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www.GailGrenierSweet.com

Monday, June 3, 2013

Help me choose a name for my new book!!


     I haven’t written a blog post in a while because I’ve been on fire working on a book. It’s a collection of new personal essays and poems, along with favorites from my award-winning syndicated column...all nonfiction. 

     In other words, the book is a bunch of short bits...or as some would call it, bathroom reading.

     I’m in a jam. I have an idea for a title, but I’m not sold on it. The last time I put together a book like this, I named it by borrowing from one of the essays within. I have always loved that title: Calling all Horses. I think those words are just quirky enough to get a reader’s attention. That quirkiness also captures my, um, slightly skewed view of life.

     Another reason I like the title Calling all Horses is that it’s short and easy to say. I’ve found that when you write a book, you say the title over and over…and over. My novels also have short titles that are easy to repeat – Dog Woman and Don’t Worry Baby. I like short.

     My new book will carry this title or something like it: [Blank], And Other Glimpses of an American Life. The subtitle is of course And Other Glimpses of an American Life. The [Blank] part is the main title, and it's where I’m stuck. So I’m asking for your help.


     Kindly select your favorite title ideas from the list below. Vote for as many as you want, but please let me know which is the most favorite of your faves. To help you choose, I'll tell you about the new book. It has stories from the 1950s through today, with funny parts, sad parts, and  reflection. The attitude is positive and sometimes a little zany. If you read this blog, you have a taste of my writing style. The book is similar.
 
The following ideas are all titles of essays or poems within the book. Here they are…please vote through this blog or through Facebook. (I only have a personal Facebook account at this time; I'll set up an author page soon.) Thank you!


Mice wearing clothes

Holy Hill honeymoon

Lucky teach

Recapitating St. Francis

Calming the savage beasts

Spring peepers

Waking up

The dance of life

Bedraggled guardian angels

You have to when you can

Fighting bad guys with a smile

Great rivers and little creeks

The blue dish

In praise of silliness

Just say humbug!

The middle of nowhere

A river runs through us

Mum and Subito Dopo

[PS Idea added after original post: You have to when you can]

9 comments:

  1. I vote for "The Blue Dish" or "The Dance of Life" Seems like just the right amount of words. Sounds like you've been busy! Good luck.

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  2. I vote for "The dance of life". That is what I have been doing all these years!

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  3. Since you said the book is zany - I'd go for "Waking Up" - together with the subtitle it hints at humor, and is something every reader can relate to, Unless,of course, your reader is dead, in which case they wouldn't be reading the book anyway!

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    1. Thanks Dody. I wouldn't say it's overly zany, but there's a touch of that - well, you know me. Thanks for the suggestion. (PS I hope my readers aren't dead!)

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  4. Okay, I just came up with another name for the list. It's the title of one of the essays: "You have to when you can." I've been meeting people this week who are fighting cancers. I'm in awe of all the life they packed into their lives...before the cancers struck. What do you think??

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  5. Bedraggled guardian angels

    The dance of life is SO obvious for you. I've dragged around all kinds of saints and angels. It'd be fun to know what your's do.

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    1. Thank you, Anonymous!

      By "The Dance of Life" being obvious, do you mean that would be a bad title?

      I like Bedraggled Guardian Angels too!

      But I like them all (argh)....

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