Monday, November 14, 2022

November PAD Challenge 2022: Day 14: A Fix-Up Story

 

The Seamstress by Jacob Lawrence 1946

the seamstress takes the patches
she pieces them together
where once there were only scraps
she now has a lovely quilt
a gift for someone she loves
an item to bring comfort
imagination alive

~ornery owl has spoken~

Ornery Owl is digging this unique and colorful owl sculpture.
She may not know art, but she knows what she likes.

notes and prompts


Prompt: write an ekphrastic poem. I may keep doing this for several more challenges. Or, you know, the rest of the month.


Prompt: Write a (Blank) Story poem. 

The metaphor won't be obvious to anyone but me, so I'll just explain it.

For most of my life, I struggled to become the "right" kind of writer. You know, the kind who writes linear novels. 

It was only within the past couple of years that I discovered the term fix-up novel and realized what I'd been writing all along. 

I can write a linear novelette. Anything beyond that starts sprouting a garden of sub-plots. And you know what, that's absolutely fucking fine. I have no desire to be a novelist-bot. 

I'm still hoping to get my revenge on all the people who told me the way I did things was no good. No, I don't mean stalk them and murder them or even plot to destroy their lives with lies. I'm too lazy, too much of a pacifist, and don't need that kind of bad karma. Besides, even the shittiest human being where I'd start chuckling gleefully if I heard they dropped in a sinkhole may have a family member depending on them or such. I'll leave it to the Powers that May Be to sort that shit out.

Nah, the best revenge would be for one of my books or poetry volumes that doesn't adhere to the rules to be successful. I don't know if this will ever happen, but it would be the best revenge. If at that point, my detractor blows a gasket because they simply can't abide someone who refuses to play by the rules doing well, I'm not going to cry or waste my time going to their funeral. Why should I? Such a person certainly has never wasted a kind thought on me.

I honestly don't know why so many people insist everyone must think the same, create the same way, write the same stuff in the same style, and basically be a carbon copy of someone's idea of a writer. I can think of few things more boring than being a clone of someone's concept of what a writer should be, writing formulaic stories with no heart or soul.


Today's colorful masterpiece was created by the African-American artist Jacob Lawrence (September 7, 1917 – June 9, 2000). I did not know about Mr. Lawrence before today, and I think that's a damn shame. People should know about him. I'd enjoy reading a biography. In the meantime, here's the Wikipedia article for the basics. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacob_Lawrence

The poem consists of seven non-rhyming lines. Each of the lines has seven syllables. There may already be an existing poetry form calling for seven-syllable lines, but I don't know. In the meantime, I'm calling this form Sevensies. 


Beautiful background music from the Dragon Age soundtrack.

Here's the link in case you can't see the player.




I guess this is what you'll hear if you go hang out at Mikhail's penthouse. Mikhail has good taste in music.

Here's the link in case you can't see the player.

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