Vessels: A Love Story Book Review

Vessels: A Love Story

By Daniel Raeburn

ISBN: 978-0-393-28538-3

Copyright 2016

Trade Paperback, 176 pages, $23.95         

       When Dan, a writer with a passion for underground comics, and his wife Bekah, a potter dedicated to traditional Japanese ceramics, met through a mutual friend at a Memorial Day party, they fell in love quickly. “Of all the women I’ve ever met,” Dan told a friend, “she’s the first one who felt like family.” But after spending Christmas with Dan’s family, tragedy struck. The baby, whom Bekah and Dan named Irene, wasn’t moving and Bekah didn’t feel right. The following day, Bekah went to the doctor only to find out that Irene was dead. Leaving her with the only decision: deliver a stillborn. 

After the devastating loss of Irene, Dan and Bekah were stuck in a cycle of being depressed and not wanting to live.  Bekah spent most of that time being stuck on bedrest while the rest of the world sped past her. She got to the point where she was tired of everyone else doing the work for her and willed herself out of bed. “She didn’t want to work with anyone who’d known her before the birthday. When her fever receded she got dressed and rode a bus to the skyscrapers downtown, where she took a job in an office where no one knew anything about her but her name” (pp. 47).  

A little over a year, their wedding and honeymoon later, Bekah was pregnant again. Knowing and remembering what happened with Irene, Bekah and Dan were on edge about everything. And in hopes of not jinxing this pregnancy, Bekah and Dan didn’t tell anyone. The baby was breech, so a C-section was scheduled, and the baby was delivered with no problems. They named her Willa.

Based on Daniel Raeburn’s acclaimed New Yorker essay, Vessels: A Love Story is the story of how he and Bekah fought and clung to each other through a miscarriage in December of 2003, a still-birth in December of 2004, a C-section in May of 2006 (Willa), a miscarriage in December of 2008, and then finally having Hazel and joyfully becoming parents. In prose as delightful as his wife’s pottery, Raeburn recounts a marriage cemented by the same events that nearly broke it.

Vessels is an unwavering, immensely moving story of intimacy, strength, and love.

J Mac at BSU

** First off, just in case this somehow makes it to Jesse himself, I just wanted to thank you for making all my childhood and teenage dreams come true. I never thought I would see you in concert, let alone meet you. So thank you. For everything. **

Jesse McCartney,

            All right, let me tell you a story. When I was about five, I was introduced to the lovely boyband called Dream Street. I wasn’t really into music back then. Granted, I was only five years old, so what did I know? Anyway, my sister and I were really into everything that was involved in Dream Street, especially when we picked our favorite members. Courtney’s favorite was always Chris Trousdale. And, Jesse, you were always my favorite. My five-year old self always saw something special in you. Believe me when I say, seeing something special in you hasn’t stopped. And probably never will.

            When Dream Street broke up in 2002, my heart broke with it. But it definitely spurred my love for all boybands. But I never stopped being a fan of yours, Jesse. And when your album “Beautiful Soul” came out in 2004, everything was perfect. I was only ten years old at the time, but every song on that album meant so much to me. I didn’t know it at the time, but your songs have helped me through every rough patch I’ve ever endured in my life. More specifically, “Because You Live.” It just spoke to me. But don’t think I have forgotten about your other three albums. They were equally just as amazing as “Beautiful Soul.” All yours songs have touched me in a way that I can’t seem to put into words at the moment.

            Given everything that I just told you, when I say that seeing you, Jesse McCartney, in concert has been in preparation for years, I mean it. Anytime he was in Indiana (I don’t remember all the specific dates), I was either too young to go to a concert or my mother didn’t think I was ready for it. And then, on my way home from Ball State one weekend, your face pops up on my facebook page and announces that you will be coming to BSU. When I say I freaked out a little bit, I’m lying. I completely lost my shit. I’m pretty sure I screamed. I think I might have even started hyperventilating. But in the best way possible. It’s my senior year and I wanted to go out with a BANG. Seeing you in concert and taking a picture with you made my senior the best year here.

            The morning before the concert, I was too excited to do anything else but think about hearing “Beautiful Soul” performed live. How pathetic, right? Anyway, I took my sister back to her dorm for her to get ready for her class. And then I got ready. I showered, did my make-up, and counted down the hours until it was time to head over to campus. I was so excited and nervous to meet you that I let my sister do my hair so I looked perfect for the picture we would take together. Shortly after, my friend Monica showed up and we were ready for our night to begin.

            We got to campus around four in the afternoon and spent some time in Woodworth, since it was the closest to Pruis. We enjoyed some fast snacks, taking selfies, and just talking about everything going on in our lives. And then it was finally time. We got there just in time to be at the beginning of the second row of people to meet you. We waited for over an hour, but it was so worth it. When it was finally our turn to take our picture with you, I was so nervous that I thought I was going to pass out. But seeing your smiling face made everything so much better. You greeted us with “Hey, guys” and a smile. I shook your hand, even though I wanted to go in for a hug, but I didn’t want to be too forward. So I was just happy that I got to stand close to you. And when you said “Say hi to Instagram,” I didn’t know what to do, so I did this stupid wave thing? I don’t know, I was just so nervous. Meeting you took about a whole twenty seconds before we were rushed off. But I understood. I don’t regret a thing from that night.

            Fast forward to you gracing us with your presence on the stage, and starting the show off with “Leavin’.” I remember everything from that night. Everything from me screaming so much and so loud that my throat hurt instantly to watching you choose some random girl in the front row to sing “The Stupid Things” and another girl to hold your water bottle, and finally, to you ending your stay at BSU with singing “Beautiful Soul.”

            Everything about that night was a dream come true for me, and probably for most of the others that saw you. I don’t know how to explain how much you mean to me, Jesse. But I thank you and eagerly await your new album.

Sincerely,

Caroline Delk 

My Experience as an Agent Assistant

FRIDAY:

For a long time, I wasn't sure what I wanted to do after college. Publisher or author? Or both? Being an agent assistant at ‪#‎MWW16 has helped me see that I do, in fact, want to be an agent above everything else. Seeing how my agent interacts with writers has been magical in a way I can't put into words. Also seeing how agents have formed relationships with writers they've signed has been amazing. This whole experience has put my life and future into perspective.

My first pitch session with Rachel Ekstrom was probably the most nerve-wracking but thrilling experience in my life. We had just gotten done with the All Agent Panel and barely made it up to the third floor in time for the first pitch. We made it just in time for Rachel to get settled in at her table before I went to get our first pitch. Until Friday, I had no idea how fast five minutes could fly by. Jacqueline came in, introduced herself, and immediately jumped into her pitch. The whole time, I couldn’t stop watching how intensely Rachel was listening to Jacqueline. She was taking everything in and I could see the gears working in her head. Rachel then asked about comp titles and about a specific thread that was in the novel, and the whole process was mesmerizing.

Friday, Rachel and I were all over the place, jumping between the second and third floor. She was on three panels, all of which I got to sit in on. Of the three, my favorite had to be the Agent/Author Relationship panel. Because, not only were Rachel and Amy Reichert on the panel, but so were Molly Jaffa with Julie Murphy and Natalie Parker, and Uwe Stender, Brent Taylor, and Summer Heacock. It was nice getting to see the relationships that were built all on an idea for a novel. Relationships like those are ones I strive to have.

The rest of Friday consisted of more pitches (some of which Rachel asked for pages of or for the full manuscript) and some query critiques. It was a packed schedule but it was worth every minute of exhaustion and craziness. After the delicious Italian dinner we had, I went to two buttonhole sessions, one with Karma Brown and one with Amy Reichert (ahhh!). In those two 20 minute sessions alone, I learned more about publicists and genre than I could have ever imagined. It was so much fun!

AND THEN, it was book signing time! I went straight to Lori Rader-Day, because she’s Lori Rader-Day and she’s freaking awesome. And, then I made my way to Amy Reichert and had her sign both of the books I own of hers. But, above all else, I think my favorite part of the night was when pictures were taken. I got a picture with Amy Reichert, squeeze-hugging me! And then I got a picture with Julie Murphy, which was probably one of the highlights of the whole weekend. Then, it was photo booth time with my girls (Lauren, Amanda, Rachel, and Rachel). And finally, I ended the night with a picture with Lori Rader-Day.

SATURDAY:

            After the lovely Amanda Byk picked me up for the day, the two of us spent our morning in the pitch room, bonding more than we had before. At about 10:00 am, we went down a floor to make sure our agents got to the places where they needed to be next. For Rachel: query critiques. For Lauren: just some time alone. Rachel and I made it through two critiques before we got a break. During that short amount of time, we talked about being an agent and New York. Also during that break, Rachel looked at me and said, “I should ask you more about what you thought of the pitches!” And she did. She asked me which ones I liked the most and if I enjoyed a pitch. It was the experience I wanted and I got it.

            During a two and a half hour break and Rachel’s nap, I got to enjoy the teaching of Ashley Ford. In a short hour, I learned more about unfinished essay than I could have ever imagined. She used a metaphor of an unfinished essay is like a sculptor and that the essay just needed to be chipped away until the real essay is found. It was the greatest lecture/session I had been to. I learned so much and changed my thinking process about essays.

            And then it was time for Julie Murphy’s keynote speech. As a woman that is heavier than others, Julie’s speech really spoke to me. Not just about that, but because she put everything bad that happened in this world in the last month or so into perspective and it changed everything I thought I knew. It was beautiful and brilliant. She’s beautiful and brilliant.

            As the night came to a close, as sad as it was, I got to spend time with the brilliant minds behind the whole Workshop, I took a lot of pictures, laughed and smiled a lot. It was the perfect ending to the perfect workshop known as Midwest Writer’s Workshop.  

The Art of Book Sharing

I love reading and I love books. But what I don’t love is sharing my books. It makes me nervous thinking about someone else touching or turning a page in one of my books. I set rules for the people I do allow to touch my books:

·         no food or drinks by the book

·         wash your hands before you touch it

·         if you don’t like the sleeve, take it off before you start reading, and

·         DO NOT BEND THE PAGES.

        Other than the fact that it’s unreasonable (trust me, I KNOW), I can't shake the feeling that my books might be ruined. However, I’ve been trying to be better. I’m letting others come into the Library of Caroline and pick out any books they want. Being a literary citizen, and really knowing what it means, means I need to be able to share the thing I love most: reading. And I can’t do that without sharing my books with anyone who wants to read them.

I know how it feels when I open a book to the first page, how it feels to read the first sentence of the book, how it feels to get to the climax, and how it feels to get to the end. I want everyone to feel how amazing it feels to read one of my favorite books. It’s like wanting to be an author and wanting to hear about how the book changed their lives and what they thought about it. It’s probably the best feeling in the world. And I am determined to share it with the world.


If you ever want to read any of my books, here is my list:

• Almost every one of Jodi Picoult's books (just ask which ones I don't have!)
• 11 of Nicholas Sparks books (just ask which ones I don't have!)
• A book of F. Scott Fitzgerald's best stories
• Leo Tolstoy
• Katie Coyle, and so many more!

Little Pretty Things Tests the Waters Between Friendship and Rivalry

Juliet Townsend has always been jealous of Madeleine Bell.

Living in Maddy’s shadow since they were fierce competitors on their high school track team, Juliet  now works a dead-end job at a hotel, cleaning rooms. One night, Maddy checks into the Mid-Night Inn, well-dressed and sporting a diamond ring on her left finger. Maddy has it all and Juliet wants it. The next morning, however, Juliet is more than just a jealous best friend – she’s the main suspect in Maddy’s murder.

Juliet gets stuck in a rut for ten years, dealing with low self-esteem and it takes the murder of her friend to force her to decide it is time to take charge and change her life. She takes advantage of her daily running routine to discover secrets of a painful past. So it doesn’t surprise her when the police pursue her as a suspect in the murder of her close friend. After discovering details of events leading to Maddy’s murder, she decides it’s time to find the real killer and clear her good name.

Lori Rader-Day, author of the Anthony Award-winning The Black Hour, teaches mystery writing at Story Studio Chicago. Day takes readers on a tour of crime and mystery in Little Pretty Things. With a well-planned plot, a rollercoaster of emotion, and a twist you won’t soon forget, the mystery is solid, every detail in place. The characters are developed and relatable. But it's the relationships the protagonist has with other women that will resonate for a long time after reading this book, like the little pretty things we tend to overlook.

Little Pretty Things is a summer must read.

Good or Bad?

            I am a huge fan of Jodi Picoult and all the books she’s written, and I own every single one of them. Every time I bought a new book of hers, or checked one out of the library, I always Tweeted about it or shared it on Facebook. I didn’t know it at the time, but I was being the best literary citizen I could be, not knowing exactly what it meant. At the time, it didn’t matter, because I was sharing the love I had of Jodi Picoult with the world.

            Along with Jodi Picoult, I am a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks. Now, I don’t own all of his books (that would take a lot of time), but I have read all of them. But I wouldn’t have known about him if it wasn’t for Picoult’s great dislike of him. And, even though it was a bad review of all of his work, it was probably the best literary citizen move on Picoult’s part, but it opened up a world of wonder for me, and I’d think for Sparks too.

            I guess what I’m trying to say is that no literary citizenship is bad citizenship. Had it not been for Picoult’s distaste in Sparks’ writing, I would never have known about him. Sure, I could probably have read his books after watching the movies, but who would want to do that? I don’t. There have been times when I gave a bad review about a book to my friend, but then she ends up liking the book, even though I hated it. For example, I absolutely did not like Finding Alaska by John Green, but several of my friends did even after I told them why I didn’t like it.

            As long as someone is saying something, good or bad, about a book or author, it’s still literary citizenship, and that’s all that matters. 

Blog Post #1

What does being a Literary Citizen mean to you? That’s an interesting question, isn’t it? Before this class started, I had no idea what Literary Citizenship or Literary Citizen meant. I had never heard of it. One of the first readings we had before the class started was Cathy Day’s Principles of Literary Citizenship. From that one reading alone, I learned more about Literary Citizenship than I thought I ever could.

I think being a Literary Citizen means supporting anything and everyone in the literary world. I followed all my favorite authors on Twitter and Instagram right when I started social media, but didn’t know that I was participating in Literary Citizenship. I just thought that I was being a “fan girl” of sorts. So, doing a simple thing like following your favorite writer, or any writer for that matter, is Literary Citizenship.

I also think being a Literary Citizen is to let the author and your followers/friends know what’s going well and what’s not. Getting your opinion of your favorite author and your favorite books out there in the world is probably the most important aspect of being a Literary Citizen. Telling your followers/friends about a book/author and then they tell someone else and so on makes instantly makes more people into Literary Citizens. The more we have, the better off we’ll be.

Ever since learning about being a Literary Citizen, I take it very seriously. It means so much to me to create relationships with my favorite authors and publishers. Having a passion for reading and writing, then sharing it with everyone is what I truly think what matters. Having passion for something, anything, alone is something great, but being able to show and share and spread your passion with someone else is magical. Truly magical. Sharing your passion with everyone makes you a Literary Citizen.