Re: No Subject: Writing About Community Gardens for Money

**A*@aol.com**

Keven,

Thank you so much  sending your writing sample.  

A few books to borrow, buy or steal:

Strunk & White, "The Elements of Style" 

Bernstein, T.M. ,"The Careful Writer: A Modern Guide to English Usage"

Adams, P.D & Tickle, A, "The Harper Collins Concise Handbook for Writers"

Hall, Donald, "Writing Well: A Modern Guide"

Fowler, H.W. "Modern English Usage"

Nicholson, M. "A Dictionary of American-English Usage

Mencken, H.L. "The American Language" 

And for garden writing,  anything by Gertrude Jekyll, "Onward and Upward in 
the Garden," by New Yorker editor Katherine S. White and "My Garden (Book)," 
by Jamaica Kincaid.  

The best written, one volume treatment of community gardening remains, 
Jobb, J.  (1979).  The Complete Book of Community Gardening.  New York:  
William Morrow and Co. Every time I get the bug to write one, I just pick
Jobb's book and realize that even after 23 years, it's hard to beat for
historical context and down to earth, practical advice. Because this book is
so good, it's usually missing from most public libraries (i.e.,  "Steal this
Book!" ) I obtained my copy from Amazon.

Another fine cg book that you'll find missing from your in local library is:

A Handbook of Community Gardening
By Boston Urban Gardeners - Edited By Susan Naimark
Charles Scribner's Sons - New York 1982
SB457.3.H26 635  81-23302

ISBN 0-684-17466-9  AACR2

Any good dictionary will do.  My companions are the the two volume shorter 
Oxford English Dictionary and a beaten up American Heritage Dictionary (circa 
1973) whose usage panel included S.I. Hayakawa, Jessica Mitford, David 
Ogilvy, William F. Buckley, Daniel. P. Moynihan, John Ciardi,  Issac Asimov, 
Russell Baker, Allen Tate and Margaret Mead.  If you don't know who these 
people are (or were) the journey of discovering them will be worth the 
journey. 

Writing well is hard work - comparable to breaking and moving buried concrete 
in a muddy community garden site, daily.   And that's the first draft. 
Editing your own writing is akin to weeding the  morning glories,  grown 
overnight in your skin, with a dull, rusty trowel. 

If you don't know who Sisyphus was or the book Camus wrote about his myth, 
please do so.  Sisyphus is the writer's patron saint.

If you really want to read fine prose, the Norton Anthologies, or the John 
Gross edited "New Oxford Book of English Prose," should set you back on your 
heels - its like looking in Tiffany's window with a dime in your pocket.  

Making money as a writer, as good and full of hope as you may be, even if you 
put three  hours a day before work (with a watch on your desk to encourage an 
allotted word count, like novelist Anthony Trollope) is a marginal  business 
at best.  

I wish you luck.   Write your book first.  

The area of law you are interested in is called "Intellectual Property."  On 
the next rainy day go to a good local library to delve in its rocks and 
shoals.  I believe that you would be better off writing promotional pieces, 
grant applications and making yourself useful to your fellow community 
gardeners and garden.  Being a writer is similar to bearing the mark of Cain 
- I wouldn't advertise it too much. 

Best wishes,
Adam Honigman
Volunteer, 
 <A HREF="http://www.clintoncommunitygarden.org/";>Clinton Community Garden</A>

<< Subj:     [cg] (no subject)
 Date:  4/23/03 11:46:31 PM Eastern Daylight Time
 From:  cittykat134@hotmail.com (cassandra deacay)
 Sender:    community_garden-admin@mallorn.com
 To:    community_garden@mallorn.com

 Hello
    I am a gardener and writer who is writing about his local community 
 garden. I am hoping some of you who are writers can advise me a little. I 
 was so glad to find this group anyway! My garden is run by a non-profit org 
 and is on city owned public property. The people there told me that if i 
 publish anything and get money for it, the money goes to them. Is this true? 
 I feel it is not, and infringes on constitutional rights governing free 
 speech, etc. Is there anyone here experienced with this??
 Thanks and Happy Spring,
 Keven >>

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