“Coming to Light” is a documentary film about the incredible life and photography of Edward S. Curtis that a friend and I saw at the Film Society of Minneapolis-St. Paul on Sunday afternoon. After learning about Curtis’s creative journey, there was no doubt that he paid an enormous price personally, financially, and emotionally for his artistic endeavors. Fortunately for us, his legacy remains: a 20-volume series of thousands of photographs taken in the early 1900’s called The North American Indian.

During a post-film discussion, a question was raised: What if Curtis had given up? What if he hadn’t pursued his dreams? What if images like these of two native women of British Columbia didn’t exist? Think of the collective loss of understanding of their history and beauty and culture.

And then I think of all the novels that wouldn’t exist if their authors hadn’t written them. I can’t imagine what my own life would be like if I couldn’t (like I’ve been doing each night this past week) lose myself in the gorgeous prose written by Louise Erdrich in her novel The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse?

“Our novels await … ” 

Word count today was just shy of 1500 words, but it’s Midterm Election Day, and yes, I voted!

#NaNoWriMo