[stylist] Weekly Writing Challenge

Sun Jun 7 04:37:59 UTC 2015

Hi Bill,
I understand where you are coming from, but maybe Jackie isn't 
talking about you per say.  In her story a man and a woman are 
talking, and Bill could be that fictional woman's husband or 
friend.
For example, one of the main characters for a story that I'm 
writing is called Sophie, and I mean no offense to any real 
Sophies in the world when I decide how I want her to be.  I hope 
this makes sense.
Vejas
----- Original Message -----
From: William L Houts via stylist <stylist at nfbnet.org
To: stylist at nfbnet.org
Date sent: Sat, 06 Jun 2015 21:32:38 -0700
Subject: Re: [stylist] Weekly Writing Challenge

HI Jackie Lee,

I take your point that I could reciprocate more in my criticism 
of work
submitted here by others; I didn't realize I was being a 
devouring ego
or something.  But you quote me as saying things which I have not 
said,
so I feel a little cagey about this criticism.  It's not as if 
I'm some
kind of stern taskmaster who submits difficult work and demands 
that it
be absorbed and criticized by a terrorized and helpless class.  
Neither
you nor anyone else subscribed to this list is olbligated to 
comment on
my or anyone else's work, and I have not demanded such attention.  
But
you sound truly hurt and angry, and if I have done the hurting 
and
angering , then I'm truly sorry for it.  If you have some work 
which you
would like me to read and comment on, I'd be glad to read it and 
give
you a responsible, non-vengeful critique.  Though you're 
apparently
really mad at me, I read it as a sign that you take me seriously, 
and
one doesn't always expect that kind of respect on email 
discussion
lists.  Let's take it once more from the top, with forgiveness on 
both
sides.

--Bill

On 6/6/2015 3:56 PM, Jackie Williams via stylist wrote:
 Rowena, Bill and whoever is interested.
 About ten minutes of writing.  Plus, the spell check at the end!
 I sat in the small cafÃ© next to two blind people.  At least 
that is what I assumed because one had a folded cane on the table 
beside her coffee, and the man had a ddog resting quietly under 
the table.
 They seemed to have a lively conversation going.  I tried to 
hear, since the man's voice seemed to have some measure of 
frustration in it.
 They apparently were writers and that amazed me.  I did not know 
that blind people were writers, at least, not usually.
 " This list seems to have dormant.  I haven't had any feedback 
for many of my recent poems."
 "You know, Bill, you are an extremely prolific poet and some of 
your poems are difficult to understand at first reading."
 Yes, but they could still be acknowledged, couldn't they?"
 "Yes, that would be the normal thing to do, but perhaps some 
feel that there has not been enough reciprocity shown in terms of 
their own work.  To comment on a poem without a serious critique, 
is something a serious poet does not want to spend time on.  
Particularly now, when almost all on the list are sending e-mails 
about the conference  coming up in early July."
 Bill said, "But surely many are not going.
 "I agree, but that is perhaps because I am not going, and thus 
do not read many of the e-mails lately.  But do not forget that 
many who are not able to go, are still busy with blogs
 Submitting poetry to state contests, or having computer 
problems."

 I think my ten minutes are gone, and I have hardly gotten a 
story out of this.  Interesting
 Jackie Lee

 Time is the school in which we learn.
 Time is the fire in which we burn.
 Delmore Schwartz

 -----Original Message-----
 From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of 
Rowena Portch via stylist
 Sent: Saturday, June 06, 2015 12:33 PM
 To: Writers' Division Mailing List
 Cc: Rowena Portch
 Subject: [stylist] Weekly Writing Challenge

 Okay, here is my ten-minute writing snippet.  No need to comment 
on it.  I just wanted to share.  Iâ€™m curious what others come 
up with.

 As I sat there, quietly listening to the couple sitting beside 
me, I realized how very important communication is.  They were 
having an argument about who said what and why.  Now, because I'm 
blind, I cannot see their facial expressions, but I could feel 
their body language as if it were as palpable as dust on the 
table.

 The woman spoke, voicing her opinion about the man's point of 
view on gay people.  He had believed that gays should be able to 
marry, where the woman was opposed of such things.  Instead of 
letting him explain his views, she was more excited about voicing 
her opinion.  Neither of them listened to the other and tensions 
flared.  Soon, the woman was pounding the table.  I heard her 
drink spill onto the table top.  Neither them of seemed to have 
noticed.

 A chair scraped, and the man walked away.  The woman groaned, 
slopped up the spilled drink, and followed him out of the store.  
The tension that had built between them lingered; a dark heavy 
thickness in the air that was hard to breathe.

 R o w e n a  P o r t c h
 Author of the Spirian Saga

 RowenaPortch.com <http://rowenaportch.com/

 View the Book Trailer for The Spirian Saga, a new paranormal 
romance <http://youtu.be/XeNmJkXyJv0
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--

"Oh, Sophie!  Whyfore have you eated all de cheeldren?"

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