The Fezziwig News by Stu Jenks

"Saguaro Window"

"Saguaro Window, Sonoran Desert, Arizona" (c) 2012 Stu Jenks

For the fairie folk in Atlanta, Raleigh, Ottawa and Chagford. Y'all know who you are.

"Hoop-Dancing With An Angel/Ghost"

"Hoop-Dancing With An Angel/Ghost, Dragoon Springs, Arizona" (c) 2012 Stu Jenks

"From The Saddle At Owl's Head..."

"From The Saddle At Owl's Head, Arizona..." (c) 2012 Stu Jenks

Many of y'all are familiar with my images of Owl's Head (See the image at the bottom), yet few of y'all have seen the view from Owl's Head. Here are a couple taken last week from the saddle.

...The first draft of the novel is done!!!...

The first draft of the novel is done!!! It came in at 149,000 words, 552 pages in my document. Yeaaaa! I can't tell you how good it feels. The ending made me cry, as I hope it does you. (Last word in the novel, which won't change in revision: Sighs.) I want to jump right back to the beginning and start revisions, but Mary Ann suggests I take more than just a couple days off. OK. I'll take off three or four days. LOL. But then it's fixing this and revising that, then off to the editors. And I have ideas for the next novel in this series, too. I have some pretty great characters, I think, and I want to see what they will do next. But first things first. Get this novel to print.

One serious note: It took about a year to write this novel, but it almost didn't get done. With Mary and Pamela dying and all, I didn't work on it for about six weeks and it was so hard to get my momentum back. But I did. But it was difficult. If you are working on a novel or a large work, I recommend you plow through, even if the field is frozen. I've been told I'm very lucky to have gotten back on track.

Speaking of track, good luck to Danica Patrick tomorrow in the Daytona 500 and in the rest of Sprint Cup and Nationwide races this season. I might just have to go up to PHX next Saturday to watch her race.

By the way, did I mention I finished the freaking first draft of the novel?

Yeaaaaaaaaa!

Now available, on the Apple IPad: The Transpersonal Papers (1861-2010) and Bozo In Love

Been a long time coming for The Transpersonal Papers (1861-2010).

Three editors, two proofreaders, two designers, four printers, and hours, days, weeks, months, years, lifetimes, (I know I'm overstating), of writing, traveling, shooting, editing, remembering, hiking, and more writing, shooting, and editing, but I'm not complaining. No, no, no.

And apologies for not having the dough right now, to print The Transpersonal Papers as a coffee-table book as I had originally planned. ($10,000, it would have cost. Maybe someday.) But you now can buy it, for $14.95, as an Ebook on the Apple IPad, and I expect it to be available within a couple days on the Nook and the Kindle as well.

I just looked at it on my new IPad. The photos, text and design look grand.

And as an extra surprise, Bozo In Love is now up on IBooks too, ($9.95), as well as the rest of my catalog: Flame Spirals, Hoop Dancing, and Dementia Blues, on IBooks, Nook and Kindle.

Just in time for Christmas.

And don't worry. All but The Transpersonal Papers can still be bought as a book book through Fezziwig Press. I have plenty. Just go to www.fezziwigpressonline.com, for the hardbounds and paperbacks, but go to ITunes, today, (and Kindle and Nook, soon) for the ebooks.

Heavy sigh from my third story apartment balcony. I look out onto the Tucson city lights in the valley below. Cold, dry air embraces me. I inhale deeply. Exhale.

A very good night in the desert.

Think I'll make a cup of coffee with egg nog and play some Angry Birds on my new IPad.

Time to celebrate.

 

Mary Elton Saum Jenks: October 31st, 1926 - July 7th, 2011

Images: "Rincon Ocotillos: For Mary Jenks" (c) 2011 Stu Jenks & "Mary On The Fourth Of July" (c) 2010 Stu Jenks

Mary Elton Saum Jenks
October 31st, 1926 - July 7th, 2011

    Mary Elton Saum Jenks died July 7th, 2011 at Crossroads Adult Care Center in Tucson, Arizona of complications from dementia. She was 84 years old. Mary was born in Alexandria, Virginia into a family of landed gentry. She attended Duke University in North Carolina, graduated from Duke pre-med, and married Stuart Carlyle Jenks Sr. soon after. They were married 52 years until his death in 2001. Mary was very active in The Episcopal Church, from being choir director at St. Mary’s Whitechapel in Lively, Virginia, to being a member of The Standing Committee of the Diocese of Virginia. She is survived by her son, Stuart C. Jenks Jr. of Tucson, Arizona, her brother, Courtney Saum of Silver City, New Mexico and a few nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her sisters Virginia and Nan, her husband Stuart and her daughter Pamela. Memorial services for Mary will be held at Grace St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 2331 East Adams Street, Tucson, Arizona, on Saturday, July 30th at 2 p.m.. Another funeral for Mary and the burials of both Pamela and Mary Jenks will be at St. Mary's Whitechapel Episcopal Church, 5940 White Chapel Road, Lancaster, Virginia on September 17th, 2011 at 2 p.m.
    In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Casa de la Luz Foundation, 400 West Magee Road, Tucson, Arizona 85704  

 

"Spiral For Chessie"

"Spiral For Chessie, Pontatoc Ridge, Tucson, Arizona" (c) 2011 Stu Jenks

Cherokee Girl by Charles de Lint: The Music Video

 

[First things first: click on the little square-four-arrow-cluster at the lower right hand corner of the video to make it full screen]

Cherokee Girl by Charles de Lint
Produced & directed by Brock Zeman

Original song by author Charles de Lint about the mix of cultures, myth and how all of us are connected to each other and this world in which we find ourselves. Features a brief cameo by Terri Windling, the Cherokee Girl for whom the song was written. Scenes from Tucson filmed by de Lint and his wife, MaryAnn Harris. Horseshoe Canyon footage by Stu Jenks. For more info: www.charlesdelint.com

[From Stu: I have great friends. Glad the video I shot at Horseshoe Canyon came to such good use. Wonderful place, Horseshoe Canyon; wonderful people, Charles, Terri and MaryAnn; wonderful song, Cherokee Girl.]

"Sonora" by Terri Windling

"Sonora" by Terri Windling. Photograph by Stu Jenks

Another wonderful poem from the desk of Terri Windling, designed by her using a photo of mine.