Dan Jorgensen's Blog, page 105
February 2, 2024
'Life - Just one big research project'
“Writeabout what you care about. If you do that, you're probably going to do yourbest writing, reach off the page and touch the reader. How are you going tomake the reader care if you don't care yourself?”– Jerry Spinelli
Born in Pennsylvania on Feb. 1, 1941Spinelli is author of nearly 40 novels for young people, including The Warden’s Daughter, Maniac Magee (winner of the Newbery Medal for BestChildren’s Book) and Wringer, a Newbery Honor Book.
An English major at GettysburgCollege (“because they didn’t have a writing major”), Spinelli spent his sparetime writing short stories and also was editor of the college literarymagazine, The Mercury.
After graduation, he became afull-time magazine writer and editor while earning his master’s degree fromJohns Hopkins University. He intended towrite novels for adults but couldn’t get publishers interested in any of hisfirst 4 works. His 5th book,also intended for adults, drew the attention of a children’s book publisher (itwas about a 13-year-old) and not only was published but became a top seller,starting him on a new writing path.
“Life is full of happy accidents,” hesaid. “Sometimes I'm asked if I do research for my stories. The answer is yes and no. No, in the sense that I seldom plow throughbooks at the library to gather material. Yes, in the sense that the first 15 years ofmy life turned out to be one big research project.”
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February 1, 2024
'Live it to its fullest!'
“Beon the alert to recognize your prime at whatever time of your life it mayoccur. You must then live it to itsfullest.” – Muriel Spark
Born in England on this date in 1918,Spark applied that philosophy to an award-winning career as a novelist, short storywriter, poet and essayist. In 2008 shewas named by The Times of London asthe 8th greatest British writer since World War II – a war in whichshe served as an Intelligence officer for the British army. It was during those Army years, in fact, that sherealized she had a knack for the clever use of words.
Best known for The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, which also was adapted as both a playand a movie, Spark lived in Britain and America before settling in Italy, whereshe continued writing until her death in 2006. Shortly before her death, she was awarded the Golden PEN Award forLifetime Achievement in Literature.
[image error] Muriel Spark
While serving as editor of Poetry Reviewmagazine Spark authored several critically acclaimed poetry collections and booksof criticism then went on to write 22 novels and a dozen nonfiction books. A mother of three she also wrote severalbest-selling children’s books. “Parents,” she said, “learn a lot from their childrenabout coping with life.”
A Writer's Moment: 'Live it to its fullest!'
January 30, 2024
A Writer's Moment: 'Some books are a revelation'
'Some books are a revelation'
A writer of historical and epic fantasies, Tarr was born in Maine on this date in 1955. She has won awards and legions of followers under three names – her own, andas Caitlin Brennan and Kathleen Bryan.
She was aWorld Fantasy Award and Locus Award nominee for her Alexander the Great novel, Lord of theTwo Lands, and won the Crawford Award for The Isle of Glass in her Hound and the Falcon trilogy.As Brennan she wrote The Mountain’s Call and sequels, and as Bryan TheSerpent and the Rose and its sequels.
Tarr raises Lippizan horses at her Dancing Horse Farmin Arizona. The romantic fantasies that she writes as Brennan have featured "dancing horses" modeled on those that she raises.
"I like going back in time and writing historical fantasty," she said. "I use some real historical
characters as a background to give depth tothe fantasy. And I throw my fictional characters into
the midst of this, and,so far, it has turned out interesting.”
January 29, 2024
'Creating sunshine is the artist's business'
“It is the artist's business tocreate sunshine when the sun fails. Hewho has a sun in himself won’t seek for it somewhere else.” – Romain Rolland
Nobel Prize-winner Rolland was born in France on this date in 1866. He wrote across the spectrum producing award-winning works as a novelist, essayist, art historian and dramatist, producing works for the stage that could be seen by "ordinary" people. He was an early leader in making theater productions accessible to all and not just reserved for the rich and famous.
His friend Sigmund Freud said he wasprofoundly influenced by Rolland’s views and a great admirer of Rolland’sepic (10-volume) novel Jean-Christophe, written over an 8-year period and setting the stage for his Nobel Prize, which he earned in 1915.
“Discussionis impossible with someone who claims not to seek the truth but already topossess it,” Rolland once noted.
“Skepticism, riddling the faith of yesterday, prepares the way for thefaith of tomorrow.”
A Writer's Moment: 'Creating sunshine is the artist's business'
January 27, 2024
'Something magical happened'
“Tofeel most beautifully alive means to be reading something beautiful, readyalways to apprehend in the flow of language the sudden flash of poetry.”– John Albert Holmes
Born in January, 1904 Holmes wasa poet, critic, and teacher – the profession he cherished as a 30-yearprofessor at Massachusetts’ prestigious Tufts University. There, he taught both literature and poetry,greatly admired by students and fellow faculty members. "When hetaught," wrote Jerome Barron, "something magical happened. He madeyou want to write and understand poetry. He didn't lecture; heencouraged."
His wrote 10 volumes of poetry and abook on writing poetry. His final book, The Fortune Teller, came out shortlybefore his sudden death in 1962. ForSaturday’s Poem, here is Holmes’,
Noon Waking
All that long April morning whileyou slept
The poplar trees were dripping inthe rain.
The room’s cool indoor darknesskindly kept
The quick dreams hurrying throughyour brain.
Lying so late asleep, you could notsay
When the slow rainy wind began tostir,
Or when I rose in the dark and wentaway,
Or what the last three words Iwhispered were.
The flight of stumbling dream brokeand stopped going –
You half sat up in bed to blink andlisten.
You heard, like me, the wind in grayskies blowing,
And saw the three tall poplars dripand glisten.
Faron the rutted road when you awoke,
Iheard, I heard, the shattered words you spoke.
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