The Edward Curtis photographic print that hangs above our claw foot tub always manages to cast an inspirational spell over me every time I gaze at it. It's one of his most iconic images: a young Native American woman holding an oar in her right hand as she's standing along side her high walled canoe looking out at a body of water. That's the literal description anyway. For me, this historic photograph is a touchstone for the female lead character in my book, "The Imagination Warriors". I like to imbue the woman in the picture with a steely sense of courage and determination as she peers confidently into her future. She is on the precipice of a profound peregrination. The sense of adventure in the image is almost palpable to me. I want to pan Curtis's giant, heavy wooden camera to the left to see what the young woman is seeing. Is it an ocean or a lake? The vessel at her side will be her companion on her journey, just as she is a human vessel holding her precious wisdom, energy, youth and stamina.
I like beginnings. There is a fragile and excitable beauty in the newness of things. I envision Philomena, my nine year old girl character in my book, looking through the eyes of this young warrior woman, surveying the world of newness that awaits, pushing off into the vastness of the unknown.
