Author Talk, Oct. 17th

Arlene McCarren and Nancy Taiani have each written memoirs following painful losses and have found the writing process itself to be healing.

Join them as they read excerpts from their books and discuss their writing.

When: Wednesday, Oct 17^th, 7:00 PM

Where: Clifton Public Library –Allwood Branch

                44 Lyall Road, Clifton

Anticipation

There really is no adequate way to describe the anticipation one feels when a book you authored is ready for publication. The first time have it in your hands makes all the work worth it.
Work? Why should we think of writing as work? My old Post office job was work--this is challenge. One interesting aspect is the source of compliments, as well as indifference.
People I hardly know seem to enjoy the writing much more than I expected, whereas those I've known better and longer too often seem blase, indifferent to the books. You never know who will and won't buy your book. After Twilight People I tried to balance my disappointment with some ignoring it with the pleasant surprise connected with strangers reactions.
Right now it is drizzling out and concerts have been cancelled. I saw a free movie, Mildred Pierce, at the library. I can take a nap or go to the gym or start a new short story. I'm tired of watching gymnasts do the same routine. Maybe I'll write about a rebellious gymnast who defies her coach and creates her own moves.

On critics and criticism

Having now past the launch of my first book, my next task is two-fold. I need to market the book and myself to a broader audience and gather critical feedback from them. The first task is fairly straightforward - introduce a treasured creative effort to people in an appealing way. I find that most people like to meet people who have finished creative projects and can usually spare a little time to admire the fruits of your efforts. However, critical review and response is, by its nature, something people are reluctant to dispense. It is far safer in creative circles to be either unassuming or silent, and other times people are afraid of 'sounding stupid' even though nearly every opinion is an extension of truth.

It might not seem so, but criticism is a cultural taboo. Praise is always welcome but digging into someone else's work, especially when they often have no way to change it, seems unfair, and fans of their work won't appreciate your analysis unless you are clever. I found this out the hard way, as my first few reviews on Amazon were consistently and repeatedly marked as unhelpful and some of them were even trolled by the ungrateful.

I encourage everyone to be critical despite the stigma. Being a critic is an intellectual legacy we all share. Often, whether or not you are considered a good critic has to do with your delivery and when it is done well, criticism is very helpful. The most successful critics I know, either in how they help me refine my work or in their coverage in respected journals, are consistent in a few general ways. Incidentally, when you read criticism of your work, it's good to look for these signs to identify someone who has a true stake in your chosen art-form:

1. They convey experience and informed perspective. This might seem textbook, but a good critic can connect different things together for comparison and distinguish differences. This sometimes produce unflattering comparisons, but a critic's perspective is revealed by their sources. This also informs you of the caliber they ascribe to your work.
2. They don't skimp on specifics. Even if a critic only talks about their enjoyment or dislike of a piece of work, they can point to specific parts that evoked a reaction, or did not. Surely, each part is not as important as the whole, but reductive glosses and generalizations are not very critical, whereas close reading is.
3. They state very clearly what something is. Often, art resists clear definition. This can stem from its subjects, its style, its context, its delivery, or a myriad of more subtle factors. A good critic can identify the essence of a piece and at least one clear purpose for its existence. This takes some practice and usually a good vocabulary, but knowing what you are talking about and informing others is a fundamental function of the critic. A review is helpful if it makes some clear statement about what is being reviewed.

In conclusion, be critical, but when you speak or write critically, consider the important things critics can provide. If you have friends who have finished their own creative projects, try to review their work as this helps them in the long run, even if your opinion of the work is not high.

- Forest F. White

Updating Your Website - The Philosophical Angle

Websites are beautiful things. And as we know, things of beauty are a joy forever. Well, maybe not so much. The life of a website is perhaps more like life in the Middle Ages - nasty, brutish, and short.

The drive is for new content, updated content, relevant content... Ah, what happened to content that lasts, content worth keeping, content for the ages?

If, to use another famous phrase, time is money, then a constantly updated website is far more expensive than a static one. Keeping your content fresh requires more and more investment in what is, by definition, ephemeral. It strikes me that there is something wrong with this equation.

Perhaps I am becoming old and cynical, but does the drive for the "constantly new" generate merely a gush of material of little value, which in the long run, no one cares to keep? If so, why do it?

I applaud the folks who are trying to archive the internet--motivated by the belief that there are things worth keeping. I was both encouraged and amused when I heard one group had resorted to printing books of webpages, since books are less prone to device failure :-)

 I hope our online future is long and happy. I also hope we get hold of the difference between quantity and quality.



Comments welcome.

Blogger and Chrome

Rumors have it that the providers of this fine blog software now require us to move to a different browser. I'll keep all our contributors posted.
Ed.

Bike Boy

I'm walking in the park, getting my exercise, and this little kid riding along with training wheels suddenly loses control and falls off his bike right into the grass. I'm reading my book, minding my own business. Sighing, I straighten the kid's bike and look down at him. He's wearing his helmet, lying on his side, knees bent, in a fetal position. He is not whimpering, eyes are open. just lying there contemplating the insanity of bikes, learning at an early age about responsibilities. He is a kid. Kids ride bikes. No one questions this chain of events, certainly not the boy.
I should have asked him if he was okay. Maybe I did. But I distinctly remember inquiring if he was going to get up. He hesitated, as though thinking it over. What's the point, he may be thinking. He does get up and climbs back on the bike. Is too embarrassed to thank me. I continue my walk. A few seconds later he loses control again, practically runs into me, manages to regain his balance, looking at me sheepishly. Go slow is all I can offer. Go slow.
He starts pedaling again and soon is far off in the distance. I keep circling the path with my book, but I never see him again.
Part of me admires the kid for his persistence in the face of this absurd task. Another part feels sorry for him because he will discover no matter how many times he falls he will be expected to rise and start over.One day, after he's retired, he may just have to dodge some fool kid on a bike, going sideways when he should be going straight.

Book Talk/Signing at Caldwell Library - April 11th

Arlene McCarren and I will have book signings and will speak about our memoirs - hers, Knitting and Knowing and mine, Healing Father John - at the Caldwell Public Library on Wednesday, April 11th at 6:30 PM. All are welcome.

Then, on May 10th, I will speak to the justice and peace group at Our Lady of the Valley Church in Orange.

Nancy Taiani

Reaching Out

I'm going to be attending Lunacon, the sci-fi convention in Rye, NY.
I hope to be on a panel talking about self-publishing, a new experience--being on a panel, that is, not talking about self-publishing!
.
There may be a few folks who still think all self-publishing is the same as the old vanity presses. With sites like Indiereader.com promoting the idea that independently published books should be given the same sort of cache as independently produced movies, I know I have support behind me!

Scribbulations writers join up for Meet the Authors

Arlene McCarren and I are taking out some of the scare of speaking about our books by working together. We've each written memoirs following painful losses and have found the writing to be a healing process. We'll read excerpts from our books and discuss our writing.

 We'll be launching our talk "Memoir Writing After a Loss—Meet the Authors" at the Montclair YMCA on Leap Year's Day, February 29th. at 10:15 AM.

The YMCA, 25 Park St., Montclair, The Holm Room, Guests are welcome

Nancy Taiani