A note from Janet Skeslien Charles
The news from Paris... and Bruges
Bonjour de Paris!
I’m breathing a sigh of relief because I recently turned in my novella, and my editor accepted the edits. Hooray! Now the manuscript goes to the copy editor until October 25th. It’s always hard to let go because my characters feel like friends, and I don’t want our time together to be over. I guess that is why deadlines exist.
While waiting to receive the corrections, I was excited to see the Portuguese edition of MISS MORGAN’S BOOK BRIGADE (called The Librarians of Picardy). I love how the artist uses the same font to connect it to the The Paris Library.
During my break from the novella, Eddy and I will return to Bruges.
The city means a lot to me because it’s where I worked on THE PARIS LIBRARY and MISS MORGAN. My friend Anne Marsella, author of THE BABY OF BELLEVILLE, introduced me to the Béguinage (pictured below). Every time I went, I was welcomed by the lovely nuns, met great people, and was able to write in peace. In Feburary, Eddy and I moved into our new apartment. One of the reasons I love it is because it reminds me of the Beguinage, a quiet haven where all things are loved and tended.
And speaking of Anne Marsella, I’ll visit her in the Catalan town of Céret, France, near the Spanish border. Anne is a Franco-American novelist who relocated to Céret to open a new space for fellow writers and artists seeking uninterrupted time to pursue creative work. After thirty years in Paris, she wanted to be back in nature. I found the studio she rents out to be an ideal setting for writing, resting, imagining and living simply. I am excited to return in October.
It is only two hours from Barcelona by car and five hours by train from Paris. Here are some photos of the space, which is nestled in the back of her garden. For more information please contact: annemarsella@gmail.com
So much of writing is finding the head space and physical space to get my ideas on paper. Without concentration, I can’t write. I’m preoccupied by this right now because a family member is going to be staying with us for the school year. My office will be the guest room.
One of the joys of research is learning more about a place and time, what people were eating and reading and thinking. In MISS MORGAN’S BOOK BRIGADE, I wrote about real-life librarian Jessie Carson, who brought the concept of children’s libraries to war-torn France in 1918. I didn’t know much about children’s books from that era, so I plunged into some classics that I’d never read. My favorite was Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery. It is always special when the right book finds you right when you need it. I read it during Covid, when my beloved mother was fighting cancer. We watched the series Anne with an E together and loved it. At a time when I was feeling very down, I reveled in Anne’s spirit . Reading about her belief in the future made me optimistic. Of course, like all of us, Anne experienced her share of heartache, which LM Montgomery captured beautifully: “Anne always remembered the silvery, peaceful beauty and fragrant calm of that night. It was the last night before sorrow touched her life; and no life is ever quite the same again when once that cold, sanctifying touch has been laid upon it.”
One of the greatest pleasures of being an author is receiving galleys. I love reading books without covers - no preconceived notions. This week, I’ve been engrossed in this exciting bound manuscript set in the Cold War. It’s a dual timeline, and I love how Bishop paints the differences in perceptions between her characters, one from East Germany and the other from the West.
Do you have any plans for October - places you are going or books you want to read? I hope that you will share in the comments.
Thank you for reading my newsletter. I appreciate your support.
My best,
Janet
I am waiting for 3:00 Zoom discussion of your work!
Lovely read from you Janet. May your inspiration continue because we, your readers of your inspired work, enjoy it so much. Ah, yes, October. It's just a lovely month. Have a beautiful October wherever you are