Linda Albert's Blog

Dive into my curated collection of quotes and images that warm the heart, lift the spirit, and inspire the mind. Visit the "Inspiration" section on my website for a dose of daily motivation and wisdom. Best viewed on PC, Laptop, or Tablet—for the best experience, please use a device other than a mobile phone, as it may not display everything properly.

📚 Explore Now: www.lindaalbert.net/inspiration

It gives me great joy to share these wonderful pieces with you, and I would welcome your feedback.

From my heart to yours, Linda

#Inspiration #Quotes #Motivation #MindfulHolidays

Time & Location
Nov 09, 2024, 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Bookstore1Sarasota, 117 South Pineapple Avenue, Sarasota, FL 34236

About the Event:

Come meet Linda Albert and other local authors on this special Saturday, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in downtown Sarasota! Buy their books, have them signed, and support your local indie bookstore. The Local Author Book Fair is held outside, rain or shine, in the (covered) breezeway of the store's home at 117 S. Pineapple Avenue. Sixteen local authors have been selected by Bookstore1 to have their book in the spotlight, for sale in the store. Linda and the other authors will be seated at bistro tables, chatting with visitors, and signing books. (Free public parking available on the second level of nearby The Mark's parking garage located at 111 S. Pineapple Ave. Elevator to ground level will open directly in front of Bookstore1.)

Sarasota's Farmers Market coincides with the Local Author Book Fair, so they'll be plenty to do and see while you're in the downtown area. Fun awaits! For more information, visit Bookstore1Sarasota's website: https://www.sarasotabooks.com/

Time & Location
Nov 07, 2024, 5:00 PM – 6:30 PM

Senior Friendship Centers - Sarasota, FL, 1888 Brother Geenen Way, Sarasota, FL 34236

Charting the Lost Continent: Poetry and Other Discoveries Linda Albert Join Linda Albert for an enchanting evening as she brings her evocative poetry collection, 'Charting the Lost Continent,' to life. This special event will feature a captivating reading by Linda, followed by an intimate book signing session. Linda Albert’s poetry, celebrated for its profound exploration of life’s fleeting moments and the intricate tapestry of human emotions, promises to resonate deeply with attendees. Her unique blend of gentle humor and insightful reflections offers a refreshing perspective on contemporary women’s roles and personal journeys. Don’t miss this opportunity to engage with Linda’s work, ask questions, and get your copy of Charting the Lost Continent personally signed. Whether you’re a long-time poetry lover or new to the genre, this event is sure to inspire and delight.
For more information or to reserve your spot, visit https://bit.ly/JoyfulJourneysAuthorSe... or call the Senior Friendship Centers at (941) 955-2122. Event lasts 1 hour 30 minutes. Free venue parking. Doors open at 4:45 p.m.Charting the Lost Continent: Poetry and Other Discoveries

🌟"The Essence of Shirley" (Chautauqua: Rooted and Growing, Issue 21.1, Jan 2024) 📖✨

I'm honored to have this piece I wrote about my friend Shirley featured in the literary journal published by the Chautauqua Institution. Issue 21.1 celebrates 150 years of Chautauqua’s rich history. Shirley was a remarkable soul who danced through life’s twists. She lived to age 94 and was certainly an inspiration to me. I'm beyond grateful her "essence" will now live on in this beautiful journal! Read "The Essence of Shirley" on page 90. 🌹

https://issuu.com/publab/docs/issue_2...

#chautauqua #writing #inspirationalwomen

I’m pleased to have a few of my poems included in "The Art of Listening: An Anthology of Listening-Themed Poetry and Visual Arts," alongside the poetic contributions and insights from more than 60 inspiring artists. Edited by Linda Eve Diamond.

Free for instant download as EPUB and PDF (no sign-in required!). Go to:

https://www.lindaevediamond.com/art-o...

Linda Albert, contributor
Linda Eve Diamond, editor

Art in its many forms can stimulate, encourage, inspire, and demonstrate human truths. In these uncertain times, the work of writers and visual artists (performance artists too!) is critically important and deserves to be shared as widely as possible. One artist of merit is Boulder, Colorado based Judy Lurie Wahlberg. Judy was recently interviewed at the arts & humanities site ,TheAppWhisperer for Mobile Photography and Art as part of their "Hope in Adversity" series. Stunning images and an engrossing interview worth sharing! Read it and pass it on.

Question: How has your relationship and interaction with the arts changed in this time of COVID19? Are you virtually visiting museums online, perhaps reading more poetry or books? Watching plays or concerts on your laptop? Join the conversation and comment below!

The Reading ©Judy Laurie Wahlberg. Used by permission from the artist.

#mobilephotography #art #COVID #pandemic

Guest Post by Chris Morrow, Northshire Bookstore

"The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls." —Pablo Picasso.

I don’t remember March. April is a blur. There was a birthday in May. Just not much time or energy for anything beyond Covid juggling. "The purpose of art is washing the dust of daily life off our souls," said Pablo Picasso. Dust... or saturated, encrusted Covid mud. No live music, no museums, no theater… what to do? Read! For many weeks, I couldn’t read much of anything, but now I am back. I just finished a very well-written, ponderous book called Desert Notebooks: A Road Map for the End of Time. It raises many good questions about where we are and how we got here, including an exploration of the origins of the human notion of time, forays into Native American mythologies and a back and forth with owls - both “real” and metaphorical.

James Baldwin: “I imagine that one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, that they will be forced to deal with pain.” I would venture that the truth of this applies to other emotions as well. There is a thin veneer of habit between judgment, arrogance, and stress and the underlying pain. I feel it in my own life these days – somehow the Covid nightmare has served to pierce the flotation device of emotion and left the underlying rawness, the pain. And maybe, just maybe, this is good. It is so real. It forces a paring back to essentials, to meanings perhaps forgotten in the speed and ambition. A good launching point for new beginnings or for the hard work of recovery or addressing racism or inequality or climate change. Or just giving ourselves a break.

And there are books coming out to help us transmute the pain into action, to envision a better future. Here are two which are available for pre-order now. In September, Stakes is High: Life After the American Dream by Mychal Denzel Smith arrives to hold up a mirror and to lead us forward. Robert Putnam, famous author of Bowling Alone, has a great book coming out in October called, The Upswing: How America Came Together a Century Ago and How We Can Do It Again. The common theme: community. We truly are in this together, whether we like it or not. The politicians aren’t going to do the heavy lifting - it is up to all of us, together.

Happy Reading,

Chris Morrow

P.S. - There is a great new book about James Baldwin and his lessons for today: Begin Again by Eddie Glaude Jr.

Note from Linda Albert: This article originally appeared in Northshire Bookstore's August 2020 e-newsletter. Reprinted by permission of store co-owner Chris Morrow. Support independently owned bookstores! Northshire Bookstore offers free USPS Priority shipping in the USA.

In this time when the everyday patterns of our lives have been upended, and chaos seems to confront us on too many fronts, many mornings I am fortunate to be able to walk through a garden, along a path bordering a bay and into a small and barely frequented park next door, planted with tall trees draped with moss. I try to stay widely open to receiving the beauty my eyes receive, feel graced when the breeze cools my cheeks and blows through my hair, but seem to find myself most focused on my footsteps underfoot, brick pavers, grass, newer concrete flecked with silica, stained by dirt, mold, algae, or engraved by palm fronds sent to visit, gifts for wet cement. It’s the sense of groundedness I seem to crave these days. The ground still there. My walking meditation prayer.

https://youtu.be/3YvgkrHAQFQ

I obtained permission to share this wonderful poem, "Sometimes," from the poet, who prefers to remain anonymous, because it speaks so well to what feels so needed in my own heart and mind. With all that’s going on in the world, we can use a little hope to spur us on to try for better. At least to try. And if enough people do, and providence is with us, who knows? SOMETIMES things do work out along the way. We need that kind of reminder, especially now when faced with such overwhelming problems, so we don't just curl up with pillows over our heads, blame others and take up life as victims, or continue to live inside our bubbles. We need those kinds of reminders to keep us from becoming complacent and continue to drink the Kool-Aid that causes us to believe something or someone magical is going to come along to save us so we can avoid making our own contributions or efforts.

"May it happen for you."

May it happen for us!

#poem #hope