Abandoned Places: The Mansfield Reformatory

Mansfield Reformatory 2014

Abandoned and historic places appeal to me as a story teller. I imagine what the place was like before it was abandoned. I imagine how the people lived. I think about their stories, ordinary and extraordinary.  Sometimes a small object creates a connection for me, and people as abstractions become real.
 I took this picture in the superintendent's quarters while on a tour of the Ohio State Reformatory. Finding something so intimate in the midst of what has been stripped of the personal, like this rusty hairpin brought home to me the reality of people living inside an operating prison. Who did it belong too? Did it belong to a woman who lived here when it was an operating prison?
Was it lost as she hurried out to some event? Did she stop and look for it? Did it fall from the hair of a visitor, or a tourist?
I am still sorting out my feelings about the tour. I was fascinated, and horrified by what I saw. The prison opened in 1896. One hundred fifty-five thousand men, and boys as young as fifteen, passed through this hell on earth until it closed in 1990.
How many are still alive? How many wished they were dead while here? How many didn't care? Did they deserve it? Guilty or innocent? So many stories waiting to be told.
Here are few more pictures I took.

This is 8' x 5'.  It housed two prisoners.

The cells faced the windows.

The showers.

Six tiers of cells

If your are interested in visiting. The Mansfield Reformatory Preservation Society (http://www.mrps.org) manages the tours and is dedicated to preserving the reformatory.

5 Tips for Going Back to School Without Loosing Your Mind

School started this week for my kids. It is bittersweet. Woohoo! For 3 hours I don't have to worry when it is too quiet, sort out squabbles, or pay attention to anything but my own work. Dang! Now we have to get up at the same time five days in a row, brush hair, pack lunches, and wear clothes other than bathing suits.

I am so happy to have my time back, but I have to acknowledge that keeping my kids organized when I struggle myself is daunting. Parenting with ADD/ADHD can be difficult. It is enough most mornings to get myself out the door, on time with everything I need.  When you add walking and feeding the dogs, and two little people that have to be reminded to get dressed, eat breakfast, brush their teeth and hair to the mix, and I am overwhelmed at times
After arriving at school, one more than one morning, with no one's hair brushed, including mine, I decided I needed a checklist, and a schedule for the mornings. I created a routine and started preparing as much as I could the night before. As a parent, I really want to help my kids learn good habits for getting out of the house in the morning. These are my top five survival strategies for back to school.

1.  Use scrap paper and make a morning checklist. Tape to to your coffee pot, or tea cup. For a more permanent solution use a write on-wipe off, or chalk board. Hang it on door that you go out in the morning. Nothing is too trivial, create little check boxes for hair, teeth, clothes, lunches, backpack, and anything special you need to remember.

2. Layout your clothes the night before. Get the kids to lay out their clothes. This avoids the last minute "I can't decide what to wear" moments that can really derail the morning schedule.

3. Schedule times for breakfast, showers, clothes on, teeth brushed, and out the door. Be flexible, and always allow more time that you think it will take. Set a timer to go off ten minutes before you have to leave, this allows time for everyone to make sure that they are ready to go. This really helps if everyone has to leave at the same time. If you have staggered schedules for your kids set the timer accordingly.

4. Set up a family calendar. Use it. Commit to looking at it before you go to bed, and in the morning, after a caffeinated beverage of your choice.

5. Give yourself enough time in the morning. Do not be unrealistic about how long it takes to get everyone ready, and out the door. I have dogs that have never slept past 6:30. I depend on them to wake us up, and I never set an alarm clock. If you lack furry alarm clocks, or if your dog/cat is unreliable, be sure to set an alarm. Get up when it goes off. Ban the snooze button, it is so not worth the stress of rushing around.

Breathe. Expect the first month of school to be chaos. Work with what you have, and make changes little by little.  Bonus Tip: Always make sure that you have a comb in your car in case you still forget to comb hair.

Alisse Waterston: Making Theory Accessible with Intimate Ethnography

This is my sixth post in my Year of Women’s Voices blog series, and features my review of Alisse Waterston’s ethnography My Father’s Wars: Migration, Memory and the Violence of a Century  (2014).  In this intimate ethnography of her father, Dr. Waterston has written a frank portrayal of her father as a man, a survivor, a soldier, an entrepreneur, husband, and father.  Her writing honors her father without maudlin sentiment.  She frames her father’s lived experiences with migration and violence, and uses his experiences to illustrate social theory in a way that makes it accessible for non-academics.  

Her writing is crisp, clear, and rich with detail. She chooses a concise series of her father’s life events that create a reading experience that is informative, and moving. The reading experience is enhanced by the companion website that contains photographs, documents, audio files, and videos of her interviews with her father as she worked on this ethnography. The book becomes a much more intimate experience through watching the interactions between Dr. Waterston and her father, observing their body language, and listening to their voices.

 As a writer I appreciate Dr. Waterston’s explanation of her struggles in her dual roles as daughter and ethnographer, and her process of conducting research. I truly appreciated her discussion of the discipline it took to not be distracted by the numerous ideas for other projects that called to her during this project, especially when the experience of the project became difficult.  

If you are interested in ethnographic studies, social theory, history, Judaic studies, anthropology, or if you are looking for an extremely readable book that might help you understand how the experience of violence shapes lives, this is the book I would hand you.

 What I have learned as a writer:

1.    It is okay to include yourself in the story.
2.    Stick with the project even when it is hard, or other projects beckon seductively from your research.
3.   It is possible to portray unflattering behaviors in a way that is not overly sympathetic, nor  vindictive.
4.  Multimedia can make a non-fiction project a richer experience, and allows the writer to include    research material that would be otherwise not be available.
5.   Write the story that is hard to write, be fearless.
6.    Don’t be trapped by conventions of disciplines or genre.

 I am grateful that Dr. Waterston has created a work that is compelling, and readable on a subject that is difficult to read about. When confronted with violence, most of us want to turn away, to shield our eyes and our minds from horrific events. Dr. Waterston reminds us that even if we want to look away, we must not, we need to understand.

For a biography and more information about Alisse Waterston and her other books, this is the link to My Father's Wars website and this is the link to Dr. Waterston's home page

Embrace Your Attention Issues: Terese Ramin Interview

The bar. Again.

I met Terese Ramin at my first writers' conference. Chicago-North RWA Spring Fling 2012 to be exact. I was loitering at the bar waiting to register. I noticed Terese's conference badge, and struck up a conversation. She was presenting at the conference. We spent most of the evening laughing, talking, and getting to know each other over fries and good beer. 

Terese is gracious, encouraging, and supportive. She is also has ADD/ADHD, and is a successful novelist, and editor. She very kindly agreed to do an interview for this blog.  I have enjoyed Terese's books.   This is the link to Terese's Amazon page.   Her biography follows the interview.

1. When were you diagnosed with ADD/ADHD?

 Terese: **I was officially diagnosed with ADD in 1996 when I took my son for diagnosis at his high school’s request. I took the test with him to be supportive.

2. Was there a specific event that caused you to seek a diagnosis?

Terese:**My son’s high school requested that he be tested (and put on medication).

3. Do you think having a diagnosis helped?

Terese: **Yes, it helped *me* realize what had always held me back / been “wrong” with me, and why there were “bad conduct” marks on my school records. Girls didn’t have ADD/ADHD when I was in grade school.

4. Have you faced any discrimination because of your diagnosis?

Terese: **No. As an adult, the only people who know about my ADD/ADHD are those I choose to tell. And since being ADD/ADHD affects my entire life, I let people know. My son, on the other hand, didn’t want people to know, didn’t want to take meds, etc., because it would have labeled him in high school as “one of those kids” who got called out of class to take a prescription medication. We worked with his ADD/ADHD in other ways and, boy, am I glad! He’s very successful as a teacher now.

5. How did you organize/ focus yourself to write books?

Terese: **When was first diagnosed, I saw a therapist who gave me suggestions to help keep me focused – creating a CD that looped with the question “Are you on task?” played at 5 and 10 minutes  intervals.

I also used a CD called High Focus that essentially plays white noise. It was highly effective, especially played softly. I also used guided meditation and a couple of “In the Zone” CDs that are used to help athletes maintain focus while they work out.

6. What is the biggest challenge for you when writing a novel?

Terese: **Oh man. <G> For writing a novel, I need to get to the place in the book where I can go into hyper-focus. Hyper-focus is something I’m good at – as long as I’m being stimulated by what I do, or as long as what I’m doing is a relatively simple, repetitive task (I’m a great editor due to hyper-focus, and I’m pretty good at detail work – as long my brain doesn’t decide the details are boring.) Boredom is my biggest problem.

Another thing that works is for me to be able to get up and wander around doing simple, non-thinking tasks as I write – taking care of the laundry, loading the dishwasher, dusting, etc. Those are things I hate to do, but when I do them during the process of working on a novel, I don’t have to come out of the “zone” or the story to do them. Doing simple tasks allows me to daydream the next line, paragraph, or scene, and return to the computer able to write a few more pages.

7.  Are you an Outliner or Pantser?

Terese: **HA! I wish I could outline a novel or create a beat sheet, then just fill in the blanks on the pages. The moment I start to do that, my brain screams “lunch!” and refuses to budge – it’s that boredom thing or the restless ADHD thing kicking in: an outline causes me to tell the story to myself, which means I’ve already written it, which means “bored now” when it comes to trying to write all 70-85,000 words.

To counter this, I give myself a blurb to remind myself where I need to get to from here, post that on the wall where I can see it, and slowly make my way toward the end goal: a completed novel.

8.  How do you handle the distraction of the internet?

Terese: **Badly. I have a routine of getting up in the morning, handling my email, reading the online news, doing a little Facebook / Twitter / social media to keep my name out there, but that means I also use up my best creative time. I might be finished with all of those internet things by 8 a.m., but then the dogs need attention, there are dirty dishes that need attention, the laundry needs to go into the dryer, etc. It would be far better for me to revise that routine and start with writing, but it takes a long time for me to create a routine that works for me. It’s much easier to fall back on the routine I have. The bottom line is that I’m much much more productive if I follow a daily routine, but creating the right routine takes thought and discipline that I sometimes don’t have.

9. Do you think that it would have been helpful to be diagnosed at an earlier age?

Terese:**Possibly, in today’s climate, yes. Back when I was growing up? Maybe – at least then my parents and teachers would have understood the reason for why I was the way I was. But being diagnosed earlier – especially back in a time when using ADD/ADHD medication properly was still pretty new – might also have meant being medicated, which brings up a whole new world of issues.

10. What advice would you give writers struggling with attention issues?

Terese: **Embrace your attention issues. I look at my son who’s always done seven or eight things at the same time – and that worked for him. When he was in school, if he wasn’t listening to at least one sporting event, playing the guitar (or the bassoon, or something), reading a book, talking on the phone, trolling the internet AND doing his homework, I knew he wasn’t getting his schoolwork done. He’s never needed to be medicated and I’m proud of the man he’s become.

But I also look at the way he innately handled his ADD/ADHD and I realize that my own process of staying in the zone by doing housework while I’m writing is much the same thing. I just need to “stay on task” get back to that routine.

 I hope that reading Terese's interview inspires you to start writing if you haven't and to keep going if you have stopped. 

Biography:

Terese Ramin is the award winning author of eleven novels and numerous short stories. Her autobiographical essay, “Two-Puppy Theory”, is included in the anthology The Sound and the Furry, sales of which benefit the International Fund for Animal Welfare. The Cured, her most recent release with author David Wind, is her first suspense-thriller. Her next release will be an urban paranormal romance with writing partner Dawn Johanson.

Aside from writing, Terese works as an editor, ghost writer, book doctor, and a paranormal investigator. She lives in Michigan with her husband and a bunch of rescued dogs.

You talkin' to me?! Anger Management and ADHD/ADD

I know you're not talkin to me...

 Anger, that red hot feeling of pure rage and adrenalin surge that obliterates any rational thought. Most people when they get angry are able, most of the time, to control their impulses and step back.  For people with ADD/ADHD the trip from slightly annoyed to explosive outburst is short. The consequences of uncontrolled outbursts range from strained family relationships to jail time.

 In my own life anger management ranks as high as impulse control on my list of things that complicate my life.  I am still learning to control my anger, and learning to respond in a reasoned and controlled way.  It helps that I am trying to model good behavior for my kids. I love their reminders to "use my words" and "inside voice, mom". If nothing else it breaks the tension and sometimes it is all I need to get back to normal.

Writing helps too. When I am angry it helps to write it down. Writing forces me to identify just what is pissing me off so much. Writing also forces me to slow down and think. Writing has saved me from myself more times than I care to think about. Here are my tips for anger management.

1. Identify your triggers. Avoid them. This will be more difficult if your triggers are human, and related to you. In that case, try and limit your interactions. If you find yourself triggered by co-workers, supervisors, or your work place, you might want to consider finding a new job. Seriously, your mental health is worth it.

2. Understand that frustration is the most common emotion that leads to anger. Identify what frustrates you, and fix it. Angry because you can't find your keys, and you are running late for work? Make a plan the night before, keep your keys in the same place. Do what you need to do to make your life less frustrating.

3. Eat. Pay attention to your diet. Make sure that you eat in a way that maintains an steady blood sugar. As much fun as it is to eat a box of doughnuts and wash it down with coffee, be aware that low blood sugar after the binge can precipitate angry emotions. We have all been so hungry that we were angry about everything. Eat.

4. Get enough sleep. Stop laughing. Do the best you can. It really does make a difference.

5. Write it down. Make a list of everything making you angry. Identify what you can change, avoid or let go of. Get it out of your head and on paper. Sometimes when I am done, I just rip the paper to shreds, and toss it out. Find your own ritual to let go of your anger. If your are a fiction writer use your emotions to craft scenes of ultimate destruction, and revenge.

6. Take a walk. Go for a run. Put on loud, angry music and dance. Get the physical feelings out safely. Do not use this as an opportunity to intimidate others with your behavior.

7. Get help. If you find that your outbursts are causing problems in your life, find a mental health care professional to talk to. Some employers have employee assistance programs that provide free anger management counseling, and classes. Many hospitals offer anger and stress management programs. Take advantage of free and low cost programs in your area.

Anger management is possible. It is also our responsibility. Step back, take a breath, count to ten. Do what it takes to get your anger under control. Do it for yourself. Do it for your relationships.