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River Jordan

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About Me

River Jordan is a southerner with a global perspective. Primarily, she’s a storyteller of southern variety and has been cast most frequently in the company of Flannery O’Connor and Harper Lee. Jordan’s writing career began as a playwright where she spent over ten years with the Loblolly Theatre group and received productions of her original works for the stage including Mama Jewels: Tales from Mullet Creek; Soul, Rhythm and Blues; and Virga.Jordan’s novel The Messenger of Magnolia Street, Harper Collins (Harper San Francisco) was published in January 2006. Kirkus Reviews describes the novel as “a beautifully written atmospheric tale.” The Messenger of Magnolia Street was applauded as “a tale of wonder” by Southern Living Magazine who chose The Messenger of Magnolia Street as their Selects feature for March 2006 the and by other reviewers as “a riveting, magical mystery” and “a remarkable book.”Ms. Jordan teaches and speaks on ‘The Power of Story’ around the country and produces and hosts the radio program BACKSTORY with River Jordan on WRFN, 98.9 FM, Nashville Saturday’s at 4:00 CDT, www.radiofreenashville.org She is currently completing a new work of fiction and a collection of essays. Jordan and her husband live in Nashville, TN. You may visit the author at www.riverjordanink.com

My Interests

Contradictions in life that make it sweet but not so simple. Eating great food cooked by other people. Campfires and stars and waves and rolling green hills and all that wonder and celebration that everyone feels when they see a shooting star fly across the sky.( I think even the tough, hard core intellectuals that say it was just a bit of cosmic trash making it's way out of the universe are silently making wishes.)

I'd like to meet:

Maya Angelou, Lance Armstrong, Lyle Lovett Bill Murry,Queen Latifa, the woman at the bus stop. Authors, artists, creators of works that say what it is to be a part of the human experience. Mother Teresa, Albert Einstein, Mark Twain ('cause he's a rascal), Helen Keller, Ghandi
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Music:

Everything. The Stones, Lyle Lovett, Marvin Gaye, Jazz, Alternative. Music is such a mood setter. I listen frequently when I write. I love a particular song by Bonnie Raitt, God Was in the Water, that is just - strange and a good set up to the written page. Changes lifes direction the way a good poem changes the mindset. I love to listen to independent radio like - yes, WRFN - Radio Free Nashville streaming live at www.radiofreenashville.org for the sounds that I don't get from my everyday dial. And college stations that are still tossing up things that are brand new. And of course in Nashville Writer's Night takes on a whole new meaning and you can hear things from everywhere and a lot of originality. I like the evolution of music and still discovering new voices. Of course I also like Chanting Monks which drives some people insane.

Movies:

Movies are my drug of choice. So I see the new ones pretty soon. Stock answers - yes, yes, geeky as it may sound by God I love Jimmy Stewart and It's a Wonderful Life. (But - you know, I saw Pulp Fiction too many times and I've Time Warped my fair share so what does a list really say about someone?) The Christmas Story is one of the most perfectly adapted, cast, narrated and designed movies I've ever seen. As Good As It Gets - it just doesn't get any better than that. I loved that simple old movie Lilies of the Field with Sidney Poitier but then I don't think I've ever seen a S.P. movie I didn't like. Now it's funny to see old John Wayne or Clint Eastwood movies but it's because they make me think of my Dad and it's like having him here for company. I liked Stranger Than Fiction - love the orginality and the mood. Love comic book movies - Batman Begins- the absolute best of the series. Spiderman - who knew? So waiting for the new Spidey for summer. I see serious movies, and beautiful movies, and movies that make me (or is that let me?) laugh and cry. And just plain stupid, silly movies like Galaxy Quest that just cracks me up over and over.

Television:

I would love to say I only watch PBS and the News from the BBC and the Discovery Channel but that would be a LIE. I don't usually ever catch a current tv show because my schedule doesn't allow me to be faithful to the box. However, I catch them late at night sometimes and fall in love with things and see them ten years after they were the hot new thing. Now I can watch them on DVD and see twice as much in half the time - After I write a lot and work all day or into the night I favor a few laughs - like Calgon take me away. I lean toward reruns of Seinfield or Frasier or That 70s show. Also like Monk. Could be the theme song. I know there are a lot of shows on that I would enjoy but I don't catch them on a regular basis.

Books:

Introducing the Book

Add to My Profile | More Videos All of them. The dusty ones that have been long forgotten in old book stores, the brand new ones dripping slick off the shelves. Fiction of all genres, creative non-fiction, memoir Loved: The Alchemist, If You Don't Dance They Beat You, All Over But the Shoutin', Angela's Ashes, The Mysterious Incident of the Dog in the Nightime, 100 Years of Solitude, Like Water for Chocolate, Peace Like a River, A Soldier's Story . . . Flannery O'Conner, Mark Twain, Faulkner, and, yes, Hemingway. Occassional Stephen King (The Stand, The Green Mile,the movie The Stand, and Shawshank Redemption) J.R.R. Tolkien, Harper Lee, The writings of Barry Hannah. Ernest Gaines.Just this week finished The Mercy of Thin Air and Rain Village and adored them both for their mysterious beauty and passion.

Heroes:

Everyday people. Single Moms that keep working and get their degrees. Single Moms that don't get degrees but keep bread on the table and read to their kids even when they are too tired to see. Blue collar Dads. People who have patience with little people and older people and even the tired, angry ones in between.

My Blog

FEELING SO USED!

And what a great feeling it is when the using is wearing that great little card down on my key chain that opens the wonders of the library treasures to me. That baby is worn down to the quick. What h...
Posted by River Jordan on Thu, 08 May 2008 02:12:00 PST

Six Random Things

Normally, I don't play games. Although, hide & seek always had some sort of weird, breathless, CS Lewis attraction. (And I can also play a mean hand of Rummy and Spades - cards anyone?) What I mea...
Posted by River Jordan on Mon, 28 Apr 2008 10:49:00 PST

Rockers and full moons

Okay, so I rocked and wondered a little longer. And then some more. But I must tell you I'm the kind of girl that can get drunk on the moon. The kind of girl that tries to get my New York writer frien...
Posted by River Jordan on Sun, 20 Apr 2008 03:58:00 PST

SOUTHERN RULES OF STRANGER SPEAK

In spite of the fact that I'm a Southern girl (capitol 's' for all it's worth!) I've lived in some pretty exotic locations. Okay - not Egypt or India yet but Like Ft. Lauderdale which is a blend of ev...
Posted by River Jordan on Sun, 09 Mar 2008 07:10:00 PST

Strangers IN Spring

Strangers in SpringI stepped out of the grocery the other day and a familiar smell hit my nose. It's the black stuff they spread out in Nashville to make things pop out in a huge show of green, pink, ...
Posted by River Jordan on Fri, 29 Feb 2008 01:40:00 PST

Listen to the Stories - Homelessness Marathon

It's not easy being some people in this world. Just ask Dwanda. She's the lady I met many moons ago downtown in the park. A homeless lady with a steel leg, a real story, and a handful of change. She s...
Posted by River Jordan on Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:50:00 PST

VALENTINES, PICK-UP TRUCKS, and LOVE

Yes, it's that time again. When women's hearts turn to cards, chocolate, and flowers. Or at least that's what the displays and commercials say. So men of all ages are out trying to gather up the items...
Posted by River Jordan on Wed, 13 Feb 2008 05:59:00 PST

NASHVILLE NOIR

 Brrrr is the word. Snowish WAS the forecast. But now, it's raining,warmish, more like old Florida weather. But 'they say' the cold weather is returning! Well, it's a season you know. It's c...
Posted by River Jordan on Mon, 04 Feb 2008 11:05:00 PST

BACKSTORY ROCKS FEBRUARY!

"Wild horses couldn't drag me away from your program, River Jordan. I appreciate your playing that Stones tune. It reminded me of my years at Birmingham-Southern College. " (a note from Yogarific a Sh...
Posted by River Jordan on Wed, 30 Jan 2008 12:47:00 PST

BIG HAIR AND BIG BOOKS IN TEXAS

You know, I have to say that nobody does it like Kathy Patrick, the PULPWOOD QUEEN. This past weekend down in the beautiful town of Jefferson, Texas was book lovers extravaganza with author panels, ta...
Posted by River Jordan on Sat, 26 Jan 2008 08:34:00 PST