Summer Reading

When I saw Sandra Knauf’s “status” on the Facebook “gardenchat” page, I was intrigued. Sandra was announcing her labor of love. Publication of her brainchild Greenwoman magazine was forthcoming and she was inviting publicity. Read the magazine and write a review.

When the magazine arrived I was torn. It was peak gardening time and I was in the throes of obsession. Garden chores were scrambling my gray matter and now I had this additional obligation. Luckily Sandra understood. This is the very thing, the real life that is captured so well within the pages of her magazine.

Greenwoman is not written strictly by women, nor is it strictly written for women. This is the first thing I noticed. As I began reading Dan Murphy’s invitational essay titled, “Informed Simplicity,” followed by Bruce Holland Rogers’ relatable fiction, “A Human Birth,” I realized this wasn’t going to be a gardening how-to. In fact, neither piece was specifically about gardening at all.

Ah but a look at the following drawing by Rachel Kloster, titled “Worm” made me smile and I was back on customary ground. It was followed by Sandra’s own inspiring chronicle of community gardening. But then the magazine veered off again and I realized that this was a periodical loathe to box itself in or stoop to cliché. The topics would be familiar but the twists and turns would be unique because the human experience is unique. Garden thievery would be confessed along with a voyeuristic take on the praying mantis. We’d get a chance to hover over the history of seed saving; delve into the workings of a mysterious marijuana dispensary and peak over the fence of a backyard full of chickens and children. And much more.

To finish it off, “Top Dressing” vied to invite us into Sandra’s world and heart. “Like flowers and pollinators, gardening and community go together. It matters not whether you are fortunate enough to have a vacant plot to donate for a community garden or just an extra pass-along plant to give to a friend. Sharing is what it’s about, making those connections that feed us all.”  This is the impetus for Sandra’s endeavor. If you are of a similar mind, Greenwoman is for you. You can learn more by going to:

www.greenwomanmagazine.com.

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I learned this week that there has been a delay in the release date for The Moment I Knew. [See sidebar.] Ah, welcome to the world of publishing. In the meantime, my heart and prayers go out to all of you east coasters living along Irene's path.