The Quote of the Day that inspired my A to Z Challenge theme –
A Word for the Day that takes on many meanings.
Quote of the Day: A writer lives in awe of words for they can be cruel or kind, and they can change their meanings right in front of you. They pick up flavors and odors like butter in a refrigerator. John Steinbeck
Word of the Day: Cotton
The C from the Coco Moon Coffee Shop
Definitions:
noun: shrubby plant, the fibers in these plants used in making textiles, fabric
verb: to take a liking to, often used in the negative, The dog doesn’t cotton to strangers.
to understand He’ll soon cotton on (to what you mean).
Cotton rock is dolomite sediments, white and porous in appearance. It is also the name of the town in this novel. I like the sound of it, and it seems like an oxymoron. It looks soft and pliable, yet, it’s solid and unbending. Some people are like that. This is a novel about the people who live in the town and along the White River. Bits and pieces of one life are picked up and moved along the river, sometimes swirling together. Other parts, like the rocks, never seem to budge. I felt like I was sitting on the porch with John, the writer, chatting with Anna, his student who is writing her life story, and watching the ever changing river flow. This story felt real, like I was reading about the intimate details of someone’s family. Janet provides such lovely description of the place that I can see it as I read. I hear the voices of the characters, distinct in their journals and dialogue. I feel their pain and their search for wholeness in their lives.
For another great review of Cotton Rock go to The Texas Playwright Chick. She’s the one who got me my copy!
Go. Create. Inspire!
Journaling Prompt:Â Do you like reading regional stories? What body of water speaks loudest to you? Right now, for me, it’s the river, always there, but never the same.
This is really great information and I love the quote. Great job.
Great connection…Cotton…Cotton Rock…the novel. I love this post.
And I’ve learned something new… Cotton as a verb. Thank you for this information, Mary.
Doris
Aww you’re quoting my favorite author.
That book sounds like a good read.
T
Oh I love the title of this book, must check it out, I love seeing fields of cotton in the south so beautiful, amazing to see such pure white come from such a scruffy looking plant.
Yesterday, someone posted about having a cotton phobia …
Lovely little piece from Post! Cotton was certainly a major industry in the south, and I do love my cotton clothes. I always think of the cotton pickers song that goes something like this: “Jump down, turn around, pick a bale a cotton.” My hubby’s father, who was born in Texas, used to sing that after he got Alzheimers. Just proves how embedded it was in his soul.
Love your summary and insight. And yup, that name is a show stopper: Cotton Rock. A story in itself, that.
I adore regional stories. I love the expressions, dialects, descriptions, and the feel of being drawn into this small, intimate world.
I’m not far from the Mississippi, so it will always be “my river.” But in terms of love and nostalgia, after two generations of family vacations at the Gulf of Mexico, it will forever be my favorite.
Thanks for the great post!
Joe,
C/Cahokia
Enjoyed your post for the letter C. Sounds like an interesting book. I like the name of the town; Cotton Rock.
Susanne
PUTTING WORDS DOWN ON PAPER
I love waterfalls, but the ocean (just the edge) is also beautiful and fun to walk through.
Cotton also makes me sneeze in the fall.
Loved your C word post. It was most informative and excellently written.
Yvonne.
i have not heard of this novel it sounds interesting. Like the choice to link with letter C. Looking forward to D
Sounds great! And I’ll always be an ocean girl. I’ve got salt water in my blood.
That book sounds wonderful, Mary. I had never heard of it, but right now I’m heading over to Amazon to check it out.
I love when a story feels like you are watching real life play itself out. 🙂
I love the sound at that town. It sounds original but isn’t.
Hey, I remember this ‘rock’ from a biology lab exam.
My body of water would be the ocean, any ocean. It reminds me that life’s obstacles are like waves in that they continue to come at us. We wade through them and try to keep our balance and not be overcome.
Mary, thanks for visiting my site. The lake has always been my body of water. I spent every summer at camp (my dad was the director) and the lake is where I spent most of my time. Even now I have a house on a lake and love the serenity there.
This seems an interesting novel. I like the concept of your challenge too. Thanks for visiting my blog.
Cotton IS deceptive – it’s amongst the strongest fabrics that exist.(in its purest form)
Cotton Rock – I love the sound of that title!