Today I celebrated my August birthday with my BFF, and we made a pact. We are both women of a certain age & our paths are getting twistier as we proceed on our journeys. The pact was that each of us would write a page and post it to a new blog. So here is Wisdom Court, which is both a name and an idea.
I am a novelist with three published books to my credit, and for the last umpteen years I’ve been working on a trilogy about Wisdom Court. This is a place where women are invited to live for a year with total financial support. Anything these women want to do, be it research, artistic creation, writing the great American novel–anything can be done. The only requirement is that the recipient has to live most of that year at Wisdom Court, which is located in Boulder, Colorado.
The first novel of the trilogy has to do with Andrea Bellamy, a forensic artist from Oregon who wants to develop her talents as a fine artist. The founder of Wisdom Court, Caldicott Wytham, bought one of Andrea’s paintings some years ago, and she has invited Andrea to spend a year at the renowned women’s institute. When Andrea arrives in Boulder, she finds that what has appeared to be the chance of a lifetime is more complicated than she thought it would be, and more dangerous.
So much for the tease, at least for tonight. The notion of Wisdom Court arose from the collision of two ideas: Virginia Woolf said that every woman needs a room of her own. At Wisdom Court, each woman gains a year of her own to do what she wants. The very possibility is irresistible. Combine with that a faint memory of the old TV show, The Millionaire. As a child I watched each week as the show’s characters received one million tax-free dollars from John Beresford Tipton, an eccentric millionaire (surely he must have been a billionaire to fund so many people!). The stories lay in the reactions of the characters to sudden wealth, and the repercussions of disaster, unintended consequences, and, occasionally, sweet justice, were wonderful fodder for my burgeoning imagination. I loved watching these people as they dealt with something that was not only unexpected, but was also anonymously given. Without knowing how the choices were made, the recipients were left to decide their own worthiness to receive such a gift, and frequently the moral issues really messed with their minds. Heh-heh. I was fascinated, and the seed of Wisdom Court was planted with those episodes, which, if I were to watch them today, would probably disappoint me. I hope not.
One of the reasons my BFF and I made the pact tonight was that we’re both standing at personal crossroads. Decisions must be made, actions must be taken–you get the drift. I’m about to finish the latest revision of the first Wisdom Court novel, Edge of the Shadow, whereupon I will begin again to compose scintillating letters to literary agents in an attempt to peddle the book to editors. I really do want my baby to be read by all of you out there. What has made the whole endeavor more interesting than just composing those letters is that while I’ve been writing the book–with a number of Byzantine detours as life has gotten in the way–the entire publishing industry has transformed. The traditional publishing route, which I took three times, has almost disappeared. And blogs and websites and other such entities have become members of the publishing community(ies), and I’m trying gamely to keep up with the changes.
So, as I look at what I’ve typed, I see that I’m opening a conversation that is–so far–with myself alone. What I intend to do with this blog is periodically reflect what happens during the next year as I try once more to complete the circuit between writer and readers. I’ve missed having my words read and responded to. I’m ready to prep myself for the battle by sending out missives from behind the lines. I look forward to hearing from any and all of you who might read this. I’ll answer your responses as I can, and will be as respectful of them as you are of mine.
More later,
3 comments:
I'm reading you. Tell me when there's really a place like that and I'll pack my bags.
Dear Wisdom Court Manager,
I understand you are the source of granting wishes of women who want to spend a year on a creative project of their choice. I am submitting a proposal that I hope will land me a space at Wisdom Court so I have the space, time and support I need to do my Spiritual Makeover.
I feel lonely sometimes and miss the women I have known throughout my life both raising children and plying my trade in the workplace. I miss exchanging thoughts and feelings about the challenges and triumphs of everyday life in the trenches. That's the hardest part of leaving a full time job last year in exchange for my sanity. But there's a price to be paid in the sacrifice of a sense of belonging and community. That's what I'm hoping to find at Wisdom Court.
When I heard of Wisdom Court, I began to imagine what fun it would be to once again be back in the company of working women as I went about my day. I imagined sharing meals and conversing about how each of us was progressing in a leisurely, supportive environment. I envisioned a large, rambling house with a courtyard and a flowing fountain right in the middle. I saw a wide veranda with Adirondack chairs and a screened-in porch for relaxing at dusk before dinner. And I wondered, "What am I waiting for?"
Sh here is my proposal. I want to create a life centered around Spirit and read, write and pray with the same ferocity and fervor I exchanged in the workplace for my daily bread. I want to delve deep into the mysteries of my own soul, so that someday I might accompany others on their spiritual journeys. I want to study Sacred Scripture and learn contemplative prayer. All these I set aside for 40 years so I could make a living. I do not undertake this lightly, but in some ways more challenging, as it means letting go of some habits I had acquired while I lived life in a rush.
Now I will need to surrender approval seeking of my boss and clients in exchange for periods of silence and solitude. I could do this much better if I knew I had the "Sisters of Mercy" who could inspire to keep going when I lose momentum and want to give up. Without this support, I fear I will run back into the open arms of employers who wages will tempt me to put off this project when I feel the time is now.
If my proposal is accepted, all you women of Wisdom Court will have my love and support in exchange. I look forward to sharing with all of you the joy of the journey.
Dear Kate & Betsy,
First, thanks for your comments. Second, as soon as I figure out how to do it, we'll at least have a Wisdom Court page on this blog. Baby steps.
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