Filling in the Blanks

Almost every family has them--dark secrets that no one talks about because they might alter the family status quo. Novelists often base novel on the dramatic uncovering of a family's secrets to great success. The novels below all feature a "secret" while also exploring social issues e.g., racial identity, the pressures of parental expectations, psychological manipulation, and generational trauma. 

Brit Bennet. Vanishing Half. 

Celeste Ng. Everything I Never Told You. 

Lisa Jewel. The Family Upstairs.

Kim Edwards. Memory Keeper's Daughter. 

Min Jin Lee. Pachinko.

Non-fictional memoirs that hinge on dark secrets are equally mesmerizing.  

Dorothy Allred Solomon. Daughter of the Saints. 

Anna LeBaron. Polygamist's Daughter. 

Dani Shapiro's gripping memoir, Inheritance, details the repercussions of taking a simple DNA test. 

Anyone interested in family secrets should watch John Baime's notable documentary, Filling in the Blanks.

https://medium.com/@chantal.walvoord

Rowlett Public Library Promotes the Arts

Rowlett Public Library promotes the arts with this writing contest every year.

https://www.rowletttx.gov/DocumentCenter/View/33117/2026-Writing-Contest-Entry-Form-Fillable

Design for Jewellery Makers by Seijen ten Hoorn

 

                                               Search Press, June 2023, 208 pg. ISBN 9781800920057

Award-winning jewelry designer Seijen ten Hoorn’s book is a visual feast that will likely appeal to all creatives. The author has a master’s degree in jewelry and metalwork, and she generously shares her training. The book’s helpful index directs readers to a massive number of topics—sketching, model making, mold making, saw piercing, surface finishing, press forming, and more—for all kinds of jewelry. Readers are treated to a taste of each topic. There are also lists of resources that creatives can explore in greater depth. In addition to rings, pendants, brooches, cuffs, bracelets, and necklaces, there are explanations and descriptions of many contemporary earring styles (e.g., ear climbers and huggies) that a youthful crowd will likely appreciate. Throughout the book, there are valuable tips designed to generate ideas. The author encourages artists to arrange, tinker, and play with materials by using mood boards, sketchbooks, and inexpensive models. Design for Jewellery Makers is a comprehensive overview of jewelry design that also offers creative exercises for aspiring artists.