(it’s no myth)
Do you really think that the world would be a better place if we spent more time acknowledging what our artistes have to say? Ok that’s an obvious no, because not every work is wholesome and uplifting. Our potential audiences know it too because they’re not paying attention to us more than half of the time.
So why bother?
Because if we stop it feels like suicide; it feels like living a death. We don’t expect our words or music to create world peace or fight famine or cure disease. But quite apart from the sheer individualistic joy of stringing words together, we can’t help but have this delusion? that our thoughts will some how make some difference. We can’t help feeling that something could, might change because our words reached someone. We remember how we felt when we read someone’s work and we were so touched that we hope one day to have the same effect on another. You know what…it’s madness. It’s a delicious madness that I relish because feeling alive is an unparalleled intoxication.
So I embrace the lunacy until it becomes as lucid as logic; we could just change the world!
Namaste
26 September, 2008
25 September, 2008
Missing writing
As much as I enjoy my job, the few weeks I spent on vacation with my writing I felt whole and alive in a way I had not known for years. I really had missed my writing. Now I miss it even more and why can’t I just do it and stop using work as an excuse for neglecting it…? It’s not an excuse. If I really do want to give my all on the job then my energy reserve gets depleted (I see a case for the return of the daily cup of joe).
And even though since I’ve been back at work, I haven’t had extended periods to devote to it, I’m constantly thinking about it. Unfortunately I feel as if I’ve lost some of my enthusiasm for work. It’s still there, without a doubt, I absolutely love the classroom, but as I interact with the texts, I’m sometimes thinking, I could try this technique in my piece, or my characters are getting some shape; I discover something new about my characters, or I hear something they say, but I can’t always scribble it when I’m in the middle of delivering a lecture or just somewhere unable to put it down. I was wondering why I felt luke-warm recently and now I see it’s just the need to get back to my leavening characters.
Is this how it’s going to be from now on, that I’ll never feel whole until purge these thoughts from my head? There is this character that is nagging me and I just have to get her out of my head. Is this how schizophrenia feels, because pardon the lunatic sound of this, this character has appeared full formed of her own accord, her words just pop into my head at the oddest of times. And I don’t even particularly identify with her. Then there are these people in her life who have appeared fully formed too. Funny thing I thought when characters appeared, that they were usually aspects of one’s personality, but that’s not even immediately apparent to me.
I just have this need to tell this character’s story because while much of it there, I don’t know where it’s going and I don’t know what’s going to happen to her. Is this writing without discipline? I am inclined to say not at all. I have this idea where I want the story to go, but I just feel as if there is something about this character I haven’t discovered yet. You know what, I can’t wait to find out. And that’s why I NEED to write. It’s gotten to the point where it’s nagging me. It’s not the simplicity of reading, and the unknown lies a few pages away. It’s the necessity of being silent and letting the character speak.
I see a weekend hibernation up ahead.
And even though since I’ve been back at work, I haven’t had extended periods to devote to it, I’m constantly thinking about it. Unfortunately I feel as if I’ve lost some of my enthusiasm for work. It’s still there, without a doubt, I absolutely love the classroom, but as I interact with the texts, I’m sometimes thinking, I could try this technique in my piece, or my characters are getting some shape; I discover something new about my characters, or I hear something they say, but I can’t always scribble it when I’m in the middle of delivering a lecture or just somewhere unable to put it down. I was wondering why I felt luke-warm recently and now I see it’s just the need to get back to my leavening characters.
Is this how it’s going to be from now on, that I’ll never feel whole until purge these thoughts from my head? There is this character that is nagging me and I just have to get her out of my head. Is this how schizophrenia feels, because pardon the lunatic sound of this, this character has appeared full formed of her own accord, her words just pop into my head at the oddest of times. And I don’t even particularly identify with her. Then there are these people in her life who have appeared fully formed too. Funny thing I thought when characters appeared, that they were usually aspects of one’s personality, but that’s not even immediately apparent to me.
I just have this need to tell this character’s story because while much of it there, I don’t know where it’s going and I don’t know what’s going to happen to her. Is this writing without discipline? I am inclined to say not at all. I have this idea where I want the story to go, but I just feel as if there is something about this character I haven’t discovered yet. You know what, I can’t wait to find out. And that’s why I NEED to write. It’s gotten to the point where it’s nagging me. It’s not the simplicity of reading, and the unknown lies a few pages away. It’s the necessity of being silent and letting the character speak.
I see a weekend hibernation up ahead.
16 September, 2008
Caribbean Writers Blog
When I began blogging, just a few weeks ago, I intended to write about the process of writing and my recent readings. I also wanted to include my musings about some of my recent reads by Caribbean writers. A few months ago, when one of my students asked about Caribbean writers (none on the syllabus) it reminded me of my concern about the curricula we expose to our people.
I remember a lecture I attended earlier this year, with the topic centred on Education and the way forward. I was incensed, infuriated, a whole lot of ‘ins’ when I realized the positions held by many of the decision makers in education. I was livid when an audience member remarked that too much money was being spent on liberal arts and not enough on science and industry, which apparently was where the money lay; so we, developing nations should use these developed nations as models. What money? Where is the creative arts centre that we need here? What about the historical reality that current developed countries had an equally vibrant society of philosophers and artistes? Ancient societies had a similar structure; the lines between scientist, technician, administrator, philosopher and poet were blurred. My names-sake, Solon of Athens was an economist, logician, poet, administrator. Nowadays we compartmentalize abilities and argue which should take precedence. We devalue the ‘idle’ philosophers, forgetting that they laid out some principles of social organization that determine how we even proceed in science and industry.
A few years ago a colleague with a Phd in science asked me what was the point of post-graduate studies in Literature, that Literature produces nothing of substance, nothing quantifiable, nothing that could change the world or feed people. I felt that my colleague would have given me hemlock as punishment for my idleness. I’m fortunate to be blessed with a sense of conviction in my career choice, or else I could have been deeply offended. Instead I was saddened that our education system could produce one with the highest academic achievement possible, who is extremely parochial in one’s worldview. I could not answer my colleague; I was extremely embarrassed for said colleague.
Our writers are part of that heterogeneous group of thinkers which include scientists, religious, bureaucrats, economists and all others. Writers don’t provide solutions to our challenges but they should inspire us to feel, to think, to act. And that is the simplest practical application. I’m partial to the view that a writer, an artiste should never have to defend his relevance to society. By now society should know how much we need creative energies. An academic analysis of a creative work is not merely an intellectual exercise. It requires immersion into the works of art. It is akin to a spiritual exercise. And if that dimension is not your penchant, well then you can approach a creative work like a rigid logician. (I say that’s almost impossible, once you immerse yourself in another’s creativity, you are encountering spirit, or soul)
To diminish an academic analysis of literature would be to frown upon the very pursuit of knowledge in any field, be it science or theology. Consider analysis of the other humanities: film, photography, dance, music, culinary, art, fashion, sculpture and then we consider architecture and we’re right back to science, physical science, social science. See, inseparable.
But our education system unfortunately has compartmentalized humanities from science, made binaries of our living and learning. And that is why I see my career as a vocation, not, my former colleague, as idle banter. It behoves us to recognize the interconnectivity of all our academic pursuits.
So all that rant is to say, you can join me at the new blog I will be starting shortly. That will be to focus on Caribbean writers in a way that answers my student’s question. I have to say thank you to my fellow student for reminding me of the work that I have to, the work beyond the job. And yes I mean fellow student because I do believe that in the classroom, the labels ‘teacher’ and ‘student’ are just there to bring clarity to some activities that we’re obliged to do at some point; beyond these activities we are all students pursuing learning in different directions.
Namaste
I remember a lecture I attended earlier this year, with the topic centred on Education and the way forward. I was incensed, infuriated, a whole lot of ‘ins’ when I realized the positions held by many of the decision makers in education. I was livid when an audience member remarked that too much money was being spent on liberal arts and not enough on science and industry, which apparently was where the money lay; so we, developing nations should use these developed nations as models. What money? Where is the creative arts centre that we need here? What about the historical reality that current developed countries had an equally vibrant society of philosophers and artistes? Ancient societies had a similar structure; the lines between scientist, technician, administrator, philosopher and poet were blurred. My names-sake, Solon of Athens was an economist, logician, poet, administrator. Nowadays we compartmentalize abilities and argue which should take precedence. We devalue the ‘idle’ philosophers, forgetting that they laid out some principles of social organization that determine how we even proceed in science and industry.
A few years ago a colleague with a Phd in science asked me what was the point of post-graduate studies in Literature, that Literature produces nothing of substance, nothing quantifiable, nothing that could change the world or feed people. I felt that my colleague would have given me hemlock as punishment for my idleness. I’m fortunate to be blessed with a sense of conviction in my career choice, or else I could have been deeply offended. Instead I was saddened that our education system could produce one with the highest academic achievement possible, who is extremely parochial in one’s worldview. I could not answer my colleague; I was extremely embarrassed for said colleague.
Our writers are part of that heterogeneous group of thinkers which include scientists, religious, bureaucrats, economists and all others. Writers don’t provide solutions to our challenges but they should inspire us to feel, to think, to act. And that is the simplest practical application. I’m partial to the view that a writer, an artiste should never have to defend his relevance to society. By now society should know how much we need creative energies. An academic analysis of a creative work is not merely an intellectual exercise. It requires immersion into the works of art. It is akin to a spiritual exercise. And if that dimension is not your penchant, well then you can approach a creative work like a rigid logician. (I say that’s almost impossible, once you immerse yourself in another’s creativity, you are encountering spirit, or soul)
To diminish an academic analysis of literature would be to frown upon the very pursuit of knowledge in any field, be it science or theology. Consider analysis of the other humanities: film, photography, dance, music, culinary, art, fashion, sculpture and then we consider architecture and we’re right back to science, physical science, social science. See, inseparable.
But our education system unfortunately has compartmentalized humanities from science, made binaries of our living and learning. And that is why I see my career as a vocation, not, my former colleague, as idle banter. It behoves us to recognize the interconnectivity of all our academic pursuits.
So all that rant is to say, you can join me at the new blog I will be starting shortly. That will be to focus on Caribbean writers in a way that answers my student’s question. I have to say thank you to my fellow student for reminding me of the work that I have to, the work beyond the job. And yes I mean fellow student because I do believe that in the classroom, the labels ‘teacher’ and ‘student’ are just there to bring clarity to some activities that we’re obliged to do at some point; beyond these activities we are all students pursuing learning in different directions.
Namaste
01 September, 2008
Chance encounters
Whether you believe in fate or not, sometimes things have a way of happening that make you marvel at the uncanny unplanned encounters with people from the past who speak to a critical moment which you are experiencing.
Last week I had such a moment, an encounter with a kindred spirit, writer, and we were both just vibing on the challenges of being creative when one has to earn a living, maintain social ties, all the miscellaneous which seem to be a Beelzebub conspiring to prevent one from producing monumental creative pieces. Okay maybe not monumental, just to produce without all the distractions dangling deliciously in one’s face. (Such wanton alliteration warrants a moratorium on the verbosity) Beelzebub or some demon despising the energy of creativity is twisting all thoughts into this dribble. Where is the muse when you need it?
Yes, in that chance encounter, said kindred spirit and I were resolved to keep at it. Damn the demons to damnation and allow entry to the pretty little cherubims of creativity.
To use my colleague’s words, we don’t have to live the myth of the poor, starving, dysfunctional artists. We CAN live and write.
Sometimes, even though we know others are experiencing the very same issues we are confronted with, it helps to just hear it or share it and know that we are part of a community all striving to keep our art, our work, thriving.
Last week I had such a moment, an encounter with a kindred spirit, writer, and we were both just vibing on the challenges of being creative when one has to earn a living, maintain social ties, all the miscellaneous which seem to be a Beelzebub conspiring to prevent one from producing monumental creative pieces. Okay maybe not monumental, just to produce without all the distractions dangling deliciously in one’s face. (Such wanton alliteration warrants a moratorium on the verbosity) Beelzebub or some demon despising the energy of creativity is twisting all thoughts into this dribble. Where is the muse when you need it?
Yes, in that chance encounter, said kindred spirit and I were resolved to keep at it. Damn the demons to damnation and allow entry to the pretty little cherubims of creativity.
To use my colleague’s words, we don’t have to live the myth of the poor, starving, dysfunctional artists. We CAN live and write.
Sometimes, even though we know others are experiencing the very same issues we are confronted with, it helps to just hear it or share it and know that we are part of a community all striving to keep our art, our work, thriving.
Namaste
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