I've posted on a personal dream that came true over at Novel Spaces. I hope you can drop by.
Also, my article on "Peter Elbow and the Real Voice" is in the latest volume of the Illuminata. I discuss the issue of voice in relationship to Peter Elbow's book Writing With Power.
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14 comments:
I've learned from you at the Novel Spaces. Off to read it now.
And sometimes, said dreams are pleasant ones ;)
checking em out asap...
Ocean girl, I'm glad to hear it.
Deka, sometimes so. Sometimes even the scary ones are pleasant after the fact. :)
Laughingwolf, I appreciate that.
Dear Charles,
Thank you for reading Richard Godwin's poem at Fashion For Collapse. I apologize for the delay in comments, they were set to moderation. I assure you, they have been getting through to our Richard.
I'm also dropping by to say hello, a few years ago we crossed paths in comments on a few sites like 8 Mile Love Graffiti and Benjibopper. I had to take some time away from the blogosphere. Nice to see that you are still writing and connecting.
"Writing With Power" was required reading in a course I took years ago, the prof was a huge fan of Peter Elbow.
Anyway, cheers!
Top post, Charles. I left a comment.
Lynn, thanks for letting me know. I had 2 or 3 windows up and didn't notice whether my comment went through or not so I just reposted something. I think I do remember your name. it sounds familiar. We all need a hiatus at times.
David, I appreciate it, man.
Interesting to read your bent on Elbow.
Bent? Elbow? That's a joke, son.
To be honest, I've always thought of one's voice as the most authoritative "them," whatever that "them" is: pompous jerk (ironically, I mean that in a good wy), scatterbrain, trickster, snake oil salesman, preacher, teacher, whatever. But I would certainly agree with your observations. I would also have to admit I don't really know what voice is.
Does it matter, really?
Congratulations on Bitter Steel. That's a great title. After all, steel doesn't really have much of a taste. So you can't really take the title literally, now can you:-)
Dreams. Daydreams.
I too am a firm believer in staring at the wall. But a wall knows more wittily about art. The wall makes you think, dream and then do.
And then, oddly, after thirty years you end up dreaming on that same wall again.
Read your piece on "voice." I agree that voice has the resonance of a real person writing/talking. I'd also argue that any writing has voice.
Textbook writing has an institutional voice - colorless and (often deceptively) unemotional. Behind the words is an attitude of superior intelligence, officialese, condescension. It's a real person (or persons) talking through the mask of authority.
I'm not saying I like that voice. It's usually boring and off-putting, but it's a voice we hear all the time in this Orwellian world.
"So you have built castles in the air; good, for that is where castles belong.
Now start to build foundations under them."
--Thoreau (I think)
X. Dell, depends on what's on the steel, I suppose. As for Elbow, I was expecting more, but that's my fault, not his. Voice is definitely confusing.
ivan, whenever I hear the word wall I think of the Pink Floyd tune.
Ron Scheer, I find that when my students criticize "textbooks" that's often what they are criticizing. It doesn't sound real or human. All writing certainly has a tone or approach. I don't know so much about whether it all has a voice. The very term may be so confusing and vague that it's practicaly useless.
Steve Malley, good advice.
Charles your posts at Novel Spaces are always fantastic. Original and intuitive, as you are.
Richard, thanks much. Glad you enjoyed.
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