Presidential letter for GLVWG October newsletter

As writers, we have ideas we think stand out from everyone else’s. We strive for difference. That’s why we do this. We believe that on some level we experience the world in a manner unlike anyone else and that we can articulate this.
Or maybe we think we have a special view of the world, that we can show society as it really is.
Either way, we have an addiction to the idea, to the thrill of manipulating words, and to the freedom of our own expression.
A recent email from a friend who is a bookseller, not an author, caused me to reflect upon what image we send into the community as writers. The email quoted Flavorwire and mentioned that author photographs often portray us as a certain type:
"In an attempt to look uniquely profound yet accessible, or convey some novel combination of deep thoughts with good times, a lot of writers end up looking exactly the same as their peers."
As artists of the word, do our representations of ourselves match what we convey on the page? For some of us, the answer is a stark no. Perhaps we use the written story to express the exact opposite of what we are. But who are we? Visual artists and performers have a great opportunity to live their art, an opportunity writers don’t necessarily share. Some writers may have no interest in being a character. Writing characters offers enough satisfaction.
It’s something to think about. Do we want to blend with our peers? Do we want to stand out?
If we had one opportunity to tell people who we really are, do we want to play it safe?
Who am I? The very question poses a challenge. I had to face this question when I restyled my business cards this summer. A friend picked a template that really gave them color and spice. When we finished them, she added a reluctant “or maybe you want something more conservative.”
I rejected conservative. How often do I play conservative and where does it get me? I am a tad colorful. I can be loud. I am honest, dedicated and dependable. Those of us who have worked/ still work in the corporate world can often feel chafed by the idea of fitting into a mold, trying to be the perfect employee. We have too many ideas for that.
So who are you?
What message do you have for the world?
And, if you had one photograph to convey it, would you should your tattoo? Have the photo taken in your favorite reading spot? Share the spotlight with your muse? Visit a location that inspires your stories?
As authors, we have to sell ourselves as well as our stories.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein.

Some of my all-time favorite authors.

Okay, Tonio is my favorite. Hands down. No matter what you write or read, if you haven't enjoyed his prose, I encourage you to do so. The Little Prince is his masterpiece, but he wrote a variety of other books.

The Little Prince offers so much beauty and idealism and summary of how to live. It's prophetic and insightful and even satirical... It's hard for me to articulate thoughts.

But Tonio also wrote about his experiences in France during the interwar era and the second World War, so history buffs can enjoy him.

He also wrote novels about his experience as a pilot in the early days of aviation, so if you like plans, or want a tale of boys, machines and adventure, he's your man.

All of his work reads true to emotion, to life, and it's a good reminder of what we need to express as writers and the versatility that may be required to tell our stories. He's a multi-faceted, multi-talented man.

We all need to strive for that much depth in our lives. Not just as writers, but as people. Do we?

From wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antoine_de_Saint-Exup%C3%A9ry

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry^[1] (French pronunciation: [ɑ̃twan də sɛ̃tɛɡzypeˈʀi]) (29 June 1900—31 July 1944) was a French writer and aviator. He is best remembered for his novella The Little Prince (Le Petit Prince), and for his books about aviation adventures, including Night Flight and Wind, Sand and Stars.

He was a successful commercial pilot before World War II, joining the Armée de l'Air (French Air Force) on the outbreak of war, flying reconnaissance missions until the armistice with Germany. Following a spell of writing in the United States, he joined the Free French Forces. He disappeared on a reconnaissance flight over the Mediterranean in July 1944.

While not precisely autobiographical, much of Saint-Exupéry's work is inspired by his experiences as a pilot. One exception is The Little Prince, a poetic self-illustrated tale in which a pilot stranded in the desert meets a young prince from a tiny asteroid. The Little Prince is a philosophical story, including societal criticism and remarking on the strangeness of the adult world.

• L'Aviateur (1926)
• Courrier Sud (1929) (translated into English as Southern Mail)
• Vol de Nuit (1931) (Night Flight)
• Terre des Hommes (1939) (Wind, Sand and Stars) - Grand Prix du roman de l'Académie française
• Pilote de Guerre (1942) (Flight to Arras)
• Le Petit Prince (1943) (The Little Prince)
• Lettre à un Otage (1944) (Letter to a Hostage)
• Citadelle (1948) (The Wisdom of the Sands), posthumous, ISBN 9780226733722
• Lettres de jeunesse (1953), posthumous
• Carnets (1953), posthumous
• Lettres à sa mère (1955), posthumous
• Écrits de guerre (1982) (Wartime Writings 1939-1944), posthumous
• Manon, danseuse (2007), posthumous
• Lettres à l'inconnue (2008), posthumous