Friday, March 4, 2011

Momma, I didn't show off my panties to the world; but I ate dirt . . .



Five little things you may not know about me . . .

But, first, a bit of news: THE FIREFLY DANCE will be released this June. It’s an “anthology” of novella-length works by authors: Sarah Addison Allen, Augusta Trobaugh, and Kathryn Magendie (me!). Deborah Smith was going to join in, but it just didn’t work out—I’m disappointed, because I think Deborah Smith is such a cool and wonderful woman, and I’d have been honored to be in the mix with her! There may be one other author included, but I’m not sure. My story is about “Petey” – and how surprised I was that I took what was at first a darker sadder more depressing story and how it completely turned around into something more gentle and sweet. Not without sorrow, of course, for what’s life without sorrow? I'll post the book cover when BelleBooks has completed the new design.


When I mentioned the Gulf Coast Association of Creative Writing Teachers Conference, I forgot to mention that Angie Ledbetter and I will be on the Magazine/Small Press Editors' Panel. If you are in the area (Fairhope, Alabama), Angie and I would love to meet you! It’ll be fun to go as an Editor, which I am as well as an Author, and have that Hat on for a change! The Featured speaker is Poet Peter Cooley.
Five little things you may not know about me:

1. I almost was an underwear/lingerie model.

Don’t laugh! It’s true. This was years ago, of course, teehee. They were looking for “curvy women, with interesting faces.” Now, I don’t know what “interesting face” meant, oh dear, but I guess I had that in their opinion. Now, this was no “runway” modeling . . . haw! At 5’2” and 115 pounds, I was about seven inches too short for my weight to be a “real model.” I chickened out at the last minute and didn’t sign up. But I wonder sometimes—where would that job have led me? Well, Momma, I didn't show off my panties to the world; aren't you just danged ole Proud! *haw*


2. I almost didn’t pursue my writing dream.

I almost forgot my dream was to be a writer. Do you know what brought me back to who I’d always meant to be? Two teachers. I will always love Librarians for their sanctuary in the library when I was a child and how they guided me to books and how librarians are just chock-full of Awesome gooey goodness! But, teachers are who kept steering me back to writing every time I lost myself and strayed.

When I was in school, teachers encouraged my writing, but I didn’t “see” it. I put it aside, and it wasn’t until my middle-to-late forties, when I went to LSU as a “non traditional (read: OLD!)” student, that two English instructors, Barbara Gray and Robin Becker, took me by the hand and jerked my arse back on the path to writing. I was going for a Kinesiology degree! I’d completely denied who I was because I didn’t think I had any gifts or talents. So, sometimes I wonder what would have happened if those two teachers had not jerked me; had not said “Pay Attention to this Kathryn.” I suppose I’d have eventually found my writing voice again—but it’s a little scary to think not or to think more time "wasted."


3. I hate bare feet on me.

What? I gotta explain it? Ungh. Don’t put your bare feet on me. Ungh.


4. I ate dirt as a child.

Okay, not just a little dirt, but lots of dirt. Ewwww. Why? I dunno.


5. I’ve never in my life have worn or tried on a wedding dress.

Okay, that sounds silly, but I wonder what I would have looked like in one in my blush of youth, or my blush of hot flash even *snick*. I wonder how it feels to look at yourself in the mirror and see a fairy princess staring back! *laugh* Some days I think I want to go into a wedding dress store and say, “Hey, I’m 54 years old and have never tried on or worn a wedding dress, can I try one on just to see what all the dang fuss is about?” Then I can pretend I’m a fairy princess for a moment or two before I take the danged thing off because it's smothering me.

Huhn.

So, what's five things about you? And have you done, or not done, any of the above :-D - or almost did something and wonder where it would have taken you?

Have a great weekend! I'm working hard on VK III but am going to try to make it a point to come a-visiting you all on Sunday.

19 comments:

Terri Tiffany said...

I love some of these facts! I still think you need to go into a bridal store and try on a gown--lots of them for fun!
Congrats on doing so much cool stuff!
I have nothing to compare but I was a dancer in high school after being turned down for cheerleader and colorguard and everything else:)

Diane said...

I still didn't make it past the title without laughing.... so there in no way I can come up with anything interesting after all of that!!! :O)

Anonymous said...

Hmmmm...

1)I wrote poetry in junior high and kept it all in a little brown notebook, carried it everywhere. Someone stole it from my locker one day and I never found it again, but later in highschool poems would randomly make the note-passing circuit...and they were MINE!

2)My brothers are 12 and 15 yrs older than me, and married by the time I was 5-6. So although I now have siblings, when I was a kid I was pretty much an only child.

3)I can recite the entire Come Lord Jesus prayer in German. And that's the only thing I know in German.

4)Am completely grossed out by sweat. I live in the muggy South, so we all do it, but don't let yours drip on me....ewwwww.

5)love to suck in frigid air so fast it burns....it has a smell to it...and I love it. Of course you do that too many times in a row and you pass out, but yanno...

I'm weird, I know.

Love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

john bord said...

Out back is the clothes line
Beside hangs secrets
Below a basket
Pinned pines grasp strand
Breeze ruffling lace
Oh... but looky
There be Kat's.....

Linda said...

5 things you don't know about me:

1. I ran away with the carnival at the tender age of 18 and married the man who ran the Ferris Wheel.
2. I hate the feel of dirt on my hands. I would rather stick my hands in used oil from my car than stick my hands in the soil.
3. I love the smell of sagebrush after it rains.
4. I feel great when I go into the mountains. I can breathe better above 8000 feet!
5. I love to be alone with my bunny in my house. I can find all kinds of things to occupy me.

Yes, I am a bit weird!

Kathryn Magendie said...

Terri - those cheerleaders SUCK! there... now ... vengeance has been done against them! wait, did

As I told Sharla - I hate sweat on me too -unless it's my own. put some sweat on me and I'm going "eww ewww ewww" and wiping it off off OFF OFF! *laughing*

John you made me laugh!

Linda! You ran away with the carnival! omg! I hope you are writing about it ... :-D

colbymarshall said...

5 things:
-I dislike mayonnaise based more on the texture than the taste
-I would love to wear a mink coat, only if the minks were still alive
-I am still working on the perfect Chewbacca noise
-I would color in a coloring book every day if someone got me one
-I feel very strange about myself if my toenails aren't painted

Linda said...

Kathryn,
I really did run away with the carnival in July 1970. My carny,Tex, and I were married for 14 years and our second baby girl was born while we were out on the road.

I have not written about it but maybe I should while the memories are still clear in my mind. The carnies in those days had their own code of conduct that was sort of like the old time cowboys. It is not found now days and it is a shame.

Kim Bullock said...

It's great to know more about you! Here are a few interesting things about me.

1) I have lived in Finland, Mexico and the Philippines and traveled extensively - including to Vietnam and Russia.

2) I have known I was going to write my current work-in-progress since I was eight years old.

3) I believe in ghosts.

4)I'm American, but don't feel at home in my own country. I'd move to Canada if I could.

5) The English department at Iowa State turned me down for the graduate program for creative writing, then gave me a grant the following year for one of my essays.

Unknown said...

I did laugh at #1. #2. we all have not pursued something that later in life we regret. #3. my feet bare are not that bad I guess. #4. I ate a mud pie once!! #5. I did. a home made one.

have a great weekend!!

Hilary Melton-Butcher said...

Hi Kat .. I can see why you chickened out on #2 .. I don't like being in bare feet. Glad the LSU lecturers guided you in the right direction ..

Enjoy the weekend .. Hilary

Jill of All Trades said...

Oh this is good. I like. Hmmm, let me think...five things about me.
1)I loved art as a child but never really thought I was good. Turning 50 a "few" years ago I decided to try my hand at it again. I always wanted to be an artist and never pursued it, guess what I'm an artist now.
2)I used to bit my fingernails so badly that I deformed my thumbnails. Sad, but now I can grow nails!
3)I always, always put my left shoe on first. Not really superstitious but on that one for some reason have to.
4)I've had a penpal for 39 years that I have never met.
5)I am basically a very lazy and have a problem finishing a task. I have to work very hard to fight these two issues in my life.

Deb Shucka said...

This was such a fun post to read! I'm looking forward to The Firefly Dance (love the title).

I think you should go to a bridal shop and give yourself the dream. Even have someone along with you to photograph the moment.

I always wanted to be a dancer, and used to dream about being a debutante at a ball. Yikes, huh?

Heather Webb said...

Hooray for teachers! They certainly inspire us and challenge us. Congrats on your novella coming out. :D

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

good to know you a litttle better. I ate dirt too as a little child ;) Hmmm...tasty.

Lori said...

Such a lovely post. Feels good to know you better. I wished I had some interesting things to share, but... I cannot come up with anything. I've had a very unremarkable life.

sunny smiles said...

I have never worn a wedding dress either and have been married a few times..(clearing my throat) lol! and not been married in a church as well.But I do like to watch the show where women are shopping for wedding dresses...I love the smell of the earth after a rain storm, not sure that I would taste the dirt though but am sure I tried it sometime in my young years.

Rachel Cotterill said...

I've only tried on wedding dresses as a prelude to getting married... traditional, really ;)

And... I *always* wanted to be a writer, but my school careers people somehow persuaded me that it wasn't a career. In hindsight, they were probably right that it's not a career you can go into without some life experience to draw on first. But that's not how they framed it.

Unknown said...

Good for you that you found those teachers who steered you in the right direction.

I ate dirt too.