The WordPlay Word-zine Volume VII, Issue 11 March 12, 2018 Word of the Week: congress Dear ,
Today was an amazing day. I finally got to see a place I've wanted to see for many years—the Library of Congress. It's not only way more beautiful than I expected (and it's purported to be the most beautiful building in Washington, D. C.) but it also has a fascinating history.
I won't go into it all here, but it involves a moment when Thomas Jefferson, a man who collected books on multiple subjects in multiple languages—even ones he didn't speak—suggested that Congress replace their library of law books, lost in a fire, with his library. What did lawmakers need with books on French cooking, mathematics (in Russian, no less!), philosophy,
as well as, gasp!, novels?
Jefferson retorted, "There is no subject to which a member of Congress may not have occasion to refer."
Eventually, they came around and agreed, and Jefferson was paid $23,950 for his collection.
Here I am in front
of some of his books—both originals, and replacements from another, later fire. (The white boxes stand for books that are still missing from the original collection. They're still being searched for.)
I could go on and on (I mean, I REALLY loved the Library of Congress!) but I want you to use your reading energy on the "congress of
sentences" below from the people who completed the WordPlay 30-day One-True-Sentence Challenge. I'm grateful to everyone who joined in, whether for one day or a few weeks, and proud of these ten who made it to the finish line.
I offer one sentence from each for your pleasure, along with words
from each finisher about the value they found in completing the challenge. Enjoy!
Love and light, Maureen Upcoming WordPlay
EVERYTHING YOU ALWAYS WANTED TO KNOW
ABOUT POETRY
* But Were Afraid to Ask
There are at least ten thousand ways to write a poem! In this lively presentation about the art and craft of poetry based on Maureen’s latest book of poetry, Ten Thousand Cicadas Can’t Be Wrong, participants will learn how content, sound and form work together, and get to try their hand at the process. They’ll also have the opportunity to ask every question they’ve ever had about
poetry.
WHEN: Wednesday, April 11th, 2018 from 10:00 a.m. until noon
SPINNING WORDS INTO GOLD Does writing fulfill you? Do you wish you were writing more? Jumpstart your writing life and learn to keep your words flowing. Learn specific techniques and exercises to create nonfiction, poetry and/or fiction. Whether you would like to keep a journal for your own personal growth, spin stories for your loved ones, or further a career as a professional writer, experience the satisfaction of developing a writing practice
that works for you—come spin words into gold.
WHERE: John Campbell Folk School. 1 Folk School Road, Brasstown, NC 28902
WHEN: Sunday, May 6th through Saturday, May 12th, 2018
COST: $630 (plus room and
board)
TO REGISTER: To register, click this link to be taken to the John Campbell Folk School website to register.
Other
News
SENSORIA: A CELEBRATION OF LITERATURE & THE
ARTS
I hope you can join me and my beloved teacher, mentor and friend Irene for this year's Irene Blair Honeycutt Legacy Award Presentation and Reading ( it's free, as are most Sensoria events, and it's on Monday, April 9th at 7 p.m. (preceded by a reception at 6 p.m.). More important, I hope you come for as many Sensoria events as you can make it to! You'll be glad you did. Full schedule here.
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Lanier Library is holding their 10th Annual Sidney Lanier Poetry Competition. They are accepting submissions through March 15, 2018 with prizes awarded April 28, 2018 at the library in Tryon, NC.
Adult and Student categories are available with prizes from $500 (Adult) and $100 (Student). Featured Writing
MEET THE WORDPLAY
ONE-TRUE-SENTENCE
30-DAY CHALLENGE
WINNERS
SAMPLE SENTENCE Day 24
"All that her garden of
potential needed
was the spring rain of inspiration to green it up."
THOUGHTS ON THE VALUE OF PARTICIPATING IN
THE WORDPLAY
ONE-TRUE-SENTENCE 30-DAY CHALLENGE
Posting a sentence each day for 30 days enhanced my goal for the new year to write every day. Picking a sentence from that writing each day gave me a sense of accountability. Getting to read
others' sentences gave me a sense of community, like I wasn't alone in my endeavor to pursue writing on a daily basis. After following the "one true sentence" for 30 days, I am now in the habit of making writing a part of my day and I think it will be more do-able moving forward. Knowing I can do this will help me to persevere. Happily, the more I regularly write, the more fun and less work it is! Thanks for the boost, Maureen!
ABOUT CLARA'S CHILDREN'S PICTURE BOOK
Last year, Clara
published her first children's picture book, Amber the Boxer Dog, about their dog Amber, illustrated with wonderfully entertaining photos by her husband. (If you've never seen a dog mow a lawn, sew, or drive a convertible, this book's for you.) It's a funny, inspiring story about what a dog (or a person) can accomplish if, instead of saying "no, I can't," she just sets her mind to it and tries. You can find out more at ambertheboxerdog.com.
SAMPLE SENTENCE Day 29 "The yard-stick straight highway across expansive barren territory made the passage of
miles seem as slow as the last drop of catsup." THOUGHTS ON THE VALUE OF PARTICIPATING IN
THE WORDPLAY ONE-TRUE-SENTENCE 30-DAY CHALLENGE Writing One True Sentence each morning proved to be a thought-provoking catalyst for a productive writing session. It typically provided me with a starting focus and clarity as I progressed. I plan to continue this exercise and have
already suggested it to others. DIANN COCKERHAM
SAMPLE SENTENCE Day 21
"I never really liked cotton candy, but the heavenly confection of delicate white clouds dancing and wispily reaching for each other on a backdrop of azure skies—well, that’s a true sweet indulgence
niftily whipped up by God to show off his glorious wonders." THOUGHTS ON THE VALUE OF PARTICIPATING IN
THE WORDPLAY ONE-TRUE-SENTENCE 30-DAY CHALLENGE I absolutely enjoyed the challenge and each day’s adventure of creating something new and different. Beyond the fun and the challenge though, this exercise has given me so much more: an excellent new habit that I am using for attacking my daily writing time with the same enthusiasm.
SAMPLE SENTENCE Day 20
The overwhelming amount of deployed military firepower, on both sides of the DMZ, distracted me from living the peace present in the
beautiful glow of a full moon in Seoul.
THOUGHTS ON THE VALUE OF PARTICIPATING IN
THE WORDPLAY ONE-TRUE-SENTENCE 30-DAY CHALLENGE I discovered that there is at least one good sentence within me each day. I just needed to step back and reflect, think about what was in my heart's memory. Sometimes, I thought about it all day in the background of my activities, and then it emerged in the
evening. Sometimes, it rushed forth in the morning, first thing. Although my sentences may not have been eloquent, they were meaningful to me. This fun exercise reinforced the discipline, focus, and freedom necessary for my continued writing ... beyond one sentence. Also, I enjoyed reading the creative sentences of the other participants. I felt as if I was beginning to know some of them. SAMPLE SENTENCE
Day 30
"It should have felt momentous standing at the Pilgrims' office in Finisterre, but mostly it just felt soggy. THOUGHTS ON THE VALUE OF PARTICIPATING IN
THE
WORDPLAY ONE-TRUE-SENTENCE 30-DAY CHALLENGE The challenge was a great motivator to write, even a little, each day. It also proved that
I don't need to "be in the mood" or "feel like it". It can even feel like a slog. But that my feeling when I sit down has no bearing on how I write. Quite a revelation! ABOUT LIA
Lia writes about faith, travel, food, and
nourishing self and others at Called to Nourish: https://calledtonourish.wordpress.com She is also working on a novel about her great-great-grandmother, Abby Ford Smith.
SAMPLE SENTENCE Day 21
"When she was six, she'd organize her LiteBrite Bulbs into color-coded piles," she murmured under her breath to her partner, peering around her sister's immaculate cocktail party tableau.
THOUGHTS ON THE VALUE OF PARTICIPATING IN
THE WORDPLAY ONE-TRUE-SENTENCE 30-DAY CHALLENGE
Great game Maureen! You provided an opportunity to use words in a creative way - limited to one sentence. It made me value words even more, because in this instance, I had to choose amongst them carefully. The commitment also opened up the writing mind creativity which leads to joy for me! Also, this exercise spurred me to submit a
piece (well, several really) and one was accepted for publication.
SAMPLE SENTENCE Day 10
Victoria is a happy girl on the outside, but inside she is a bundle of nerves and uncertainty.
THOUGHTS ON THE VALUE OF PARTICIPATING IN
THE WORDPLAY ONE-TRUE-SENTENCE 30-DAY CHALLENGE Through this whole sentence game, I often had to remind myself to post a sentence. Persistence on my part helped me to achieve the goal that I could do it. The sentences will also help me to focus on new areas of subject matter to write about. PHYLLIS FURR ST. CLAIR
SAMPLE SENTENCE Day 10
"It was a race between her mind's conception of the words and her fingers' delivery of them; and when finished the marathon left her drained, exhausted, and wildly exhilarated. THOUGHTS ON THE VALUE OF PARTICIPATING IN
THE
WORDPLAY ONE-TRUE-SENTENCE 30-DAY CHALLENGE I have always loved writing and a while back I took some classes to help myself get started doing it on a regular basis. I wrote several children's stories and started two different novels—one good enough to finish. But life got in the way and writing was shelved (drawered actually) and as with much that is out of sight
it moved further and further out of mind. The challenge brought it back. All of it. The words, the scenes, the way characters have of forcing themselves on you, and the lovely pictures that appear on your mindscreen for settings and background. Most important the challenge brought back the discipline of making myself take the time to sit down and write on a daily (or at least REGULAR) basis in spite of what else there was to do. What did I gain? In a word (or several of them!) Joy, Peace,
Renewal, Patience, Curiosity, Inspiration, Self-Confidence, and Pride and maybe most important, Habit. Those plus many others. It was just fun. Fun to share and fun to feel the effect. SAMPLE SENTENCE Day 11
""Barney," she asked, her head tilted toward the sky, "do you suppose they can hear the rain in heaven?""
THOUGHTS ON THE VALUE OF PARTICIPATING IN
THE WORDPLAY ONE-TRUE-SENTENCE 30-DAY CHALLENGE I totally enjoyed the one true sentence challenge. Was fun to think about the characters in my book, write one true sentence, then, as I was working on the book, make my way toward my one true sentence. Sometimes the sentences changed a little bit and became new true sentences, but that's great, too, right? Also, really enjoyed the camaraderie Maureen fostered. In fact, Rachelle was so excited, she texted me my very own birthday sentence. What fun! What a
gift! SAMPLE SENTENCE Day 26 All Charlie knew was that as long as he was in the library, with the books, he was free from the constant worry, doubt and fear that plagued his poor Mother.
THOUGHTS ON THE VALUE OF PARTICIPATING IN
THE WORDPLAY ONE-TRUE-SENTENCE 30-DAY
CHALLENGE “Sentence a day” reopened my eyes to the poetry in my thoughts and the things I see. I usually wrote post meditation in dawn’s light the gifts that had come to me of an expanded experience. Discipline, intention, and a desire to write down the
truest things I know. I believe that the poets, musicians, mystics, artists, and writers of all ilk carry our truths. This exercise is a path to that truth, I feel. Thank you … once again. 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 "congress." PROMPT: Usually, we associate "congress" with a legislative group, but it also means a group or assembly that meets for a common purpose. I've never forgotten one particular, surprising use of "congress" in a poem called "Root Cellar" by Theodore Roethke, referring to all the roots that grew there: "a congress of stinks." What kind of "congress" can you write about? Use your imagination, and weave the word into your writing this week.
It's fun to play with prompts in community with fellow writers, and to be able to share the results when you're done. You can find out about WordPlay classes, workshops,
and retreats here. It's fun to play with prompts in community with fellow writers, and to be able to share the results when you're done. You can find out about WordPlay classes, workshops, and retreats here. 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 three collections of poetry, Ten Thousand Cicadas Can't Be Wrong, This Scatter of Blossoms and When the Leaves Are in the Water. One of her long-held dreams came true in July of 2015 when Garrison Keillor read one of her poems on
The Writer's Almanac. You can listen to it here. 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! |
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