April Lindner

Christmas 2014 went by in a flash of blinking lights.  First there was a whole lot of grading, then a whole lot of cleaning, then a trip to the airport to pick up Mom. There were shopping and cooking and then some wonderful warm moments with friends and family--presents to unwrap, bread to break, and, finally, even a little bit of downtime.   Nico chills with Grandma And now it's almost--but not quite--time to take down this year's tree. Just before we ripped into the presents Now that we're poised on the brink of 2015, I'm starting to wrap my mind around my one big New Year's Resolution, not counting the perennial lose weight/hit the gym/give up chocolate:  Write a novel.     The story and characters have been taking shape in my head for a while now,  and I've started putting down words on paper.  So far I'm twenty-five pages in--admittedly not so very far.  But I know the town where my heroine lives. I've walked its

With the release date of Love, Lucy a little over a month away, I've been making plans for a launch party--my very first.  Yesterday, Andre and I paid a visit to the venue--a cozy family-owned vineyard in quiet South Jersey.  Our friends Joe and Brenda O'Donald introduced us to Salem Oak Vineyards , and to Mandi Cassidy, the vineyard's cheery and energetic owner.  Then the five of us put our heads together to plan the event.   Andre, Brenda, and Joe Mandi Cassidy (on the right) To celebrate Lucy's travels in Florence and Rome, we're going with--what else?--an Italian theme.  There will be light fare on offer-- antipasti  and dolci . And a playlist of Italian music to set the mood. But of course, it wouldn't be a party without  you.   So here's the what, when and where: Love, Lucy launch party Friday, January 30th from 7 to 9 p.m. Salem Oak Vineyard 60 North Railroad Avenue Pedricktown  NJ  (About half an hour from Philadelphi

The other day on Twitter, #amwriting was trending.  This made me sad, because I #amnotwriting lately.  Nanowrimo happened without me.   Months have passed since the last time I put words on paper.  Insert excuses here.  As a friend of mine used to say, "Any excuse will do."  And this long fallow season isn't about to end soon.  Final portfolios and exams have been flooding my desk, and as soon as the grading winds down, the holiday season preparation is destined to ramp up.   2014 is likely to be history before I manage to get any writing done.  So I was heartened to read this post from the fabulous writer Beth Kephart.  Branches in the Sky by Zanuardian I have to believe, as Beth promises, that my next story is waiting for me.  And, after all,  there have been recent hopeful signs.  A new character has been taking shape in my head.  I can see her, and certain things about her have revealed themselves to me lately.  But I won't hear her voice

La Dolce Vita, Firenze-style On Thanksgiving Eve, as I make cranberry relish, my grandmother's Italian-style stuffing, and Mississippi Mud Cake, I've been taking brief breaks between all the grating, mixing, and sauteeing to dip into The Stones of Florence by the inimitable Mary McCarthy. See the underlining?  I made it in 1985, when I was just back from my first trip to Europe, a solo backpacking expedition that turned me into the rabid Italophile I've been ever since.   Vespa showroom Now I'm revisiting McCarthy's classic book as I choose texts for a travel-writing class I'm planning--a study tour to Italy that will run from June 28 to July 29.  We will be based in Rome, with excursions to Sorrento, Assisi, Pompeii, Orvieto, Capri, and, of course, Firenze! Are you dreaming of Firenze too?  There's still space left in my class.  Any college student in a degree-granting program (graduate or undergraduate) is welcome to apply.  We'l

The Maryland Dove My teaching and travels have taken up all my time lately, which is why it's been a while since I posted here.  I'm just back from my most recent trip, to St. Mary's College , Maryland's public honors college, in the gorgeous river town of St. Mary's City. Leaving home is always the hardest part of any road trip. When Nico saw me packing my bags, he tried his darnedest to discourage me from going. But once I got past my bodyguard, the trip was a breeze. What could be better than chatting about poetry and fiction with the spirited and bright students of St. Mary's?  I also gave an evening reading, and spent a lovely last morning with the College's Arts Alliance discussing poems inspired by fairy tales and myth. And I was able to spend a little time exploring one of the prettiest campuses I've ever seen.   In the distance, the sailing team practices maneuvers on the St. Mary's River St. Mary's College is an es

A year a good today this handsome fellow became a part of our family.  In some ways it feels like we've only just adopted him, and in other ways it feels like he's been one of us forever.  Though he gets in his share of trouble , we can't imagine life without Nico. Even Reuben, who was slow to warm to his new sibling, seems to like having him around 99.5% of the time.   Who, me?

Sound check on the Mall No, I'm not in D.C.  I'm in bed, watching the Concert for Valor on t.v., thinking with gratitude of the veterans I've known. First and foremost, my Dad, Edward Lindner, who served in World War II, at first in the Engineers' Corps, then in the big Red One, and finally as a sergeant in Company L, 16th Infantry Regiment, guarding prisoners in Hammelburg, Germany.   Though he was a man of (very) few words, he did speak once or twice to me about his time in the army--of creamed chipped beef on toast (which he liked), of how much he enjoyed seeing Europe while on leave--Scotland, England, France, even Italy.  He never spoke about combat, though--not even to my mother. I wish I'd asked him to tell me more about those days when I had the chance. Souvenirs Thank you to all veterans for your service.

At age 63, Chrissie Hynde is still a badass, still the reigning queen of cool.  So when our ticket taker at Upper Darby's Tower Theater informed us that Chrissie had requested we not take cell phone photos at her show, I wasn't about to risk pissing her off. photo lifted from The Tower Theater Facebook page Andre and I have been looking forward to seeing Chrissie and the Pretenders for a long time.  More years ago than I care to count, we saw them with a bunch of our college friends from the front few rows of the University of New Hampshire field house. The band was incredible.  I was nineteen, surrounded by friends, seeing a band we all loved more or less from the front row.  The good vibes are basically all I remember. Original lineup circa 1989 photo by Fin Costello  Fast forward to 2014. The show began with new material--all of it top-notch--from Chrissie's Stockholm album.   I'm happy to report that Chrissie Hynde still has one of the mo

Though my season of ceaseless book signings is behind me, I do have one more very special (to me at least!) event planned.  I'll be signing copies of Catherine and Jane at Saint Joseph's University (where I teach) on 11/11 at 11 a.m., in the bookstore.  If you live in or near Philadelphia, consider dropping by.  (Luckily, there's free retail parking behind the bookstore.) Also, as the release date for Love, Lucy approaches, I've been busy putting together the playlist of songs that Lucy would have heard on her travels through Italy.  That playlist will be featured on a book blog near you, as the amazing Alexis and Ashley of With Her Nose Stuck in a Book are planning a musical Book Blast closer to the release day (January 27, 2015). Rock Star Book Tours has also got something special planned for Lucy's debut: a book blast about how the novel was informed by my own misadventures backpacking solo through Europe at age 22.  I might have to dig up some e

Though my favorite hobby is taking off to Asbury Park at a moment's notice to catch a show at the Stone Pony or Asbury Lanes or the Wonder Bar, I've always felt like something of a poser when it comes to the Jersey Shore Music Scene.   Why? Because I'm a relative newcomer to the scene.  Because I have never actually lived in Jersey or even summered on the Shore.  And, most of all, because I've never seen Southside Johnny and the Asbury Jukes. Until a few weeks ago, that is. Southside and the Jukes played the Ardmore Music Hall, a quirky little venue just fifteen minutes from our house, and this time we were there, in the front row.   Everything about the show was fun and so familiar to anyone who loves the Asbury Scene, probably because Southside IS the scene.  He was one of the handful who helped invent it.  Bruce Springsteen and Southside Johnny (photo courtesy of Billy Smith and BruceBase ) To anyone who loves the Jersey Shore sound, seeing Souths

Crimson leaves, gray day On this day of ceaseless, cold rain, I'm ignoring the housework that needs to be done in favor of something much more important: reading poetry in bed.   First I devoured  Trespass , the debut collection from a young poet named Thomas Dooley.  Thom was my student--already a confident and promising writer--way back in the first poetry workshop I taught at Saint Joseph's University.   The manuscript that became Trespass was chosen by Charlie Smith for the prestigious National Poetry Series, and soon Thom will be visiting us at St. Joe's, taking a victory lap, and reading his poems to our current crop of promising young writers. Tresspass is a brave and beautiful book, and I'll say more about it here when Thom comes to visit later in November. My other book du jour is  Dog Star Delicatessen , a new and selected from Mekeel McBride, my own very first poetry professor.   Mekeel's poems are very much like she was as an inst

Eeyore wishes you all a very happy Halloween.  Or, if you prefer, a happy Dia de los Muertos : Glimpsed on the third floor of Bellarmine Hall, Saint Joseph's University