[stylist] Weekly Writing Challenge

Sun Jun 7 16:42:54 UTC 2015

For what it's worth, I had a poetry prof tell us that poetry is a little like abstract painting; you can not look at it piece by piece, but rather, you have to look at it as a whole.

And often, poetry, especially modern poetry, is up to the interpretation of the reader. If you take another meaning from it, that's okay. That's how the writing resonated with you.

Also, Bill does often give us a brief explaination of what his poem is about in the beginning of his message. And his poetry works with imagery and metaphor, which is no where a new concept in poetry. This style of poetry has been popular since the early 1900's, T. S. Elliot being a poet of this nature who pops to mind right now, but the Beats in the 40's and 50's really defined it.

If trying to look at poetry like this word by word or even section by section, it could be confusing to some. I may not always interpret Bills poems the same way he does, but I either respond to something or I don't. It's a little like music. It's more an emotional response than an intellectual one.

And I know plenty of people who have no clue what so-called traditional poetry is about. I think it's just a thing about poetry in general.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Barbara HAMMEL via stylist
Sent: Sunday, June 07, 2015 11:33 AM
To: Writers' Division Mailing List
Cc: Barbara HAMMEL
Subject: Re: [stylist] Weekly Writing Challenge

I'm sorry, but for some it's not a lack of willing to put into it. Some of us just like to have just enough information given that we can figure out what is intended in the meaning instead of being left feeling stupid because we either don't know where to go to research or we figure why put four hours into researching something that took us two minutes to read. Yes, E. B. White and Lemony Snicket both agree in not writing down to readers but they also gave us enough to figure out what was meant in their content.
I'm only coming at this from my side of reading and writing but I know there are plenty of others here who are on the same plane with your writing and they get it. I don't know how to critique something I know nothing of. I understand the free verse of poetry, which I could comment on as far as lines not flowing or the varying lengths from two syllables to fourteen syllables driving me nuts as a reader. I could also point out clunky words but then again if I don't understand the topic, I can't suggest better words or a clearer way to say something.
You fit in very well with the poets of today. I don't understand their work either. So it's not you and your writing style. It's just me and those of us who are being told but learning the hard way that poetry really isn't for everyone any more.
Personally, I have a few poems from other writers that I have not a clue what they are writing about but I love the flow and the sound of the words they chose but 95 percent of what I have are poems I can relate to. Might someone like Jackie or Lynda or Brigit interpret them WAY different than me? Probably, but I get the simple meaning and sometimes a much deeper meaning than someone else might get.
Barbara

Sent from my iPhone

> On Jun 7, 2015, at 12:18, William L Houts via stylist <stylist at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
> HI Vejas,
> 
> Well, I couldn't exactly tell.  It sounded like she could have been 
> referring to me.  I am comparatively prolific these days and I think 
> my stuff requires a bit more headwork than some people feel 
> comfortable with.  But if she wasn't talking about me and my output or 
> lack of it, then I am vastly relieved to be let off the hook.  Whew!  
> LOL
> 
> 
> --Bill
> 
> 
> 
> 
>> On 6/6/2015 9:37 PM, Vejas Vasiliauskas via stylist wrote:
>> 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 caf챕 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.  I 셫 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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> 
> 
> --
> 
> 
> "Oh, Sophie!  Whyfore have you eated all de cheeldren?"
> 
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