This American Life had a wonderful piece on the William Carlos Williams poem “This is Just to Say.” It’s sort of a non-apology apology and a poem that other poets love to parody.
Anyway — this is just to say
That I had already decided
To absolutely lose it
If one more person mentioned my hair color
In a way/setting I deemed irrelevant.
And you were the lucky winner, kind volunteer at the Annapolis Book Festival.
(I had been stuck in traffic, too.)
World, I am now so brunette.
Get over it.
LOL! Well-said, Laura.
Well, brunette is good, Laura.
I wish I were still a brunette. But white hair works
as people offer to help you. <g>
My mother, now 96 and with severe dementia was having a fit a couple of years ago as she told everyone that her hair turned white overnight. One of the nurses who had known her for 40 years said, “I never knew her when her hair wasn’t white.” Both of my parents started “graying” in their late 20s as did all their offspring.
So at least you made a choice. Blonde or brunette,
the same brain and talent resides beneath the hair.
I know of a writer named Laura,
whose fans did her writing adorah,
’til she colored her hair,
like a chocolate eclair,
and her readers’ remarks made her sore-ah.
I like brunettes (though I married a blonde.)
And I have a beard now, so I get comments about it, too.
They’re just jealous.
Now strangers who only know the glam photo on the book jackets will never recognize you!
Nice job, Marjorie.
Where in Connecticut.? I went to Darien High, which is more New York than Connecticut.
So much depends
upon
a person’s
hair color
Especially in
the rain
Beside the brunette
chickens.
Hey, Kevin,
I grew up mostly in Milford and I live close to New Haven now (with an eight year interlude in Boston). I now work just down the road a piece from Darien in Fairfield County. When I go into New York City on the commuter train, I pass by Darien. I’ll wave for you next time!
Marjorie – superb! Made me guffaw and everything! So since that is an unmatchable lymeric, how’s about a weak swing at haiku?
Laura lost her cool -
I want the graphic details;
she cooly demurs
Leaving aside the absurdity of this particular subject*, maybe we’ll note a familiar scenario/ lively scene in an upcoming story, eh?
*I’m still a relative LL newbie, but a year ago (give or take), after reading Nancy Nall’s takes on various LL books, and then coming to this website, I happened onto various other things on the ‘net, including a delightful video of LL leading a guided tour around her Baltimore. To the extent that her author photo is different from the Baltimore video – I would say that my wife also has a different look now than a year ago; in my experience, women do this. (Pam changed her eye-glass style – which makes a much bigger difference than one might think, and her hair style – and in all honesty I LOVE it when she does this!)
Really, I think LL should spill another detail or two…this whole “I had already decided to absolutely lose it” business is just too good!!
Forget Cassandra (for a moment) – I’m thinking she either very cooly cut the person into small pieces (ala Heloise) – or maybe a bit more literally (ala the woman on the way to the Preakness…cannot remember her name, but I remember she was wearing a sexy polka dot dress and pretty shoes….and a sun hat, I think)
This made me smile. I’ve been doing mock-Williams for, well, twenty years now–which is to say, the poetry of Carlos William Carlos–and just did a performance of it out here for National Poetry Month + April Fools’ Day, so any loving spoofery is a happy, happy thing.
As for the hair? Looks great. Stay incognito. (It might help in case you so totally lose it again…)
Photo available?
What difference does it make what your hair color is? It’s what is underneath that hair that matters–the brain, the mind, the writing ability, the talent, the sense of humor, etc.
Whomever is going on about the hair color should get over it!
My hair was blond when I was younger, then light brown, then reddish, now gray/silver in the front and light brown in the back. And I’m fine with it. (But secretly am thinking of going back to light brown.)
Kathy D.