Friday, April 17, 2015

AtoZ Challenge: O - Orion and the Doors

Picture

Greetings from Hannibal, MO, Mark Twain's boyhood hometown, my theme for this year's AtoZ Challenge.


My title sounds like a music group. Let's begin with Twain's older bro, Orion Clemens. He started a newspaper, the Hannibal Journal, and operated the business out of their home on Hill Street. Twain helped him write articles for the paper. The Missouri Courier was born out of this era, which later became our town's newspaper, the Hannibal Courier-Post, which is the oldest running newspaper in Missouri. Twain even helped himself to editing the paper when his brother was out of town. This experience was Twain's first experimentation with pen names. He eventually worked for the Missouri Courier as an apprentice.

When I went to take a pic of the Hannibal Courier-Post a few blocks from Twain's home, I changed my mind. I couldn't do it. The horrifically ugly building (probably built in the sixties) just isn't photo worthy. So I chose to extend today's post to include the doors of Hannibal which are way more fun to photograph.


The Old Planter's Restaurant

 







The Whistle Stop Cafe

Do you ever write from photographs? I do all the time. I follow a ton of Chicago IGers (Instagramers) who post pictures of my fave city. I utilize their talent as inspiration for my writing. How did you get started in writing?

22 comments:

  1. Well of course I had to go look up the building. It's not that bad. It's got that weird... canopy thing over the door that looks like some kind of booby trap that will slam down and crush unsuspecting freelance photographers trying to sneak in to sell their pictures.

    Ah, now I know why you didn't take a photo. Got it.

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    1. It's even uglier inside the building. The loading dock around back was pretty interesting. I try not to sneak;)

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  2. Those are some cool doors. Shame the newspaper's building looks so crappy now.

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  3. I love those (what look like) church doors...just beautiful.
    Visiting from A to Z...
    Katie @TheCyborgMom

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  4. How neat. I always wanted to work for a newspaper...when I was younger.

    The last too doors are cool. :)

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    1. I used to make my own newspapers as a kid. I love doors:)

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  5. How neat. I always wanted to work for a newspaper...when I was younger.

    The last too doors are cool. :)

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  6. Those are pretty doors - love the yellow and green one. I don't often write from photographs - occasionally one with spark inspiration, but I'm more a random idea's person :)
    Tasha
    Tasha's Thinkings | Wittegen Press | FB3X (AC)

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    1. I totally understand. I get those random ideas that spark out of nowhere:)

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  7. Love those doors. Those are unique! Has anyone else noticed how often doors are red now. I know it's supposed to be good luck, but it seems there are a LOT of superstitious people in the world!

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  8. Orion is quite a name to carry through life. I remember reading how Twain embellished his news articles on slow news days. I guess he was practicing his novels. :-) Beautiful pictures. Doors are always symbolic.

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    1. I can just picture him. He was such a mirror of his character Tom Sawyer!

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  9. No, I don't write from photos. My ideas get generated elsewhere.

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    1. Classroom, perhaps? :) I've been around teens and tweens for far too long. It has paid off.

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  10. I've never tried writing from photographs. I do look at pictures of some of the settings of my stories to get good visuals of the places. But I've never composed a story solely based on a picture. Interesting thing to do, though. I may have to try it.

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  11. I could do with a cool front door like that. :)

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  12. Some of the greatest writers started out as journalists. Charles Dickens, Terry Pratchett, Nick Wilford. ;) Just kidding but I seriously think it's a great way to learn discipline and focus on what's interesting in a story.

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  13. This looks like a great idea for A to Z! I didn't know about Orion Clemens. Interesting post. :)

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  14. Ha!
    I love those doors! Great idea!

    Heather

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