A Garden of a Magazine

By Linda L. Scisson

If there is a phrase that is the opposite of “a man’s cave,” it would be “a woman’s garden.” The image of a beautiful garden came to me as graphic designer and photographer Lorinda Gray spoke to our  Little Rock chapter of American Christian Writers on Tuesday, April 8. 

When I want to read a magazine, I usually pick up a print version. On April 8, I found an exception: a quarterly e-zine (digital magazine) called MattieGrace, which may be accessed on the website of Lorinda Gray’s freelance company, Ragamuffin Creative, at:

www.ragamuffincreative.com/

Without question, Lorinda appreciates the creative process. With a keen artist’s eye, she sees something significant and preserves it. Graciously, she takes us to literal and metaphorical gardens through her photos and graphic designs in MattieGrace: Sharing Our Stories. As they say, “A picture is worth a 1,000 words.”

The freshness of Lorinda’s digital magazine is enhanced by relevant articles and poems, such as contributing author Julie Vickers’ article “The Flipside of Fear” in the Spring 2014, Volume 10 issue, as well as scriptures that speak of elegance and eternity, such as this on page 2 in the current issue of MattieGrace:

“This is what I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord (Psalm 27:4 NIV).

Something significant, something simple, something superb:  prose, poetry, and photography. And there are recipes in MattieGrace, which may be downloaded, free of charge, in a PDF-version.

Whether you want to see things in modern-day settings or on Victorian postcards, folk art, or contemporary art, check out MattieGrace. You’ll find the usual and the unusual, such as Lorinda’s photos from the 21c Hotel and Museum in Bentonville, including green plastic penguins and the “Tree of 40 Fruit” (Spring 2014, Volume 10).

And be encouraged with the life-experience articles that connect us to one another as members of the human race. I've even heard a number of men are reading MattieGrace from their individual “man’s cave,” as who doesn't appreciate the beauty of a garden any season of the year?

APRIL IS NATIONAL POETRY MONTH

I love poetry.  The title deserves all caps. Who is your favorite poet? Do you have a favorite poem?  LRACW also has a poetry contest you can enter at our Writers Conference. The deadline for entries is April 22.   Come on, get writing.  

It is my goal to read and write poetry every day during April.  Since Haiku is one of my favorite forms, I like to sit on the patio and write about what I observe in my own back yard.  Here's one I really like... it just makes me smile:

The bird ate the worm

Stretched it right out of the ground

Early bird, late worm

There now, didn't that make you smile.  Poetry should be enjoyable. And another:

Icicles hang steep

Water trapped in frozen form

Winter's jagged teeth

You can find all kinds of poetry online. You don't even have to buy the books.  Joyce Kilmer's poem, Trees is so lovely I carry it around with me. 

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the sweet earth's flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree. 

I was in Michigan one summer and some of us decided to go on a tour of several Victorian homes. They were wonderful.  Well maintained. Beautifully furnished.  Made you want to just sit and read awhile.  But at the last house I stepped out onto the back porch, and there, in the back yard, was the most magnificent, majestic tree I've ever seen.  They told us it was a  live oak tree, about 200 years old, and it was coming to the end of its lifespan.  I'm not sure, but I imagine Joyce Kilmer saw a tree that affected her the same way as this live oak affected me.  My thought at that time was that anyone can build a house, but only God can make a tree.  

And lets not forget about the poetry in the Bible:  in Psalms.  Find it. Read it.  Let it speak to your heart as living poetry does.  

Find and read a poem a day.  Then find someone to share it with.  

Keep reading.  Keep writing

Lorinda Gray April 8th Meeting Speaker

So excited to share with you that Lorinda Gray will be our featured speaker this month.  You will be getting an emailed flyer with some pertinent  information.  I don't want to steal the thunder from the flyer but I'm EAGER to hear what she has to share about e-zines (electronic magazines).  She publishes one that is extremely well done.  And what a writer she is!  If you want a preview you can go to www.ragamuffincreative.com

Also, if you have an iPad, or some such thing, Lorinda has requested that you bring it. I have no idea what she has in store for us, and that anticipation makes it even better.

Hope you will all come and welcome her and learn all about e-zines.  And who knows... there could be cookies!

Keep reading.  Keep writing.

Next Meeting: April 2 (Tuesday)

April 2

12-1 p.m. in the Vonette Bright Room at FamilyLife

The Little Rock Chapter of

American Christian Writers will be conducting

Critiques

You are invited to bring

something that you have written for

input from fellow writers.

For more information on LRACW,

please go to our website at:  LRACW.org