Do the Write Thing for Nashville

Middle Tennessee is suffering from TERRIBLE flooding. A group of authors put together a publishing geared auction to raise funds. You can read more about that here.

I've offered to donate a What Gwen Said mug and a critique of query letter and first 30 pages of a manuscript here.

Awesome items are being put up for bid every fifteen minutes or so, so please go check it out.

what gwen said--and then some.

I'd like to add something to Gwen's post on this Roman Polanski mess. There are multitudes of celebrities who are using their status to support this grown man who drugged and raped a 13 year old child. And it sickens me that we admire them so much because they are the pretty Hollywood elite that some of us will actually agree that Polanski has 'suffered enough' for his crime.

And if he had been anyone other than a brilliant director, this would not even be a debate. If he had been your next door neighbor, or a teacher, or a politician...or ANYBODY ELSE these very same celebrities would be screaming at the top of their lungs saying what he did was despicable and to throw the book at the man who drugged and raped a 13 year old girl. Because no matter what you call it Whoopi...it is rape. She was 13. She said no. He drugged her and plied her with champagne. He admitted this in court. And then he ran away so that he wouldn't have to serve time. Those facts cannot be disputed, no matter how much you try to justify the actions of a brilliant director who was 43 and drugged his barely teenaged victim.

http://jezebel.com/5369395/

Watch the 2nd video to hear Whoopi call it 'not rape-rape' and trying to justify her opinion because of the legalese. Call it what you want, Ms. Goldberg. He drugged her, and inserted his penis into her while she said no. That is the very definition of rape, no matter how brilliant an artist he is.

Also, shame on you Melissa Gilbert, for trying to blame the mother. Sure it was bad judgment...and poor mothering at the very least, but the fact that mother was stupid does not color this situation gray. THE CHILD WAS 13 YEARS OLD! grrrrrr.

Oops, I digress.

I'd like to talk about REAL celebrities who deserve our admiration. People in our lives that contribute to the world in a meaningful and beautiful way. People who are often overlooked because they aren't in film, or one of the pretty people, or have money and power because they've made umpteen blockbuster movies.

Here's a list of people that I believe deserve to be listened to and deserve MY admiration:

1. My 8th grade English teacher, Mrs. Wright who taught me how much fun creative writing can be
2. My grandmother, Mema...because she was my grandma. :)
3. My mother, for starting her career at 18 years old as a secretary at a bank and retired as the Vice President of Trust Operations. And just for being my mom.
4. The civil servants who protect and serve us daily.
5. All of our teachers (not just Mrs. Wright, though she was awesome) and supporting staff from the janitor to the lunch ladies, to the bus drivers who educate and watch after our children.

Who would you add to this list?