Dan Jorgensen's Blog, page 134

'First images, then words'

“Lifeis never easy for those who dream.” – Robert James Waller
Born on this date in 1939, Waller isbest known for The Bridges of Madison County, an enormously successfulbook, movie and Broadwaymusical (more than 60 million copies of the book alone are in print). I visitedMadison County and while the bridges are cool, I wasequally impressed by the Madison County Courthouse in Winterset, thebirthplace of John Wayne. So, I tookphotos of the courthouase and his home instead.

Waller, who died in Texas in 2017, didn't become a writer until later in life. He was first enamored by business – thesubject for both his Ph.D. and teaching and leadership positions at his almamater, The University of Northern Iowa.

Also a photographer and musician, he took a break from teaching in the early 1990s to do some photography of Madison County's covered bridges. Having earlier written a song about a woman named Francesca, he had the inspiration to put Francesca and a visiting photogapher into a story in that setting and wrote his famous book in just two weeks. Later, he wrote more songs called “The Balladsof Madison County" and several more successful novels.
While critics didn’t much like Bridges, the public loved it and Waller's vivid descriptions. "First, I think, you must have the images," Waller said, "and then come the words."

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Published on August 01, 2023 06:26

A Writer's Moment: 'First images, then words'

A Writer's Moment: 'First images, then words': “Life is never easy for those who dream.” – Robert James Waller Born on this date in 1939, Waller is best known for The Bridge...

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Published on August 01, 2023 06:26

'It's a gorgeous struggle'

“Mycure for writer's block is to step away from the thing I'm stuck on, usually anovel, and write something totally different. Besides fiction, I write poetry,screenplays, essays and journalism. It's usually not the writing itself thatI'm stuck on, but the thing I'm trying to write. So I often have four or fivethings going at once.” – Jess Walter

Born in July, 1965 Walter is the Spokane,Wash.-based author of 7 novels, 2 collections of short stories, a non-fictionbook, and myriad essays and short stories. To date, his works have been translated into 32 languages.

His award-winning Beautiful Ruins has an interestingpremise. It revolves around the peoplewho surround or interact with Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton during thefilming of the 1963 blockbuster film Cleopatra. And, of course, everything fits intothe “What If?” category.

Afrequent guest speaker, he says his best advice for new writersis to “just do it and don’t worry,” noting that he wrote for 7 years and made atotal of $25 before finally breaking through.

“Forget being 'discovered.' All youcan do is write. If youwrite well enough, and are stubborn enough to embrace failure, and if youhappen to fall into the narrow categories that the book market recognizes, thenyou might make a little money. Otherwise, it's a struggle. (But)A gorgeous struggle.”

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Published on July 31, 2023 06:34

A Writer's Moment: 'It's a gorgeous struggle'

A Writer's Moment: 'It's a gorgeous struggle': “My cure for writer's block is to step away from the thing I'm stuck on, usually a novel, and write something ...

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Published on July 31, 2023 06:34

A Writer's Moment: 'Becoming visible, bit by bit'

A Writer's Moment: 'Becoming visible, bit by bit': “Something happens between a novel and its reader which is similar to the process of developing photographs, the way t...

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Published on July 30, 2023 06:17

'Becoming visible, bit by bit'

“Somethinghappens between a novel and its reader which is similar to the process ofdeveloping photographs, the way they did it before the digital age. The photograph, as it was printed in thedarkroom, became visible bit by bit. Asyou read your way through a novel, the same chemical process takes place.”– Patrick Modiano

French novelist and 2014 Nobel Prizein Literature winner Modiano was born on this date in 1945. His analogy of the development of the novel“before our eyes” is a remarkable one that also gives us a bit of a look intohis writing style. He lets the pictureslowly unfold, sometimes leaving us startled, sometimes satisfied, sometimesangry, but always interested in what’s coming next.

His novels delve into the puzzle ofidentity in ways seldom seen. And, hetackles a time in France – the German occupation during World War II – thatevokes both heroism and shame depending on whose point of view his tale isbeing told.

In addition to the Nobel, Mondiano has been honored with every major Europeanand French writing award including one for his life’s body of work. He said he writes a few hours every day.

“The more things remain obscure andmysterious,” Modiano said, “the more they interest me. I even try to find mystery in things thathave none.”

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Published on July 30, 2023 06:16

Thoughts from poets about poetry

Usually on Saturday I share a“Saturday’s Poem." But today, as we start the trek toward summer’s end, I share, instead, a fewquotes from poets who were born in the monthof July. For enjoyable hours of reading, I highly recommend each of these great poets' writings.

***“I like poems you can tack all overwith a hammer and there are no hollow places.” – John Ashbery
***

“The poetry of a people comes fromthe deep recesses of the unconscious, the irrational and the collective body ofour ancestral memories.” – MargaretWalker

***
“Nobody, I think, ought to readpoetry, or look at pictures or statues, who cannot find a great deal more inthem than the poet or artist has actually expressed. Their highest merit issuggestiveness.” – Nathaniel Hawthorne

***
“Poetry is above all a concentrationof the power of language, which is the power of our ultimate relationship toeverything in the universe.” – AdrienneRich
***Here's hoping your summer days arefilled with poetic images that enhance your world.

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Published on July 29, 2023 06:00

A Writer's Moment: Thoughts from poets about poetry

A Writer's Moment: Thoughts from poets about poetry: Usually on Saturday I share a “Saturday’s Poem. " But today, as we start the trek toward summer’s end, I share, instead, a few quot...

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Published on July 29, 2023 06:00

'Willing to leap into blackness'

Part ofwriting a novel is being willing to leap into the blackness. You have verylittle idea, really, of what's going to happen. You have a broad sense, maybe,but it's this rash leap. – Chang-Rae Lee
Born in Korea on this date in1965, Lee emigrated to the U.S. with his family and has used the Korean immigrantexperience as the primary focus for his award-winning writing and teaching about creative writing at Stanford. In his teaching hestresses that students should be aware of the broad spectrum of writing styles. “I'll offer them stories from AntonChekhov to Denis Johnson, from Flannery O'Connor to A.M. Homes, and perhapsinvestigating all that strange variation of beauty has rubbed off on me. Orperhaps that's why I enjoy teaching literature,” he said.
Lee's novel NativeSpeaker won numerous awards, including theprestigious Hemingway Foundation/PEN Award. The novel centers around a KoreanAmerican industrial spy and explores themes of alienation and betrayal as feltor perpetrated by immigrants and first-generation citizens, something he’srepeated in other works.
Often, he said, he isn’t sure wherehe’s headed when he starts, but that’s not a bad thing. Asfor the most challenging aspect of teaching, he said it's convincingyounger writers of the importance of reading widely and passionately.
[image error]Chang-Rae Lee
“Ioften think that the prime directive for me as a teacher of writing is akin tothat for a physician, which is this: do no harm.”

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Published on July 28, 2023 06:42

A Writer's Moment: 'Willing to leap into blackness'

A Writer's Moment: 'Willing to leap into blackness': Part of writing a novel is being willing to leap into the blackness. You have very little idea, really, of what's going to happen. Yo...

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Published on July 28, 2023 06:42

Dan Jorgensen's Blog, page 134

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