Volume III, Issue 15 April 23, 2014 |
Word of the Week: persona
|
"You cannot learn anything unless you make a mistake. So I tell my students, when you make a mistake, Celebrate! And the way to celebrate is like this -- (flinging arms vigorously up into the air) -- how fascinating!" ~ Benjamin Zander
Dear , You met Lyn Hopper in last week's zine, you may remember, and she quoted me as saying "Everything you do is perfect" to her writing class. And where would I get a crazy idea like that? Me, who used to want to shrivel up daily from the endless evidence that I, and, yes, everyone around me, was anything but perfect? From the
inimitable Benjamin Zander, musical conductor, inspirational speaker, and author of The Art of Possibility, that's who! How could I not love this man who believes that mistakes are a cause for celebration? I've learned a lot about being a teacher from Benjamin Zander, and about being a human being, and you can, too. Right here. (The "how fascinating part" comes at about 6:15.) I bring all this up because I discovered I made at least two "fascinating" mistakes when I featured Lyn last week.
The first was to misspell her last name in one spot, and the second was to assume that she was writing about her father in her moving poem "Easter," when she was actually writing about her father-in-law. (And this after having just told my Poetry Rocks! class that you can't ever assume that what's contained in a poem is the actual experience of the poet. Oh my!)
Lyn was so incredibly gracious about these errors, and I thank her for that! We had a fascinating conversation about persona poems, in which you deliberately take on writing as if you were someone -- or something -- other than yourself, and voila! this week's word-of-the-week was born.
I was delighted to discover, as I WordPlayed this week's zine, that there is such a thing a "persona grata" as well as a "persona non grata" -- you, dear , will always be grata here at WordPlay, especially if you are willing to celebrate your mistakes by flinging your arms up in the air
with a rousing "how fascinating" when you make a mistake!
You can read more of Lyn's poems here: http://zenpoems.wordpress.com ("Easter" is the one that appeared in last week's zine.) And you can check out Lyn's blog here: http://quotesqueen.wordpress.com
Wishing you a fascinating week! Upcoming WordPlay
DELICIOUS MEMORIES: WRITING ABOUT FOOD
IN ANY AND ALL GENRES Food not only nurtures and sustains us, it's a rich source of metaphor and memory! We'll explore our connections with food as we write of when, where, what, with whom, how - and even why - we ate! You can use your food writings to create a family cookbook, creative nonfiction, poetry, a food blog, etc. - or just for your own pleasure. $89 for 2 sessions.
WHERE:Queens University, 1900 Selwyn Ave, Charlotte, NC 28207.
WHEN: Wednesdays, 6:30 - 9 PM, May 7 & 14.
TO
REGISTER: http://www.queens.edu/Academics-and-Schools/Continuing-Education/Program-Categories/Writing-CE/Writing-Delicious-Memories-with-Maureen-Ryan-Griffin.html
Featured Writing
The Persona Poem
The following persona poem of mine began a number of years ago with a conversation with some fellow writers in which we recalled different subjects our past English teachers had given their students. Two that came up were "What do socks say to each other in the dryer?" and "How many ways can you open a jar?" Over dinner a
few nights later, I shared this conversation with my family. These writing topics really hit a nerve with my stepdaughter, who was in middle school at the time. "I hate having to write about things like that!" she said. "Socks can't talk! And there's only one way to open a jar! You screw the lid off." I empathized with her frustration. But I couldn't help disagreeing with her, given the way I love a good writing challenge: while I wasn't very interested in talking socks, there surely was more
than one way to open a jar! A few days later, I learned that an acquaintance of mine who'd had what could be called a "hard-knock life" was leaving her husband. I pictured her using this juncture as an opportunity to get a degree at a community college so that she could get a better job. And then I wondered, What would someone in her circumstances write if she were confronted with this topic in her English composition
class? This poem is how I imagined her response.English Composition 1504 How many ways can you
open a jar?
Okay, assuming you really want
what's inside --
the peanut butter, the jelly,
the pickles in brine --
try turning, twisting, first with
your hand, then with a towel
or dishcloth, whatever you can find. There's running
hot water
over the lid before
or after twisting. You don't always
think of this. There's tapping around the lid
in
circles with a knife handle,
bringing the knife down a little harder
each time, there's banging the jar
against the counter edge,
though your mother told you
this wasn't a good idea. There's handing it to your husband,
he's got a stronger grip, but you can't
because he's not there anymore,
and if he was, he'd do anything but
take lids off jars, he'd go on
drinking,
knock you around trying to open
you, leave you alone
with these children crying for
peanut butter, for jelly,
for everything you can't get at,
even for the pickles
now laced with shards
because you just
flung the damn jar
to the floor ~ Maureen
Ryan Griffin
WordPlay Now! Writing Prompt
This is WordPlay -- so why not revel in the power and potential of one good word after another? This week, it's
"persona." PROMPT: Write a persona piece, from the first person perspective of any person or thing, as I did in "English Composition 1504." Be sure to pick a subject that you'll really enjoy "being. "You may want to start by making a list of
people/places/things you'd have fun slipping into the "skin" of. Then, give that person or thing a voice. What would he/she/it like to speak about? What does he/she/it have to say? Want a few more examples? I love "Circuit Rider," a poem in the voice of a spunky mountain woman, by former North Carolina Poet Laureate Kathryn Stripling Byer. And Sylvia Plath's poem "Mirror," written from the perspective of a mirror, is stunning. And here is more information, along with links to more persona poems. I'd love to see what you come up with! Email it to me at info@wordplaynow.com -- you could be featured in a future Word-zine. |
MAUREEN RYAN GRIFFIN, an award-winning poetry and nonfiction writer, is the author of Spinning Words into Gold, a Hands-On Guide to the Craft of Writing, a grief workbook entitled I Will Never Forget You, and two collections of
poetry, This Scatter of Blossoms and When the Leaves Are in the Water. She believes, as author Julia Cameron says, "We are meant to midwife dreams for one another."
Maureen also believes that serious "word work" requires serious WordPlay, as play is how we humans best learn -- and perform. What she loves best is witnessing all the other dreams that come true for her clients along the way. Language, when used with intentionality and focus, is, after all, serious fuel for joy. Here's to yours! |
|
|
