I’ve been thinking back to the time I started this blog. I was looking for a way to get into the flow of my creativity. I didn’t know what I wanted to write and I hadn’t even the slightest idea of what form my writing would take, let alone the subject. I knew I was passionate about poetry, and books and a whole host of incredibly eclectic topics. But what I wanted to do, and write about, I hadn’t a clue. So I jumped in and created Bring a Book to Bed Day! in 2008 (which was both a lot of fun, and a lot of work – that I hardly seemed to notice.) I believe it is always a good thing to begin something new by celebrating and what could be better than spending a cold February day in bed reading. That sounds like a great celebration to me! Then the following April, I created 30 Days/30 Poets in honor of National Poetry Month. I shared with you 30 of my favorite poems by 30 of my favorite poets. I enjoyed re-reading (and re-living) all the poems and your reactions to them and most of all, my meeting some of the poets that were featured here. That was truly a highlight of my blogging life.

And then one day I saw someone I hadn’t seen in a long time and I realized I did have a story to tell - my story. It made so much sense to me and I started writing in an ecstatic state of inspiration – at my most inspired, I wrote four short stories in one day and started getting annoyed that I had to waste energy eating and sleeping. It took me 2-½ years to finish The Goldberg Variations and I can honestly say it was a labor of great love. Even though I knew the last line of the book, the stories themselves kept veering off in unexpected directions. Some were being written as they were happening in my life. It was an incredible - and inspired - journey. I am still a little bit in awe of it. Not to mention that I actually completed it.

When I was about mid-way through writing the book, I knew I wouldn’t have the time or energy to finish it in New York. Since I had fallen in love with my story, I decided to return to the place where my story began. I quit my job, put everything I owned in storage, gave up my Brooklyn apartment and bought a ticket to Italy where I planned to finish writing the book. There’s a funny thing about plans – they don’t always turn out the way you expect. I could not get any writing done in the small town in Italy. I had many social and emotional commitments there and honestly, I had more peace and quiet in Brooklyn.

And then another interesting thing happened. I went to visit friends in Istanbul and fell in love with the city and someone who lived in that city. That love lasted as long as a piece of micro-fiction – which is to say, not very long, but my love of Istanbul continues. I finished the book there and Istanbul and the love I discovered there found their way into my stories. I am now bursting with ideas and creative projects. In the same way that I didn’t know where this blog or writing my book would lead, I look now to my decision to return to Istanbul and make it my home. I don’t know where it will lead. I look to the past and look out to the future, and see myself now. I have to sell my things here as I don’t want to ship them overseas. I feel deep pangs about selling my bed and my books – and can’t seem to get started. It is all so exciting – and so scary too! Who knows what will happen next. Who knows where I’ll go and who I’ll meet and how it will change me. I love the idea of living in Istanbul, where east meets west, in the same way that past meets the present. And where I imagine the Alba of the past meets the Alba that is to be.

I was having some fun on the Bring A Book to Bed Day! Facebook group (Find us here: http://www.facebook.com/#!/group.php?gid=328777189917) and thought you might enjoy it if I re-posted on the blog as well.

I can't really narrow it down to 10, but I'll give it a try...

1. The Count of Monte Cristo, Alexandre Dumas, père* - the theme of not seeing someone for who they really are always gets me, plus revenge! And um, really Mercedes, you couldn't tell from his eyes that you were looking at Edmond. Disappointing, and no, you don't deserve him.

2. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë - this book ruined my life. Edward Rochester, you are the bad boyfriend of fiction. I hate you and I love you and I am still not over you.

3. The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, père* - so sexy, so French, but why so few muskets?

4. Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro - please let me write like her, please, pretty please, with sugarship on top?

5. Le voci della sera di Natalia Ginzburg - l'architettura di questo libro e' come una cattedrale - maestoso...nient'altro da dire.

6. Le piccole virtù di Natalia Ginzburg - Inverno in Abruzzo

7. The Stories of Hans Christian Andersen - whatever you do, do not read these to your kids, the complex socio-economic issues and psychological drama is not suitable for children. Little Match Girl, 'nuff said.

8./9. Chéri and The Last of Chéri by Colette - Cougartown, 1899...but really two exquisite books about two complex characters and ultimately, their love. Though I disagree with Matt M. about Léa being "courageous" in The Last of Chéri, she just got fat (clearly she had given up as Chéri does in the end.) Yeah, and I cried. A lot.

10. The Mastery of Love by Don Miguel Ruiz - so easy, it is you who are complex.

(You can never go wrong with Alexandre Dumas, père - he was fun, fils on the other hand, made high-class hookers boring. Really. Sad.)

Now tell me yours!

It took a little time this year to get it all together, but you can read all about Bring a Book to Bed Day! here in our 2011 Press Release:



http://www.free-press-release.com/news-maria-alba-brunetti-and-writers-lake-announce-bring-a-book-to-bed-day-on-february-26-2011-1298475195.html


And join our Bring A Book To Bed Day! group on Facebook. Let's have fun together!

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=328777189917

Bring a Book to Bed Day! celebrates its third birthday on February 27th - and it's been fun every step of the way! Not many people know this, but I had a dream about Bring a Book to Bed Day! - not an I-wish-I-could-create-a-holiday type of dream, but I-went-to-sleep-and-I-dreamt-it kind of dream. When I woke up, I thought it was a good idea and kept it in my mind until one day I thought, why not? Why don't I create a holiday called Bring a Book to Bed Day!? My dream was realized and I feel so very grateful and blessed by all the love and support that my dear friends in the States, in Italy and in Turkey have given me to turn my dream into a reality - and a celebration of staying in bed and reading. Thank you one and all!

The first year was all about getting Bring a Book to Bed Day! off the ground. We had fun and we had prizes! The second year, I was inspired to create the giving back portion of Bring a Book to Bed Day! My dear friend, Ezgi Sorman, who shared her talents and offered her services as part of the prizes of Bring a Book to Bed Day!'s inaugural year had come to live in Turkey and was working on various projects here. One of them was creating The Rebirth of the East, an organization that gathered books to create libraries in schools in the eastern part of Turkey. Her organization was able to gather enough books to complete a library for a school in Van, a town close to the Iran/Iraq border. Building the library was the first step that enabled the school to get more government funding and services to the students.

After the library was completed, Ezgi talked to the kids at the school and each shared their deepest desires and dreams with her. One child wanted to play guitar, another wanted to become a photographer - and so Ezgi started gathering musical instruments, equipment and funds to help the kids in Van realize these dreams.

This year as part of Bring a Book to Bed Day! I plan on making contributions to DonorsChoose.org in the U.S., The Rebirth of the East here in Turkey (and if you would like to contribute too, just send Ezgi an email at ezgi@myblissandbalance.com to find out how.) And if you'd like to see the photos of that project, just stop by my Facebook page - I am the Alba Brunetti with the wind in my hair and the Bosphorus Bridge behind me. I hope you feel as inspired as I do and will give generously to help deserving kids realize their hopes and dreams. We all may dream alone, but to realize those dreams we all need a little help from our friends. And thank you again to my dear, dear friends who have helped me realize the dream of Bring a Book to Bed Day!

I came to Turkey at the beginning of October to visit my friends Ezgi and Irem and to explore the beautiful city of Istanbul. I think I must have fallen in love with Istanbul from high up in the sky - the lights and the patterns they made on the ground were so beautiful. It could be that I had forgotten what a night landing was like - or it could be that I was so afraid of flying I just wanted to be on the ground again - but I think the truth was that I was ready for something completely new and different and beautiful.

I stayed at my friend Ezgi's house and she graciously gave me her bedroom. As I unpacked and began to settle in, I looked out the window to the beautiful park and the shining blue lights of the Bosphorus Bridge. I turned for a moment to the bookcase by the window and on the shelf lay a book. The cover was bright, hot pink and on it was a delicate leaf that was shaped like a heart. I opened the book and looked through the pages. It was written in Turkish, so I didn't understand. The title said, "Ask" to me. And I took it as a sign, I thought the book was telling me to ask for what I wanted. So, I did. I asked for love.

It was a few days later that Ezgi and I were talking about poetry and Rumi and I happened to think about the book on her shelf. I had seen Rumi's name in the book, and Shams' too and I wondered what the book was about. So, I asked Ezgi about "Ask." The book, Ezgi explained, was not "Ask" but "Aşk" - Love. It is a novel written by Elif Şafak that is based on Rumi's love for his teacher and friend, Shams.

In reading the title to myself in English, I had somehow understood and misunderstood at the same time, because I did not understand Turkish, I had been unable to see something that was right in front of my eyes. It is a good metaphor for my new life here. I find myself a little out of my depth, a stranger to a language I don't understand, a little lost in translation, a little found there too. I think it is good for me to be caught between the meaning of the words - what they mean to me, what I understand them to be and what they truly mean. There is a lot, I know, I still have to learn about asking - and a lot, I know, I still have to learn about aşk. But then, again, don't we all?

I look out this morning from my kitchen window to the Bosphorus. I see The Maiden's Tower, which is not so very far away. The ferry boats are gliding on the water and on my right, I see Sultanahmet and the minarets around the Blue Mosque and the Haiga Sofia. The light is constantly changing and the view - although it really doesn't change - is always different depending on whether it is sunny or foggy or raining or just overcast. So every day I see something new, something is clearer to me or the colors are muted or brighter or everything shines like the pavement when it rains the way it only rains here in Istanbul. What I see is beautiful, what I hear is beautiful, what I taste is beautiful and what I feel is beautiful. And I am very happy. There are many reasons I decided to stay in Istanbul and many reasons I decided to return - and love, of course, was one of them.

 

I created a Facebook group for Bring A Book To Bed Day! It's a fun and easy way to keep in touch with me and all the folks who will be celebrating the holiday this month. Just click here to join! See you soon!

In 2009, I celebrated Bring a Book to Bed Day! with my friend and yoga instructor Irem Greenfield. We took a lot of fun pictures together that I never posted (and hopefully, if I can get my pc up and running and connected to my home network, I will upload them for you.) We both brought our books to bed (mine was a copy of the book I am writing, The Goldberg Variations, as well as Natalia Ginzburg's inspiring Le piccole virtu'. I'll have to get back to you about Irem's book as I don't remember the title at the moment.) Then we practiced some yoga together and by the time we were through, I was ready to go back to bed! All this to say that there aren't any "rules" about Bring a Book to Bed Day! It's all about reading and relaxing in bed - you can do it for ten minutes or all day long - and now, even all month long. I like to stay in my p.j.s as much as I can - or maybe, you like to put on your sweats and cook a big breakfast then go back to bed. Whatever makes you happy!

There is one thing that really makes me happy about Bring a Book to Bed Day! that I will share with you. Last year, I included the giving back portion of Bring a Book to Bed Day! I chose an organization and donated money so that kids in need could have books to read. I will be doing the same thing this year and have already chosen where I will be making my donation in the  U.S. and in Turkey. I am now looking for an Italian organization that provides books and school supplies to deserving children as well, so if you know of an organization, please do let me know. Last year, I greatly enjoyed giving to DonorsChoose.org - and will be doing so again this year. This is a great charitable organization that provides needed books and other school supplies to kids in need across the U.S. Since I realize how fortunate I am to be able to bring my own books to bed, I feel it is important to give back. That is why I chose Ms. S.'s  class in the Belmont section of the Bronx. I chose the school because it was in the borough where I had gone to public school and the Belmont section is home to the borough's Little Italy - both definitely had meaning for me and for my roots. Ms. S. requested copies of Junot Diaz's The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, which Ms. S. said would help the students (mostly of Dominican descent) connect with the voices of literature that would include them. It is one of the best gifts I have ever given - and I can even say, it is one of the best gifts I have ever received. To read more about this project, click here.

Wouldn't you like to create this kind of joy? If you would like to give to DonorsChoose.org, please click on the link below or find another charity that inspires you and give!

Perhaps you've all been wondering what's been happening with me, Writers Lake and Bring a Book to Bed Day! The answer is "Lots!" When I started this blog, my idea was to prime the pump of creativity. I had always wanted to write a book, but about what? I didn't have a direction, even though I was often flooded by ideas. I needed to focus and beginning this blog was step one. Slowly, I began to turn my attention to other writers, books and ideas - and I began to write. It was nothing "important," just a story overflowing with plot. The Japanese husband falls down an elevator shaft, the ex-model mother-in-law begins playing bridge up and down the East Coast, the grandmother takes a ridiculously young lover - and falls in love! - the granddaughter develops bulimia - it was enough plot for ten novels and decidedly not in any style resembling mine. It primed the pump and then, WOW! Geyser! I had what I wanted - direction, focus, and certainly, the "what."

That is how a little over two years ago, The Goldberg Variations was born. I began writing, but very soon afterwards, I returned to work full-time (doing, among other things, this.) New York City life began to have its old, familiar tiring rhythm - and slowly, it exhausted me. The day-to-day stuff began to become all important and writing began to slide down the to-do list. Keeping my life in balance (sleep! shower! eat!) began to take precedence.

But so many big and little things happened. I began to realize I needed time to finish the book - and space. I also needed money - which full-time work provided. So instead of applying for grants and residencies and expending energy waiting for someone or something else to approve and fund my work - I decided to approve and fund my work. I gave myself what I consider my own personal Breadloaf. I knew I needed a big change, so I quit my job, packed up and moved out of my Brooklyn apartment and set off to the little town in Italy where my family hails from. In the back of my mind, I also began to think of this time as my own personal Eat, Pray, Love journey. (Maybe you remember that that is the book I brought to bed on the first Bring a Book to Bed Day! in 2008.)

I went to Italy and did a lot of writing. Although I did have the time to write, I discovered I didn't have the mental space I needed. Everyone seemed to need my attention and I needed to focus it on my writing. Then I came to Istanbul - and here things opened up. I had the time and the space. I have four more stories to write for The Goldberg Variations and I am more than halfway done with a screenplay called Princess Hipster. I have another book and screenplay just waiting to be born and all of Istanbul telling me its story too. What about you? What have you been up to?

It's that time of the year again! Happy 2010! Happy February! Happy Bring a Book to Bed Day! 2010's Bring a Book to Bed Day! is going to be BIGGER, and BETTER than ever! How? You ask...well, this year Bring a Book to Bed Day is going on ALL MONTH LONG! That's right, you can bring your book to bed any day this month and enjoy reading ıt. Why? You ask. Well, um, have you seen the weather? Baby, it's cold outside. So why go out? Stay in. Read! Our ''official'' holiday is on Saturday, February 27th, but why wait, you can start celebrating now. After all, practice makes perfect...and you look so cute in your jammies. I will be taking plenty of time to read in bed this month - and I will be reading ın bed from a brand-new city! İstanbul! So join me for a little international reading in bed.

1.   Because how many people do you know that invented a holiday.

2.   Because how many people do you know that invented a holiday that takes place in
      bed.

3.   Because I will probably invent other holidays that take place in bed.

4.   Because I look damn cute in my pjs.

5.   Because you look damn cute in your pjs.

6.   Because now you have a really good reason to stay in your pjs all day and look damn      

      cute.

7.   Because you don’t have to wear pjs.

8.   Because reading is good for you.

9.   Because you are too busy.
10. Because you can do it all by yourself.

11. Because you don’t have to do it all by yourself.

12. Because it will make you feel great.

13. Because you can donate books to a good cause, if you feel like it.

14. Because you’ve been dying to find out how that romance novel, book of
      short stories, or Finnegan’s Wake ends.

15. Because it is calorie free.

16. Because your kids, husband, wife, boyfriend, girlfriend, person you share a bed with will

      love it.

17. Because you want to.

18. Because you need to.

19. Did I mention how cute we look in our pjs?

20. Because you need a break from your internet, phone, and tv.

21. Because it is cold out.

22. Because it is February.

23. Because it’s Saturday.

24. Because it is a cold, grey Saturday in February.

25. Because what could be better than bringing a book to bed?

And I hope you can celebrate too!