Volume VIII, Issue 21
May 27, 2019
Dear ,
Greetings from the John C. Campbell Folk School. I'm here this week teaching a class called "Write Like a Genius," applying principles and exercises from Michael J. Gelb's How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day to the process of writing. Such fun! Here I am with two of my writing students, just outside our studio. Leonardo, who was known for purchasing caged birds and setting them free, would have loved it here, where birdhouses abound.
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And what does any of this have to do with being wrong? Well, this afternoon, we explored the principle of
Dimostrazione (A Commitment to Test Knowledge through Experience, Persistence, and a Willingness to Learn from Mistakes). According to Gelb, "Although generally recognized as the greatest genius of all time, Leonardo made many colossal mistakes and staggering blunders."
Today's featured writing, though, is not from How to Think Leonardo da Vinci, but rather a TED talk "On Being Wrong" I loved and, a number or weeks ago, put in my "zine queue" to share with you today. I love the happy intersection of theme! The presenter, Kathryn Schulz, is a
"wrongologist." 😊
I've linked both the TED talk and the transcript with the excerpt below, and, of course, there's a related prompt. Schulz's talk is funny, insightful, honest, provocative—I hope you can make the time to hear/read it! It just might alter the way you feel about being wrong—and about being right!
Love and light,
Maureen
Upcoming WordPlay
POETRY ROCKS!
(Learning the Ins and Outs of Poetry; Strengthening Your Writing Skills; Adding a New Layer of Literacy Beauty to Your Life)
Would you like your writing — prose and/or poetry — to be more graceful, powerful, beautiful? Do you sometimes find poetry confusing or intimidating and wish you could “crack the code”? Or do you enjoy writing and reading poems, but want a more thorough understanding of what makes a poem good? Then this poetry extravaganza is for you.
Expect a good time exploring what makes a poem a poem, gaining the knowledge you need to confidently create and revise poetry, and strengthening your writing skills in all genres.
It would be a joy and an honor to share what rocks about poetry with you!
HERE’S WHAT YOU GET:
- 23 poetry creation tools, delivered one per day (Monday through Friday) to your inbox — in honor of National Poetry month. Use them as you get them, use them when you can, use them over and over to create poems. Each tool zeroes in on one aspect of poetry and provides an innovative method to approach writing a poem. Many of them are great for creating prose,
too. The tools include:
* a purpose, so you’re clear what you will learn
* background information when helpful
* “how-to” directions to create a poem
* an example that illustrates the poetry tool in action
* a short reflection to solidify the concepts covered
* “Hone Your Craft” suggestions for further exploration
* a short reflection to solidify the concepts covered
- A PDF document of each tool that you can print or save on your computer
- An audio recording of each tool, so you can learn by listening and/or reading
- Instruction on the role of audience, reading like a writer, and the process of revision, including a handy Revision Checkpoint Chart — this information can be applied to strengthen your prose as well as poetry
- Additional poetry resources
- An e-book that contains the information and resources covered, as well as your 23 poetry creation tools for ongoing use
WHERE: From the comfort of your own home, via the web.
WHEN: Any time you want! And once you receive all 23 tools, they’re yours to keep, which means that you can keep using them for years to come.
COST: $45
TO REGISTER: To pay with a check via mail, email info@wordplaynow.com for instructions. To register for Poetry Rocks online, click here.
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CLASSES AT CHAUTAUQUA INSTITUTION
WRITING OUR WAY TO HAPPINESS
(Week 2)
Come explore research-tested ways writing can increase your happiness level. You’ll learn how to use writing as a tool to increase your sense of well-being, as well as jumpstart your pen and provide inspiration and knowledge about the process of creative writing, whether you want to write memoir, fiction,
nonfiction, or poetry. For writers of all levels, including beginners, who are interested in expanding their writing practice—for personal fulfillment or for publication.
WHERE: Chautauqua Institution. 1 Ames Ave, Chautauqua, NY 14722. Alumni Hall Poetry Room
WHEN: Monday, July 1st – Friday, July 5th, 2019. 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
COST: TBA
TO REGISTER: Register directly through the Chautauqua Institution website here
TELLING YOUR LIFE STORIES WITH GRACE
(Week 7)
Our life stories are a precious legacy, imbued with grace we can often see only in hindsight. Capturing these stories “gracefully” in words is a gift, not only to ourselves, but to those who love us – they’ll be treasured for generations to come. Come learn engaging tools and techniques to retrieve and record
your adventures, loves, losses, successes, mistakes, and more with ease and, yes, grace, no matter where you are in the process.
WHERE: Chautauqua Institution. 1 Ames Ave, Chautauqua, NY 14722. Hultquist 201B
WHEN: Monday, August 5th – Thursday, August 8th, 2019. 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
COST: TBA
TO REGISTER: Register directly through the Chautauqua Institution website here
DELICIOUS MEMORIES
(Week 9)
Food not only nurtures and sustains us, it’s also a rich source for writing. We’ll explore our culinary connections as we write of when, where, what, with whom, how — and even why — we ate. We’ll also learn from the work of accomplished writers. You can use the tools you’ll learn to create a family cookbook,
individual essays, stories, or poems, scenes in fiction or memoir, a food blog—or just for your own pleasure.
WHERE: Chautauqua Institution. 1 Ames Ave, Chautauqua, NY 14722. Hultquist 201A
WHEN: Monday, August 19th – Thursday, August 22nd, 2019. 3:30 to 5:30 p.m.
COST: TBA
TO REGISTER: Register directly through the Chautauqua Institution website
here
More WordPlay opportunities here.
Kathryn Schulz, wrongologist, is a staff writer for the New Yorker and is the author of Being Wrong: Adventures in the Margin of Error.
Kathryn Schulz
in a TED talk at TED 2011
. . . I've spent the last five years thinking about being wrong. This might strike you as a strange career move, but it actually has one great advantage: no
job competition. (Laughter) In fact, most of us do everything we can to avoid thinking about being wrong, or at least to avoid thinking about the possibility that we ourselves are wrong. We get it in the abstract. We all know everybody in this room makes mistakes. The human species, in general, is fallible—okay fine.
But when it comes down to me, right now, to all the beliefs I hold, here in the present tense, suddenly all of this abstract appreciation of fallibility goes out the window—and I can't actually think of anything I'm
wrong about. And the thing is, the present tense is where we live. We go to meetings in the present tense; we go on family vacations in the present tense; we go to the polls and vote in the present tense. So effectively, we all kind of wind up traveling through life, trapped in this little bubble of feeling very right about everything.
I think this is a problem. I think it's a problem for each of us as individuals, in our personal and professional lives, and I think it's a problem for all of us collectively as a culture. So what I want to do today is, first of all, talk about why we get stuck inside this feeling of being right. And second, why it's such a problem. And finally, I want to
convince you that it is possible to step outside of that feeling and that if you can do so, it is the single greatest moral, intellectual and creative leap you can make.
So why do we get stuck in this feeling of being right? One reason, actually, has to do with a feeling of being wrong. So let me ask you guys something -- or actually, let me ask you guys something, because you're right here: How does it feel—emotionally—how does it feel to be wrong? Dreadful. Thumbs down. Embarrassing. Okay, wonderful, great. Dreadful, thumbs down, embarrassing—thank you, these are great answers, but they're answers to a
different question. You guys are answering the question: How does it feel to realize you're wrong? (Laughter) Realizing you're wrong can feel like all of that and a lot of other things, right? I mean it can be devastating, it can be revelatory, it can actually be quite funny, like my stupid Chinese character mistake. But just being wrong doesn't feel like anything.
I'll give you an analogy. Do you remember that Loony Tunes cartoon where there's this pathetic coyote who's always chasing and never catching a roadrunner? In pretty much every episode of this cartoon, there's a moment where the coyote is chasing the roadrunner and the roadrunner runs off a cliff, which is fine—he's a bird, he can fly. But the thing is, the coyote runs off the cliff right after him. And what's funny -- at least if you're six years old—is that the coyote's totally fine too. He just keeps running—right up until the moment that he looks down and realizes that he's in mid-air. . .
~ From TED2011 "On being wrong"
Read the entire transcript here:
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 "wrong."
PROMPT: Consider this excerpt from How to Think Like Leonardo da Vinci: Seven Steps to Genius Every Day by Michael J. Gelb:
"The real significance of the Renaissance was the transformation
of fundamental assumptions, preconceptions, and beliefs. Leonardo's willingness to challenge the dominant world view, through application of the
principle of Dimostrazione
(A Commitment to Test Knowledge through Experience, Persistence, and a Willingness to Learn from Mistakes), placed him in the vanguard of this revolution. He realized that one challenges the world view by first challenging one's own view, cautioning
that 'the greatest deception men suffer is from their own opinions.' Learning to think like Leonardo requires
the eye-opening work of questioning our own opinions, assumptions, and beliefs."
Write about a time that one of your own opinions, assumptions, and/or beliefs changed because you realized that you were wrong. (If you write fiction, you can apply this to one of your characters if you prefer.)
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.
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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