[stylist] Good writing-firewood cutting
James Canaday M.A. N6YR
n6yr at sunflower.com
Thu Feb 26 05:52:24 UTC 2009
to my earlier post I should have added that I actually enjoyed
splitting the wood, cutting down trees, but I didn't much care for
digging ditches. in digging ditches was where we used poleaxes. I
have a scar on my left arm near my elbow where my brother put the
poleaxe into my arm. hated cutting roots for ditches. and we had to
dig a lot of ditches.
jc
Jim Canaday M.A.
Lawrence, KS
At 11:45 PM 2/25/2009, you wrote:
>yes,
>it sounds like you got the luck for chainsaws then.
>jc
>
>Jim Canaday M.A.
>Lawrence, KS
>
>At 11:42 PM 2/25/2009, you wrote:
>>In our family, chainsaws are a big no no. However, the blind person never
>>tried, I might be more successful.
>>
>>Growing up, every time we went out to cut wood, my father ended up in the
>>hospital with his back out or something that was cut.
>>
>>My brother-in-law is not allowed to use any power tools.
>>
>>Cindy
>>
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> > [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Angela fowler
>> > Sent: Wednesday, February 25, 2009 10:12 AM
>> > To: 'NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List'
>> > Subject: Re: [stylist] Good writing-firewood cutting
>> >
>> >
>> > Well, split it anyway. I haven't found anyone with enough
>> > guts to teach me how to use a chain saw yet.
>> >
>> > -----Original Message-----
>> > From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> > [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of James
>> > Canaday M.A. N6YR
>> > Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 9:20 PM
>> > To: NFBnet Writer's Division Mailing List
>> > Subject: Re: [stylist] Good writing-firewood cutting
>> >
>> > you cut your own firewood? what an excellent woman,
>> >
>> > I did that too. no fireplace in homes I've lived in in the city. jc
>> >
>> > Jim Canaday M.A.
>> > Lawrence, KS
>> >
>> >
>> > At 09:57 PM 2/24/2009, you wrote:
>> > >Good article, Lori. Yes, as Judith said, blind people are
>> > just people.
>> > >We laugh, cry, get mad and experience happiness just like everyone
>> > >else. We are writing to people's perception however. The majority of
>> > >people don't know what Judith, I, and so many of you know without
>> > >thinking about it. We write to educate people without their knowing
>> > >they're being educated. It is the implicit education we
>> > engage in every
>> > >time someone sees us doing something they didn't think a
>> > blind person
>> > >could do. When we go to college we achieve this education.
>> > When we get
>> > >a job, raise our kids, cook, clean, cut firewood, on and on and on.
>> > >When we write realistic stories about blind people we educate the
>> > >imaginative part of people which drove them to the story in
>> > the first
>> > >place. When we write true stories about ourselves and our
>> > lives, all so
>> > much the better.
>> > > So what am I, an editorial and analysis writer for the most
>> > >part, doing espousing the value of writing stories about
>> > blind people?
>> > >I know the value of the anecdote, as I use it in my own writing. It
>> > >appeals to the emotion, grabs the heart, and so, if used
>> > judicially, is
>> > >a powerful tool of persuasion.
>> > >
>> > >-----Original Message-----
>> > >From: stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org
>> > [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
>> > >Behalf Of LoriStay at aol.com
>> > >Sent: Tuesday, February 24, 2009 5:08 PM
>> > >To: stylist at nfbnet.org
>> > >Subject: [stylist] Good writing
>> > >
>> > > >From Slate & Style, volume 18, #2, July 2000
>> > >
>> > >The Purpose of Writing
>> > > by Loraine Stayer
>> > >
>> > >Why do you write? I've no doubt that we each have
>> > different reasons for
>> > >wanting to put words on paper. For some, writing is a means to earn
>> > money.
>> > >
>> > >Those lucky souls who earn their livelihood at the computer
>> > have under
>> > >their belts all the tricks of the trade, including
>> > marketing, research,
>> > >the proper contacts, and a way with words.
>> > >
>> > >I recently read a short article about genre writing. This involves
>> > >tailoring your work to a genre that has a niche already carved out.
>> > People
>> > >will buy
>> > >your work. They will, in fact, clamor for it. On the other hand,
>> > writing
>> > >
>> > >to a formula rarely satisfies the soul. It's a means to an
>> > end, not the
>> > >end
>> > >itself.
>> > >
>> > >But good writing is an end in itself. Timeless writing
>> > will stay in the
>> > >minds of the readers, becoming tomorrow's oft quoted nuggets
>> > of wisdom,
>> > >or if one
>> > >is lucky, tomorrow's cliches. What would be an example of
>> > good writing?
>> > >The
>> > >Gettysburg Address springs to mind. The Twenty Third Psalm
>> > is another.
>> > >Most of the work of Shakespeare falls under this category.
>> > >
>> > >If you can sell your work, more power to you. If you can
>> > produce good
>> > >writing and sell yur work, even better. But if you can produce good
>> > >writing, sell
>> > >your work, and change the world for the better, that would
>> > be best of
>> > >all.
>> > >
>> > >Members of the NFB Writers' Division are in the best
>> > position to write
>> > >about blindness, and to write well enough so that what we
>> > write can be
>> > >published and
>> > >sold. If one searches through the literature for images of
>> > blindness,
>> > >accuracy is difficult to find. Dr. Jernigan told us in his
>> > banquet speech
>> > >at the
>> > >NFB National Convention in 1974 (Blindness, Is Literature
>> > Against Us?) that
>> > >damaging stereotypes of blindness abound in published
>> > fiction. Here and
>> > >there
>> > >one can find exceptions, but one needs to search.
>> > >
>> > >We need to change this. The way to do it is to sit down and list
>> > >situations
>> > >in our own lives and write about them honestly. Were they
>> > funny? Were
>> > >they painful? Do they illustrate some truth about
>> > blindness that doesn't
>> > >fall
>> > >into a stereotype? What did the situations lead to? This
>> > isn't genre
>> > >writing, and it may not make us a great deal of hard cash,
>> > but writing
>> > >truth that springs from our lives will produce work that is
>> > original and
>> > honest.
>> > >
>> > >Where can we publish our stories? Slate & Style will
>> > consider them under
>> > >2000 words. NFB's Kernel Book series (now ended, sorry folks) such
>> > >stories.
>> > >If we were lucky enough to get into a Kernel Book, our
>> > stories would be
>> > >read by
>> > >many more people than the number who read Slate & Style. It's even
>> > >possible
>> > >that the story will appear in The Braille Monitor, or in Future
>> > Reflections.
>> > >
>> > >Is the story universal enough? Blindness alone won't
>> > interest commercial
>> > >publishers, sad to say. Is there romance, or adventure? Is there
>> > danger?
>> > >
>> > >Did we solve problems that anyone might have? Will our
>> > stories interest
>> > >people who are not blind?
>> > >
>> > >I think sometimes a danger exists that in the interest of getting
>> > >published, or piquing the imagintion of the average reader,
>> > we may buy into
>> > fantasies
>> > >that in the long run can be damaging. The blind person as
>> > super-man, for
>> > >example: A super sense of hearing, or a super sense of
>> > smell. Sure,
>> > some
>> > >people
>> > >have great hearing, and some people have sensitive noses,
>> > but blindness
>> > >doesn't cause these characteristics.
>> > >
>> > >Some year ago, I read a story about a blind detective named
>> > Longstreet.
>> > >His
>> > >abilities were phenomenal. They were not, however,
>> > realistic. Could a
>> > >blind person be a private detective? Certainly, bearing in
>> > mind that
>> > >alternative techniques would be brought into play. But
>> > rarely do these
>> > >alternative
>> > >techniques have supernatural qualities.
>> > >
>> > >Would such a story sell? Yes it would. Are you a real
>> > life detective?
>> > >For heaven's sake, write about it! How do you do your
>> > work? Inquiring
>> > >minds
>> > >want to know.
>> > >
>> > >At a recent NFB chapter meeting, one of our members asked, "How do we
>> > >educated the public?" My answer was, "One person at a
>> > time." That is
>> > >true of
>> > >personal contact. But if we can write, then we can educate
>> > the public in
>> > >bulk.
>> > >
>> > >It's not a genre. It may not make you rich. But I bet it
>> > will be good
>> > >writing. It certainly will serve a purpose. It certainly
>> > will improve
>> > >our
>> > >lives.
>> > >
>> > >What are you waiting for?
>> > >**
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >
>> > >**************
>> > >Get a jump start on your taxes. Find a tax professional in your
>> > >neighborhood today.
>> > >(http://yellowpages.aol.com/search?query=Tax+Return+Preparati
>> > > on+%26+Fil
>> > > >ing&a
>> > > >mp;ncid=emlcntusyelp00000004)
>> > >_______________________________________________
>> > >Writers Division web site:
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>> > ><http://www.nfb-writers-division.org/>
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>> > >
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