Because I am a sad intellectual type I found myself listening to NPR today, specifically Dave Davies sitting in for Terry Gross. And if you anything about me you know how I feel about Terry Gross. Anyway, today, Davies interviewed Paul Giamatti who I loved in Sideways as the frustrated novelist. I like that hisContinue reading “Random Thoughts on ‘Messy’ Writers”
Category Archives: Updates
Dust Bowl in Southern Colorado
Interesting article in the local newspaper today. The article is about how floods and droughts affected southern Colorado in the 1930’s. It all made me think of the Abuelito and his stories about growing up in Huerfano County and seeing the dust storms over head. I was skeptical of these stories–mostly because the Abuelito wasContinue reading “Dust Bowl in Southern Colorado”
Stegner’s Sense of Place
This morning I’m thinking about the essay “Finding the Place: a Migrant Childhood” by Wallace Stegner. I’ve gone on about how much I admire Stegner’s writing style focusing on nature and also his use of long, complex sentences–these remind me of Richard Hugo–and this essay was from a book of essays I bought in Colorado Springs lastContinue reading “Stegner’s Sense of Place”
a Multitude of Stories Part 2
This morning–right before leaving for work–I found a story I wrote quite a while ago for Jenny Cornell’s Representation of Science in LIterature class. The story is called House of Two Bears and it is an exaggerated story based on something my Grandfather used to tell me. The old man was a great story teller.Continue reading “a Multitude of Stories Part 2”
Hornsby on Rushdie
I have been following Nick Hornsby’s blog pretty closely–I like the way he brings pop culture and the literary together. He reads and watches everything. Here is an excerpt about failure: Salman Rushdie, writing in the Guardian about film adaptations, tells us that “the failures are so much more frequent than the successes”. Well, yes.Continue reading “Hornsby on Rushdie”
Thoughts on Process
I had so much interest in responding to Kim’s weblog and her thoughts on voice I thought I would post the response: I have relaxed so much on voice and even stealing. I have been reading Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz and Singing from the Well by Arenas and I am stealing. I am notContinue reading “Thoughts on Process”
A Small Thought on Process
Writing is coming pretty furiously lately. I have so many notes right now I feel as if I am writing to keep up with the trajectory of the work. I have notes for at least another 4 or 5 chapters of the Little Lolo project. And they seem so clear to me–scary because I hateContinue reading “A Small Thought on Process”
Kerouac’s Aesthetic
I could go on all day about my love for Kerouac–the first time I found his books but you get the idea. Anyway I’ve been reading his Belief and Technique for Modern Prose as well as his collected notebooks Penguin published last year and I am continually amazed at his obsessions. Hugo says that’s whatContinue reading “Kerouac’s Aesthetic”
Self Publishing and the Question of Literary Quality and Audience
An old student of mine from last term was in the office and we were discussing the possibility of a student writing club and publication and he asked me an interesting question. He asked: What does every writer want for their work? He answered before I could–publication. I think of this idea more and moreContinue reading “Self Publishing and the Question of Literary Quality and Audience”
Naked Lunch and the Addiction of Writing
Yesterday I obsessively watched David Cronenberg’s Naked Lunch and found the film not to be about the bookas much as entirely about Burroughs and all of his writing–it seems as if scenes were taken from every short story and novel–Naked Lunch and Queer. I was particularly interested in the scenes witht he writing machines as bugsContinue reading “Naked Lunch and the Addiction of Writing”
Early Morning Imaginary Voices
After another early morning session–5am really works for my writing somehow–and looks like I have some directions to think about–more imaginary voices to answer to and follow. Romes is trying to tell me that men and woman both treat people badly and not to judge all men or all women. Also Manito has a choice thisContinue reading “Early Morning Imaginary Voices”
Whispering to Imaginary Friends
This morning after waking up around 5AM and finding myself unable to sleep I tried to utilize that energy to get Ch 22 down–at least in my notes. I used to do that pretty regularly–I liked the idea of writing before I spoke to anyone or even before the sun was up. My first yearContinue reading “Whispering to Imaginary Friends”
Deborah Brandt’s Literacy in American Lives
It seems like most of my posts begin ‘back at Oregon State’. Well, the time there was very influential and informed my literacy and my writing aesthetic and so I can’t help thinking back with fondness. Fondness for working in Dr. Lisa Ede’s course and working with the individual writers from the fiction work shops IContinue reading “Deborah Brandt’s Literacy in American Lives”
Before Night Falls
I have put off writing about this amazing movie D and I watched a few weeks back–if you could see the stack of literary analysis papers on my little desk you would understand. I saw this film before but D had not. I first saw it on the Independent Film Channel and I was taken byContinue reading “Before Night Falls”
An Idea on Process
This is what it is like for me on this Thursday morning sitting and waiting around–without coffee–for my 930am class: I have come to the idea that I my process is so completely erratic and unpredictable and I wonder if I can sustain a long narrative without forgetting beginning points and narrative threads. Here IContinue reading “An Idea on Process”