Christmas Yet to Come: Reading “A Christmas Carol” as a writer

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In addition to being a seminal work of literature, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol is a beautifully-constructed story, and writers can learn by studying it. A memorable protagonist, compelling flashbacks, conflict and tension—and by the time the “Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come” arrives, we’re totally sold on the ending, Ebenezer Scrooge’s redemption.

We bring it to you today not only because it’s Christmas day, but because this last week of the year is a perfect time to think about the Christmas seasons in your future. What will you have written by this time next year?

Or maybe the question is larger than that. Perhaps we should read A Christmas Carol as a caution. None of us wants to find ourselves an old Scrooge, having not done what we were called to do—to have not told the stories we wanted to tell.

And so we ask again: what will you have written by this time next year?

From A Christmas Carol, by Charles Dickens

Chapter 4: The Last of the Spirits

The Phantom slowly, gravely, silently approached. When it came near him, Scrooge bent down upon his knee; for in the very air through which this Spirit moved it seemed to scatter gloom and mystery.

It was shrouded in a deep black garment, which concealed its head, its face, its form, and left nothing of it visible, save one outstretched hand. But for this, it would have been difficult to detach its figure from the night, and separate it from the darkness by which it was surrounded.

He felt that it was tall and stately when it came beside him, and that its mysterious presence filled him with a solemn dread. He knew no more, for the Spirit neither spoke nor moved.

“I am in the presence of the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come?” said Scrooge.

The Spirit answered not, but pointed onward with its hand.

“You are about to show me shadows of the things that have not happened, but will happen in the time before us,” Scrooge pursued. “Is that so, Spirit?”

The upper portion of the garment was contracted for an instant in its folds, as if the Spirit had inclined its head. That was the only answer he received.

Although well used to ghostly company by this time, Scrooge feared the silent shape so much that his legs trembled beneath him, and he found that he could hardly stand when he prepared to follow it. The Spirit paused a moment, as observing his condition, and giving him time to recover.

But Scrooge was all the worse for this. It thrilled him with a vague uncertain horror to know that, behind the dusky shroud, there were ghostly eyes intently fixed upon him, while he, though he stretched his own to the utmost, could see nothing but a spectral hand and one great heap of black.

“Ghost of the Future!” he exclaimed, “I fear you more than any spectre I have seen. But, as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?”

It gave him no reply. The hand was pointed straight before them.

“Lead on!” said Scrooge. “Lead on! The night is waning fast, and it is precious time to me, I know. Lead on, Spirit!”

A Christmas Carol is in the public domain, so it’s easy to find and download in a number of formats. (Goodreads has some options here.)

Park Road Books’ Best Books of 2017

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Whether you’re looking to curl up with a good book or still need to round out your gift list, there’s no better source for book recommendations than from the people who sell them all year long. The booksellers from Park Road Books, Charlotte’s independent book store, share their 2017 favorites with us here.

From James: 

The Last Ballad by Wiley Cash. This historically accurate account of the Loray Mill Strike in 1929 Gastonia features an indomitable heroine who takes on mill owners, abusive bosses, and corrupt police officers while trying to provide for her family. A beautifully written book that will open the most hardened heart.

The Driver by Hart Hanson. A thriller set in modern LA where a veteran with PTSD  named Skellig opens a limousine service and hires other vets suffering their own wounds from battle. A millionaire skateboarder, Bismark Avilla, recruits Skellig to drive him around, a task made more difficult by the people trying to kill Avilla. Great pacing in this first novel from the creator of the TV series “Bones.”

Goat Castle: A True Story of Murder, Race, and the Gothic South by Karen L. Cox. UNCC history professor Karen Cox deftly describes one of the most famous murders of 1929 and its cover-up that takes place in Natchez, Mississippi.

From Shauna:

The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas. This National Book Award finalist inspired by Black Lives Matter is a must-read for all. With nuanced discussions on race and a relevant storyline with relatable characters for a YA audience, Angie Thomas’ debut has earned its spot on the #1 NYT Bestseller’s list.

Her Body & Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado. A dark, bloody, vicious short story collection perfect for women who are completely fed up. This collection features a multitude of queer women characters, an overtly feminist message, and stories that are both brand new and familiar, like a dream you cannot quite recall.

From Chris:

The Mirror Thief by Martin Seay. A kaleidoscopic mix of history, religion, mysticism, and good old-fashioned page-turning suspense that creatively uses historical fiction to challenge readers to see the underlying connections that shape their world. Manages the intricate feat of telling three stories that are all equally compelling in their own unique ways. Should be a great read for anybody who enjoyed David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas.

Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero. One of the most unabashedly fun reading experiences I’ve had in a long time. A great nostalgic love letter to the stories of yesteryear that simultaneously pays tribute to modern America’s pop cultural landscape while building a wholly original tale of madness, adventure, love, and the costs of growing up. Alternately hilarious, horrifying and heartwarming.

From Trudy:

The Jersey Brothers: A Missing Naval Officer in the Pacific and His Family’s Quest to Bring Him Home by Sally Mott Freeman. Remarkable story of a family of three brothers during WWII. Their love, courage, and the will to survive makes it a fantastic read.

Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II by Liza Mundy. Skillful women outwitting the Japanese by code breaking during WWII. Well researched and beautifully written.

From Sally:

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan. Fascinating historical fiction that recalls the best noir thrillers, Egan does not disappoint with her account of a young girl, her father, and a gangster in Manhattan between the Depression and WWII.

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann. After oil was discovered on their land, the Osage Indians in the 1920’s were some of the richest people in America. One by one they were murdered and after the death toll reached 24, local officials turned to the newly formed FBI for help. A riveting work of non-fiction that keeps you turning pages long after you should be asleep!

Righteous (hardcover) and IQ (paperback) by Joe Ide. Joe Ide is my new idol. He writes about a young African-American growing up in one of South LA’s toughest neighborhoods who solves crimes the police won’t touch. Sherlock Holmes would be proud!

Located in the Park Road Shopping Center, Park Road Books has been independently owned and operated for 40 years, and today is the only independent bookstore in Charlotte carrying only new books. Winner of Creative Loafing’s Best of the Best awards on a yearly basis, Park Road Books hosts author events and local bookclubs.

Writing a Better Year

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A favorite book from my childhood is Harold and the Purple Crayon, by Crockett Johnson. The story begins with a blank slate: just Harold and his crayon on an empty page. By drawing on the page with his crayon, Harold takes a journey and creates his world—pies and perils alike.

Creative writers do something similar: create worlds on the page. If you’re like most writers, you want each creation to be better than the last. Every story is an opportunity to further develop your craft, to write a better story.

What if we were to bump you and Harold together?

We’re about to welcome a new year, which might be the optimal (or at least traditional) time to try this experiment. For your next year, instead of resolving to do something, resolve to create something. And the creation I have in mind is not what you think: I’m not going to suggest that you decide what you’re going to write and then go write it. (That would be too easy. Any writing web site can tell you that.) Rather, the challenge is to create your world, the way Harold does.

In other words: you are a creative writer, and you are hereby challenged to write your next year into existence. Here’s how:

  1. Decide. Decide that you are going to see the year as a blank canvas or a blank page on which you can tell any story you want—that you are the author of your own story.
  2. Describe. What does your ideal year look like? Fill in the canvas: describe the entire year as you’d like to see it play out. Be specific: when will you write, where, and what. Try writing it as a short story with you as the protagonist. Describe yourself with good adjectives, like persistent and passionate and even plucky. What obstacles will the hero/heroine encounter, and how will they be overcome? What will the protagonist learn by the end? How will you be changed?
  3. Debut. Select a day to begin. You could wait until January 1st…but who says you have to write the story that way? How about beginning today?

It’s easy not to do this. It’s far easier to let the year happen as it will, to respond to the ebb and the flow, the flotsam and the jetsam—so easy. Easy to let your writing get swallowed up by the monsters we call time and to-dos and teenagers. We all have our monsters, and most of them we have drawn into existence ourselves, just as Harold did.

We can also draw them another way. It’s your year. You can create it anyway you choose.

 

Like the idea of “writing” your year into existence? Join Charlotte Lit co-founders Paul Reali and Kathie Collins for a free community conversation on January 4 at 6 pm. During the session, you’ll imagine your own “creative hero’s journey,” and you’ll leave fired up—and with a plan. [More Info & Registration]

 

Interview: 4X4CLT Artist Gabrielle Wolfe

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Artist Gabrielle Wolfe is a woman on the move, but not in the clichéd, can’t-sit-still way. She likes settling in to a new place. She and her partner have just moved from Charlotte to Park City, Utah, for several months—maybe more—of seasonal work in the skiing and hospitality industry. They’ve been spending a lot of time outdoors, taking in the crisp air and iconic sights, even eating Thanksgiving dinner in an authentic, Western-style saloon.

Gabrielle is intrigued by the concepts of place and permanence, and she often experiments with them in her work. Her medium of choice is oil on canvas, and her abstract paintings are collages of images and figures, geometric shapes, and swatches of color – all seeming to be in motion, in close proximity to one another.

As a viewer, I get a sense of standing on the corner of a busy city street, or being deep in conversation with the artist on a moving train. It’s the contradiction, the frenetic stillness, that draws me in.

Gabrielle acknowledges that her work is very personal, though she wants people to be able to access a larger meaning.

“I’m still ironing out the dialogue I want to have with viewers,” she says. “I like to think introspectively about history and time, so in that sense my work is very intimate. I try to reflect how I feel about the spaces I’ve been in,” thinking of her canvas as an “abstract landscape,” where she can explore the significance of her experiences and surroundings.

“I find elements, shapes I love, then I use them as a scaffolding for my compositions.” This may involve painting something from a sketch, line work of something more representative than abstract, or using brushstrokes to capture emotions sparked by a particular place. She refers to the latter as “gestures of spaces.”

She uses moving out of her home in Charlotte as an example of how we can inhabit a place, but how it can also inhabit us. As she was putting things into boxes, she thought about how she was systematically dissembling the life she had built there and enjoyed. Soon, she would be putting a new life together, piece-by-piece.

“I had to think about what would come with me and what I’d leave behind,” she says. “Now that I’ve moved, I look around at what I brought, and I’m intrigued by my choices. Why do these particular objects mean something to me?”

Gabrielle feels spaces are imbued with “accumulated fragments of those who live in them.” In her art, especially in the collaging process, she says she works through the “implications” of these “echoes and remnants of what’s left behind.”

She’s grateful to her mom for being her first champion and collector. “My mom calls herself a patron of the arts, and she is. She’s always been there for me, supportive in every way.” When Gabrielle was growing up in Charleston, South Carolina, the best shopping trips were to the art supply store, when her mom would let her get fresh paints, brushes and scrapbooking materials.

Gabrielle knew early on what she wanted to do and attended an arts middle and high school, before heading to college at Winthrop University. In 2015, she earned her BFA with concentrations in painting and printmaking, then moved to Charlotte to begin working in a print shop and as a studio artist. She also went on to start her own art consultancy, curating shows of local artists at area businesses, such as Petra’s and Not Just Coffee at Atherton Mill.

When asked about what it means to have her artwork paired with the words of Beth Ann Fennelly in the 4x4CLT project, Gabrielle says she welcomes the connection: “I love reading books, writing, and incorporating text into my paintings.”

When people see Fennelly’s words near the work of the artists, Gabrielle hopes the readers will have a visual context to consider; in turn, she says, the writer’s words will “create a literary bridge to the art.”

Gabrielle Wolfe is one of two featured artists chosen for Charlotte Lit’s 4X4CLT Series 2 Number 4 posters, released in December 2017. Her work, along with that of artist Scott Partridge, accompanies the words of Beth Ann Fennelly, writer and Poet Laureate of Mississippi. Look for the 4X4CLT posters to be displayed at over 50 host locations throughout Charlotte.

You can find Gabrielle’s work on her website, gabriellewolfe.com and on Instagram @gabwolfie.