Beyond FAREWELL: Sayonara, Summer (A Delicious Diversity Diversion)

There may be a few weeks of summer left on the calendar, but with temperatures dipping this weekend here in Denver and the kids all back in school, it seems appropriate to bid the season good-bye on this final day of August. Author Patry Francis recently posted a link to a brilliant end-of-summer blueberry pie recipe that I had the pleasure of trying the weekend before last. Patry calls it the Official Literary Blues Pie; writers are encouraged to bake it and offer it up to their literary muse in exchange for help with a tricky literary problem. Go to Patry’s blog, Simply Wait, to see photos of other pies, including Patry’s; her photo features the cover of her upcoming novel, The Liar’s Diary, due out in 2007.

Patry attributes many of her past year’s literary successes to her muse, whom she tempted with a similar pie last summer. Apparently literary muses are mesmerized not only by delicious pie, but by the color blue…and note the lovely blue of Patry’s new cover. Coincidence? Who knows! All I know is that while considering baking a blueberry pie and offering it up to my muse, I looked at the book in my hand, noted its dreamy blue cover, and ran off to the kitchen to get busy. I discovered this book, Peace Like a River by Leif Enger, thanks to my son’s summer reading assignment. He finished it the same weekend I baked my pie and I finished it a few days later. It’s a terrific novel, with rich scenes and original language I plan to reread and study. I aspire to learn to use language as eloquently as writers like Enger and hope having all three kiddos in school full-time will help to that end. On point for this blog, Enger’s book promotes understanding of various conditions, not the least of which is asthma, an affliction that plagues his main character for many years.

Meanwhile, the pie was fabulous! I left it in the fridge overnight (there’s real whipped cream under those berries, by the way!), and enjoyed it with my family the following day. Part of the deal is that you have to share your pie with those you love. Apparently the literary muse loves good company and conversation as well as good pie. At least mine certainly does. For the past week I’ve been trying to figure out what’s lacking in a critical scene in my current novel and woke up this morning with an answer that (literally!) came out of nowhere. Having the kids back in school and having time to exercise and think and actually focus on this issue all very likely contributed to my finding an answer to this writing dilemma, but I’m not taking any chances. I’m giving my muse all the credit. And Patry’s pie.