Bananafish Archives, January, 1999: Re: The role of intelligence, persistence, and deliberation in writing

Re: The role of intelligence, persistence, and deliberation in writing

citycabn@gateway.net

Tue, 12 Jan 1999 10:43:41 -0800

This is a multi-part message in MIME format. ------=_NextPart_000_0026_01BE3E18.6B57B580 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable Scottie, I am nodding my head in TOTAL agreement with your reaffirming the role = these three things--intelligence, persistence, and deliberation-- play = in the act of writing. I didn't mean that they too weren't necessary = ingredients in the soup. I guess if I were trying to clarify that = excerpt Camille went to the trouble of posting, I would say: JDS would NOT have gotten to the *particular* delivery room--or *any* = delivery room worth us losing our precious eyesight over--he was in if = he had not FIRST written the 21 undercollected stories. The = undercollecteds, are ,in my book, the results of JDS's apprenticeship in = the *craft* of writing. As in , learning bricklaying, or carpentry or = making a great omelet. When he spoke of their republication in 74, = going on I recall about someone going in and stealing a coat, was it, = out of his closet, he didn't really mean that he was upset that he had = lost a coat (or even royalties). The writer's ego was peeved that his = old, embarrassing sins, were once *again* out in public. For all, or = any to see. It's one thing to be young and learning the craft and = writing your heart out, and trying to get published, wanting to see it = and your name in print, and it is another thing to put the first seven = years of scribbles--the apprenticeship--in a desk drawer. NO ONE gets = to the top of the mountain WITHOUT the apprenticeship. *If* I were a = teacher of creative writing, that would be the mantra I would impart to = those young faces facing me (Okay, maybe Rimbaud did. But Keats did put = in the apprenticeship.) Better get the gear ready for the ascent up = Everest. On a wing and prayer, on a wish and a hope, on an *inspired* = night of scribbles--how do said scribbles look in the cold light to = one's inner critic the next morn--one has not even reached the first = campsite. We know Everest is tall, formidable, and almost impossible to = reach--and we know this because, before we ever had the audacity to sit = and sin on paper, we were readers! You know, that letter to Buddy = Seymour wrote in S:AI. First a reader, and then, if you cant find the = words that totally express you, then , yea, try and write it yourself. = But no submission to publications for a while. Believe me, you end up = regretting all of the publications up to age 30, easily. (Of course, = unless one is Rimbaud, Keats, and some others. JDS's own first book = pub. was The Catcher, at 32, if my math doesn't fail me. One last = example and then I will go on to *my* blank page of today destined for = my drawer: Rilke. Again, if we are to believe JDS: "the only great = poet of the century" in Perfect Day (1948); (he's *still* right in '99 = for my bookbuying money). "Is the German poet Rilke" asketh the JDS = FAQ; surely a rhetorical question, Sonny. He published his first book in = 1894 (he was born in '75). It wasn't until 1902 he published a volume = that in later life didn't embarrass the hell out of him. And one could = go further and say, he, RMR didnt write his first *truly great* poem = until early 1904 (in Rome) "Orpheus. Eurydice. Hermes" (Yes, he uses = periods, not commas, DELIBERATELY.) (Okay, the Panther poem, dated by = scholars between fall 02 and sometime in 03 is a very good poem, a = breakthrough poem for R's own personal development, but, It aint a = truly great poem. In fact, I just recall, the Russian emigre Nobel = Prize winning dead too too soon of a heart attack, Joseph Brodsky, rest = in peace, called O. E. H the single, greatest poem in the 20th century. = Now, I know in my heart of hearts, alas, that *I* am not the man or = woman to contest what a reader of Brodsky's acumen has, after long, long = thought (after all, he, J.B. spent a good many years up in Siberia on a = free ticket provided by the Soviets, because, mainly, he was Jewish and = a poet, and I hope to god the spirit of Osip Mandelstam visited him once = in a while) deemed in this godforsaken, horrible century it's greatest = poem, the greatest poem out of the millions of "poems" written by = millions of "poets". I don't think I'd go *quite* that far, but, hey, = O.E.H (I'd give my left pinky to have penned that) is not bad for a = young kid from Prague who at the time of composition was all of 28. = (But he didn't publish said poem in book form until 07, at the age of, = yes, 31.) Not bad for a writer who *later* would write The Notebooks of = Malte Laurids Brigge, Duino Elegies, and The Sonnets to Orpheus.=20 Jesus, I didn't mean to replay at this length; am sure a few of you fell = by the wayside; to those who didn't my grateful thanks. --Bruce in San Francisco =20 ------=_NextPart_000_0026_01BE3E18.6B57B580 Content-Type: text/html; charset="iso-8859-1" Content-Transfer-Encoding: quoted-printable <!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD W3 HTML//EN">

Scottie,

I am nodding my head in TOTAL = agreement with=20 your reaffirming the role these three things--intelligence, persistence, = and=20 deliberation-- play in the act of writing. I didn't mean = that they=20 too weren't necessary ingredients in the soup. I guess if I were = trying to=20 clarify that excerpt Camille went to the trouble of posting, I would=20 say:

JDS would NOT have gotten to = the=20 *particular* delivery room--or *any* delivery room worth us losing our = precious=20 eyesight over--he was in if he had not FIRST written the 21 = undercollected=20 stories. The undercollecteds, are ,in my book, the results of = JDS's=20 apprenticeship in the *craft* of writing. As in , learning = bricklaying, or=20 carpentry or making a great omelet. When he spoke of their = republication=20 in 74, going on I recall about someone going in and stealing a = coat, was=20 it, out of his closet, he didn't really mean that he was upset that he = had lost=20 a coat (or even royalties). The writer's ego was peeved that his old,=20 embarrassing sins, were once *again* out in public. For all, or = any to=20 see. It's one thing to be young and learning the craft and writing = your=20 heart out, and trying to get published, wanting to see it and your name = in=20 print, and it is another thing to put the first seven years of = scribbles--the=20 apprenticeship--in a desk drawer. NO ONE gets to the top of the = mountain=20 WITHOUT the apprenticeship. *If* I were a teacher of = creative=20 writing, that would be the mantra I would impart to those young faces = facing me=20 (Okay, maybe Rimbaud did. But Keats did put in the = apprenticeship.) =20 Better get the gear ready for the ascent up Everest. On a wing and = prayer,=20 on a wish and a hope, on an *inspired* night of scribbles--how do said = scribbles=20 look in the cold light to one's inner critic the next morn--one has not = even=20 reached the first campsite. We know Everest is tall, formidable, = and=20 almost impossible to reach--and we know this because, before we ever had = the=20 audacity to sit and sin on paper, we were readers! You know, that = letter=20 to Buddy Seymour wrote in S:AI. First a reader, and then, if you = cant find=20 the words that totally express you, then , yea, try and write it = yourself. =20 But no submission to publications for a while. Believe me, you end = up=20 regretting all of the publications up to age 30, easily. (Of = course,=20 unless one is Rimbaud, Keats, and some others. JDS's own first = book pub.=20 was The Catcher, at 32, if my math doesn't fail me. One last = example and=20 then I will go on to *my* blank page of today destined for my = drawer: =20 Rilke. Again, if we are to believe JDS: "the only great poet = of the=20 century" in Perfect Day (1948); (he's *still* right in '99 = for my=20 bookbuying money). "Is the German poet Rilke" asketh the = JDS=20 FAQ; surely a rhetorical question, Sonny. He published his first book in = 1894=20 (he was born in '75). It wasn't until 1902 he published a volume = that in=20 later life didn't embarrass the hell out of him. And one could go = further=20 and say, he, RMR didnt write his first *truly great* poem until early = 1904 (in=20 Rome) "Orpheus. Eurydice. Hermes" (Yes, he uses = periods,=20 not commas, DELIBERATELY.) (Okay, the Panther poem, dated by = scholars=20 between fall 02 and sometime in 03 is a very good poem, a breakthrough = poem for=20 R's own personal development, but, It aint a truly great = poem. In=20 fact, I just recall, the Russian emigre Nobel Prize winning dead too too = soon of=20 a heart attack, Joseph Brodsky, rest in peace, called O. E. H the = single, =20 greatest poem in the 20th century. Now, I know in my heart of = hearts,=20 alas, that *I* am not the man or woman to contest what a = reader of=20 Brodsky's acumen has, after long, long thought (after all, he, = J.B. spent=20 a good many years up in Siberia on a free ticket provided by the = Soviets,=20 because, mainly, he was Jewish and a poet, and I hope to god the spirit = of Osip=20 Mandelstam visited him once in a while) deemed in this = godforsaken,=20 horrible century it's greatest poem, the greatest poem out of the = millions of=20 "poems" written by millions of "poets". I = don't think=20 I'd go *quite* that far, but, hey, O.E.H (I'd give my left pinky to have = penned=20 that) is not bad for a young kid from Prague who at the time of=20 composition was all of 28. (But he didn't publish said poem in = book form=20 until 07, at the age of, yes, 31.) Not bad for a writer who = *later* would=20 write The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge, Duino Elegies, and The = Sonnets to=20 Orpheus.

Jesus, I didn't mean to replay at = this length;=20 am sure a few of you fell by the wayside; to those who didn't my = grateful=20 thanks.

--Bruce in San Francisco =20