title: The Reminders
author:  Val Emmich 
description: <strong><a href="//www.amazon.com/b/?node=390919011">An Amazon Best Book of June 2017:</a></strong> Joan Lennon Sully is a ten-year-old girl who has highly superior autobiographical memory (HSAM). Unlike someone with a photographic memory, she doesnt remember facts and figures and numbers; instead, she can remember exactly how many times shes met someone, what they were wearing each time, and what they said. For most people, memories are like a fairy tale, vague and changing over timenot so for Joan who, perhaps not surprisingly, is obsessed with being remembered (like John Lennon or Winston Churchill), and who thinks writing a song will accomplish that goal. When Gavin, an aging actor and musician, is invited by Joans family to stay at their house, Joans path to her dreams seems to have been laid out before her. Gavin has recently lost his partner Sydney, and Joan has memories of Sydney, which she can relate to Gavin in return for help writing a song. But nothing turns out exactly as expected in this charming novel, and Emmichs subtle, skillful narrative reminds us that being remembered <em>might</em> be important, but what we are remembered for is <em>more </em> important. <em>--Chris Schluep, The Amazon Book Review</em>
zlib_text: 1 | P a g e  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  2 | P a g e  
   
  FOREWARD  
     I never envisioned bringing out another anthology so soon but here we are. Life happens 
  fast and we have to stop to make time capsules called memories in forms of pictures or 
  poems or both. Cesare Pavese said ‘We do not remember days, we remember moments’. 
  Despite what is written in this collection, all I am trying to convey is that on good days, 
  bad days, even ugly days that had the guts to face you, Carpe Diem my darlings. All my 
  love, Clara.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  3 | P a g e  
   
  IN THESE EXACT MOMENTS  
  MIDDLES  
  ROME  
  WHILE LISTENING TO SONG NUMBER 2 
  IN THIS EXACY MOMENT I  
  WINE AND WHAT NOT 
  IN THIS EXACT MOMENT II 
  AND THE STORY IS BEING TOLD 
  ON LORDE’S LIABILITY AT 12:37  
  STRINGS  
  HEAVY LIFTING 
  I WON’T BEG YOU TO LOVE ME  
  IN THIS EXACT MOMENT III 
  MAYBE I SHOULD CHECK ON YOU  
  MEAN IT 
  DON’T CRY 
   
  
  4 | P a g e  
   
  IN THESE EXACT MOMENTS 
  THEY OWE YOU NOTHING  
  AFTER NOW 
  NOT YOU TOO  
  EVE