EDITORIAL
MENTORSHIP
​​
​​NORTHEAST OHIO SPOTLIGHT

Mentorship Recipient
What He Planted

Recipient Reflection: 
Joanne Lozar Glenn

On "What He Planted" by Joanne Lozar Glenn

by ​​Nardine Taleb

I said this in my letter to Joanne and I’ll say it now: When I finished “What He Planted,” I don’t think it really ever left me. I was captivated by the way she caught small details of her father and the way that she wrote; how there is sort of a rhythm to her writing (“He raked, then troweled, vegetable beds, planting lettuce seeds, tomato seedlings, corn, rhubarb, cukes. Grape vines. And marigolds.”).
 
I loved the images hinting at a story within a story: “A decade later, filing away the wreckage like raw footage from a crime scene: wedding dress in the trash, for sale sign on the front lawn.” I felt that this story was raw, ever so lightly, giving us pieces of the speaker’s life. Authenticity is hard to give, for everyone, because it’s important. In under 500 words, we get a snap of a father, a family, an authentic writer, and we end the story with a photo that feels like it encapsulates life itself.
 
I think that’s how I’d describe this piece — full of true life. These days, as I reflect on what I value and what I appreciate, I notice what my family members have given me, outside of materialistic things. When I write this reflection, I think of my grandfather, who I’d only seen a handful of times as an adult before he passed away. I think of him, too, crouched in a small garden in his backyard, teaching me how to plant a tomato. When I want to be better, I try to be him. I remembered all of this after reading Joanne’s piece.
 
Joanne and I talked about the power of writing in small, fragmented ways. I appreciated her style of writing, the small hints throughout the story, windows to different characters, the rhythm. As we edited the piece together, more windows seemed to open. More truths. Every time I read this piece, I find something else that sheds light. It was also thrilling to work with Joanne because she’s a teacher and editor herself. With both our heads together, it was like opening doors. I appreciate memories more than ever now. This must be how memory works—it comes in pieces, small but powerful enough to take along with us.

Nardine Taleb

Nardine Taleb is an Egyptian-American writer and speech therapist. Her writing has appeared in Rattle, The Commuter, Hobart, Mizna, wildness, and elsewhere. With a background in helping people communicate and express themselves, she is passionate about mentoring others in writing and helping them share their work with the world. She is a Cleveland native and doesn’t plan on leaving anytime soon: the people and the coffee are too great.