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If one takes Woolf’s statement only in the literal (material sense) then I would have to disagree. JK Rowling would probably also disagree–she certainly didn’t have money or a room to herself when she began writing the Harry Potter books! (Nor do I think she is the exception which proves the rule.) Writing is one of few arts which doesn’t really require investment–in terms of expensive materials. A pen, paper, and your imagination are the minimum requirements. What seems more relevant to me are the issues of time and places to write. What is your investment in these areas? Is writing a priority for you? Or is it at the very bottom of your “to do” list? After you’ve taken care of everything else? If this is your situation then money and a room of your own won’t change anything. It won’t make you a writer (or any other kind of artist). So, for me, the important questions are: if I want to write, do I give myself priority time in which to write? (Even as little as half an hour can work.) Then do I have a place to write–as free from interruptions as possible? Beyond a degree of quiet, I don’t have many requirements about place. I write indoors and outdoors, at tables, on the couch, etc. In the evening, during the afternoon, whatever fits my schedule or an unannounced visit from the Muse. Writing has a flexibilty & portability that many other arts do not have. I don’t have fantasies about “the perfect writer’s room” or “what I would do if only I had the money”. I’m too busy doing the writing I want to be doing! However, there are special places I like to write, and the photo below shows one of them.
(Click for larger image. Photo by Cheshire D.)
This is a place in the park near my house. I visit as often as possible. To write or just to sit and think or day dream. “Writing time” includes periods of not writing–so that ideas can percolate and gather strength. I’ve discovered that rivers and waterfalls are good environments for me as a writer. What about you? Oceans? Lakes? What natural places inspire your Muse?
I was re-reading Order of the Phoenix and Half-Blood Prince in preparation for reading the last Harry Potter book when a line from an old song came to mind (and would not go away). I just had to do it–write my first Harry Potter filk. And so, in honor of JK Rowling Day, here’s something to sing as you read Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows:
HOGWARTS (aka, Harry’s Lament)
(tune of “Houston”)
Well, it’s lonesome in this here town.
Everybody puts me down.
I’m the boy they love to hate.
I’m less than second rate.
Goin’ back to Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts.
I got holes in both of my shoes.**
Well, I’m a walking case of the blues.
Saw an owl yesterday
but the wind blew it away.
Goin’ back to Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts.
Every night I have menacing dreams*
evil echoes of Voldemort’s schemes.
C. Diggory’s death I see,
will it always haunt me?
Goin’ back to Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts.
(Harmonica solo)
Goin’ back to Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts.
The only place where I have true friends.
Playin’ quidditch til the school year ends.
It’s my home, with a big warm bed
and a feather pillow for my head.
Goin’ back to Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts.
Well, it’s lonesome in this here town.
Everybody puts me down.
I’m the boy they love to hate.
I’m less than second rate.
Goin’ back to Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts.
Goin’ back to Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hogwarts.
(2007; by DJ)
(Houston: performed by Dean Martin & lyrics by Lee Hazelwood)
* page 15 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
** page 1 of Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix
Or this is what I did on Friday the 13th!
Cheshire is away on the Lemurian tour so I decided to come to the Tavern tonight and have a good time! (And all this was accomplished without one drop of sangria, Lori!) Tonight’s performance includes the premiere of two new filksongs (Who #1 and Who #2) and the obligatory links for additional info. (I.E. anyone thinking what?? er-Who??) Those people may or may not want to read “Oh, Who Is That Doctor In The TARDIS?” (My fourth post.) So, sit back, relax, sing along if you know the tune, and don’t forget to order the Pan-Galactic Gargleblaster special. Three sips of this and you’re in an alternate universe. Guaranteed.
D. Quixote Jones (aka the infamous RB)
For anyone not familiar with the British science fiction show called Dr Who, the following webpages will provide helpful information.
GENERAL DR WHO INFO
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_Who
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Doctor_%28Doctor_Who%29
THE CURRENT DR WHO
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tenth_Doctor
(Sorry, you may have to cut/paste the links. I didn’t see the links become active when I posted this.)
THETA SIGMA (aka, The Legend of Dr Who)
(tune: Davy Crocket, King of the Wild Frontier)
Born on a mountain top on Gallifrey,
The greenest place there could ever be.
Raised in the wilds where he felt so free,
Killed him a Dalek when he was only three.
Theta, Theta Sigma!
Last of those old Timelords.
He fought the War Lord and his games of war,*
Till the Aliens were whipped and peace was restored.
And while he was doing this risky chore,
Made himself a legend, forevermore.
Theta, Theta Sigma!
Last of those old Timelords.
When he left Sarah Jane, and his grief was gall,**
In his hearts he wanted to leave it all,
And lose himself in a Vortex Fall,
But instead he answered the Council’s call.
Theta, Theta Sigma!
Last of those old Timelords.
Off to the Citadel and served a spell,
Fixin’ up the government and laws as well.
Took over Gallifrey, so we hear tell,
And patched up a crack in Rassilon’s Bell!
Theta, Theta Sigma
Last of those old Timelords.
He came to Earth, his politickin’ done,
The Slitheen plot had just begun,
Then he met his Rose and together they won,***
And lit out a grinnin’ to follow the sun.
Theta, Theta Sigma!
Last of those old Timelords.
Born on a mountain top on Gallifrey,
The greenest place there could ever be.
Raised in the wilds where he felt so free,
Killed him a Dalek when he was only three.
Theta, Theta Sigma!
Last of those old Timelords.
* Dr #2 in War Games
** Dr #4 in The Hand of Fear & Deadly Assassin
*** Dr #9 in Rose, Aliens of London & World War III
Due to a sinus/allergy condition, my head is not in the best shape today to think very coherently but I’ll talk about some things I’ve observed/experienced.
Re: The book/publishing industry. It seems to have backed itself into the same corner as the movie industry. The “blockbuster movie” goal has overtaken the movie business and that’s all the major studios seem to be willing to invest in. So we are getting fewer and fewer movies from the major studios and what we do get are mostly “sequels” of those “block-buster” movies. Ad nausem. On the other hand, the indie film industry is growing. (With support from folks like Robert Redford, etc). The lower budgets and non-hollywood actors make that possible too. But the indies don’t have the distribution network that the major studios have so they make less money, etc. You probably won’t find an independent film playing at the average Regal Cinema in your neighborhood, for example. It might be available on pay/cable tv or you will have to travel a significant distance to your nearest large city (30 miles one way and frequently more) to see an indie film. Along with the decline in the number of movies produced per year by the major studios, also came a decline in the number of people going to movies and a narrowing of the focus of the movie industry upon one age segment–the 18 to 34 year olds, supposedly the ones who want the blockbuster movies and will go see the movie multiple times, and buy the DVDs, etc. The studios just have to get back quadruple the amount of money they invested in the original movie, you know. It’s a vicious circle and it won’t last forever, but while it does, some people will become very rich. The only decent thing that has come out of this escalating spiral is that people like Speilberg and Lucas have re-invested their money into improving movie technology. (Note: the major studios did not do this. Individual film-makers did!) The same process has/is happening in the book industry. The bookshelves are full of sequels, and new authors (to get published) almost have to be clones of already published authors. Because the publishers want big sales numbers and sequels. I stopped reading a lot of fiction about 10 years ago because I was tired of sequels. I appreciate the classics of my preferred genre (science fiction) but I am way more selective about any new books to read. Which is sad, because it means I read less, not more. There are more published books on the shelves than in my youth, but the variety in the authors is gone. The creativity and imagination which makes sf a creative field is being stifled. It’s become a corporate McDonalds–where one book is very similar to another. Oh, the names of the characters are different and the settings are different, the authors’ names are different but in the middle of the books I have a terrible feeling of deja vu! I know what’s going to happen in the story and I know there will be sequels. Akk! So I am reading more non-fiction. And writing it as well. Which brings me (via the long way perhaps) to blogging. If the quality of some blogging is better than published material, than this may be why. Writers who don’t want to be part of the pressures of professional publishing are turning to the internet and blogging. For both self-publishing and promoting books they have published. Traditional publishing, like the movie industry, certainly won’t disappear but they need to consider something other than profit/sales in the way they manage their companies. Or like the great railroad companies they will become all but extinct.
Now in regard to quality and the sheer numbers of people posting, etc. Yes, the internet makes more “dreck” possible. (Dreck being unpolished, awkward writing.) I’ve watched it happen in the area of media fan fiction. When stories were printed in paper fanzines (and sold basically at what it cost to print them), there was an editor (or two) working on the stories. Stories were revised and proofread. Art was added, etc. It required at least a year if not two years to create one large (100+ page) fanzine: from the editors’ announcement of the issue, the gathering of stories, the editing/revising, the layout/printing, and the mailing/selling. It was indeed like publishing a book. And if the quality was near to professional level, it was because of the editing and the fact that the writers were adults and often experienced writers (i.e. continued to write on their own after completing their education, even if they had not sought formal publication). When fan fiction met the internet however, so much of this changed! Good fanzines are still being produced, but I can’t say the internet has improved the quality of fan fiction. The only thing the internet has done is increase accessibilty for the writer and the reader. The editing/revising that is typical of fanzine printing is almost non-existent online. And I suspect that the “bad writing” which is so prevalent online (poor grammar/characterization/plotting, etc) is a result of the age and inexperience of the authors. In some fandoms, the majority of the people posting are between 14 and 21 years old! They get an idea, write some or most of it in paragraph form (sort of), and then post it on a blog/website as fan fiction. They simply want attention for their ideas. They are not writers, they do not want to edit/revise their work, and they have no intention of becoming writers. They are simply doing something fun for right now. The internet gives them an immediate way to “put their stuff out there”. And to be honest, what I was writing at 12 years old probably wasn’t much better than what I have read at some sites. Fortunately, writing usually does improve with experience, age, and feedback. So it takes time/effort to find the really good fan fiction online. It’s like panning for gold. You go through a lot of dirt to find those gleaming nuggets. (My anology falls apart here–unlike gold nuggets, fan fiction won’t make you wealthy!) But I’ll be a miner anyway. Because in the fan fiction, I can find the kind of “what ifs” and creativity that has been largely stifled in published fiction.
As to new writers being “over-looked” because of the sheer quantity of bad writing (Julia Keller), well, it probably does happen on occasion. But I think the internet has an advantage in this area above the traditional publishers’ “slush pile”. In the publishing field, although a writer may have several different manuscripts making the round, it’s usually one per publisher. One young adult story to this publisher and a different young adult story to that publisher. And that one manuscript is one of hundreds in the slush pile or one of hundreds from agents. And two or three “readers” are selecting a dozen manuscripts to be considered for a chance at publication. Six will be published. Does a new, first-time writer have a chance of publication? Maybe. Let’s switch to the internet now. Yeah, there can be dozens, even hundreds of posts per day, in a fandom or on blogging sites. Welcome to the “slush pile” of the net. But, unlike the publishing company, there are dozens, if not hundreds (sometimes thousands) of people a day looking at/reading blogs and websites. Like readers of published fiction, readers online have established favorites but they are also on the lookout for new reading. And since so many! are looking/reading, I think the new writer is found faster (and certainly promoted faster!) than the new writer in the slush pile. In established fandoms (those with a history and good communications), someone can go from “newbie” to BNF (Big Name Fan) in a month or two! The BNF doesn’t get the financial rewards of the published author, but in terms of attention and expectations (encore, encore!) they are the same. And I believe the quality of the online writing can be as good any professional writing. The person who writes, who learns the process of writing (how to feed & grow ideas, how to write dialogue, how to revise, etc), who is open to feedback from readers, will become a good writer. I do not define a “writer” as someone who has published something or earns his/her salary by writing. A writer is someone who writes. An author is a writer who is published. And a professional writer is someone who earns his/her salary by writing. The writer, the author, and the professional can all do quality work. Or not. I sometimes look at that online “slush pile” and groan. The majority of it is dreck. But I think I would like it less if it didn’t exist at all. If people weren’t writing I would be more upset. There is something–very human about writing, about making art, about singing & music, etc. I think it would be a disaster of immense porportions (for the human race) if people stopped writing, making music, etc. So, yeah, “bad art/writing” is preferable to no art/writing at all. It means that people are feeling connected to, involved with, or passionately in love/hate with something. Involved enough to communicate about it to their fellow humans via writing/art, etc. And that impulse is what I would like to see encouraged. Make art, not war! (Whoops! My idealism is showing.) But sometimes I have to wonder, if our schools wouldn’t be safer if we allowed angry grafitti to be sprayed on the school walls. If frustration and destructive impulses were guided into expressive mediums (instead of being shamed and repressed), then fewer children (12 year olds, 17 year olds, etc) might go looking for guns to express their hostility. Well, I have wandered way off topic! Back to blogging. In summary, I think the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. And its potential has barely been explored.
As requested, here’s something to liven up the Tavern.
http://cheshire7.wordpress.com/2007/04/30/another-song-and-dance-take-two/
Enjoy!
Cheshire
The answer is never the answer. What’s really interesting is the mystery. If you seek the mystery instead of the answer, you’ll always be seeking. I’ve never seen anybody really find the answer. They think they have, so they stop thinking. But the job is to seek mystery, evoke mystery, plant a garden in which strange plants grow and mysteries bloom. The need for mystery is greater than the need for an answer.
Ken Kesey
What strange plants grow in your garden of mysteries?
And have you planted your dream seeds yet?
http://www.outbackonline.net/Advent2006/Advent2006_Day6_DreamSeeds.html
This is a song from Once Upon A Mattress. A Broadway musical based on the fairy tale story of the Princess and the Pea. If you can, see the version with Carol Burnett as Winnifred!
Prince Dauntless needs to wed a genuine princess. Winnifred has swum the castle moat and is trying to pass a secret test in order to become the princess bride.
Winnifred: By the way, Dauntless, I don’t think I ever told you… my full name is Winnifred the Woebegone. But Winnifred’s too formal. You can call me by my nickname.
Prince Dauntless: Winnie?
Winnifred: Fred.
Dauntless: Fred! What a beautiful name! So straight… so strong… so you!
SONG OF LOVE
Dauntless: I like you, Fred, I like you!
Winnifred: You’re just saying those words to be kind.
Dauntless: No, I mean it. I like… I mean I love you, Fred!
Winnifred: He is out of his medieval mind!
Dauntless: I’m perfectly sane and sound! I never felt better in my life! Everybody… Everybody! Everybody come and meet my incipient wife! I’m in love with a girl named Fred! My reasons must be clear: When she shows you all how strong she is you’ll stand right up and cheer!
(Fred lifts a huge weight.)
Knights & Ladies: With and “F” and an “R” and an “E” and a “D” And an “F-R-E-D” Fred! Yeah!
Dauntless: I’m in love with a girl named Fred! She drinks just like a Lord! So sing a merry drinking song and let the wine be poured!
(Fred drinks an enormous goblet of wine.)
Knights & Ladies: Fill the bowl to overflowing raise the goblet high!
(Fred lifts a huge weight.)
Knights & Ladies: With and “F” and an “R” and an “E” and a “D” And an “F-R-E-D” Fred! Yeah!
Dauntless: I’m in love with a girl named Fred! She sings just like a Bird! You’ll be left completely speechless when her gentle voice is heard!
(Fred sings a Jazz Riff.)
Knights & Ladies: Fill the bowl to overflowing raise the goblet high!
(Fred drinks wine.) (Fred lifts a huge weight.)
Knights & Ladies: With and “F” and an “R” and an “E” and a “D” And an “F-R-E-D” Fred! Yeah!
Dauntless: I’m in love with a girl named Fred! She wrestles like a Greek! You will clap your hands in wonder at her fabulous technique!
(Fred throws Dauntless, karate-style.)
Knights & Ladies: (clap in rhythm)
(Fred does acrobatic trick.) (Fred sings jazz riff.) (Fred drinks wine.)
Knights & Ladies: Fill the bowl to overflowing raise the goblet high!
(Fred lifts a huge weight.)
Knights & Ladies: With and “F” and an “R” and an “E” and a “D” And an “F-R-E-D” Fred! Yeah!
Dauntless: I’m in love with a girl named Fred! Who dances with such grace! You are bound to sing her praises ’til you’re purple in the face!
(Fred does Spanish Panic Dance. i.e. Bravo! Bravo! Bravissimo! Bravo! Bravissimo!)
Knights & Ladies: Bravo! Bravo! Bravissimo! Bravo! Bravissimo!
(Fred throws Dauntless.)
Knights & Ladies: (clap in rhythm)
(Fred does acrobatic trick.) (Fred sings jazz riff.) (Fred drinks wine.)
Knights & Ladies: Fill the bowl to overflowing, raise the goblet high!
(Fred lifts a huge weight.)
Knights & Ladies: With and “F” and an “R” and an “E” and a “D” And an “F-R-E-D” Fred! Yeah!
Dauntless: I’m in love with a girl named Fred! She’s musical to boot! She will set your feet a-tapping when she plays upon her lute!
(Fred plays lute.)
Knights & Ladies: (tap feet in rhythm)
(Fred does the Spanish Panic.)
Knights & Ladies: Bravo! Bravo! Bravissimo! Bravo! Bravissimo!
(Fred throws Dauntless.) (Fred does acrobatic trick.)
Knights & Ladies: (clap in rhythm)
(Fred skats wildly.) (Fred drinks wine.)
Knights & Ladies: Fill the bowl to overflowing, raise the goblet high!
(Fred lifts a huge weight.)
Knights & Ladies: With and “F” and an “R” and an “E” and a “D” And an “F-R-E-D” Fred! Yeah!
Dauntless: I’m in love with a girl named Fred! A clever, clownish wit! When she does her funny pantomime your sides are sure to split!
(Fred does funny pantomime.)
Knights & Ladies: Ha-ha-ha-ha, Ho-ho-ho-ho, Ha-ha-ha-ha-Ho!
(Fred plays lute.)
Knights & Ladies: (tap feet in rhythm)
(Fred does the Spanish Panic.)
Knights & Ladies: Bravo! Bravo! Bravissimo! Bravo! Bravissimo!
(Fred throws Dauntless.)
Knights & Ladies: (clap in rhythm)
(Fred does acrobatic trick.) (Fred just laughs.) (Fred drinks wine.)
Knights & Ladies: Fill the bowl to overflowing, raise the goblet high!
(Fred lifts a huge weight.)
Knights & Ladies: With and “F” and an “R” and an “E” and a “D” And an “F-R-E-D” Fred! Yeah!
Dauntless: I’m in love with a girl…
Knights & Ladies: He’s in love with a girl named “F-R-E-D”
Winnifred: Yippeeee!!
All: Fred!
(At the end, Winnifred has been raised onto the throne. On the final note, she falls forward into the crowd… passed out.)
To see the other songs, go to http://libretto.musicals.ru/text.php?textid=249&language=1
Once Upon a Mattress
Music: Mary Rodgers
Lyrics: Marshall Barer
Book: Marshall Barer, Dean Fuller, Jay Thompson
Premiere: Monday, May 11, 1959
“The craft of questions, the craft of stories, the craft of the hands–all these are the making of something and that something is soul.” Clarissa Pinkola Estes
I am sure this quote has inspired Heather too, as this is what Soul Food Cafe is all about.
“Arts and crafts are vitamins and minerals for the soul.” Dawn Jaekel
A new quote, never posted before.
Ahh, fairy tales and children’s nursery rhymes. Not all of them were for children however. Some of them were also meant for parents. Giving advice on how to raise children, for example.
There Was An Old Woman
There was an old woman who lived in a shoe.*
She had so many children she didn’t know what to do.**
She gave them some broth without any bread.***
She whipped them all soundly and put them to bed.****
*Ancient slang for pre-fab houses in the suburbs.
** These were the days before Sesame Street & Barney.
*** What you do when there’s no McDonalds in the neighborhood.
**** The recommended advice to parents and the point of the rhyme.
Isn’t it great the times have changed? Now we have Dr Seuss and books like “Hop on Pop”.
“Hop on Pop” from Wikipedia
It is a very simple rhyming book, intended for younger readers, filled with colorful pictures. The book has no apparent plot, just pages of silly and fun rhymes.
“Hop On Pop” is an existential odyssey contrasting the child’s desire for freedom and the intrinsic need to satisfy parental authority figures. The rhyming couplets represent at once an acceptance of cultural form and tradition and a free-form explosion of self-actualizing creation.
Hop on Pop– an example of modern values. A vast improvement.
Disclaimer: No children were harmed during the making of this posting. And reports of Dr Seuss’s demise have been greatly exaggerated. From personal experience I can assure you that Dr Seuss is still on the loose. He was last seen in the company of the Elvis the King (uh-huh, uh-huh). An album of their greatest hits is expected soon–who can forget such chartbusters as: Let’s Hop On Pop with Blue Suede Shoes, Horton Hears A Who In The Ghetto, or The Green Eggs & Ham Jambalaya?? To order your copy now, call 1-800-666-9999. Have your credit card number ready for speedy delivery. The Taverna di Muse is in no way responsible for the preceding offer or the contents of this post and will disavow all knowledge.
Here are several of my favorite quotes.
The Way It Is by William Stafford
“There is a thread you follow. It goes among things that change. But it doesn’t change. People wonder about what you are pursuing. You have to explain about the thread. But it is hard for others to see. While you hold it you can’t get lost. Tragedies happen; people get hurt or die; and you suffer and get old. Nothing you do can stop time’s unfolding. You don’t ever let go of the thread.”
What is your thread? I think mine is my passion for creativity, in as many forms as I can experience.
In Western civilization in general, it is so hard not to be totally focused on outcome/results/the product. When I feel I am getting sucked into it again, I reread this quote and start again.
“The object of painting a picture is not to make a picture–however unreasonable this may sound. The picture, if a picture results, is a by-product and may be useful, valuable, interesting as a sign of what has passed. The object, which is back of every true work of art, is the attainment of a state of being, a high state of functioning, a more than ordinary moment of existence.”
Robert Henri
This quote gives me the chills (in a mostly positive way) every time I read it. He’s describing a risky path indeed. But, as far as I know, it’s the only way that-at the end of your life-you can look back at your life and honestly say, “Yeah, I lived my life.” Instead of your parents’ life, the “American” way of life, a life of external achievements only, etc.
“I took the lamp. And leaving the zone of everyday occupations and relationships where everything seems clear, I went down into my inmost self, to the abyss whence I feel dimly that my power of action emanates. But as I moved further and further away from the conventional certainties by which social life is superficially illuminated, I became aware that I was losing contact with myself. At each step of the descent a new person was disclosed within me of whose name I was no longer sure, and who no longer obeyed me. And when I had to stop my exploration because the path faded from beneath my steps, I found a bottomless abyss at my feet, and out of it came – arising I know not from where – the current which I dare to call my life.”
Teilhard de Chardin
Oh, a rather complex question for me, Lori. Is my source external or internal? It’s like asking me if I’m introverted or extraverted. I read a lot of books (which is supposed to mean I am introverted) but if you stop to look at the kind of books I read–at least 80% of my reading is about people (novels, psychology, the arts) not things. So I’m an extroverted introvert? I seem to be both! Some people score 80/20 or 70/30 on the introvert/extrovert dimension. I’m like 45/55! External input prompts my writing and so does internal energy. It’s very mixed up for me and I think, at this point, not very relevant. I write because I want to write and I’ll use whatever kind of inspiration (external or internal) comes to me. But, I can think of situations where this might be a good question. Such as, am I writing to get approval? To get published? To become famous? Because one of my parents was a famous writer?? Are these questions examples of external motivation or internal motivation? Could be both.
Oh, lord, I think I’ll go on to the easier question. Is the source of my inspiration divine? I would not say so, but I can understand why artists/writers/musicians have said this. There have been rare occasions (usually when writing poems) when I feel that I (my ego, conscious self) has not written something. Another part of me (beyond my ego) has written it. Because it comes out about 98% finished! Maybe I have to give it a title, but the rest of the work was done before I picked up the pen to write! Plop! There is it! A complete little story in the form of a poem. I wish I could figure how I did it and do it more often! (The conscious self/ego wants that control!) Most of my writing though (fiction or non-fiction) comes in pieces. A little bit here, a little bit there. It needs time to grow. Sometimes I get endings before beginnings, or middles before beginnings & endings. Sometimes it’s like putting a puzzle together or quilting. This dialogue goes here, etc. Or, to use another metaphor, (used first by someone else but I can’t remember whom) and this I could believe, there’s always a river or stream of creativity going thru us–24 hrs a day, 365 days a year, (and dreams are part of this river too), but we (our conscious self) can only go swimming in this river part of the time. Do not mourn the time we are not swimming though, for we are human and therefore need to eat/sleep, care for children, pay the mortgage, etc. Indeed, if we didn’t do those things we wouldn’t be able to “go swimming” at all. So celebrate–and come on in, the water’s just fine.
Cheshire
P.S. Honest truth. I wrote this before I saw the photo Literary Bohemian posted with her writing. Go check it out–it’s a beautiful nature scene.
Hmm. Influential people, effecting my writing… Where to start! There have been quite a few. Anyway, one of my favorites… This needs a little background info, so have patience. It’s a combination of two different pieces of my life–the Intensive Journal and the theater. Back in my college years, I was part of a theater production of 1776, a Broadway musical about the Continental Congress and the signing of the Declaration of Independence. (By the same person who brought you the musical about the Titanic!) For an excellent overview of 1776 go to http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1776_(musical) I loved doing the play and I go to any production I can. The character which I most admired was the main character (John Adams). Over the years, lines from the play appeared in my journal writings. Also, over the years I attended Ira Progoff’s Intensive Journal workshops. One of the main journal techniques Progoff uses is dialogues: dialogues with people, events in our lives, our bodies, etc. One section is Dialogues with Inner Wisdom Figures (real/fictional, famous or not). See www.intensivejournal.org for more info. When I began writing Inner Wisdom dialogues, Mr Adams started showing up. And what follows is one of those dialogues. The characters in this dialogue include myself as the writer; Mr Adams; Andrew, the Intensive Journal workshop facilitator; and RB/LB, alter-egos of the writer. The primary dialogue is in quotation marks.
Cheshire
11/19/95 (Intensive Journal Workshop Dialogue)
”How Quiet The Chamber Is. How Silent, How Silent The Chamber Is. Is Anybody There?”
”DOES ANYBODY CARE?”
”Mr Adams!”
”Yes.”
”I was hoping you’d come. I need to talk to you.”
”Ever, your obedient listener.”
”Old Gloom & Doom is back. I received some very disappointing news yesterday. Sending me back into my fears and uncertainties. I need your support.”
”Now and always. How can I help?”
”Just talk to me, John. About commitment to goals.”
”What commitment is faltering, Miss J?”
”My sense of things-of life working out in a positive way.”
”Positive meaning without mistakes or pain?”
”No. That’s wishful thinking. Positive as in meaningful. Also in being able to take care of myself. In being an adult.”
”You don’t feel-adult-when things are difficult?”
”Sometimes. Sometimes not. It depends on the issue.”
”How are you feeling now?”
”Small, John. Foolish and-damn-here come the tears. I’m sorry-”
”Do not apologize. Honest tears are not a weakness.”
”Right. And I won’t melt like the Wicked Witch of the West, from crying.”
”The Wicked Witch of the West?”
”I’ll tell you the Wizard of Oz story another time.”
”Maybe you should tell me now. Here. Sit beside me. Tell me about the wizard and the witch.”
”On second thought, it is a musical. Singing and dancing.”
”I like it already! Tell me.”
”Well, a girl named Dorothy and her dog, Toto, are swept up and away by a tornado to another place–the land of Oz. Over the rainbow. The story is about her journey to return to Kansas. She meets dangers, witches, etc. No story without dangers, I suppose.”
”Or a life.”
”Or a life. Along the way she meets first, a scarecrow. Who wants a brain. Secondly, a tin man who wants a heart. Then a cowardly lion who wants courage, of course.”
”Of course.”
”And a horse of a different color in the Emerald City. But the horse isn’t a major character—”
Just a bit player!
RB!
Sorry. Couldn’t resist!
”Anyway. Dorothy, the scarecrow, tin man, and lion go to the Emerald City because that is where the great & powerful Wizard of Oz is-er-resides.”
With the horse of a different color!
Right Brain!
That tone of voice. She means business. No more horsing around.
RB
Yes, I know where I can go.
NO!
OFF TO SEE THE WIZARD!
WE MAY SEE MURDER YET!
Which brings us back to John Adams. To return to your story, Miss J, the great and powerful Oz…
”The great and powerful Oz will help our heroes if they do one dangerous task–get the broom of the Wicked Witch of the West.”
Who’s the sister of the Wicked Witch of the East.
Please
Who died when the house from Kansas fell on her!
RB!
DING, DONG, THE WITCH IS DEAD!
A certain redhead will be dead soon.
The Witch of the North didn’t die.
I’m not talking about Glenda!
I know. Okay, I’ve done my duty as irritant. Let’s go on with the story. Mr Adams must be in unbearable suspense. Our heroes are off to the castle of the Wicked Witch of the West to get her broomstick.
”They get it and return to the Emerald City.”
Whoa! This is a point you can’t skip over. Otherwise your earlier comment to John about not melting like the witch won’t be understandable. Tell him how they got the broomstick.
”One of our heroes–the scarecrow, I think, since he was made of straw–is on fire and Dorothy throws water at him. Some of it splashes on the witch and she melts.”
Now you can go back to the Emerald City.
Thank you.
Where the horse of a different color is!
Yes.
That tone of voice again. I’m good at my job, aren’t I?
I will not say what I am thinking in front of Mr Adams. I want to keep his good opinion of me. Later, we will talk.
I’m in trouble now!
”They return with the broomstick and the whole point of the story is revealed. The great & powerful Oz is not so great & powerful. He’s a man not a real wizard. And he can’t give our heroes what they want because they already have it! Scarecrow is intelligent, the tin man has a heart full of feelings, and the lion is brave indeed. They didn’t recognize it or have external validation of it. So the wizard gives the lion a medal, the scarecrow gets a diploma, etc.”
”And Dorothy?”
”Dorothy has the ability to return herself to Kansas. End of the story.”
”It’s a wonderful tale.”
”They show it every year. It’s over 50 years old now. I watched it many times during my childhood.”
”It’s not just a story for children.”
”Yes… And there’s probably a reason it appeared in the middle of our dialogue.”
”Indeed. Like Dorothy at the beginning of the story, you have been feeling lost and uncertain. About events and your goals.”
”Yes. So I thought of you. You represent my sense of commitment. Despite great obstacles/dangers, etc.”
”I must confess, I am like the wizard. Only a man. And I can’t say more to you than what he said to them. You have what you need, Miss J. Recognize it.”
”On one level I do. Otherwise we could not be speaking like this. But I’m not feeling it.”
”The feeling will come and go. Rely instead upon the values you hold so dear, the goals you choose, and the commitment needed to continue.”
”You underestimate yourself, John. You’re not like the wizard at all. Those were wise and good words. Said from your heart.”
HEY, LB! Brainstorm!
Oh, God!
A cast exchange. Franklin as the cowardly lion, Jefferson as the scarecrow, and Mr Adams as the tin man.
Not now, RB.
You’re smiling though! I’m half way out of trouble.
”Then I should say such words more often.”
We got her, Mr Adams. She’s blushing.
”The bloom on your cheeks is most becoming.”
What a remarkable felicity with words.
”I see old Gloom & Doom has been vanquished. A penny for your thoughts.”
”Just a very silly thought, John.”
”Tell me.”
Tell him, Dawn.
”I insist.”
The Great & Powerful Adams has spoken!
”John, it’s really not…”
She’s laughing now! I’m almost out of trouble.
”I must know.”
”No.”
”Yes.”
”You won’t give up, will you?”
”I am a stubborn man.”
”I know.”
Stubborn. Another word for committed? Hmm. “One of the things I admire in you.”
”Flattery will not divert me, Miss J.”
LB, question
Footnote it. I am talking to Mr Adams.
Really? I agree with John. You’re stalling.
Yes. Hasn’t there been enough embarrassment today?
I think he would appreciate the humor.
Perhaps.
I’ll tell him if you don’t.
I knew that line was coming.
Mr Adam’s not the only stubborn one around here.
I’m well aware of that.
He’s waiting, Dawn.
You enjoy this too damn much.
There’s not been enough enjoyment lately. And you’re–
Ahem.
”Oh, John. I really don’t think it will be as amusing to you. You haven’t seen–”
”So, I am an unsophisticated 18th century man and therefore incapable of comprehending the comedy of the 20th century?”
”No–”
”I am a Harvard graduate and well-versed in–”
”John! I-I’m not thinking that at all. But I see I’ve offended you. My apologies.”
”What so amused you?”
”It was only the thought of–the vision of Dr Franklin as the cowardly lion, Jefferson as the scarecrow, and you as the tin man. I’m sorry, but it fits–visually. The lion was portly, with long-um-a mane and the scarecrow was tall–”
Dawn, stop babbling. Look at John–he’s smiling. I told you he’d–hey, we can show him the video next week!
WE?
You expect to go to Boston without me? Silly you. But I agree to give you and John some privacy. I’ll find–
How about some privacy right now?
All right. Mr Adams has forgiven you, so I’ll bow out at this point.
Thank you.
Bow out
That means good-bye, RB. We’ll talk later.
I’m still in trouble.
”John–”
”You must tell me more.”
”Yes, but not today please. Enough energy has been stirred up already.”
”I beg your pardon?”
”Nevermind. I want to thank you for helping me cope with old Gloom & Doom again.”
”I am glad to be–”
Oh
”Someone is playing the violin.”
That devious little–bow out indeed.
”I am unfamiliar with the melody. Do you recognize it?”
”Yes, Mr Adams. It’s from the Wizard of Oz musical.”
”Shall we dance?”
”In the middle of the afternoon, John?”
”We’re not in Boston!”
”True.”
”One, two, three, one, two, three!”
”Yes, we can waltz to it. Amazing!”
”What are the words?”
”SOMEWHERE, OVER THE RAINBOW, SKIES ARE BLUE! BIRDS FLY OVER THE RAIN–Oh!” Andrew is calling time. The next journal exercise. To hell with it! I need to do this kind of exercise! “One, two, three, one, two, three!”
I have not been here long (at the Soul Food Cafe) however, because of Heather’s sharings about her life with Darryl, I am getting a sense of Darryl’s character. And when I was doing a little web browsing before heading to the Tavern, I came across the item below. My intuition suddenly shouted–this is Heather and Darryl’s philosophy about life! How they have lived. What an example for all of us! In the face of death, let us honor the sadness of loss and remember how he lived.
Dawn (Cheshire)
WHAT IS LIFE?
Life is a gift, accept it.
Life is an adventure, dare it.
Life is a mystery, unfold it.
Life is a game, play it.
Life is a struggle, face it.
Life is beauty, praise it.
Life is a puzzle, solve it.
Life is opportunity, take it.
Life is sorrowful, experience it.
Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a goal, achieve it.
Life is a mission, fulfill it.
Author Unknown
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