Overview

In a culture that encourages and applauds the search for perfection in all its exterior manifestations, Surprised by Imperfection is a collection of essays and memoirs that reminds readers of the exquisite beauty in the dappled and imperfect aspects of the vast world, seeks out the sanctity of the ordinary in all its seasons, and invites us back to childhood's grand sense of wonder. In each story, Shari Brand Ray considers the sacredness of the small moments in life. With humor and inordinate love for the everyday, Ray connects readers to the glories of the natural world through a return to close observation. In the spring she finds meaning in watching two dogs run in the warm sunshine along the banks of the spring-swollen Mississippi River, and in autumn she experiences the terrifying beauty of leaving her seven-year-old daughter in a Belgian girls' school where neither she nor her daughter yet speak the language. In winter Ray writes of personal wounding, the moments following a life-threatening head-on collision on a snowy night in Memphis as she waits for the ambulance and contemplates her own unknown future. The lyrical essays in Surprised by Imperfection unfold in humor, wisdom, and love, and reawaken the unexpected glory that comprises our collective imperfection.

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A teacher of literature and writing in the Memphis area for nearly forty years, Shari Brand Ray is currently Chair at St. Mary's Episcopal School in Memphis. A native Memphian, Shari enjoys taking long walks on the Greenline, teaching English, and writing on her back porch while she watches the birds. Infusing verse throughout much of her prose, Ray leans on the shoulders of the great poets for both truth and inspiration. Sarah Coleman began her art career as a child under the tutelage of her talented artist grandmother who taught her the basic principles of drawing, balance and color theory while other children her age were still finger painting. She continued her education in the creative arts receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree, majoring in History with a minor in Fine Art. She has worked as a portrait artist in watercolor, oil and acrylic and an illustrator for various venues including children's books, comic books, and poster design, and she even illustrated a full line of perfume based on an award-winning movie. Her beautiful, mystical paintings hang in private collections across the country. Recently, she has moved into animation and has produced viral videos which capture both her wit and her drawing talents. No matter where she is, when she's creating, Sarah reflects back on those early lessons with her beloved grandmother.

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