Archive for August 24, 2011

August 24th, 2011

Recommended Reading #61: Writing, Pt. II



      “Be a ‘Real’ Writer: Slowing Down, Seeing Anew, and a Fresh Take on America’s Favorite Entree” by Donna George Storey (Writing, Self-Awareness) 8/2011

I especially love the self-awareness I see woven throughout this considered piece by Donna on revision and editing. “[S]tepping back and challenging every element of your story,” as she recommends, to me involves considerable self-awareness and the elements inherent in it such as courage, compassion, and presence–at least if the writing is authentic. To me, this column reflects the very attention, care, and authenticity I have consistently seen in Donna’s writing (fiction and non)–here it is offered in the form of a generous sharing of her experiences and perspective about the process of writing (revision specifically) itself.

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      “What Erotica Isn’t” by Lisabet Sarai (Writing, Sex and Culture, Erotica) June 2011

I appreciate and find provocative this perspective offered by Lisabet about erotica and what she sees it to mean and encompass. What I perhaps most see in her description is the variety of ways the term “erotica” may be perceived and the wide berth of what it may offer, an illumination I much appreciate. This seems summed up to me in her nuanced offering about a story of hers: “The story, however, is about how Doa and Che get drawn into a sexual relationship, how it changes them, what they learn about themselves and each other – not about the sex itself.”

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      “DEAR SUGAR, The Rumpus Advice Column #48: Write Like a Motherfucker” at The Rumpus (Writing, Non-Sex-Related, Sociology, Psychology) 8/19/10

I had heard this piece referenced before and had it on my reading list. I now have read it, and it more or less left me speechless. I imagine writers/artists may especially appreciate it, but it seems to me on some level it is universal as well. I recommend it indiscriminately.

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Recommended Reading posted every Wednesday