The Given Day

If I forget to blog for the next zillion days it's because I have Dennis Lehane's newest book, The Given Day. The Mister and I toddled off to the the bookstore this morning. I've been waiting for this for 4 years! It's finally on the bookshelves. You may recall my telling about this book in my Six Degrees of Separation post in August. Dennis is a wonderful writer. His novels, Mystic River and Shutter Island preceded this one.




Click on his name, or on the book to find out more about it. I've heard him read excerpts and know he was already writing it four years ago when I attended his Contemporary Novels workshop at the first Writer's In Paradise at Eckerd College. This is not a commercial - I just don't want you to miss out on a great novel.

I'll set my alarm so I won't forget to blog - or feed the dogs- or eat dinner, and I promise not to give away the ending. If you need me for anything, I'll be the one curled up on the sofa with my nose in a book!

Six Degrees of Separation

I'm sure you have heard of the college game, Six Degrees of Kevin Bacon. Its inception is from the theory that everyone on earth is within six degrees of separation from any stranger they meet. Meaning, they can, if they have several hours, days or months, trace a line of 6 -or fewer- acquaintances to each other.

The college game, which has been going on for years now, for whatever reason chose Keven Bacon, and plays a game of linking people, mostly other actors to Kevin through movies, marriage, events, etc.

Well guess what? Here's a little tidbit to start your day: I am just two degrees from Keven Bacon.

How, pray tell, can this be? you ask with an ever so slight tinge of green in your voice. Well, I am acquainted with Dennis Lehane, author of the novel, Mystic River, which was made into a movie in which Kevin Bacon had a starring role.




People acquainted with me are just 3 degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon. Lucky you!

Dennis Lehane and I both graduated from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL. Different years and very different majors. Dennis teaches and is still very involved with Eckerd. He is high on my list of favorite writers, and I am anxiously awaiting his next book, The Given Day, which will be released in September. I had the pleasure of listening to Dennis read excerpts from the book on several occasions and it's going to be a good one. His book, Shutter Island and short story, Until Gwen are the next to be made into movies based on his stories.

I came to know Dennis through a wonderful writers program Eckerd College offers each year called Writers in Paradise . I attended the first one in 2005. It was especially exciting for me to be accepted into the program. The requirement, to be accepted in the Contemporary Novel workshop that Dennis taught was to submit 12-14 pages of your novel for consideration. That was all I had at the time. 14 pages. So I sent them in, they were critiqued, and I was accepted! I was in league with people who had writing degrees of various kinds and who were much farther along in their writing careers. It was a wonderful 8 days of immersion into all things writing.

I just found the following pictures on the 2005 conference on the web site! Me (the blonde lady) listening and Dennis talking. Cool!


So here I am, 2 degrees of separation from Kevin Bacon and that makes you three degrees from him.

Check out Dennis' new book. If you haven't read the others, put them on your reading list!

I'm off to check the next tropical weather update. We may be getting a bit of Tropical Storm Fay in our neighbor hood next week. Click on the Tropical Update picture for the latest on that.