See this little girl? Her name is Artelia Bendolph, and this photo was taken by Arthur Rothstein in 1937 when Artelia was ten years old.
Rothstein titled the photo "Girl at Gee's Bend." It is this photo that I turned to again and again as I came to know Ludelphia Bennett, the main character in my novel THE WITCHES OF GEE'S BEND. In my mind, this is Lu. No matter what art winds up on the cover of the book, this is the girl I see.
My image of the main character in my latest novel ESCAPE FROM FIRE MOUNTAIN is not nearly so clear. I know she's got long unrurly dark hair that springs up around her face in the humid island air, but her face is still vague. I have a feeling it will be a "know it when I see it" kind of thing.
“I love to see a young girl go out and grab the world by the lapels. Life's a bitch. You've got to go out and kick ass.”
- Maya Angelou
great quote..I love it!
ReplyDeleteI love the picture also...I wonder what she is thinking about...or dreaming about??? It is a hauntingly beautiful post!!!
How are you doing Irene??
You'll have to read my book and find out. :)
ReplyDeleteI can't wait to read your book!!
ReplyDelete