Final Blog: Lit Publishing

I just want to say again that it was a lot of fun to be a part of this whole process. It was great to read so much work from both adults and students, and I feel that I’ve learned some things about what I liked to see and what didn’t work for me as a reader.

I’ve mentioned it before and I’ll mention it again. Many of the poems that didn’t work for me were too abstract and weren’t successful in creating the imagery intended in the piece. Though these are good things to do in Prose, I feel that concrete details are essential in poetry, as well. Poetry has much less to work with than prose does, so everything must count towards the whole. Original imagery and avoiding all cliches really helps in a piece of work, too. Cliches don’t evoke the desired reaction because they are so ubiquitous that they really mean nothing. I noticed cliches were hard for the younger writers to avoid. I experienced this, too. I used to write the way I thought a writer should sound, and now I don’t worry about that and just try to tell a story. I believe many of the students that submitted for New Voices were concerned with appearing formal and writing exactly like some of the writers they like. Learning from good writing is a good thing, but I don’t think many students realize that everything in a story contributes to the whole piece, and coherence is essential.

I now understand in writing that the first few paragraphs or lines are important. Many of the people on the board explained that they could usually tell right away whether or not a piece of writing was going to work for them. I will plan to have a good “hook” in the story, and begin with something interesting right away, and not put in too much back- story. I now understand that a reader is more intelligent than I may have previously given, and starting in the middle of the action is a good thing.  I now know in publishing that it is important to follow the submission directions of the publisher, and make the first bit of writing count.

Blog #9 “Accident, Mass. Ave”

I like the fact that this poem uses simple, concise language. I also like the story here. Two strangers find that not only did they learn to behave civilly, but they actually made contact with one another by embracing each other in the middle of the street. I like the fact that this is told in a first person perspective. We (the readers) get to know what the narrator thinks about the situation. We understand that it seems that he doesn’t even want to get out of the car and start screaming but that is simply what is done in Boston. The narrator is a kind person putting on a show.

This poem communicates the notion that even though we’ve become a very individualized society, there are moments where  this kind of thinking can and should break down, and we can truly connect with another person. The poem uses specific dialogue in the poem so that the reader gets an idea of the kinds of things that these people might say when in an accident. “What the fuck were you thinking? You fucking blind?” The language and punctuation is prose-like, as well, which reads nicely for this piece.

Blog #8 NV Experience

The experience of selecting work for this anthology was, obviously, quite different from the experience with Dust and Fire. The level of writing was less developed than much of the other writing we had witnessed for submission to Dust and Fire. I noticed that high school students generally felt the need to summarize or reflect on what they wrote in the piece, instead of rendering specific events to the reader. I also felt that most of the students were trying to write the way they think a writer should sound, as opposed to writing what they want. Of course, I can relate, as I recall doing the same thing years ago.

I again noticed that some pieces simply attempted to be too abstract without offering much concrete detail, and I cannot handle that. I simply can’t follow a piece like that because I lose interest. Pieces that were original in perspective, that found the uncommon in the common, that gave me concrete detail, got my vote.

The experience has been great, and it is fun to see the general progression of writing that takes place. In New Voices, we all agreed that we mostly had to look for potential in pieces and not polished final drafts. I did feel that I could have worked with the writers of many of the pieces, and made them much better.

Blog #7 Board Experience

It was exciting for me to be a part of the women’s publication this semester. I enjoyed reading the submissions and analyzing them, and it was fun to engage in friendly debates concerning which pieces should be entered into the anthology. Defending my chosen pieces forced me to think more critically about the piece than I may have otherwise done. Being a part of an editorial board such as this helps the readers understand what style and structure works for them.

I noticed that I didn’t like too much abstraction in the poems I read. If I found myself asking “what the heck is this poem supposed to be about?” it was a big indicator  that the poem wasn’t for me. Most of the time, these kinds of poems were too abstract to be relatable to a reader in any meaningful way. I found that the poems I liked best were often about seemingly insignificant events, but the author managed to look at the situation in a unique way. In my opinion, most people have lives that are basically uneventful in the catastrophic sense. Therefore, we must find beauty and wonder in the mundane.

Blog #6 “Stolpestad”

I really enjoyed this short story. I really felt that the writer provided good imagery, and did a lot in a very short time. The description of the injured dog was really great. I could feel the animal’s pain as she lied there, slowly dying. I also enjoyed the final scene where the father and boy went to the cop’s house. Even before the author said that the guy’s tone was “all wrong” and “snaky,” I could feel the tension. I found myself almost uncomfortable reading that part because of the tone of the boy’s father. If that isn’t successful writing, I don’t know what is. A great read.

Blog #5 “The Favorite”

I can only think of one thing to say to sum this poem up – simply fantastic!
I love the writing, and an entire story is composed within this poem. Two lines really stood out to me: “hammer a house of words together” and “turning your slightest suggestions into windows and doors.” I feel these lines produce excellent imagery in the poem. I like the idea of building a solid foundation complete with walls and doors with our words. The second line suggests that the student in the poem really has a lot of potential, and is very receptive when receiving writing suggestions. It is also encouraging to aspiring writers to know that if they receive good feedback and apply it, their work can reach new levels. I also like the line in the final stanza, “the most beautiful room in her whole house built from the ugliest mud.” The student in the poem took a horrific event and put it into words beautifully. The story within the poem is intriguing in itself, too. The teacher can relate to the student well because she experienced a similar event in her life, and could relate to the piece well. She also understands how difficult it was for the student to finally become personal and write about the event that changed her life forever.

Blog #4 “How to Succeed in Po Biz”

This short prose piece definitely provides a gloomy outlook for the life of a struggling writer (and I suspect that all but a few are struggling). The story paints the picture that many writers are intraverted, neurotic, and may be  borderline alcoholics.

Though the piece is brief, I really like the picture it illustrates. I like the way it’s written. It is kind of tainted with this pessimistic tone that runs throughout the entire story, which I find to be witty at times. It certainly doesn’t glamorize writing at all, but we do get the feeling that there’s something beautiful about the craft or, otherwise, nobody would embark on their writing journey and lifestyle.

Blog Post #3 “Edge Boys”

I didn’t find “Edge Boys” to be an easy read by any means. It was dense, and the sentences dragged on to an enormous length. Though it may have been necessary for the story, I found all the descriptive information used to make the writers point exhausting, and sometimes confusing.
With that being said, I did find some interesting ideas within the story. I liked how the story captured the notion of time pressing onward and people being unhappy with their lives. It explores homosexuality, hopelessness, and a moral-less nation. The main character even tells his wife that he had an affair with another woman instead of with and male. Obviously, he feared that his wife would think he’s a freak and divorce him. And though he is obviously unhappy in his marriage, he would rather remain married and be miserable than to start a single life in middle-age.
In summation, the content was good, but I couldn’t get in to the story because of the way it was written.

Blog Post #3 “Edge Boys”

I didn’t find “Edge Boys” to be an easy read by any means. It was dense, and the sentences dragged on to an enormous length. Though it may have been necessary for the story, I found all the descriptive information used to make the writers point exhausting, and sometimes confusing.
With that being said, I did find some interesting ideas within the story. I liked how the story captured the notion of time pressing onward and people being unhappy with their lives. It explores homosexuality, hopelessness, and a moral-less nation. The main character even tells his wife that he had an affair with another woman instead of with and male. Obviously, he feared that his wife would think he’s a freak and divorce him. And though he is obviously unhappy in his marriage, he would rather remain married and be miserable than to start a single life in middle-age.
In summation, the content was good, but I couldn’t get in to the story because of the way it was written.

Blog Post #2 “Midsummer” (32)

I enjoyed reading the poem “Midsummer.” It resembled a prose poem because of the long stanzas and had many complete sentences in it. However, the language was still poetic and provided good imagery, which was very appealing. I love the idea of adolescents not having a care in the world, and thriving when amongst each other socially. The working day was just a past time for all of them, and the day didn’t begin until the work day was over and they spent time together. There was a dangerous and free spirited nature within the poem, which was attractive and enviable.

I love in the third stanza how the word “dangerous,” when referring to the rocks stands on its own line. Directly, the word referred to the rocks, but indirectly it depicted the lives of each young person in the poem. The poem also wraps up quite nicely with the final stanza, which conveyed the main theme of the poem. It states that though we may grow up and even become powerful away from our place of birth, there will be a longing within us, which the adult world of responsibility cannot satisfy. The writer says that we will still “mourn” for something, and eventually return home to seek it. This isn’t an original idea by any means, but it is conveyed beautifully when we glimpse into the lives of these young people.