Since last Saturday's Ten Guys Who Influenced My Worldview posts, I have been toying with the Ten Women list. Here's what I've come up with, in no particular order.
Elizabeth I of England Because she ruled on her own terms, something completely unheard of in those days. She was a "liberated woman" long before the term was coined. Also, she established the Church of England as we know it today, and the liturgy we follow in the Anglican Communion is founded on what was developed under her tenure as head of the church.
Dorothy L. Sayers She wrote many plays and theological works as well as her famous Lord Peter Wimsey mysteries. I really enjoy the Lord Peter and Harriet Vane stories. All are well-plotted and intricately wrought. They are enjoyable and they make you think. The Nine Taylors is about my favorite, even though Harriet is not in it. Change ringing figures in this one, and it is an interesting and exacting pursuit.
Anne Lamott I enjoy her books about her journey with her faith, but Bird By Bird is the one that influenced me most. Her approach to writing as something that is both difficult and necessary spoke to me. "My writer friends, and they are legion, do not go around beaming with quiet feelings of contentment. Most of them go around with haunted, abused, surprised looks on their faces, like lab dogs on whom very personal deodorant sprays have been tested.
My students do not want to hear this. " But it is the truth, and she tells it anyway.
Frances Mayes Not for her famous books about life in Tuscany, though I thoroughly enjoyed those, but for her book The Discovery of Poetry. It is full of useful insights, exercises, and readings that make you think and feel before you actually write. It has been a very useful book for me, and I return to it often.
Alice Alfonsi As Cleo Coyle, she has written a series of cozy mysteries that are very entertaining, and through that series, The Coffeehouse Mysteries, she has taught me how to properly prepare coffee, and to learn to really enjoy it. I always lamented that coffee never tasted as good as it smells. Now I know, thanks to Alice Alfonsi, how to prepare coffee that tastes as good as it smells. I have also learned to love her characters and hope there are MANY more adventures to come for them. She and her husband also write the Haunted Bookshop Mysteries as Alice Kimberly. I am really looking forward to the next one of those, too. Cozy meets hardboiled mystery, all in the same novel. Great fun!
Because of her work on Star Trek the Original Series, D.C. Fontana influenced my world view because of the influence she wielded on that show. She wrote or co-wrote many of the very best episodes. Her vision helped keep Mr. Roddenberry's vision consistent and true to itself for all of us.
Quindella Hunter Ms. Hunter was my sixth grade teacher. She had rheumatoid arthritis that caused her some major discomfort and some minor difficulties in getting around. Still, she showed up at school every day, and gave us her best effort. She had the most beautiful penmanship I have ever seen, even though her hands were slightly disfigured by the arthritis. She never, ever complained. She used wit, and her love of baseball to teach us. We learned about statistics during the world series that year, when her beloved Oakland A's were playing. We listened to the games and kept score. It was the only time I had fun doing math. She expected our best effort, always. She encouraged my writing and my drawing. She made me my own reading group because my abilities at reading and comprehending were pretty advanced for that school district in Compton, California. (I had read all my Mom's Agatha Christie mysteries the summer before sixth grade. I tested well above grade level from 3rd grade on.) She also encouraged my singing. She talked me into trying out for Glee Club, and through that Glee Club I got to learn a lot about Gospel singing and blending with other singers.
From her I learned the power of perseverance, and the value of always giving every task your best effort. She was funny, and loved to joke with us. I wanted to teach because of her.
Tallulah Bankhead Not just because she sometimes haunts me and makes me sound like her when I have a cold, but because she was always true to herself. She did not behave the way "ladies" were supposed to behave. She was outrageous, a genuine Southern Character who made it big in the big city. She was beautiful and witty. I am honored that she sometimes comes to"haunt" me.
Lessie Ruth McMullen My big sister. This picture is from about 1975 or so. I was about 15, so Susie, as we call her (for no good reason at all), was about 28. She is still my big sister, and still bosses me around, and always wants to know what I'm up to. She encouraged me to try new things, took me to interesting places, and let me be myself. I still get to see her about once a year, when we go do the yard work at Mom's house. It isn't a fun trip, but we usually manage to have fun while we're at it.
Sarah Eugenia Clark My Mom. The lady on the right in this photo. She and I spent almost every single day alone together for the first five years of my life. Of course she had a profound influence on my world view. To this day I can trace many of my unreasonable fears and dislikes to Mom. (I don't like driving, which is weird for a kid who grew up in L.A., and I don't travel well, another Mom thing. ) I also read voraciously, like Mom STILL does, even though she is 89 and has cataracts.
Those are ten. Here are two more I must include:
Canon Susan Joplin The first woman priest in an Episcopal church that I got to know personally. Susan is a very caring and dedicated priest. She is musical, also. She plays the harp. She has been there for Matt and I in some very tough times, and it is always a joy to see Mother Susan. She is also a fan of Anne Lamott, and she likes the same murder mystery series that I do.
Marilyn Robertson , Deacon and parish nurse. Marilyn is a full time nurse. She is an ordained Deacon in the Episcopal Church, also and serves as our Parish Nurse. She is very dedicated to her work both as a nurse and as our deacon. Always there to encourage us, she has been a big source of moral support for Matt and I as we pursue our healthier lifestyle as mandated by Matt's diabetes and high blood pressure. (Both of which are nicely under control now.) Marilyn is active on Face Book and cheers us both on as we post our progress.
