Small Stones: Big Sentiments

When author Fiona Robyn asked if I'd consider being a stop on a blog tour for her book small stones: a year of moments, I jumped at the chance. Hell, it's rare someone actually ASKS for my opinion before I give it...I'm not stupid enough to let those moments slip by.

Fiona put a copy of her book in the mail and I anxiously awaited it's arrival. I wasn't familiar with the book, so while I waited, I kept trying to guess what a "small stone" might be. I could have googled the term, or poured over Fiona's website, but this was more fun. My guesses were all over the map. I had Fiona collecting stones and writing about their significance. I considered she wrote a journal about stones wreaking havoc on her gall bladder. I mean, those kinds of stones are small, right? None of my theories came close to capturing what this book is about. There's a reason for that. None of my theories considered Fiona might be magic.

That's right, magic.

This woman has a PAUSE button for life.

She sees things. Hears things. Feels things. And thankfully, for us, she writes things.

Small stones are snapshots of breath, movement, color, emotions, sensations. Compile the snapshots and you have a small glimpse into Fiona's world.

That's exactly what this book is. A beautiful, raw look at life through Fiona's eyes. There are 365 small stones in this book that will move you to tears, make you giggle and remind you that you miss a hell of a lot that happens around you.

My gushing over Fiona's small stones don't do them justice. I painstakingly deliberated over my favorites so I could share them with you.

Here goes:

January's stone
one blind open, one blind shut:
the office opposite is winking at me

February's stone
a single apple on a leafless tree watches the first flirt of pink deepen into rose until an orange sliver nudges up over the black horizon and leaks light everywhere

March's stone
moving:
all day we pack our lives into boxes

April's stone
The building is unmarked, official looking. Behind the hedge, in the car-park, a young man is sitting alone in his white van and crying his eyes out

May's stone
she tells me the worst:
she doesn't know who she is anymore

June's stone
The sweet vegetable smell of grass hovers here all day, hanging around like heat from sunburnt skin. It waits for faces to dip down low and sniff it

July's stone
A muscle underneath the lower lashes of my right eye has mutinied. It vibrates in the mirror: the wings of a bird trapped in the corner of a room

August's stone
at noon the clouds are rushing and bumping overhead like London commuters

September's stone
It's as if crushed rose petals stirred into milk were spilt across her cheeks. The rest of her skin pale. Her hair dark. Her eyes. Does she know how beautiful she is?

October's stone
A speeding ambulance glides past, blue lights flashing.
A woman opens her mouth, no sound comes out

November's stone
Fifteen minutes before the end of Sunday. I write this because I said I would. Rules hold me together

December's stone
100 tiny fairy lights zig-zagging up the stairs
sprinkling light into the room like icing sugar

Breathtaking, right?

As a writer, I couldn't help but be in awe of how eloquently Fiona crafts each stone, saying so much in so few words.

I had to pick her brain. There were several things I wanted to know.

Meet Fiona:



She's a writer/blogger living in Hampshire with her partner, cats and vegetable patch. She writes a small stone every day, which you can read here. Fiona's popularity is skyrocketing and Snowbooks took notice. They will be publishing three of Fiona's novels in 2009.

All very cool, but I wanted to know more.

Me: How did you develop your amazing writing style? You have such a gift. Does it come naturally?

Fiona: That's kind of you to say. I don't know whether 'a talent for writing' is something you're born with or not. But when it comes to improving our writing I agree with Natalie Goldberg - read a lot, write a lot, and listen carefully.

Me: You dedicated the book to Suzuki Shurvyu and wrote that you hoped he'd approve. What did you mean by that?

Fiona: I've been reading a lot about Buddhism and specifically Zen thinking over the past few years, and Suzuki Shunryu is a Japanese Zen teacher who came to America from Japan. He wrote the well known book, 'Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind'. His writing has meant a lot to me. He died in 1971. Writing 'small stones' feels like a variation on a Zen practice to me - taking the time to really notice what is around me.

Me: What makes something a "small stone" for you?

Fiona: It's difficult to describe but it's when I see/hear/experience something and think 'ah, look at that!'. There's a freshness to it - I'm really NOTICING something. I'm hoping people might know what I mean!

Me: Have you always been so observant?

Fiona: I think maybe it's extra important for me to keep 'practicing' writing small stones as I can have my head in the clouds... thinking about what I need to do next, making lists in my head... when I do remember to pay attention I often feel happier, more connected, calmer.

Me: What's the greatest compliment you've received from someone who's read your
book?

Fiona: It makes me happy whenever anyone says the book has helped them to slow down a little, and to notice their own small stones. People have been sending me their own small stones for some time and I've just created a space for them at a handful of stones - I'd encourage your readers to have a look and consider submitting. You don't have to be a writer, just someone who notices things.

All I can say is this book moved me. I loved getting lost in Fiona's stones (wow, that sounded dirty, but you know what I mean). I love the idea of creating my own stones and will close with my first attempt:

butterscotch sheets
folding in on themselves like a piece of soft, crumpled paper

PS: if you'd like to purchase Fiona's book (you won't be sorry), click here.