Where Writers Find Inspiration: Bringing Lifelong Passions to the Page (guest post)
Somehow, the first week of September has already gone by.
I’m not quite sure how that happened, but I do know how I spent it: getting materials ready for my story coach. They’re due tomorrow, and I finished just in the nick of time. (Emphasis on just.)
That deadline is for my first suspense novel... but it isn’t the only book taking up space in my brain. I’m currently working on another novel, but it's in a very different stage. Which means a lot of switching gears... and occasionally needing to remind myself which book I’m in.
So I’m especially happy to step away from my own pages today and welcome author and gerontologist Marysue Moses to the blog. Her new book, Looking Past Dementia, grew from what she learned directly from people living with dementia during her years working in memory care. (I love hearing how writers find inspiration!)
(You can read more about Marysue and her book here!)
In today’s guest post, Marysue follows a thread that has wound through her life and into her writing: Shakespeare. From appearing in Hamlet as a teenager to studying acting in London to claiming a massive 1937 book of Shakespeare quotations from her brother’s shelf, her love for the Bard kept finding new purposes.
Her story is a reminder that we never know which old fascination, experience, or book on a shelf will resurface when a new project needs it. We’re always gathering material... even when we don’t realize that’s what we’re doing.
Right now, as I move between two books of my own, I find that thought reassuring. I hope you do, too.
Enjoy the post!
—CC
How I Found a Shakespeare Quote for Every Chapter in My Book
by Marysue Moses
First of all, lest you be scratching your noggin wondering why and not how I found these quotes, let it be known that Shakespeare has been a constant joy in my life.
This began in high school, when I played Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude, and my best—and most hilarious—male friend, Phil, played Claudius, Hamlet’s murderous stepdad. (Phil and I got married in our mid-40s, but that’s another story; don’t distract me.)
I loved being in Hamlet. My enthusiasm for the Bard continued in college, when I was cast as Phebe in As You Like It and Helena in A Midsummer Night’s Dream—such fun! I was hooked.
After college and a year of waitressing, I studied in London at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama before joining the Illusion Theater in Minneapolis. A decade later, I returned to London for an Acting Shakespeare course at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts.
Another decade later, when visiting my brother Bob in Denver, I noticed a very thick volume on his bookshelf called The Home Book of Shakespeare Quotations. It was published in 1937!
I was overcome by the distinct feeling that this book had to be mine!
I asked my brother if I could have it. The book had been given to Bob by his ex-wife, and happily, he was totally willing to relinquish it.
Several years after my mom was diagnosed with “probable Alzheimer’s disease,” I began working in memory care as an Activities Coordinator to learn more about dementia. I was fifty years old and made just $12.15/hour, but the experience was priceless.
When I was promoted to Memory Care Coordinator, I kept working while earning my Master's in Gerontology. For my thesis project, I chose to focus on volunteerism and older adults.
I needed a name for the group of volunteers whom I would train to help and befriend those in memory care. Aha! It was time to dust off Burton Stevenson’s The Home Book of Shakespeare Quotations.
Pages 585-594 offered plenty of quotes related to the words friend and friendship”. A passage from Shakespeare’s poem, "The Passionate Pilgrim", supplied this verse:
"He that is thy friend indeed,
He will help thee in thy need:
If thou sorrow, he will weep.
If thou wake, he cannot sleep.
I dubbed my volunteers The Friends InDeed. Fast forward to 2022: I semi-retired from eight years of work as the Dementia Program Coordinator for Ebenezer Management Services, and began writing Looking Past Dementia, a book about what I’ve learned directly from people living with dementia, especially those I worked with early on, when I was green in the field.
It didn’t take long to follow the impulse to invite my buddy Mr. Shakespeare to class up my act with a quote for each chapter in m y book. Many thanks to you, Will!
—Marysue
About the Guest Blogger & Her Book
Marysue Moses is a dementia educator, consultant, and former memory care coordinator who teaches practical, creative approaches to dementia care. Drawing on both professional experience and her family's journey with dementia, she helps caregivers foster meaningful connection and engagement..
In Looking Past Dementia, dementia educator Marysue Moses shares the powerful insights she has gained from more than twenty years working alongside individuals living with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of dementia.
Through deeply human stories, she challenges readers to look beyond symptoms and diagnoses to recognize the strengths, emotions and humanity that remain.
Connect with Marysue or buy the book:
Website: lookpastdementia.com
Facebook: looking.past.dementia
Amazon: https://amzn.to/4qrFeKs
Barnes & Noble: https://emeraldlakebooks.com/bndementia
And don't forget to add the title to your Goodreads list!
Writers: what lifelong passions or inspiration make it into your writing? Let me know by commenting on the post or sending a message!
Peace & Plenty,
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