Writing Prompt Wednesday: From the Hood

Imagine this figure to life--before she became a hood ornament, after, when the car is parked.  Imagine a life for her.  Image © Lori Gravley (from the Packard Museum)

Writing Prompt Wednesday: Wordless

Image © Lori Gravley

Over Half Way There: Notes from a Reader

I've spent a lot of time looking out at this view this year, but I've still read over 800 

picture books for the 1,000 Picture Book Challenge.  Photo © Lori Gravley

My husband, the librarians, the dogs—everyone around me is ready for me to turn the page on my 1,000^th picture book.  Perhaps other people who’ve participated in the challenge have been able to read a leisurely 20 or so books a week. But I’ve spent nearly half the year far away from home (and  away from the library that fills my picture book needs).

This week, I’ve checked out (and read) over 100 picture books (it's been my full-time job this week).  I’m aiming for the same number next week. I want to finish all my picture books before NaNoWriMo begins in Novemeber.  It’s intense. 

But most of all it’s inspiring and full of delights.  Here are some of the delights.

--Most of the books (8 so far) I’ve written for the 12x12 challenge this year have been inspired by my reading. 

--I’ve discovered new favorites, authors whose careers give me hope: Jonah Winter and Julie Fogliano are two such writers. 

--I’ve read some bad books.  Sometimes I’ll read a published book and think. Oh, I have so far to go.  Then, I’ll read the next one and I’ll think, Okay, I’ve got this.  My book is better than this and the topic is timely.  Reading so much, I’ve found that my skills and concept awareness are probably in the upper half (at least) of writers being published.  That gives me the inspiration to stick with my projects and send them to agents and editors.  I’m ready to be published.  I’m doing my best work.
 

--Reading gives me great ideas.  I have a document of over five pages with notes for future or possible books or approaches.

--Reading so many books has convinced me that I can tell the stories of people who are different than I am with respect and care.

--Reading all these books has revealed a particular passion for writing picture book biography.  I’d written one before this year, but this year, I’ve written three more, and I have oodles of ideas.

Reading all these books has taught me so much. And  I’m still learning.  As you read this, I’m probably sitting at the dining room table, making notes and updating my Goodreads account. 

What do you learn from your reading? How does it inspire your writing?  

Writing Prompt Wednesday: Yellow Brick Road

Where would your Yellow Brick Road lead?

Writing Prompt Wednesday: Wordless

Image © Lori Gravley

Negative Capability

“I mean Negative Capability, that is when man is capable of being in uncertainties. Mysteries, doubts, without any irritable reaching after fact and reason” John Keats

Image © Lori Gravley

Reading this quote again after so many years away from it was a revelation for me early this summer.

I cut my teeth on Sharon Olds, Susan Wood, Sylvia Plath, and other mostly narrative poets whose work, while it did hold on to mystery also held to meaning.  It was the poetry of story, the poetry of history, the poetry of examination, of looking at a life and trying to come to terms with it.

I also fell in love with the dramatic monologues of Robert Browning and Ai.  This was the poetry of transformation, of becoming the other and speaking in her voice.  It was poetry of exploration--putting on personas, even difficult ones, and taking them off when the poem was done.  They left a residue of empathy behind.

So, for much of my poetic life, I’ve written narrative poems and dramatic monologues.  My attempts at lyrics have been less successful.  This spring, I was drawn to the lyric poem.  Over the past few years, I’ve read poem after poem in journals and books and online, beautiful mysterious things whose stories and monologues were hidden inside the sort of mysteries and doubts that Keats talked about. 

Without even realizing it, I started working with lyric poems last year in my poetic responses to Elliott Erwitt’s photographs. In those poems, I can see story loosen its hold on me.  This spring, the story sometimes fell away entirely. (Years of therapy have relieved the confessional urge and writing fiction has given a new outlet for my storytelling.) When I looked at those poems I was writing, I wasn’t sure what they were.  I found them pleasing and musical, but felt a bit discomfited that there wasn’t a story behind the poem.

I’ve recently discovered that my meditations on words and images and often on life and death weren’t just difficult word play, they were my attempts at Negative Capability, at getting comfortable with the mysteries. 

Honestly, I had no idea what I was doing, so it was a relief to have Shane McCrae describe the process of reading and writing the lyric at the Antioch Writer’s Workshop in July. 

Shane also projected the Keats’ quote on the magnificent screen at Antioch MacGregor.  Though I knew the quote, I’m not sure I ever really understood it.  Now, as I’ve been exploring what it feels like to let a poem hold uncertainties without any irritable reaching for meaning, I’m getting more comfortable letting my lyrics do what they need to do, which is just be.