Re: [acornlive] (Fwd) WHY2K?

Mary Stenhouse (acornlive@dublinwriters.org)
Thu, 23 Mar 2000 08:02:22 -0000 

Hi All
It would appear that there is at last a serious discussion of the art of
poetry going on.  How refreshing.  Alex, what is it that drives your life to
aspire to those things you believe you need?  I would hazard a guess that it
is the same thing that prompts your art.  We are all emotional beings, some
more than others.  However the poet or literary writer must be able to
tease, from those emotions, an infinite range from a finite set of words.  A
difficult enough task on its own, made even more difficult when ones mind is
overcrowded with passion.  Again this is where the poet should have the
advantage.  The poet should be, to some extent dispassionate, should
disassociate themselves from the emotion and dissect it.  Once one has found
the meat on the bone of emotion, the passion, only then can the poet put
down the words which s/he hopes will strike at the soul of the reader.
You only consider your best work to be the brighter poetry because that is
how you would believe the world to be.  Your darker poetry is telling you
that there is an alternative side to life which must be explored and if
necessary disseminated.  Be of good cheer poet and let not your passion rule
your emotions.  Rather allow your emotion to guide your passion.
Perhaps if you read some of the stories of 'The Mullah Nazrudin'  you would
find inspiration?
Good writing
Douglas.
----- Original Message -----
From: Alex Keegan <alex.keegan1@btinternet.com>
To: <acornlive@dublinwriters.org>
Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2000 7:51 AM
Subject: Re: [acornlive] (Fwd) WHY2K?


> I get less than a post a week, is that right?
>
> As for gloom, dunno, but many people write because they have ghosts... and
> mine queue up... most of my stories are dark, fatalistic... but
> interestingly my lighter, lightweight ones are far more popular.
>
> My deep belief is something like "Life's a bitch and then you die", even
> when I'm going through a brilliant time, in love, with kids, whatever...
> just seems life is tough and dark and that's where the meat of our art
comes
> from.
>
> But honesly, seriously, I'm not a miserable bloke, just an optimistic
> fatalist.
>
>
> My biggest hits have involved:
>
> A history of a man who survives a mining disaster, then war (best friend
> killed) and aches to see the man who mentored hm as a youngster.
>
> A father who accidentally takes out his daughter's eye.
>
> A man dying of (?) who sits on a bus and reflects about a life full of
(his)
> emotional cruelty.
>
> A man dying of (?) who takes the kids to Disney but keeps his impending
> death a secret.
>
> More recently, a blocked writer so fascinated by bleeding from his rear
that
> he bleeds to death in the bath "for the experience".
>
> (Hello List).
>
>
>
> Alex
>
>
> Alex Keegan, Bath, England
> http://www.btinternet.com/~alex.keegan1
> Boot Camp http://www.onelist.com/community/Gridders
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: Nessa O'Mahony <nessa@indigo.ie>
> To: <acornlive@dublinwriters.org>
> Sent: Thursday, March 23, 2000 6:39 AM
> Subject: [acornlive] (Fwd) WHY2K?
>
>
> > Hi there
> >
> > I wondered whether any of you bright people had any suggestions
> > for John - his is an accurate observation, I believe.
> >
> > ------- Forwarded Message Follows -------
> > Date sent:      Thu, 23 Mar 2000 08:28:07 +1200
> > From:           "john O'Neill" <kiwijohn@igrin.co.nz>
> > To:             nessa@indigo.ie
> > Subject:        WHY2K?
> >
> > Dear Nessa
> > Thank you for publishing my fable in Acorn. I am in good, if depressing,
> > company. Is there an explanation for the obvious fact that as Ireland
> > and the Irish grew more prosperous, their writing grew more
> > introspective and dark?
> > Yours, hopefully,
> > John O'Neill
> >
> >
> >
> > *==================*==================*
> > Acorn Live Literary Mailing list
> > The Dublin Writers' Workshop
> > ***
> > For list issues, contact: listmaster@dublinwriters.org
> > To unsubscribe use the form at:
> > http://www.dublinwriters.org/acornlive/
> >
>
>
> *==================*==================*
> Acorn Live Literary Mailing list
> The Dublin Writers' Workshop
> ***
> For list issues, contact: listmaster@dublinwriters.org
> To unsubscribe use the form at:
> http://www.dublinwriters.org/acornlive/
>


*==================*==================*
Acorn Live Literary Mailing list
The Dublin Writers' Workshop
***
For list issues, contact: listmaster@dublinwriters.org
To unsubscribe use the form at:
http://www.dublinwriters.org/acornlive/