up new topics that readers might be interested in, gathering info, photos, etc. and doing the actual writing. BUT…as a writer…I can’t not write. So I guess it’s true if we love what we do…it’s not “work.”
NOT to mention the time required to keep up reading our favorite blogs. But again…well worth it.
August 21st, 2006 2:16 pm
Glad you survived your reading….you get my respect and who could be still while the Diva is rocking. I think the nervousness is part of being the creative person you are not to mention that you are challengening people to dig deeper into very emotional areas of their life. I think I would be disappointed if you were “polished and poised”. It’s refreshing to know that there are writers who would rather photograph butterflies or harvest blue berries and have garden dirt under their fingernails.
August 21st, 2006 3:05 pm
Colleen, if you were in Franklin County this weekend you were really close to my Great-Aunt Josie Sink’s house. She is the one who makes the little sock pigs, monkies and other doll crafts. I’ll have to ask my dad what route she lives on but it is a straight shot into Rocky Mt.
August 21st, 2006 3:28 pm
I love it! SMILE someone will be blogging this! That’s great! 🙂
Lovely pic! Looks like you had a fun moment 🙂
August 21st, 2006 5:28 pm
Colleen: I thought of you on Sat. as I winded my way down 84 South to Roanoke and then 220 East. What an amazingly beautiful part of the country…the Shenandoah Valley and beyond. You have a wonderful life style and I appreciate your sharing it with us. Yes, blogging takes a lot of time but I love the way it keeps my mind active…always trying to think up the next days post…and getting to correspond with people all over the world. Aren’t we living in an exciting time?
August 21st, 2006 10:39 pm
That did it. I’m definitely going to flush out other writers and painters in Caldwell and form a group that will storm the local coffee house here in Caldwell, New Jersey. We’ll establish a Floyd-like salon, declaring eminent domain. First I have to find other writers and painters in Caldwell, New Jersey. If I’m never heard from again, call me up on the Quija Board.~,:^)
August 22nd, 2006 3:08 am
Love the shot! I can identify with the time issue, dividing my writing nowadays into (a) my general blog (Chronicles from Hurricane Country), (b) my writing process blog (Dancing With the Muse), (c) fiction (book #4), and (d) my free-writing group. Right now, (b) and (c) are daily commitments, and I’m toying with the idea of tweaking material from (d) into an essay collection….
August 22nd, 2006 8:16 am
I just drove through your country (on I-77), which I do at least once a year… I should have checked in on the book festival.
August 22nd, 2006 12:23 pm
What a good question he asked! Too much time would be the answer from here! (Lol)
August 22nd, 2006 5:05 pm
Lovely time and story. Great community feel.
lol. He’s a wise man, that Jim. Looking before he leaps, or hops to making a web page at least.
August 22nd, 2006 6:15 pm
Sorry I had to miss your presentation, Colleen, but I had to introduce Jim Minnick. What he read was just as good at the beginning as at the end. And, yes, he does need a blog! Thanks for being a part of the 2nd Annual Franklin County Book Festival.
August 22nd, 2006 10:53 pm
I’m not sure what to think of the blog thing. It seems to be popular among those who may not be the busiest and can devote the time. Maybe bloggers are fantastic multi-taskers?
The blogging industry has grown exponentially, and I wonder how many are worth reading. I mean, everyone has opinions, but should they be communicated and through this medium?
I also wonder about whose views are getting distributed. Blogs require computers and a little disposable income that must reflect a certain socio-economic group of the population. Specifically, the blogs with links to Floyd may not reflect the views of the majority of people in Floyd, and I wonder how that reflects on the area to the outside. I guess a blog doesn’t necessarily have to have geographical roots, no foundation that identifies itself to local culture.
Kind of ironic that many proclaim the mountains of southwest VA are their muse, yet the mountains are not their original home. Maybe that’s not ironic at all, maybe that’s the norm. Sometimes a place’s beauty can only be seen and appreciated from the outside.
August 22nd, 2006 11:58 pm
You raise some very good questions, Jim. I don’t know the answers. I think blogs still have a relatively light readership compared to other mediums. But it’s building. I think the better ones will get the readership they deserve and many will come and go. For me, I just try to stay focused on what I’m doing … honing my writing skills, and writing about what interests me. Blogging is just an extension of my love of writing. Whatever comes of it will fall into place as it will.
Are you thinking of starting a blog?
August 23rd, 2006 9:43 am
No, I do not believe I will start a blog anytime soon because of time constraints, and I don’t have much to communicate to the public. I have twin toddler boys and my wife would just kill me if I spent any more time on the computer writing a blog rather than simply reading all of the ones I look at.
I am content to read others and try to put my two cents in where I see unbalanced views, which happens to be the majority of political blogs. As I told one blogger, there’s so much misinformation out there that I get tired of refuting it.
Glad you like Floyd. The country can be a charming place.
August 23rd, 2006 11:44 am
Nice picture of the three of you. As a matter of fact, I believe that is the first picture you’ve posted that shows your teeth while you smile. Nice. Do it again.
August 23rd, 2006 12:00 pm
Very observant of you, Paul. I hardly ever smile with my teeth showing for the camera. I can’t believe you picked up on that!
September 9th, 2010 6:39 pm
[…] not my first exposure to Jim’s writing. I first encountered a quote of his on Colleen’s Loose Leaf Notes back in 2006 which led me to purchasing his book Finding A Clear Path. I thoroughly enjoyed […]
September 9th, 2010 6:44 pm
[…] […]
September 6th, 2011 7:23 pm
[…] have to admit that I cheated. I know Jim and knew something of how the story would end. But I wasn’t sure why he and Sarah decided to leave […]