2014 National Book Award Winners

“We need writers who know the difference between the production of a market commodity and a practice of an art.”

—Ursula K. Le Guin

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ursula k le guin nba(image via npr.org)

Spoiler alert: Ursula K. Le Guin won the National Book Awards last night. All of them.

Okay, perhaps that’s misleading. Le Guin took home the 2014 Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters. In the process, she stole the show (and our book loving hearts) with her acceptance speech, in which she warned against confusing a “market commodity” with “art”:

“Right now, I think we need writers who know the difference between the production of a market commodity and a practice of an art.”(via Publisher’s Weekly)

She went on to say:

“I have had a long career and a good one, in good company. Now, here, at the end of it, I really don’t want to watch American literature get sold down the river. We who live by writing and publishing want and should demand our fair share of the proceeds. But, the name of our beautiful reward is not…

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New poetic discovery

New for me anyway. Discovered a book of poems by Raymond Carver. Amazing. Why have I never read his work before? That is all. I need to plunge deeper into his work.

So, what do you write?

Is it difficult for you, as a writer, to classify your literary work? You have spent much of your time writing it and rewriting it, but when someone asks you what it is how do you respond?

That is a challenge I am struggling through with novella-length non-fiction manuscript. One publisher seeks manuscripts that focus on spirituality, personal growth, women’s interest and religion. The manuscript I completed includes two out of the four — and loosely at that. 

Should I rewrite chapters to fit the publisher’s preferences? Or find a different publisher? Or better yet, find a literary agent to help get the manuscript published so I can work on the next project?

So many questions.

When books find you and do not let go

Other than “To an Athlete Dying Young,” my familiarity with A. E. Housman is very limited. But serendipitously a published lecture of his found me and I have been deeply reading it for a couple of months now. The lecture is titled The Name and Nature of Poetry.

In contrast, another book found me in late August. It is Finding the Islands by W. S. Merwin. This too have I read deeply for the last few months (and I dare not confess how much my library fine is to date).

These authors speak to be in a manner that few contemporary writers do. Modern readers consume modern fiction and poetry, but modern literary works seem less and less able to engage me. I feel — at times — as if I am drifting backwards in time as my years advance.

Help select Advent poems

A few years ago I posted a question: Why is it so difficult to find well-written Advent poems? There was little to no response to that post.

Undeterred, I collected a few poems that are good examples of poems of the Advent and posted either web links to the poems or the poems themselves.

Each year, around mid-October the traffic to those Advent poem posts increases dramatically. By the end of the calendar year they are in the most visited posts on this blog.

This year I am considering an audio podcast production featuring readings of selected poems. Here is where I could use your help:

  1. If you have a few minutes please take a look at a list of twelve Advent poems and let me know which is your favorite. Or if you have an Advent poem that is not listed please send me a web link or the poem for consideration.
  2. If you are or know of a musician who would like to contribute to the audio podcast, please contact me. Specifically, I am looking for instrumental compositions.

Thanks for your support. I look forward to your feedback.

 

NaNoWriMo: Why November Is the Best Month to Write

“I’d recommend aiming for 30k-50k. . . . So it’s up to you, depending on  how much time you’ve got, how fast you type, . . .

via NaNoWriMo: Why November Is the Best Month to Write.

[Podcast] Pageantry of vanity

NOV 2014 iTunes Image

What would you tell someone if they told you that your internet behavior was categorically a mental illness? How much time do you spend on Facebook, Tumblr? or other social media sites? How does this affect your real life relationships? Do you prefer e-books to physical pulp and ink books? These and other confessions are the topic of this episode of the Coffeehouse Junkie audio podcast.

Listen to the Coffeehouse Junkie on:
PodOmatic: coffeehousejunkie.podomatic.com
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/coffeehousejunkie

Naomi MarieSpecial thanks to Naomi Marie for permission to use her song on the show. She is a born and bred Midwestern minstrel or sorts. Transplanted from the rich musical culture of the twin cities, she has discovered a fresh folk sound and form from the third coast of Lake Michigan. Having recently released her first full length, Primary Colors, in May of 2014, she sets to connect with friends, fans and artists in continued pursuit of her music’s authentic expressions.

Here are some links:
twitter: @naomimarieandco
website: naomimariemusic.org
facebook: /naomimariemusic
iTunes: Album – Primary Colors

Personal

After reviewing the near final edit, my wife commented, “That is your most personal podcast yet.”

 

Now I am really nervous. I look forward to learning your response to the upcoming audio podcast. It delivers tomorrow. Here’s an extended teaser:

What would you tell someone if they told you that your internet behavior was categorically a mental disorder? How much time do you spend on Facebook? These and other confessions make up the content of the next Coffeehouse Junkie audio podcast. 

 

Excited. Nervous.

Putting final touches on the upcoming Coffeehouse Junkie audio podcast.

The podcast is exciting, to me anyway, because it explores a topic that interests many — social media. As a teaser, here’s a question: would your internet behavior be considered a mental illness?

The podcast makes me nervous because it is part confession.

For readers of this blog, it will be available before the weekend.

Ready to Write a Novel?

Are you participating in National Novel Writing Month 2014?

What encouraged/inspired you to join the many people who plan to write a 50,000-word rough draft in the 30 days?

Quote: the journey is your narrative

“The process of writing . . . is . . . a journey by boat. . . . If you get distracted or allow yourself to drift, you will never make it to the destination. . . . The journey is your narrative.”

—Walter Mosley

Is free is expensive & how much would you pay for a good story?

Ever feel like you are asked to do the work of three people? Ever feel that most of your day is spent reading emails and sitting in meaningless meetings?

I am not sure I have answers for these questions, but it got me thinking about a couple articles I have read. One explores the shrinking size of the original content creators — i.e. newsrooms. The other touches on the devaluation of work hours.

  1. How Technology Can Help Work/Life Balance: http://online.wsj.com/articles/how-technology-can-help-work-life-balance-1414382688
  2. Why Free is Very Expensive: http://www.forbes.com/2011/06/10/forbes-india-why-free-is-very-expensive.html

Years ago, I worked for a news organization. After a meeting, the publisher told me that opinions are cheap to publish because it does not require the writer to do anything but write. But a good story is hard work and costs the company a lot of money to put boots on the ground, staff to interview and research a subject, photograph and edit lead stories. The quality of the content that goes into a lead story suffers when an organization is understaffed. Further, the consumers of the content receive sub-quality work. Is the fault with the consumer that wants free online content? Or the content creator that is unable to provide high-quality work on a limited budget that consumers will actually purchase?

How much would you pay for a good story?

Two rules to writing thank you notes

1. The note must be handwritten with a fountain pen.
2. The note must be on off-white, cream stationary or card.

I will elaborate more on the matter in an upcoming podcast.

Quote: The ancient Celts distinguished the poet…

“The ancient Celts… distinguished the poet, who was originally a priest and judge as well and whose person was sacrosanct, from the mere gleeman. He was in Irish called fili, a seer, which is Welsh derwydd, or oak-seer, which is the probable derivation of Druid. Even kings came under his moral tutelage.”

–Robert Graves

Question: Is it wrong…

Is it wrong to want my writings to be published in Vanity Fair? To mark a new century of publication, Vanity Fair needs new writers. Right?

Solitude and leadership and you

Being a leader does not always mean your job title is CEO or office manager or creative director. Leading from within is as affective if not more than leading from the top of the corporate structure. Based on William Deresiewicz’s essay/lecture (which I quoted portions of back in April, but for a refresher, read the article here: Solitude and Leadership), how would you apply some of the principles he suggests in “Solitude and Leadership”?

Maybe your work life is something like this. You have a full, eight-hour day work load of project management tasks (that you are trying to squeeze into ten hours), production items and internal and external clients to assist. Shortly after you sit down at your desk and take a sip of coffee, your email inbox audibly notifies you of an email from your supervisor. You do not respond to the email immediately because you are processing files from yesterday for today’s activities. These are files the supervisor needs by 10 a.m. That allows you one hour to complete the task. Within a few minutes you receive a Skype message from the supervisor asking if you saw the email. When you do not reply to the Skype message immediately, you receive a text message on my personal mobile device asking if you saw the Skype message about the email. Does this sound familiar? How do you handle such distraction and meet your supervisors requests and requirements?

This may be a mundane example, but it is more accessible to most readers than that of a Wall Street broker. So, how would you apply some of the principles Deresiewicz suggests in “Solitude and Leadership”?

Pageantry of vanity

It sort of overturns my apple cart when a script for an upcoming podcast — that I have worked on for months — seems to be summed up in under four minutes . . . on Youtube . . .

Are you part of the one percent?

Is the Myers–Briggs Type Indicator an accurate assessment of your personality type? Or just an extension of Jung’s four main archetypes?

Have you completed one of those online personality tests to determine your career path?

Here’s Memorado’s personality type: link.

What is your personality type? And how has this helped your career? Life?

Quote: Most people believe that technology is a staunch friend

“. . . most people believe that technology is a staunch friend. There are two reasons for this. First, technology is a friend. It makes life easier, cleaner, and longer. Can anyone ask more of a friend? Second, because of its lengthy, intimate, and inevitable relationship with culture, technology does not invite a close examination of its own consequences. It is the kind of friend that asks for trust and obedience, which most people are inclined to give because its gifts are truly bountiful. But, of course, there is a dark side to this friend. Its gifts are not without a heavy cost.”

–Neil Postman

Confessions : 10

01. It has been many winters since my last confession.

02. Yesterday, I jogged three miles west of the village.

03. In the rain. And wind.

04. A woman stopped her SUV along the road to ask if I needed a ride. I thanked her and declined.

05. I am reading a volume of poetry by Robert Lowell for the first time.

06. And also reading Lamentations.

07. Last week, the faithful MacBook Pro of seven years — named Hagar — nose-dived into hard drive oblivion.

08. Nearly seven days without a laptop and connection to the internet.

09. Hagar’s replacement arrived. Now connected to the matrix.

10. Somehow, I miss those days of non-digital, non-internet existence.

Previous confessions: [1] [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

Quote: “Technology is…”

“Whether or not it draws on new scientific research, technology is a branch of moral philosophy, not of science.”

–Paul Goodman, “Can Technology Be Humane?” The New York Review of Books, November 20, 1969

[Podcast] Translating Visions & Dreams Into Art & Music

SEPT2014_iTunes_ImageHow does an artist translate visions and dreams into pigment on canvas? These and other topics are discussed with artist Eva Scruggs. Next, poetry readings and acoustic singer/songwriter sets are common at bookstores and cafés. Join me and take a glimpse behind the scenes of one of those events that takes place at Malaprop’s Bookstore in Asheville, North Carolina. Finally, visit the Grey Eagle music hall and meet Deborah Crooks as she shares a conversation about liberation and home.

Special thanks to the Anne Malin for permission to use her song “darling” for the music between each segments. Anne Malin is a folk musician from Boston, Massachusetts. Her albums “Bog Songs,” “AM” and “Vessel” are available on iTunes and Spotify. New releases and a special edition of the album “Bog Songs” with art by Projekt Katharine is available at her Bandcamp page which is annemalin.bandcamp.com.

Listen on:
PodOmatic: coffeehousejunkie.podomatic.com
SoundCloud: soundcloud.com/coffeehousejunkie

3, 2, 1, it is almost here

Who is ready for another Coffeehouse Junkie audio podcast? This weekend, the next episode will be made available through select podcast services for you, the faithful Coffee Den patrons. Stay tuned for details tomorrow. Next week the podcast will be available to the general listenership.

So, what is on tap? First, how does an artist translate visions and dreams into pigment on canvas? These and other topics are discussed with artist Eva Scruggs. Next, poetry readings and acoustic singer/songwriter sets are common at bookstores and cafés. Join me and take a glimpse behind the scenes of one of those events that takes place at Malaprop’s Bookstore in Asheville, North Carolina. Finally, visit the Grey Eagle music hall and meet Deborah Crooks as she shares a conversation about liberation and home.

And, as always, the podcast features special music by a singer/songwriter I was introduced to thanks to some of the poets and writers in Racine, Wisconsin. I think you may enjoy the lo-fi, indie quality of this artist.

How long does it take to write a haiku?

How long does it take to write a haiku book cover

Purchase How long does it take to write a haiku? [Kindle Edition]!

One autumn evening, during supper, a father tells his children about the poet Basho. They are filled with curiosity and questions. One child asks, how long does it take to write a haiku? This collection features that story and others—plus a story that asks, is it possible to write a poem in your sleep?

When the Lights Go Out

When The Lights Go Out book cover

Purchase When the Lights Go Out [Kindle Edition]!

A light breeze from the south carries echoes of stories about creative space, laptop versus hand-writing and more.

A weather event prompted the author toward thoughts about our culture’s dependency on electricity and technology. These and other short stories complete this collection.

The Vanishing Art of Letter Writing

The Vanishing Art of Letter Writing book cover

Purchase The Vanishing Art of Letter Writing [Kindle Edition]!

When was the last time you wrote a letter? Not an email, but a handwritten letter with pen, paper, envelope and postage. Learn about a legacy of letters from a WWII soldier discovered by a son who never met his father. Years later he learns about his father through a collection of old war letters.