Lux Lotus

On Conclusions

"Goodbye Rhinestones, Hello Rubies," my final column in a series that's explored twelve lessons learned, is at the Weeklings.

Lux Loves: Caroline Blackwood

Today at Storyville, the digital magazine that publishes a story of note every Tuesday: Caroline Blackwood. I've done Storyville's publicity and acted as an adviser since its inception, and sent my first recommendation for Blackwood's work on 1/1/11. She was an aristocratic heiress to the Guinness brewery fortune, who chose to chart her bohemian course by eloping with Lucien Freud, whose haunting portraits of her outlasted their marriage, and went on to have an artful if messy life, chronicled in an achingly beautiful manner by her daughter Ivana Lowell in her own memoir, Why Not Say What Happened? Of course, the stories Blackwood lived, while fascinating, can't compare with those she wrote. Here's "The Shopping Spree," from Never Breathe a Word.

On Stories

My new column, "The Stories That We Tell Ourselves Can Re Revised," (12 of 13) is now at the Weeklings. And, Lux Lotus reader Amy Shearn said some very kind words at Oprah.com.

What Would Virginia Do?

While I was in the Methow Valley in Washington State, launching the Mazama Festival of Books, my mother was celebrating her birthday with her large and loving family in Mississippi. My cousin sent me some photographs, and the one I treasure the most is of my grandmother, Alma Virginia "Ginny" West Walters. I spent some time each summer on her farm in Moselle when I was very young and have a vivid memory of perfect happiness with her, sitting on her bed, listening to Elvis gospel records and the cool hiss as she popped the tab on an RC Cola out of her private stash and handed it to me. I felt honored. I find myself in need of a little counsel these days, and I know just what she'd tell me. As I recounted in a previous post, She only called me by my middle name because she felt that it was a better Southern name than the one my father ("that Yankee") had given me. It's been more than twenty years since I heard her voice but I can hear it, clear as a bell: "Now, Ashley..."

On Firsts

Strawberry Fields Whatever asked me for the song that I identify with the first time that I fell in love; Baltimore, 1995, and it was this. I remember it so sharply it could have happened tonight.

Postcards From Mazama

"Letter From Mazama," my new column (11 of 13), is now at the Weeklings, and the Methow Valley News has the scoop on this weekend's Mazama Festival of Books, with quotes from me.

Previously, "Letter From Mazama," and "Letter From London."

On Gratitude

My new column (10 of 13), "How You Spend Your Days, You Spend Your Life," is now up at the Weeklings. The full series, inspired by things I've learned in the past year, can be found here.

On Providence

My column, "The Last Sip is For the Gods," is at the Weeklings. Additionally, Fathom, celebrating its first birthday, named my "Love From Clubland," one of the best stories of the year.

On Pomp

I came home to a most unexpected parcel, containing an emerald green silk cloak from a very good friend in London. The best.

On Causes

I'm looking forward to this event next week; at the time of this posting, a few tickets are available. If inclined, please join us.