A Place of Literature
by Cynthia Jones

August, 2003

Are you looking for some reading material online?

Here is a link to a reader's and writer's portal, LITDOTORG or Lit.Org. This site is great for finding writings and to post your own. I was busy finding material for my article, but found many avenues I can not wait to revisit and participate with.

Another wonderful aspect of this site, when you do find a read, you can easily select "Print This Story". You then are given a printable version to print and take with you. This is exactly what I did this week while preparing my article for LitKorner. This little feature is key when we do not have much time. Perhaps we can not read the article in it's entirety while online or we would like something to take with us to the beach. I found a few reads to take with me and would like to share them with you now.

Read the following pieces of work in their entirety at Lit.Org by doing a search with the poem or story title.

Poetry Selections

'Forbidden' by Liz aka TrueGenius... A beautiful descriptive love poem of something maybe not always excepted by society. As I read this piece, the author gave me a clear sight of their love, but with an imaginations eye, one could place herself or himself in this poem with any forbidden love.

'Peace In Heaven' by Jeannie Simpson aka Jeannie45... This poem caught my attention by it's title. It seems I am always in search of a little peace. I also felt the lighter side of the author and the thought of taking things easy with no worry, peace may be right around the corner. The author writes with a determined peace of mind and impresses that on the reader.

Short Story Selections

'Sunday Tea' by Andrew MacDonald aka strangedaze... Again, my choice was from the title Sunday Tea, but soon realized this story had much more going on then a delicate Sunday anything. There is cursing but a mighty twist to make this short story a recommended read.

'To Dance the Darkness' by Jenny Blair aka Lemon... This is a delicate read about the fae. A gentle piece that could be read as a lullaby to ease any fears of the dark. The author takes us to a place that may only exist in one's mind. The description and detail of such a place could only come from one who has actually visited there.

It certainly presents a challenge finding family safe material to share online and I liked the fact that Lit.Org will not accept pornographic material, erotica, etc. On Sunday nights two authors are chosen and given the same story starter to do a Write Off! With an onsite dictionary, random readings, newsletter, interviews, contests and forums, there is plenty to do at this site... A Writing Scene exists with agents listed and writing tips, you can add your site to the listing or search the many wonderful resources.

You can also find books on writing and writing software. I found myself intrigued and wanting to sign up for their mailing list which is separate from their free membership. You can enjoy this site fully without becoming a member or being on any mailing list, however, to post you must be a member.

My favorite part of this site is the 'Print This Story'; link to print and take the literature with me when I log off line. Lit.Org was a definite bookmark for me and I will certainly return.

Until next time, be safe and find some cool literature to read on your hot summer days.