Spotlight On Writers
Emee Ring
- Where do you originate from?
I was born and raised in Seattle, Washington (in the USA), and still live in the area. I think the Pacific Northwest is one of the most beautiful places in the world. But still, whenever I travel, I think, “I could live here,” so I tend to appreciate most places. I also originate from the way I was raised, the books I read as a child, my father’s love of reading and libraries and the sea, and my mother’s love of family and people and travel. I feel incredibly lucky because they were opposites and I house both of them in me.
- What do you cherish most about the place you call home?
“When I grow up, I too will go to faraway places. When I grow old, I too will live beside the sea.” This quote, from a book called, “Miss Rumphius” by Barbara Cooney, is on a little card on the wall of our house. My husband and I moved to a small island two years ago. We’ve made good friends with our neighbors, and formed a writers’ group wherein we encourage and support each other to write. (It is they who introduced me to Spillwords, for which I am forever grateful!) I cherish our peaceful home, perfect for writing and painting, and for beach walks among shells, seals, gray whales, and eagles, gulls, and crows. (Did you know that when an eagle flies over the beach, all the other birds scatter? And when an eagle lands on the beach, no other birds dare go near it.)
- What ignites your creativity?
Nearly everything; I have limitless tinder, easy to catch flame. There are so many ideas everywhere, all the time. Boredom is just forgetting to look up at the sky, full of never-ending movement and interest, stars, clouds, birds, planes, and raindrops. There are satellites and the space station and wind and noises, aurora borealis, and galaxies — all waiting to be discovered. And the sea, the origin of us all, and the mountains, and gardens….. and of course there are books, the maps left by others. Other people’s stories and works of art inspire me greatly. I’m always taking notes for stories. (As a child, my favorite books were ones about magic and ghosts. I think that was because they taught me anything was possible with imagination.)
- Do you have a favorite word, and could you incorporate it into a poetic phrase?
I don’t have a favorite word but the word flow comes to mind. A favorite poem begins, “I think my life to flow, I know my life to flow, from brain to all my body to flow….” It’s from an Indian guru, I believe. And, when I or friends complain that something is not happening as I or they want it to, I recall the title of an old book, “Don’t Push the River (It Flows by Itself).” Isn’t that a great reminder?! (That book is by Barry Stevens but out of print, I think.) I also like the phrase, “Let’s put on a show!” It makes me happy to think of such things.
- What is your pet peeve?
When commentators and reporters say, “This news is from Washington…,” or “In Washington today…,” meaning Washington D.C., not Washington State. It’s confusing. Perhaps one of us should change our name. There’s talk of the Pacific Northwest area changing to Cascadia, since the Cascade Mountains run from Canada through Washington and Oregon states.
Also, I thought it would be funny to name a little dog “Peeve.”
- How would you describe the essence of Emee Ring?
Essence is a wonderful concept, the very heart of the sea, the ink and paint of our being. I think mine is creation, creator — part explorer and map-maker, and part magician and builder. I never knew where I was going or how to get there, but I knew I must go. To get here, I followed the things I loved: learning, people, nature, art. I often doubted myself but kept going. (Like a river with doubt eddies.) I observed everything and chose the parts I wanted, tried the hats and the shoes, and shed what I didn’t want. People can be the person they want to be.
Part of creating is paying attention and calling attention to things we may have forgotten. Remember when you knocked on your neighbor’s door and said, “Can you play?”
There’s a line in that old movie “Auntie Mame” where the protagonist says, “Life is a banquet and most people are starving to death.” Let’s invite each other to banquets, literally and figuratively. And, speaking of banquets, I love the phrase, “Feast your eyes on this!” I will say that the next time I bring a friend to the sea.
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