-
The Pleasure of Hating The Bad Guy
I take great pleasure in despising villainous characters, in particular, those two bad guys Jane Austen created over 200 years ago: Mr. Wickham and Willoughby. Honestly, it’s like therapy for me to detest them as fully as I do. The simplicity of their selfish, immature, conniving behavior is depicted so beautifully that you are reminded of one particular thing: some people are just rotten. The other night at the discussion of my first novel, Beneath the Mimosa Tree, I used another of Anne Lamott’s great quotes about “hanging out with your characters and getting them just right.” You have to hang out with your characters so you can show the…
-
The Green Witch’s Glory
Think back to the first time you saw “The Wizard of Oz.” Was it in a movie theatre or on your home television? Do you remember it clearly? The film, “The Wizard of Oz,” made an indelible impression on me. My mother took me to see it in a theatre and we sat in the front row. Just the theme music alone gives me chills and reminds me of being five and watching it in awe. I wasn’t afraid of the flying monkeys or the green witch—but I was pretty petrified of the tornado, and it has probably been one of the reasons why I have a recurring dream about…
