Read the Fine Print: The Pawnee Treaty, Perception, and Questioning Rather Than Accepting “Truthiness”

Making my way to the next landing I saw the largesse of an oil painting of the Pawnee Table Creek Treaty of 1857 by William Haskell Coffin. In this painting, Native American men dance in an open field wearing nothing more than headdresses and loincloth of sorts. Some carry hatchets, others spears. The settlers, all white, stare stone faced, dare I say questionably, at those in celebration. The imagery itself disturbed me knowing the broad strokes of the history between colonialists and Native Americans (short version, the first group steadily massacred the second). 

On a table to the far right of this painting was a copy of the actual Pawnee Treaty of 1857. If the visual didn’t incite pause, the treaty itself had me stupefied. 

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#MyWritingProcess Blog Tour

Always happy to join in a Blog Tour and it seems this one has been wrangling in many writers across the country! The My Writing Process Blog Tour is a time for some of us creative types to share our process and get to know a bit more about our projects.

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(Giving) Thanks to my YA Critique Partners!

Taking a moment to give thanks to my critique partners who have helped me along the way in my revision of my YA novel.

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Write Campaign - 11 Questions (I've been tagged!)

As you know from my February 7th post I am participating in Rachel Harrie's Fourth Writers' Platform-Building Campaign. Every year some of the campaigners tend to 'tag' participants to answer and then create and again 'tag' others with 11 questions. Fellow writer Elizabeth Twist has tagged me with the following questions. Thanks, Elizabeth! These are good questions.

1. What are you reading?

Currently I'm reading Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell. It was a book club pick from my previous job.

2. What is your favourite creative activity that is not writing?

Well, if you're on this site you know my other love is baking and/or eating baked goods. Mmmm, sugar. I have the battle scars to prove it to (3 root canals, 4 if you count one redone). Also naps are pretty sweet.

3. Where or how do you get your best ideas?

Randomly. I've gotten many from walking, being on the subway, waking up in the middle of the night or not being able to go back to sleep. I got some decent ideas bike riding. They really do just smack me in the face at times and sometimes they work and sometimes they don't.

4. If you could magically and painlessly change one thing about your mind or body, what would it be, if anything?

Augh, my lack of will power when it comes to portion control. I need to eat smaller servings and not just eat because I'm bored or stressed or because food is there. It's not going to disappear, I hope. So I wish I had more will power in terms of that and to really pursue what I want and not always second guess or think of repercussions. Wouldn't hurt to be selfish every so often when it comes to my art.

5. What's the scariest movie, story, novel, or scene you can recall?

I don't know if it counts as scary but there was a cringe worthy love scene in Endless Love (Scott Spencer) that went on for awhile in that book. I won't even attempt to go into detail.

A scene that also freaked me out was in Saw 2 when the woman was thrown into the well of needles and had to find a key. That is basically my worst nightmare. Tetanus shot!

6. What's the weirdest thing you believe?

I believe in karma. What goes around comes around and all. Some people may find that to be weird or feel that the world is out to get you but I firmly believe good things happen to good people and sometimes it takes awhile. I do not believe that bad things happen for a reason though. Not all the time anyways.

7. Super strength or super intelligence?

Hard one. I'd say intelligence. Of course that has its downsides as well, but in the end knowledge is power, supposedly.

8. You're granted the ability to become invisible. Where do you go and what do you do? (Bonus question: Are you wearing clothes? I mean, what about YOUR becoming invisible makes your clothes invisible too? This has always bothered me.)

I would LOVE to be a fly on the wall in a politicians office to hear what he/she is saying without the media around. How he/she may feel about issues but what they tell the public be it because they do or don't believe it or purely from a tactical standpoint.

If invisible I would prefer to wear clothes but obviously from a scientific standpoint it may not work and all. I mean it seems that perhaps invisibility of clothes comes into play as a way to get around things in films/books, especially in retaining a PG-13 rating and all.

9. What one change do you think would have the most positive impact on the world as a whole?

Equal rights for all. I think if everyone was truly seen and treated as equals all this bulls*** strife in the world would melt away a lot of issues that we have now. Think of it, why do we have so many wars and such? Because someone is trying to maintain a power over another group. The world just doesn't change.

10. What is the crappiest advice you've ever been given?

Hmmm, I did tell a girl to tell a guy she liked him even though I knew he didn't. This was more than ten years ago when I could be a petty b****. He wasn't rude when he turned her down or anything but I could've looked out for her a bit more.

11. What's your favourite song right now?

I had a thing for Mumford & Son's 'The Cave' a month back but now I'm back into Florence & The Machines 'Dog Days are Over.' That is a great jam!

My turn for questions!

They are as follows:

1. What literary character (any genre) can you most relate to & why? 2. If you could choose between having six months to yourself to pursue your art in a great area with beautiful landscape to write and no worries on money, food, living arrangements but would not be able to have any communication with the outside world whatsoever, would you do it? 3. What do you think is more important: true love or success? 4. What is usually the first thing you do when you get up in the morning? 5. Of all the books pubbed that you have had the pleasure to read which one do you most wish you'd written? 6. Why do you write? 7. If you had to lose one of your senses which would it be? (And yes, I include taste in this.) 8. What is the best memory you have? Have you ever used it in your writing? 9. If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would it be and why? 10. What is your favorite thing to do before you write? 11. What is the food/drink item you go to most when stressed/upset/irritated? What is the food/drink item you go to most when happy/exuberant/celebratory?

And I choose to tag the follow fellow campaigners in my group(s):

Gwen Tolios, Jaye Viner, Diane Gillette, Sorcha's Blog, Lori M. Lee, & Yikici.

And feel free to answer the questions posed to me from Elizabeth or the ones I've posed in my comments section or on your own blog. Would love to read.

Happy campaigning! I look forward to hearing/reading about everyone's work.