Comments on: “Keep writing. Stay healthy,” wrote Tony Hillerman.

By: Margaret

Margaret — Sun, 01 Aug 2010 16:23:48 +0000

Thank you for writing, Michael and Mary! It’s time to empty that bucket! Chaco Canyon awaits you. Gaman! Margaret

By: Michael (and Mary) Smith

Michael (and Mary) Smith — Sat, 31 Jul 2010 23:57:33 +0000

Good afternoon:
Mary (my wife and Queen) and I met you yesterday (7/30) at the State Fair in Sacto. Bought a copy of your book; we discussed our mutual admiration for Tony Hillerman and our profound sense of personal loss at his untimely passing. I am the Buddhist priest who
wants to visit Chaco Canyon and Four Corners and, at 62, have put that trip on my “Bucket List”.

I do hope you’ll drop me a line. We have a lot to talk about. As for your impatience…a word that has helped me survive is “Gaman” (Gah..Mahn)! “ENDURE”! Do what must be done to continue walking your Path…and always remember that it is YOUR Path, and you walk it for yourself, by yourself. Others will notice and follow only if you stop halting and looking behind you to see who, if anyone…anything…,is behind you.

We’re eagerly awaiting your next adventure, Sara!!!

By: Kristina Strömberg

Kristina Strömberg — Wed, 10 Mar 2010 22:33:40 +0000

Margaret, do you remember what Grandfather Little Crow said to you during your long talk when you had a healingsession with him when you visiting me in Sweden, if I remember it right you told me he said, “Walk your talk”, that is what you are doing with your writing, so go “girl”, Keep writing, stay healthy! Mitakuye Oyasin, love Kristina

By: Margaret

Margaret — Thu, 18 Feb 2010 02:47:59 +0000

Thank you so much for reminding me of Grandfather’s words, Kristina! They are empowering. And then he passed on six months later. I wanted to visit him in Costa Rica.

By: Annemarie Goslow

Annemarie Goslow — Sun, 14 Feb 2010 19:34:15 +0000

Goes to show you that success does not equal happiness. Good advice.

By: Shelley Buck

Shelley Buck — Fri, 12 Feb 2010 18:19:26 +0000

“I was the catcher, those sheep; I was the rye too.”

Margaret, As you write this of your youthful response to Catcher in the Rye, I realize that you are describing an essential ingredient for a novelist’s sensibility–the very active ability to enter an imaginary parallel universe and engage with it. Perhaps Salinger’s book enabled you to realize your own future lay in writing, too.

If so, it was a fine early gift from Salinger to a reader who would later become a novelist herself. Passing the torch can take many forms, I guess.

I hope he had more manuscripts in the cupboard, but what he shared in the 50s was already pretty spectacular.

By: Alice Rogoff

Alice Rogoff — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 20:16:16 +0000

Margaret,

When I was at Bread Loaf Writers Conference, Tim O’Brien read my story and said one thing: He told me to “have courage.” That advice has actually helped me over the years.

Sincerely,
Alice

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 17:22:31 +0000

Yes, I remember reading “The Catcher in the Rye” and thinking, “This character [Holden Caufield] is very real and very earthy, and very cynical and pubescent at the same time.” It predates “Clockwork Orange.” Nice article, mom!