Creative Nonfiction Blog by Brenda Gaines Hunter

License: All manuscripts, essys, and articles on this site are the work of Brenda Gaines Hunter. You may share a link to this site and/or manuscripts, but you may not distribute, reproduce, or alter the manuscripts, essays, or articles in any way. The remainder of the content is free.

About Me

One day I realized I was writing a book in my head and decided to put it on paper. When I did, the magic was there. I knew I had arrived as a writer and had found my voice. I had tried to write when I was younger, but I always struggled with putting enough of myself, my experiences, into my writing. So I thought I needed a PhD to write nonfiction. What I really needed is for creative nonfiction to come into its own.

I essentially reframe and explore topics that are related to identity. Over the next few years "This is How it Ends"--a memoir and "Heroes"--a book of personal essays, will be released. "This is How it Ends" is undergoing editing right now and "Heroes" is more than a twinkle in God's eye.

My Brother

Me brother, Gerry, with his second son, Dionte, after his 8th grade graduation ceremony.

Quote of the Week

Keep It Simple.

Most programs are actually quite simple – not easy – but simple. It's temping to over-think what needs to be done and that over-thinking often becomes an excuse not to do anything at all, as well as a backdoor for demons to dwell.

El Edificio de Mujeres!

¡Aquí vengo!

A Word About Toning and Sculpting for Women

The link below is not to my favorite site, but it has a lot of good articles, although some of the articles are outdated. When we are older and have (or had) a lot of weight to lose, our skin does not snap back as we lose weight. To look at all toned (at least in our clothes), we need to build bigger muscles under our skin to help take up some of the slack. Bigger muscles are the result of hypertrophy. The NSCA (National Strength and Conditioning Association) recommends 6-12 reps, 2-3 sets using relatively heavy weights (67-85% 1RM) to increase hypertrophy. However, anyone who is new to resistance training should begin with muscular endurance exercises--lifting light weights umpteen times (usually between 16-24 repetitions, depending on health status) to learn to control the weights. You may also have to stick with muscular endurance exercises (which really are aerobic exercises) if you are a member of a special population, or are just trying to maintain your weight, or are have mobility or stability issues and/or cannot do intense cardio. After a few months of muscular endurance training, especially if you are young and healthy, you should move on to building endurance via more moderate and intense aerobic exercise done a minimum of three times per week for 45-30 minutes depending on intensity. Consider doing aerobic exercise five times per week if you really need to torch lots of calories. (Two of those days can be relatively light.) The number one factor in increasing Vo2max, the amount of oxygen your body can utilize per minute and, therefore, calorie burning, is intensity, which is often equated with speed or with resistance plus speed. Duration is secondary. The problem with using duration as a primary training device is that few people have the time it takes to exercise for long periods.

Blurb I: Advances in Functional Training

What I've learned so far (and what I need to remember) from the book Advances in Functional Training.

I wondered why split squats are called squats. To do them, you place the toes of the trailing foot upon a bench or plyobox, take a large step forward with the other leg, and then lunge down, keeping your knee behind your toes (something on that later). Doesn't that sound like a lunge? According to the author of Advances in Functional Training, split squats are squats because they are static. There is no foot movement as would be expected when lunging. Fair enough.

Emotional Arguments

Yes, however, some arguments are not really valid arguments. They usually contain lots of fallacies. Many arguments we deal with like those surrounding evolution, racism, homophobia... are emotional rather than logical, and cannot be contradicted via logic; we cannot argue with anyone's emotions. That's why we often need laws to keep people in check. Feeling a particular way and acting on that feeling are different things. Emotion cannot be the basis of any law, legal or scientific.

SCOTUS and Gay Marriage

Conservatives believe that because SCOTUS is right-leaning it will rule against gay marriage. However, what they are overlooking is Lawrence v Texas. There were not six liberal justices on the bench when SCOTUS ruled against Texas 6-3. We have to see. Gays have nothing to lose by taking it before the Supreme Court. We just need a really good attorney.

Just For Today (the rest)

(This is in three parts and will be posted in three parts.)

"Just for today, I will exercise my soul in three
ways: I will do somebody a good turn, and
not get found out. I will do at least two
things I don't want to--just for exercise.
I will not show anyone that my feelings are
hurt; they may be hurt, but today I will not
show it.

Just for today, I will be agreeable. I will look
as well as I can, dress becomingly, talk low,
act courteously, criticize not one bit, not
find fault with anything and not try to improve
or regulate anybody except myself."

"Just for today, I will try to strengthen my mind.
I will study. I will learn something useful.
I will not be a mental loafer. I will read
something that requires effort, thought and
concentration.

Just for today, I will adjust myself to what is,
and not try to adjust everything to my own
desires. I will take my "luck" as it comes,
and fit myself to it." Reinhold Neibuhr

Tracy Chapman

She has the most innovative Web site I've seen. It is definitely an artists' Web site: http://www.tracychapman.com/

Look! Okay

Look, when the OJ Simpson case happened, I believed he was guilty (I lived in California at the time and it did not start off as a front page story), and I still believe he is guilty. I believe Casey Anthony was guilty, too, but also, just like in the OJ case, I don't believe the the prosecution proved its case. (When you cannot determine what to convict someone of, then there is a reasonable doubt?) Now, in this case what convinces me is this: Zimmerman was told not to follow Martin. He was given a direct order. He continued to. That was a civil rights violation right there; we have the right to walk freely, non-impeded. Martin was walking down the street with his bag of Skittles. Further, I believe that 99% of men would have confronted Zimmerman. (Martin was still technically a boy.) A woman would have been too afraid to; she probably would have screamed and ran. And I don't believe that the right to bear arms is the same as the right to shoot.