My job these days is working on Appearances, an ambitious manuscript in progress, which has the working subtitle of "A Novel in 365 Fragments." There's no particular significance to the 365--other than that I'm challenging myself to work on a certain scale for at least a year.
So far I've completed 45 fragments. When I can't seem to get going on a new segment I go back and tinker with the older ones. A stranger looking at the thing right now would probably think it's whackdoodle. Perhaps it is. But I also think that it's philosophically interesting. There are ideas in it.
That's my story.
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I look forward to this book. It WILL be a blast.
ReplyDeleteAnd it will be "philosophically interesting," too -- i.e., it will, by (your) nature, comprise itself of "thought" that is deep, unique, engaging, interesting, real, and worthwhile.
You adhere to an old but reliable and trustworthy motto: "Look into your heart and write" (Sir Phillip Sydney, I believe). Your writing DOES "entertain" the spontaneous and instinctual rule-of-thumb for permitting (new) form to enter as (new) content dictates and requires, but yours is seldom if ever a mere, and merely narcissistic, attempt to showcase or claim some new formal techniques and "achievements." Rather, you wed your passion and intelligence and curiosity to WHAT wants attention and being, and you then "play it by ear" (and eye and the other 48 senses) until it gets down on the page.
Thank you, Steve. I particularly like your recognition of the "other 48 senses."
ReplyDeleteI have to admit, the number does vary from season to season, sometimes week to week, and there are a few folks who argue that there exist only an upper limit of 39, and I myself have only been able to contact/access roughly two dozen, but I won't attempt to discredit some who genuinely do seem to have touched into the full range at sometime or another, like you and a select few others who've been researching the further reaches for a lot longer than I have. :)
ReplyDeleteYou, sir, are a very kind man.
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