I’m now into my third round of garden weeding and fertilizing. I start in spring and just keep going. The rounds of weeding never end. I wish that the flowers were as persistent as the weeds. I have battled these weeds in my backyard for at least fifteen years. They aren’t always the same weeds because they have an amazing ability to reproduce and diversify. They try to fool me. They poke out of the ground masquerading as the phlox that I planted last year. But no. As they unfold, I see that they choked out the hapless phlox once again, and they are WEEDS. I dig them up, their roots snap in protest. How could you? It’s our yard too. We were here before you were. True enough I say. And you will be here after I’m gone.
Sometimes I feel guilty about pulling the weeds. After all, what determines whether something is a weed or not? I googled the definition of a weed. There were several, all consistent with the following: noun. a valueless plant growing wild, especially one that grows on cultivated ground to the exclusion or injury of the desired crop. any undesirable or troublesome plant, especially one that grows profusely where it is not wanted. . . A troublesome plant that grows profusely where not wanted! Isn’t that rather subjective? I don’t like certain plants because they aren’t pretty, showy. They don’t have the scent of a lilac or honeysuckle, or they don’t play well with other plants. I pluck the stubborn little devils, and they wave at me the next morning. They do not bend to my will. However, perhaps they serve a purpose that isn’t apparent to me. Do the ladybugs live on them? Maybe they provide shade for earthworms. Are they food for grasshoppers?
I try to see things from their point of view. They have enviable qualities such as persistence and the ability to adapt. They are mavericks living their own lives on their own terms. I’ve always been drawn to people who are rebellious, who fight the status quo, even though I am too scared to rebel myself. I enviously watch them bravely stick their neck out while mine is safe inside my collar. I think about past relationships. Perhaps there were potential relationships that I plucked before letting them develop, friendships or romantic relationships or professional contacts. Now that I look back, I think I had rigid ideas about what a “good” relationship should be. I didn’t take time to see qualities that weren’t obvious at first. When there were rough waters, I just moved on, thinking that it wasn’t worth pursuing. I probably missed out on some relationships that could have been enriching.
Today I am in my backyard pulling what I have designated as weeds. I have come to admire the weeds, and I will try to think twice before quickly judging people or plants or objects as expendable. However, for now, I will be the one to define what goes in my garden. But I have no illusions. One day the weeds will win!!
~Colleen Ryan
UPCOMING MEETINGS
Our July 9th member meeting (TOMORROW) will be from 6:30 PM to 8:30 at the St. Matthews library at 3940 Grandview Ave.
If you are interested in receiving a peer critique, let us know before through email () what you are bringing. Please bring 8 printed copies of the manuscript you want us to read. No more than 1300 words (4 to 4.5 pages double-spaced) for prose (excerpts of longer pieces welcome), or two pages of poetry.
Our August 13th meeting will also be at the St. Matthews library.
Weeds! Troublesome, undesirable, stubborn little devils wreaking havoc in our carefully curated and pain-stakingly cultivated blooming gardens. But are they all bad? Colleen’s essay reminded me of a quote attributed to Mark Twain: “My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.” If that isn’t the other side of the pancake! This month’s writing prompts inspire us to see the weeds in a different light, perhaps even to see things from the weed’s side.
Fiction: Write about a character who is a trouble-maker, whose troublesome antics crop up at the worst times, who returns again and again despite best efforts to keep them down. What backstory motivates this character’s behavior? Is this character all bad?
Poetry: Imagine you are a gardener tending to your inner “flowers” and battling your inner “weeds.” Describe these flowers and weeds and your efforts to cultivate or destroy them. (Adapted from a writing prompt on DraftSparks.com.)
Nonfiction: Consider a time in your life when your behavior might be described by others as stubborn or persistent. Were you like a devilish weed in a beautiful garden? Why or why not?
~ Megan Thompson
WE WANT TO SUPPORT YOUR WRITING LIFE
Members, if you have a website or social media platform dedicated to your writing, share it with us so we can share it with our Women Who Write community. Send your details to and we will share in a future newsletter.
Members, write a poem, story, or essay for the Women Who Write website blog. No more than 2,000 words, please. Publishing on our blog will expand your writing platform. And you’ll help WWW show off the variety of talents within our writing community! For more information, email and pitch your story or poem—the one you’ve written or the one you want to write! We may provide suggested edits, for flow and clarity.
The third Del Shores Foundation Writers Search is now open for submissions from unproduced playwrights and screenwriters who identify as LGBTQ+ and currently live in the South. CASH AWARDS and PRODUCTION GRANTS accompany the winning scripts to move their work toward production. Final submission deadline 7/31/24. USE CODE “DSFWAIVER” for FREE submission! https://www.delshoresfoundation.org/
Applications are open for authors and presenters for the Louisville Book Festival! The Festival will be October 18 & 19th at the Kentucky International Convention Center.
Sarabande Books presents a ‘Zine Lunch most Fridays at noon—it’s a free online workshop on micro-writing and art.
Submit a story to Landslide Lit(erary) on Medium.com, a publication edited by two WWW members—Kimberly Crum and Bonnie Omer Johnson—who will provide editorial suggestions.
Duotrope is a fabulous resource for writers who want to publish in literary journals and anthologies and enter contests. You will receive a listing of submission opportunities in your inbox, specifically for your genre. Cost is $5 per month or $50 per year.
Submittable is another terrific resource for publication and other opportunities for writers. Many publications require submissions to be submitted through this service. Also, it’s free!
HerStry literary essay/memoir blog seeks to empower women through their writing. In addition to accepting personal essay submissions four times per year, HerStry accepts submissions on “monthly themes” that are intended as prompts for writers to tell their stories. June’s theme is Coming of Age
Poets and Writers has an extensive list of literary magazines to which you can submit.
Consider submitting to Dorothy Parker’s Ashes, an online magazine of personal essays with the tagline, “Brazen words by witty dames. Everything true. More or less.”
NewPages lists writing contests by the month and day that their submissions close. There are many closing 6/15 and 6/30, check them out!
SUPPORT OUR WRITING COMMUNITY!
Become a member or renew your membership—As a community, WWW strives to nurture your writing life. We hope you choose to join or renew as a member and participate in our monthly meetings, author talks, retreats, and workshops. Our membership coordinator will notify anyone due to renew. Regular annual membership is $50. Student annual membership is $25. Scholarships are available. Membership entitles you to discounts on workshops and retreats.
Attend our monthly member meetings on the second Tuesday of each month for a brief program, peer critiques, and conversations about the writing life. Not currently a member? You can attend two meetings before deciding to join.
