Writing and Peter Cooper

I had the wonderful chance to spend this whole week in a sequestered location with my sister Betty with the intention of working on our writing projects. Since I’ve been writing a memoir this past year and participating in the Gateless Academy, I have truly discovered how much I love writing. In my mind I always thought I’d write a book at some point, and now it’s time. My parents had some unused timeshare dates to burn before the end of the year so we were lucky to have a (free) and cozy place to stay. Betty has also been wanting to find space to work on her novel, and as a busy momma to a 2 year old AND a full time job, it’s been hard to find a window. It was truly perfect and wonderful to wrap our heads around projects we’ve been meaning to get to and have intentional time with them.

I think we were both afraid we might want to sleep all week! Though we slept well, we had 4 full days to work on our craft and rededicate ourselves to the art of writing, mixed in with a couple good hikes and soaks in the hot tub.

I spent about a full day seeing what I had and what was missing. There is still quite a bit to write before I have a draft, but it was fascinating to see where I gravitated to, and how strong memories rest in the brain, just waiting to be accessed. It occurs to me that I have done so much in my life already. Sometimes you wake up and think, have I accomplished anything at all in this life? And the answer is a resounding YES - just existing is work enough. To have anything creative to show for it is a lucky leap. And the question always comes up for me - why am I doing this? And it’s a fair question that I am always trying to answer. Suzanne Kingsbury, founder of Gateless, says

“The urgency to write is a call from God… it’s impossible to fail. Your writing is a current in a mountain stream you are learning how to dip into.”

For me that is reason enough.

Sadly, on Wednesday I found out that fellow writer and musician Peter Cooper died. I’ve known Peter since before I moved to Nashville and have always had wonderful interactions with him. I admired his writing, his music and our mutual love of baseball. I saw him a few months back after he got out of the hospital and he was overly kind to me for the small bit of nursing advice I was able to give him. I worried about him the last few months, and my grief is being tugged by guilt for not reaching out more often. The Nashville community and beyond is gutted by this loss.

Peter was the one who wrote the obituaries. His words are on George Jones’ tombstone. He is who we look to for words when our musical heroes fall. What do we do now, Peter? My heart aches and there is any empty space that won’t be filled. He was a writer’s writer. Craig Havinghurst offers some comforting words here.

Some ‘secrets’ he shared in a recent speech that really spoke to me as I was writing this week:

1.Be afraid to hand in a mediocre story. You never know who might be reading your stories.