SPIN CYCLE, or “Spin” as I like to call it, is the story of my tragi-comic childhood and coming-of-age, and what I hope is a literary work that will have a wide audience.
I envision this book as a collection of chapters with a narrative arc. Most of these “letters/stories” will have a lede, in italics, that is spoken via letter to my daughter. There are three parts.
An excerpt from Spin was published in the place-based journal InQuire.
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Right now, Spin is still in the works—revisions, revisions…
If you want to keep in touch with me about when Spin is coming out (so you can read it!), please email me at dede.cummings1@gmail.com
As a teaser, here is a photo gallery from SPIN:
Five generations of Ellis women (Emma is the jock at the end 🙂
Aunt Jean in her prime on Cape Cod.
Great grandma Emma Crompton.
Catherine Ellis (Mea) playing piano at right.
Catherine Ellis (Mea), my grandmother, on the boat to England.
My mom, Shirley Ellis Cummings, with a few of her daughters . . .
Shirley and bob Cummings with the first three girls in Providence.
The first four daughters on Champ in Matunuck.
Mea (Mea) with the five Cummings girls.
Obligatory Christmas shot.
Mea and Shirley chilling at Willow Dell Beach Club with some of us up front.
Marcie, “Deedee,” and little, shy, Connie in Matunuck, dressed alike (natch!).
The barn in Matunuck and our poodle Ceecee.
Shirley in her JCrew attire on our Boston Whaler. Deedee is (of course) at the wheel, pretending to drive. Photo by my dad, Bob. C.
Full family portrait: The agony of defeat at Mt. Cranmore, New Hampshire!
Matunuck portrait with appropriate dresses—Note how happy I look (back row, left)!
Me, holding a Bible on way to church . . .
The evil one at Catholic school, St. Sebastian’s, in Providence.
Dodie Woodbridge at Willow Dell Beach Club—BFF of Marcie and leader of group of teens. Dodie passed away in 2014 and is missed by all of us.
Dede with pigtails and a pack of teenaged girls at WDBC.
Self portrait, Vienna, 1975.
My daughter, Emma, with her great-grandmother, Mea.
Dede Cummings 