TIME TO SOAR - Terry Goldman

Life & Style
THURSDAY, September 3, 2015 ♦ Lauren Walker / lifestyle@mdjonline.com ♦ MDJ
DEAR ABBY: MAN IS DEVASTATED TO LEARN OF WIFE’S LONG-AGO AFFAIR / 2D
COLUMNIST I LAURETTA HANNON
D
HOROSCOPES: THOSE BORN TODAY SHOULD MAKE FRIENDS AND JOIN CLUBS THIS YEAR / 5D
BOOKS I TERRY GOLDMAN
Writers and
their ways
EMPATHY WITH AN EDGE
Not your granny’s advice column
Q: I am an aspiring writer. Can you give
advice regarding the best time of day to write;
the best location in which to write; what my
daily goal should be; and anything else I need to consider?
A: There is no one best
way to approach writing. It’s
highly individual, as you’ll
see from the examples I’m
about to share. These come
from a presentation I gave to
the Atlanta Writers’ Club titled
“Survey of Famous Writers’
Hannon
Habits, Settings, Rituals, Attire,
Indiscretions, Amulets, Writing Accessories and
Miscellaneous Peccadilloes.”
WHEN TO WRITE
Many literary giants favor the morning.
Those early birds include Toni Morrison, Ernest
Hemingway and Georgia’s own Flannery
O’Connor. She wrote two hours daily while
battling lupus in the 1950s and ’60s.
Above: East Cobb author Terry Goldman has his wife, Charlotte, to thank for putting the question, ‘Have you prayed about
it yet’ into his head 40 years ago. After giving talks and seminars over the years about the five stages of life, Goldman wrote
the book ‘Time to Soar on God’s Spiritual Thermals.’ Below: One of the sections that deals with the ‘I can do It’ attitude
people have is called ‘dim-witted’ and tells the true meaning of this stage of life. / Staff-Kelly J. Huff
‘TIME TO SOAR’
WHERE TO WRITE
Maya Angelou kept a hotel room, paid for
by the month and had staff remove the pictures from the walls. The room was her designated writing space; she never slept there.
She wouldn’t allow housekeeping to come in
until they left a note begging to change the
bed linens.
T. S. Eliot had hideaways above businesses
in London. Visitors were told to ask for “The
Captain.” He wore powder that tinted his
face green to look
cadaverous. Hey,
DAILY TIP
if you author “The
Many writers
Wasteland,” you
have the right to be
advocate daily
as eccentric as you’d
walks, naps and
like without risk of
meditation to spark
ridicule.
one’s creativity.
Truman Capote
was most productive
in hotel rooms (insert snarky commentary here).
Richard Wright would begin his day at 6
a.m. on top of a hill in a park overlooking
tenements.
Philip Roth has a studio separate from his
home. I have a 12’ by 12’ shed in the far corner
of my backyard.
DAILY GOALS
Hemingway aimed for 500 words a day.
Stephen King’s goal is 10 pages. Thomas Wolfe
wouldn’t stop until he reached 1800 words,
whether it took three hours or twelve. Once,
James Joyce happily reported that he’d had a
good writing day: He’d finished three sentences.
ACCESSORIES,
SUPPLIES, AMULETS
Whiskey was William Faulkner’s constant
writing companion. Admirers still leave the
libation on his grave in Oxford, Miss. “There is
no such thing as bad whiskey,” he said. “Some
whiskeys just happen to be better than others.
But a man shouldn’t fool with booze until he’s
fifty; then he’s a damn fool if he doesn’t.”
Hemingway was most comfortable writing
when he wore oversized loafers. Angelou took
the following “amulets” to her hotel room: a
Bible, deck of cards, sherry, dictionary and a
thesaurus.
RITUAL
During one phase, Jack Kerouac wrote by
the light of a candle and blew it out when done
for the night. Later in life, he’d kneel and pray
to Jesus to preserve his mind for writing since
he was “pretty sure” it was going.
HABITS
Lots of writers cite the benefits of daily
walks, naps, and meditation. Kurt Vonnegut did
push-ups and sit-ups throughout the day.
TRICKS
To force himself to stay inside and write,
one Greek statesman would shave a side of his
head so that he couldn’t leave his house until
the hair grew back.
EXCESS
The tales of writers and their excesses are
legendary. Sigmund Freud smoked 20 cigars
daily. Honore de Balzac guzzled 50 cups of
coffee each day. After starting the morning
with coffee, Capote progressed to mint tea to
sherry to martinis throughout the day — and
cigarettes. In his words, “I’ve got to be puffing
and sipping.”
AVOIDING DISTRACTION
O’Connor wrote facing a dresser in order
to avoid distraction. Likewise, I write with my
back to the window in my shed.
Finally, remember that the important thing
is that you get the writing done. Make that your
focus, and you’ll figure out what works best for
you.
Send your questions and comments to
notyourgrannysadvice@gmail.com.
Lauretta Hannon, a resident of Powder Springs, is the
author of The Cracker Queen — A Memoir of a Jagged, Joyful Life and a keynote speaker. Southern Living has named her “the funniest woman in Georgia.”
See more at thecrackerqueen.com.
Local author’s book focuses on spiritual growth
By Sally Litchfield
sallylit@bellsouth.net
In “Time to Soar on God’s Spiritual
Thermals,” local author Terry Goldman
helps people spread their wings for
spiritual growth. Goldman details five
perspectives on life and their impact on
personal relationships with God. The book
delves into characteristics of people who
are dim-witted, out-witted, half-witted,
submitted and committed.
“(The book) looks at the causes of
each perspective, what Satan’s scheme
is, what are the consequences of each
perspective and what is God’s hope. The
ultimate objective is to get the reader to
look at his own life and discern, ‘What
am I? What is my life perspective,’” said
Goldman, a retired business owner who
lives in east Cobb.
The inspiration for the book came to
Goldman in the 1970s when his wife of
51 years, Charlotte, asked him a question.
“I had a problem that I discussed with
an employee. Charlotte asked me if I’d
prayed about it yet. I responded that I
didn’t need to pray about it. I pretty much
knew what to do,” Goldman said. The
couple has three grown children and nine
grandchildren.
“That answer bounced around in my
head for some weeks. I was convicted by
the fact that I was quite arrogant in my
response,” he said.
Goldman realized that there were five
different ways he could have answered
his wife’s question. “Each of those five
perspectives either enhance or inhibit our
ability to hear and respond to God’s direction in our life,” he said.
Goldman explained the five perspectives:
1. Dim-witted: “The dimwitted person
says, ‘I can do it.’ He has a spirit of arrogance and pride. He doesn’t need God. He
could be an atheist or agnostic.”
2. Out-witted: “The out-witted person
is the opposite of dim-witted. He says,
‘I can’t.’ He has a spirit of despair and
hopelessness. He too could be an atheist,
agnostic or depressed Christian.”
3. Half-witted: “The half-wit is a person who searches in intellectual darkness,
trying to find light. He wanders all over
the place, not knowing where to go and
what to do. He starts looking beyond himself to find answers, to help him in life.”
4. Submitted: “This is the person
who submits to the Lordship of Jesus
Christ but he comes usually at a crisis, at
the end of himself. Then he turns to Jesus
Christ. He tends to have a crisis-response
relationship. When things are going well,
he may forget about God. When things
are going tough, he turns back to God
much like the children of Israel in the
Old Testament.”
5. Committed: “The fifth perspective
is what God wants us to live in — committed. This is when a person wakes up
everyday and he decides that today, as for
me and my house, we will serve God. He
turns his heart toward God and he truly
intends and wants to focus on the Lord,
and not to wait for bad times, good times.
Whatever life brings, he’s still looking to
God.”
Through a simple question asked by
his wife, Goldman’s answer became
the basis of a seminar he has delivered
to many groups over the years such as
“No Longer Bound,” a drug and alcohol
rehabilitation program for men in North
Georgia, and Atlanta Union Mission that
assists the homeless. During these talks,
he developed the topic for the book.
Goldman’s book is available at Sweet
Spirit Parable Christian Store at Woodlawn Square Shopping Center at 1205
Johnson Ferry Road NE #119, Marietta,
or terrygoldman.com or amazon.com.
COLUMNIST I SALLY LITCHFIELD
Local celebrates 93rd birthday with family
J
♦♦♦
ean Dewberry of
Marietta celebrated
her 93rd birthday
Aug. 1 at a fete hosted by
her three children, Mike
Dewberry, Beth Fields
and Nancy Wallace. The
party was held at the Kolb
Farm Condos Clubhouse in
Powder Springs, where she
resides. Jean, who was born
in Carroll County on July
30, 1922, is a retired Cobb
County school teacher.
Jean’s grandchildren
and families were also
in attendance: Amanda
(Steven) Taff with greatgrandchildren Caleb
and Finley Taff; Scott
(Shannon) Wallace with
great-grandchildren Ansley
and Allie Kate Wallace;
Heather (Jeff) Little with
great-grandchildren Mason,
Ava and Bella Little; Chad
(Elizabeth) Fields with
great grandchild Maggie
Fields, along with special
guests Candy Stanford and
photographer Debbie York
Bell.
Litchfield
Did you
happen to
see the latest
Vineyard
Vines
catalogue
with Chris
Kennedy
of Marietta featured in it?
The photos were shot on
Sea Island Resort in Sea
Island, where Kennedy
works as a Master Falconer
at the resort’s hunting club,
Broadfield.
♦♦♦
Out of Box Theatre is
bringing back the music
of “Shadow & Light” in
a special concert event. In
May, “Shadow & Light” sold
out the run and left many
people asking for more.
“We are not able to fit in
another full production of
the show, but we are able to
get all three singers back for
one weekend,” said Artistic
Director Carolyn Choe.
Jean Dewberry (front row, center) is surrounded by her
family. / Special to the MDJ
Gia Nappo, MK Penley
and Emily Sams will gather
back on stage to sing the
music of Joni Mitchell,
Carole King and Carly
Simon. You will hear some
of your favorite folk, pop and
rock songs — from “Both
Sides Now” to “Will You
Still Love Me Tomorrow” to
“You’re So Vain.”
The concert runs Friday
and Saturday at 8 p.m., and
Sunday at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m.
Tickets are $28 for all seats
and are available at www.
outofboxtheatre.com/tickets
or by (678) 653-4605.
Sally Litchfield is a longtime
Marietta resident. She formerly
practiced law in Marietta and
now stays home to raise her two
children. Send Sally news at
sallylit@bellsouth.net. Call Sally at
(770) 425-8106.