Miscellany
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Jan
28
Remembering John Updike
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Another legend of American literature died yesterday. John Updike, one of the generation of great writers who helped shape the entire genre of voice in our relatively young writing culture, lost his battle with lung cancer at the age of 76.
There are any number of people more suited to write about the impact of his works and the sadness surrounding his loss. Surely this is becoming an increasingly common trend. I personally was very saddened when Vonnegut died, as he more than anyone other than my parents has driven me to take pen to paper.
But I, and all Americans who write, owe a debt to the generation of Vonneguts, Updikes, Sallingers and Capotes.
I hope that our generation will produce greats that are likewise remembered as having left a legacy so meaningful to those who come after.
Rest in peace Mr. Updike.
Jan
12
Mental Floss had a great article on six open letters that had a huge impact on the world.
MLK’s Letter from a Birminham Jail is a given, but I also have to give much credit to the Letter on Corpulance… mostly because I love the word corpulance.
Now that letter writing is an increasingly dead art, I wonder if anyone will be able to muscle out a response from society with a well-worded and concise treatise outlining a social problem.
More likely, the art will be replaced with the viral video, wherein eloquence isn’t so much the goal, as cheap laughs or sideshow oddities that get you links.
Well, who am I to judge what’s the higher art, right?
Jan
3
New Year’s resolutions: write more?
Filed Under Inspiration, On writing, Passions | Leave a Comment
That’s a good one. I think it comes up every year.
Maybe aspiring writers are inclined to be procrastinators more than other types of people, like firefighters (that would be terrible wouldn’t it?)
New Year’s resolutions are great for me, becuase they don’t give me one month or so to set out for change, which I will prompty abandon. Oh no. New Year’s reminds me that the transition from one year to the next is no different from the transition from one day to the next, or the work day to the off hours day. Or writing time to nap time.
Any day can bring renewed commitment, should you really want it.
That’s where New Years comes in. It reminds me another year went by. It gives me a number to associate with achievements (for those of you keeping score at home, 2008 had 0 for me.) That lights the proverbial fire, which should get me to write again.
Hopefully this will mark a renewed effort at posting, since it is about time I do a little more of that. Try to ignore that the last post was two months ago… nothing to see here… move along.