Dan Jorgensen's Blog, page 50

A Writer's Moment: 'And now, let there be dance'

A Writer's Moment: 'And now, let there be dance':   "All the ills of mankind, all the tragic misfortunes that fill the history books, all the political blunders, all the failures of the...

'The work of a generation'

 

“If there is a special ‘Hell’ forwriters it would probably be the forced contemplation of their own works.” – John Dos Passos

 

Born in Chicago on this date in 1896,Dos Passos’ mark on literature came primarily through writing about issues of socialjustice. 

 

Well-educated (private schools anda university degree from Harvard) and well-traveled, he visited Europe and theMiddle East to study literature, art and architecture, experiences he balancedagainst time serving as an ambulance driver during World War I.  Both experiences, he said, shaped his viewsand his writings about “fairness and justice.” 

 

Both a gifted writer and artist (hedid covers for Life magazine, for example) he is best knownfor his USA Trilogy, which consists of The 42nd Parallel, 1919,and The Big Money – a trio of novels that has been rated inthe top 25 of The 100 Best English Language novels of the 20th Century.  He became part of the so-called “LostGeneration” of American writers living in Paris in the 1920s, his friendshipswith Ernest Hemingway, Gertrude Stein and F. Scott Fitzgerald also having aninfluence on his writings.

 

Near the end of his long life – hedied at age 84 in 1970 – Dos Passos reflected on his life’s work and said: “Thecreation of a world view is the work of a generation rather than of anindividual, but we, each of us, for better or worse, add our brick to theedifice.”

A Writer's Moment: 'The work of a generation'

A Writer's Moment: 'The work of a generation':   “If there is a special ‘Hell’ for writers it would probably be the forced contemplation of their own works.”  – John Dos Passos   Born...

A Writer's Moment: It's 'the things that arise spontaneously'

A Writer's Moment: It's 'the things that arise spontaneously':   “I envy those writers who outline their novels, who know where they’re going, but I find writing is a process of discovery.” – Jay McIner...

It's 'the things that arise spontaneously'

 

“I envy those writers who outlinetheir novels, who know where they’re going, but I find writing is a process ofdiscovery.” – JayMcInerney

 

Born in Hartford, CT on this datein 1955, John Barrett “Jay” McInerney is author of 7 novels, led by theaward-winning Bright Lights, Big City (also made into a successfulmovie).  He also is the author of 3nonfiction books and 2 collections of short stories.  The first of those, How It Ended: Newand Collected Stories, has earned accolades as one of the best books ofshort stories by an American writer in the past 20 years.  

 

Friends with a number of otherfamous writers, he holds the interesting distinction of having one of hischaracters – Alison Poole – taken from his novel Story of My Life and used as a regular character in the writings of Bret Easton Ellis, includingin Easton’s award-winning book and movie American Psycho, of whichMcInerney said he is a big fan. 

 

As for his own writings,  McInerney noted:“The most interesting things that happen in my books are usually the thingsthat arise spontaneously; the things that surprise me.”

'A surprising visitor'

 

“Inspiration is always a surprisingvisitor.” –John O’Donohue

 

Born in Ireland on Jan. 14, 1956O’Donohue was a poet, author and philosopher.  Both an author and much sought-after speaker and teacher, he devotedmuch of his energy to environmental activism before dying suddenly (andunexplainedly) in 2008.   “I would love to live like a river flows,”he said. “Carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.”

 

 For Saturday’s Poem, here isO’Donohue’s,

 

                                                YourSoul Knows

                                                 Your soul knows

                                                 the geography of

                                                 your destiny.  Your

                                                 soul alone has the

                                                 map of your future,

                                                 therefore you can

                                                 trust this

                                                 indirect, oblique

                                                 side of yourself.  If

                                                 you do, it will

                                                 take you where you

                                                 need to go, but

                                                 more important

                                                 it will teach you a

                                                 kindness of rhythm

                                                 in your journey.

A Writer's Moment: 'A surprising visitor'

A Writer's Moment: 'A surprising visitor':   “Inspiration is always a surprising visitor.”  – John O’Donohue   Born in Ireland on Jan. 14, 1956 O’Donohue was a poet, author and ph...

Double Effort; Double Reward

 

“I like to do the research ofhistory and the creativity of writing fiction. I am creating this thing which Ithink is twice as difficult as writing either history or fiction.” – Philippa Gregory
 

Born in England in January of 1954,Gregory is best known for her award-winning novels (and cinematic pieces) TheOther Boleyn Girl and The White Queen.   Shehas a Ph.D. in 18th Century literature but has written bothstand-alone and series of novels set in several different historical periods.  But she also writes nonfiction and plays –her most recent being 2023’s nonfiction book Normal Women – 900 Years ofMaking History, and 2024’s play Richard, My Richard, based onRichard III.

 

A frequent contributor to magazinesand newspapers with her short stories, features and reviews, Gregory also hasbeen a regular on the BBC.  But it is in historical fiction that shehas immersed herself.

 

“I love reading and I lovethinking,” she said.  “The reason that I love my books so much isthat in order to write them I have to read and to think for years at a timeabout the same period of time.”

A Writer's Moment: 'Go and write a book'

A Writer's Moment: 'Go and write a book':   “I hate politics. I like to write about it, but to get involved in it, to try and make a lot of ignorant people do what you want them to d...

'Go and write a book'

 

“I hate politics. I like to writeabout it, but to get involved in it, to try and make a lot of ignorant peopledo what you want them to do, waste of time. Go and write a book. It's moreimportant and it'll last longer.” –Wilbur Smith

 

Born in northern Rhodesia (nowZambia) on this date in 1933, Smith was the son of a metal worker turnedrancher.  He grew up on that ranch thenworked as a police officer and accountant before turning to his real love –writing.  After being rejected multiple times, he finally brokethrough with When The Lion Feeds, leading to a spectacular writingcareer that produced 5 dozen novels.

 

He followed his initial book withthree long series about the South African experience, all bestsellers.  Then he wrote a series of historical novelsset in Ancient Egypt, the last three co-authored with Mark Chadbourn andreleased after his death in 2021.  Thatseries started with 1993’s River God and ended with 2023’s Testament. Many of his books also have been made into popular movies.   

 

His advice to new writers wassimple: “Write for yourself, not for a perceived audience . . . because it'simpossible to judge what people want.   Andyou have to read. That's how you learn what is good writing and what is bad.Then the main thing is application. It's hard work.”