"More To Live For" by Robin Russell Gaiser
– our lives in a war zone
I sing for joy all the way home.
Robin Russell Gaiser, MA, CMP, holds degrees in English literature and psychology and a certificate in therapeutic music. She has published two books, Musical Morphine: Transforming Pain One Note at a Time (Pisgah Press: 2016) and Open for Lunch (Pisgah Press: 2018) and numerous short stories, poetry, and narrative non-fiction. She is a vocalist and multi-instrumentalist as well as creator of Appalachian folk art. Her three children and their spouses, plus five grandchildren live coast to coast. She and her husband, Gordon, live in Asheville, NC. www.robingaiser.com
Author’s Talk
Robin Russell Gaiser
I was a kid who entered poetry contests – and won: a dollar, a free ice cream cone, a book; but seeing my poem printed in the community newsletter, the church bulletin, or posted on the elementary school corkboard with a blue ribbon hanging by its side, any of these was reward enough.
Creativity courses through my bloodstream. My highest joy, besides my family, bubbles out in music composition and performance, in the creation of Southern Appalachian folk art, and of course in writing.
Currently a “possible” book hangs in the wings, a collection of poetry, short essays, creative nonfiction and fiction written over the last 10 to 15 years. My publisher, who is eager for this book, urged me to catalog all the writing by date, genre, title, and subject, which I have done. His wisdom is helping me see themes emerging from this tedious process. Another benefit is seeing how my writing has improved, likely the result of classes through the Great Smokies Writing Program at University of North Carolina- Asheville, the retreats and classes via Flat Iron Writing Room in Asheville, and numerous in-person or on-line writing groups with reading and critique taking center stage. I used to be terrified of critique, now I welcome it!
“More To Live For” was birthed in a spring 2023 Great Smokies poetry class with poet-professor, Dr. Tina Barr. At first, I called it a prose poem, entitled “Sixty-eight,” but with critique and fine-tuning it became a short story. A North Carolina Writers' Network winter 2023 submissions announcement from Personal Story Publishing Project caught my eye and I sent them my story; then forgot I did. Out of the blue, I received an email that they were interested. Their suggestions for adding to the word-count and thus, changing the title, satisfied all of us, and Personal Story Publishing Project welcomed this creative non-fiction into the upcoming September 2023 anthology titled, Sooner or Later.
In this story, my own close history between 1968 and 1971, is woven into specific events occurring in the world during that time. My hope is that readers from all generations will gain insight, even be moved by what I have written in this crisp, sparsely worded story--a story of a very young, tender woman's travail through a brief, but life-altering three years.
“More To Live For” is testament to the power of my experiences, now over 55 years ago. My pen would not let me alone until I wrote it.
For more about Robin Russell Gaiser, visit her website, www.robingaiser.com. —Robin Russell Gaiser
