It's Never Too Late to Follow Your Dream (All the Way to Bartlett's White House)

Saturday June 2, 2012

While poking around on IMDB a few weeks ago, I learned that actress Kathryn Joosten, who I loved as Mrs. Landingham on The West Wing, didn't begin pursuing acting until her 40s.  The change of direction in her life only came about after Joosten, then a psychiatric nurse and a mother of two, divorced her alcoholic husband.  As it says in the biography section of her official website:

"Kathryn never forgot the anger and bitterness her mother expressed on her death bed for having put aside dreams and plans for the future that would never be.  After a few successes at Community Theater, Kathryn decided to see if she could follow her dream." 

 Along with beating the odds by having a late-start acting career that earned her two Emmys, Joosten also began a battle with lung cancer in 2001 which she only just lost today.


I'm not a big follower of celebrity news, because most of the time I think the wrong stories get the most traction.  Kathryn Joosten wasn't a household name, but she was a woman who stood up and followed her dream just when many others would have given up on life.  She was a woman who fought off cancer for over a decade and fought for causes she believed in.

And yes, she also happened to be a damn fine actress.

Kathryn Joosten was 72.  I recommend reading her full bio on www.kathrynjoosten.com, so you can remember it if you're ever feeling past your prime.  Just like she did for President Bartlett, Joosten can give us all a little perspective from beyond the grave:

My Favourite Flash Fiction, Vol. 1

Tuesday May 8, 2012

Several years ago I started reading Every Day Fiction, a website which posts a new piece of flash fiction, well, every day.  EDF defines flash fiction as stories which are 1000 words or less, so reading it is a fun way to constantly sample a variety of voices and ideas with a low time commitment.  As a result, over the years I've collected links to what I think are some great examples of flash fiction.

EDF has released several "best of"
print anthologies of their own.

Now obviously what makes for good flash fiction is a matter of taste, and I'm sure plenty of people will disagree with my picks (be warned, I have a particular affection for anything silly, or involving animals).  But fantastic finds are always made more fantastic by the sharing, so I'm going to start emptying my "Favourite Fiction" bookmarks folder out on this blog, a few links at a time.

My Favourite Flash Fiction, Vol. 1

Frankenstein's Monsters
by John Wiswell
Posted on Every Day Fiction September 26, 2009
Remember what I said about liking things silly?  This would be one of those.  I also love when people take  well-known stories and characters and have some fun with them, so John Wiswell wins on all fronts.

In the Cards 
by Lori Dyan (Cdn)
Posted on Every Day Fiction September 17, 2009
A fun and clever and take on post-breakup revenge.

Frankly 
By Eric Del Carlo
Posted on Every Day Fiction September 22, 2009
High-concept flash fiction straddling the genres of war, horror and sci-fi, with just the right amount of twist near the end.

Destination: Beach
By John A. Mackie (Cdn)
Posted on Every Day Fiction October 10, 2009
A humorous little tale that earns bonus points for a Toronto reference.

Miss Flossy and the Ferals
By Krystyna Smallman (EDF interview)
Posted on Every Day Fiction October 19, 2009
A Persian's POV of life after cat-nabbing.

(And yes, I realize the fate of the ferals in Smallman's story is oversimplified, but in this case I'm okay with that).

Mini Moo is Here!

Monday May 7, 2012

Mini who?

I ordered business cards once before.

It was just before a trip to Calgary, when I was going to see All the Light-Hearted Souls produced.

Business cards seemed like a thing to have for my first ever "business trip", so I had a box of two-colour, text-only cards made up (Steve and I also handmade some illustrated minibooks out of a narrative poem, but that's another story).

I think I gave out maybe four cards, and have given out another dozen or so since.  But now the URL is out of date, and the cards have been relegated to the scrap paper section of my storage closet (where they've proved surprisingly useful).

It was time for something new.  New, up-to-date, and actually likeable.

Enter Moo Cards.

The spread.

I first came across Moo.com years ago, and have kept them in mind ever since.

For now, I opted for Minicards, which are half the size of a regular business card.  One of the great things about Moo Cards is that you can upload your own artwork, creating as many different looking cards as you like in the same batch.  Some day I'd love to get a whole pack drawn by Steve, but for now I went with one of the great Ready Made design packs available:

GSD - German Schmoozing Dog

 These are from the Freida Bird pack by designer Friederike Vogl (the link goes to a German website).  I customized the pack by removing some options, sticking with adorable animal drawings.  So if you ever get a tiny business card from me, it will either feature a bear, a sloth, a dog, a bull, or a squirrel.

The Ferdinand card might be my favourite, but it's so hard to chose!

Usually I'm pretty good at restraining myself from buying extras, but I did decide to buy the special Minicards holder at the last minute, and I'm glad I did.  It's made it so easy to pack up some of these little guys to have on hand at all times.

Sliding lid reveals running squirrel.  In my pocket.

The people at Moo Cards really have this down to an art, too.  The box my cards came in is a perfect long-term holder - attractive and sturdy.  The best part though were the little dividers I discovered on the bottom, in case I'm mixing and mingling with other people who have Minicards:

Brilliant!

I don't know when I'll next use these, but it seemed better to have and not need then need and not have.

Heck, maybe I'll get into more conversations about writing with strangers just so I can hand some of these cuties out!


Do you have business cards?  Or other promotional materials?  How often do you actually use them?