Writehandedgirl

Philosophical consolations

writehandedgirl — Mon, 16 May 2011 06:32:05 +0000

Currently reading:

The Penguin Book of contemporary New Zealand short stories, and Alain de Botton’s The Consolations of Philosophy. It discusses famous philosophical thoughts in relation to modern concerns. The chapter I’m reading at the moment applies Epicurean ideas to the issue of “not having enough money.” Epicurus believed we need only friends, freedom, and thought to be happy, and encouraged the pursuit of pleasure in these things rather than gaining material wealth. Nice idea, but for a shopping addict like me, perhaps a little difficult to put into practice. Maybe I can shop with friends?

Epiphanies

writehandedgirl — Sat, 23 Apr 2011 04:16:46 +0000

Making good progress through Are Angels OK? Turns out, the title was a question that the writer Bill Manhire asked the scientist Paul Callaghan when they were working on the book. Manhire wanted to know how the scientists would react if the writers took their theories and went off the rails with them. How far out were the writers allowed to be? Where are the boundaries? asked Manhire. “For example, are angels OK?” Callaghan answered: “Angels are just fine.”

(It’s kind of interesting, that conversation, because personally I think scientists have some pretty fucking far out ideas as it is, and I’m really not sure us writers could come up with anything to shock them).

My friend and I play Poetry Ping Pong, which is a writing game where you take turns to choose a topic, and you both write something inspired by that starting point. Our latest topic was epiphanies. Influenced by Are Angels OK, I wanted to write something about the similar “eureka!” moments shared by writers and scientists.

Instead, I ended up writing this poem, which is about failure, more than anything, and the effect of high expectations.

Let me know what you think.

Inspired by dead poets

writehandedgirl — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 07:43:17 +0000

Also, wrote a poem inspired by the epitaphs of Virginia Woolf, F Scott Fitzgerald, Oscar Wilde, Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, and some word by Byron and a dead linguist/accentologist. Feedback welcome.

Where the apple reddens

writehandedgirl — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 04:37:15 +0000

Alllmost finished Vincent O’Sullovan’s Let The River Stand. I still think it’s a masterpiece but it has all gone a bit odd, or maybe I’m just not educated enough to understand all the allusions. Anyway, it lost me for a bit, and now the main character is at war in Spain, which I knew was going to happen, but I’m disappointed. I’m not a fan of war stories and the politics too often escape me. I was kind of hoping he’d be a conscientious objector or something. Still, I learned where “Where the apple reddens, never pry” comes from, which thrilled me quite a lot, even though I’m not really into Romantic poetry. It’s about curiosity killing the cat I guess, from Robert Brownings’ A Woman’s Last Word.

Where the apple reddens
Never pry—
Lest we lose our Edens,
Eve and I.

I’ve been interspersing O’Sullivan with chapters from Twenty Contemporary New Zealand Writers, and today I scored Are Angels OK? The parallel universe of New Zealand writers and scientists (edited by Bill Manhire and Paul Callaghan) from Ferrit on Cuba St, so I guess that’s next on the list.

Back to studying – current topic: How to make your endings Not Suck.

Vincent O’Sullivan

writehandedgirl — Sat, 09 Apr 2011 02:06:05 +0000

Reading Vincent O’Sullivan’s Let the River Stand and loving every word. It’s amazing the intensity he can inject into everyday scenes. He focuses right down on the smallest details; the sound of teeth; the white dent a wire fence leaves pressed into someone’s palm, the colours inside their wrist. His writing is polished yet somehow so raw.

I was luck enough to hear him read some of his poetry recently. Some it is really elegant, some of it is just as raw. Blame Vermeer is one his more famous poems (and the title of one of his anthologies) which has been reproduced quite a bit, but actually it doesn’t move me that much. I like his darker,naughty, more raw stuff, like Small Talk:

The problem with ‘total freedom’ is to note

in the reeking pragmatism of this or that o’clock

on a corner and weather we know exactly,

how an adjective turns on a noun like a psycho

with a blow torch, and the noun, with surer

footing, has its chain saw on full rev.

The colour of blood too is a question of grammar.

Skeletons, cats, and ravens

writehandedgirl — Sun, 03 Apr 2011 01:35:50 +0000

Finished reading Essential New Zealand Poems, and The Cat’s Whiskers. Currently working my way through the first three editions of the local literary journal Hue and Cry.

Very excited about starting my next anthology: Twenty Contemporary New Zealand Poets (VUP)

Also, developing a minor obsession with Edgar Allan Poe. Poetic tribute here.

Key bone and cats

writehandedgirl — Sat, 26 Mar 2011 23:07:22 +0000

I was reading some more of the short story/poetry book B gave me last night; New Zealand writers on cats. Some of the poems are totally beautiful, I especially like Emma Neale’s – I must buy a copy of Spark (her poetry collection). Most of the stories made me feel sad though, ending as they do with the inevitable death of the feline companion. It reminds of me of the devastation I felt when Cleo died and I have to try hard not to scoop Carina up and hug her til she pops.

I’m at B’s Aunt’s place in Raumati for the weekend. It’s a literary household and Gill runs the poetry cafe in Raumati South every fourth Sunday. That’s where we’re going this afternoon. I’m thinking about getting up and reading but my courage may fail me yet.

I’ve finally finished Key Bone – my short story for school. I clocked 3200 words, thank god (it has to be 3000 minimum). On to the next assignment I guess.

Written four new poems this weekend, three of which are unsuitable for public consumption just yet. The fourth is here.

Know desire

writehandedgirl — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 06:49:47 +0000

I’ve been reading a lot about the writing process lately, mainly from my lecture notes for school, but also some local essays. There’s a few things that most people agree on – to produce anything readable, you must:

- Have discipline. Writing something at all is hard work. Writing something good means editing and commitment and more editing, and making myself not get up for another coffee every ten minutes. It means sticking to it, even on days when I’m certain I am terrible and I am never going to get anywhere

- Know desire. This means feeling your own passion and yearning to be a writer, to be a better writer, to write ALL THE TIME. It also means knowing what your characters want. If you don’t know their desires and needs and hopes and dreams, how can you write them? If you’re stuck, just ask them. So… what do you want?

- Don’t be driven by ideas or theme. Don’t try to twist your characters into saying things they wouldn’t say, or put them in situations they wouldn’t get into, just to express an idea. Follow them, they know where they are going better than you do.

- Have curiosity. Be driven by discovery. If you are surprised by revelations as you write, so will your readers.

There’s a lot more about authorial voice and being honest and ambiguity and subjectivity and plot and language. I’m trying to keep it all in mind as I write.

200 words to go on my short story for school

And some new poems.

More words pls

writehandedgirl — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 04:57:25 +0000

Despite being bedridden for days, I’ve managed to make minor progress with my short story for school. 2,700 words. I need at least 3,000. Tell me, what do girls talk about with boys in bars late at night? On second thought, don’t answer that. This is not that kind of story. I need more conversation! For someone who can talk til her mouth runs dry, why can’t I write authentic conversation?

I’ve read half of the Essential Short Stories book. The Vincent O’Sullivan is still my favourite, but there’s also a fantastic one in there by Sarah Quigley, and also Katherine Mansfield’s classic The Doll House.

Posted some new poems at sundayscars.wordpress.com. At least I rarely struggle with those.

The Black Devil

writehandedgirl — Sat, 12 Mar 2011 03:45:23 +0000

As I said in my previous post, most of my current reading is really “research” – both for school and in terms of trying to improve my own writing. I’m reading a lot of New Zealand fiction, mostly short stories and poetry, and some non-fiction essays about writing and authors.

Currently I’m working my way through two short story collections: Essential New Zealand Short Stories (selected by Owen Marshall), and the Cat’s Whiskers – New Zealand Writers on Cats. Barnaby gave me the second one, it has that famous letter on the front from Francis Hodkins to her sister, with the illustration of her cat called the Black Devil.

It’s a mixture of poetry and short stories, which is good for my current erratic attention span.

My favourite one in the Essential book so far is by Vincent O’Sullivan, whom I heard read recently at a National Library event. Fuck he’s good. When he ambled up to the podium I expected his work and his speaking to equally elderly and dry. But he’s witty, sharp, and entertaining as hell. In Putting Bob Down, he narrates from a dead man’s perspective, watching from the grave as his two mistresses continue their lives together without him. It’s eerie and poignant, and pretty damn funny actually. A new hero?

Still struggling with my own short story for school, but I got some writing done today, at least. Hurrah.