Dan Jorgensen's Blog, page 64

'Like an endless film'

 

“Ithink of something quite different from a snapshot. I know of a lot of poems,some very fine ones, that are like snapshots, but I'm more interested in poetrythat is like an endless film, long stories, things that weave together manydifferent strands, like a big piece of cloth, not like a photograph.” –Robert Bringhurst 

 

Born in Los Angeles on Oct. 16, 1946Bringhurst makes his home in Canada where he has authored 23 books of poetryand 20 books of prose, including the definitive The Elements of TypographicStyle.   His most recent works are2023’s This Wisp of a Thing Called Civilization and a collection ofpoetry The Ridge.  For Saturday’s Poem, here is Bringhurst’s,

 

                                    These Poems, She Said

 

    These poems, these poems,
    these poems, she said, are poems
    with no love in them. These are the poems of a man
    who would leave his wife and child because
    they made noise in his study. These are the poems
    of a man who would murder his mother to claim
    the inheritance. These are the poems of a man
    like Plato, she said, meaning something I did not
    comprehend but which nevertheless
    offended me. These are the poems of a man
    who would rather sleep with himself than with women,
    she said. These are the poems of a man
    with eyes like a drawknife, with hands like a pickpocket's
    hands, woven of water and logic
    and hunger, with no strand of love in them. These
    poems are as heartless as birdsong, as unmeant
    as elm leaves, which if they love love only
    the wide blue sky and the air and the idea
    of elm leaves. Self-love is an ending, she said,
    and not a beginning. Love means love
    of the thing sung, not of the song or the singing.
    These poems, she said....
    You are, he said,
    beautiful.
    That is not love, she said rightly.

@font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}

A Writer's Moment: 'Like an endless film'

A Writer's Moment: 'Like an endless film':   “ I think of something quite different from a snapshot. I know of a lot of poems, some very fine ones, that are like sn...

A Writer's Moment: 'Gathering pieces of lives, past and present'

A Writer's Moment: 'Gathering pieces of lives, past and present':   “One curious thing about growing up is that you don't only move forward in time; you move backwards as well, as pie...

'Gathering pieces of lives, past and present'

 

“Onecurious thing about growing up is that you don't only move forward in time; youmove backwards as well, as pieces of your parents' and grandparents' lives cometo you.” – Philip Pullman

Born in Norwich, England on Oct. 19,1946 Pullman is perhaps most noted for the fantasytrilogy His Dark Materials and his fictionalized biography of Jesus, TheGood Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ. His most recent book is 2022’s TheImagination Chamber, a companion to HisDark Materials. 

 

Pullman was a teacher when his firstbook The Haunted Storm was published in 1972.  It was an instant hit, winning him the NewEnglish Library's Young Writer's Award.

  

Since then he's published more than 30 books, won Sweden’s “Astrid LindgrenMemorial Award” for career contributions to children's and young adultliterature, and been a two-time finalist for the Hans Christian Andersen Medal- given biennially to the best writer of fiction for children and young adults.  And TheTimes of London has ranked Pullman one of the "50 greatest British writerssince 1945."

 

Pullman’s advice to beginningwriters is simple – write 3 pages a day.  “If you can't think of what towrite, tough luck; write anyway,” he said. “If you can think of lots more when you've finished three pages, don'twrite it; it'll be that much easier to get going next day.”

@font-face {font-family:Times; panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}@font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}

Having that 'special kind of urgency'

 

“The books I like to read the most feel likethey've been written by somebody who had to write them or go crazy. They had toget them out of their heads. I like that kind of urgency.” – Patrick Ness

Bornin Virginia on this date in 1971, Ness is a British-American (dual citizenship)author, journalist, lecturer, and screenwriter. He is best known for his Young Adult books, particularly the Chaos Walking trilogy, also made into a2021 movie that he co-wrote. 

 

Aone-time creative fiction teacher, corporate writer and magazine featurewriter, he started writing YA fiction in 2008. His first YA novel The Knife of Never Letting Go earned aGuardian Children's Fiction Prize and numerous other awards.  

 

He’scontinued his YA writing successes – his most recent book is Burn – while also become a leading bookreviewer for many of England’s top magazines and newspapers. “It's fun beingpaid to read stuff and air your opinion about it,” he said.  “Pretty much a dream job for a writer.”

 

Asfor his own writing philosophy, Ness said, “If you sing beautifully about nothing, noone will listen. If you sing badly about great stuff, no one will listen. Ideasare everywhere, but my theory is that a writer doesn't just think of an idea:they perform them.”

@font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}@font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0; mso-font-charset:128; mso-generic-font-family:roman; mso-font-format:other; mso-font-pitch:fixed; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}@font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}

A Writer's Moment: Having that 'special kind of urgency'

A Writer's Moment: Having that 'special kind of urgency':   “ The books I like to read the most feel like they've been written by somebody who had to write them or go crazy. T...

'The expression of ideas'

 

“Languageis the expression of ideas, and if the people of one country cannot preserve anidentity of ideas they cannot retain an identity of language.”– Noah Webster

 

Born in Hartford, CT on this date in1758 Webster published a book in 1828 that would change America, if not the world.  Buthis American Dictionary of the EnglishLanguage, with 70,000 “American English” words, was not met with unbridledenthusiasm.

 

Many Conservatives said it was “tooradical, bordering on vulgar” while Liberals said it was “too conservative in nature.”But Webster said the American people were craving a book like his and he wasright.  He self-published 100 thousand copies (a huge endeavor for thetime), priced it at 15 cents and took it to everyday people looking for apublication that would “capture the language of a new nation.”  It took the country by storm and sold out in justa few months.

 

 

Despite a partnership with George andCharles Merriam for subsequent versions (creating the Merriam-WebsterDictionaries), Webster’s name became synonymous with the “American language”dictionary.  From the poet Emily Dickinsonto schoolchildren across the country having a “Webster’s” was essential towriting success.

 

“Every child,” Webster said, “. . .should read books that furnish him with ideas that will be useful to him inlife, practice (and) understanding the history of his own country.”

@font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}

A Writer's Moment: 'The expression of ideas'

A Writer's Moment: 'The expression of ideas':   “Language is the expression of ideas, and if the people of one country cannot preserve an identity of ideas they cannot...

'Five hundred words a day'

 

“Anearly editor characterized my books as 'romantic comedy for intelligentadults.' I think people see them as funny but kind. I don't set out to writeeither funny or kind, but it's a voice they like, quirky like me... And youknow, people like happy endings.” – Elinor Lipman

  

Born in Massachusetts on Oct. 16,1950 Lipman studied journalism at Simmons College and began her writing careeras a college intern with the Lowell (MA) Sun.   Right out of college she was hired to dopress releases for Boston television station WGBH, a job she held throughoutthe 1970s before turning to a creative writing career, starting with shortstories.

 

She started writing novels in the1990s and has written 14 to go along with two nonfiction books and a shortstory collection.   Her first novel, Then She Found Me, was also made into asuccessful movie in 2008.  Her mostrecent best seller is 2023’s Ms. Demeanor,a finalist for the “Thurgood Prize for American Humor.”  

 

Known for her wit and “societalobservations,” Lipman’s writing advice is simple:  “Five hundred words a day is what I aim for.And I don't go on to the next chapter until I've polished and polished andpolished the one I'm working on.” 

@font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}@font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}@font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;}p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}.MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ 明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}

A Writer's Moment: 'Five hundred words a day'

A Writer's Moment: 'Five hundred words a day':   “An early editor characterized my books as 'romantic comedy for intelligent adults.' I think people see them as...