Ted Kooser, the poet laureate of the US was a guest on a radio show that I listened to last week and said, “all art is learned through emulation". I would guess that is largely true. Largely.
I’ve finished listening to the following audiotapes:
The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw
The Old Forest by Peter Taylor
The Scout by Harry Combs
By listening to the audio books I pick up pointers as to the different styles, writers and narrators both, use to tell a story. When they are one and the same, it's special.The down side in listening is that I don't learn proper punctuation. I’ll put that on my “to do” list but there are things on this list undone that date back to the early seventies, maybe even earlier.
I also heard during a different show that same day that “the analogy was dead". I stood there for a moment,turned my head a little and with my mouth slightly agape mouthed in silence those very words and then punctuated with a Bronx cheer, proper or not.
This desire I have to learn to write has been propagated by my wish to emulate the musicians,artists and the writers who have influenced me with the power of the written word. It's part and parcel of the person I am today. Writing well is not easy but since failure is not a pressing issue for me and whereas failing to try is, I am opting to try.
So, I am an apprentice again and that suits me real well because this time I am in control of both aspects of the training. The Cosmos and Poemster blogs are places where I can play and be creative. As I reach equilibrium, little downside I find. Your feedback has been kind and I thank you. It really helps. I’ve taken to referring to what I do as “righting” instead of writing because of the cathartic effect it has had for me. My being a “hands on” and do-it-yourself type may finally pay dividends and I'm not referring to money. I believe that “trickle down” is best employed when it applies to people and the goodness they hold within.
I know that a strong point of mine is not organization and writing has helped me examine and lend order to some of the experiences I have had along the way. I know now that my life has been and continues to be a series of short excursions rather than one long journey. A long journey can be a tedious affair and my life does not remotely resemble hardship of any kind.
And my latest trek, this one right here, has just gotten underway.
I’ve finished listening to the following audiotapes:
The Greatest Generation by Tom Brokaw
The Old Forest by Peter Taylor
The Scout by Harry Combs
By listening to the audio books I pick up pointers as to the different styles, writers and narrators both, use to tell a story. When they are one and the same, it's special.The down side in listening is that I don't learn proper punctuation. I’ll put that on my “to do” list but there are things on this list undone that date back to the early seventies, maybe even earlier.
I also heard during a different show that same day that “the analogy was dead". I stood there for a moment,turned my head a little and with my mouth slightly agape mouthed in silence those very words and then punctuated with a Bronx cheer, proper or not.
This desire I have to learn to write has been propagated by my wish to emulate the musicians,artists and the writers who have influenced me with the power of the written word. It's part and parcel of the person I am today. Writing well is not easy but since failure is not a pressing issue for me and whereas failing to try is, I am opting to try.
So, I am an apprentice again and that suits me real well because this time I am in control of both aspects of the training. The Cosmos and Poemster blogs are places where I can play and be creative. As I reach equilibrium, little downside I find. Your feedback has been kind and I thank you. It really helps. I’ve taken to referring to what I do as “righting” instead of writing because of the cathartic effect it has had for me. My being a “hands on” and do-it-yourself type may finally pay dividends and I'm not referring to money. I believe that “trickle down” is best employed when it applies to people and the goodness they hold within.
I know that a strong point of mine is not organization and writing has helped me examine and lend order to some of the experiences I have had along the way. I know now that my life has been and continues to be a series of short excursions rather than one long journey. A long journey can be a tedious affair and my life does not remotely resemble hardship of any kind.
And my latest trek, this one right here, has just gotten underway.
3 Comments:
Oh yeah! And the outcome will be well worth the time and effort! 2 thumbs up, hats off, and one rainbow leap after another my good man!
Adventures are the stepping stone to many a man's triumph!...PSMurphy
and yepper good sir, you did tell me Maynard is what they have called you, but in mine you are Rob, the Rhino...and you are usually captain of games, etc. ;-)
But that is yet to come!!
;)
Thanks so much Inky for the kind words. I've learned so much from some of the people I've met along the way and I'll never forget them. I do want to put into the stories as much as I've gotten out of knowing these people.
Rob
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