Offers of salvation

[vaneramos]

Last night was my turn to take some work for critique to writers' circle, so I transcribed the first two entries from the winter journal, with a few editorial changes, and printed them. Longhand writing is so much more vital. Why have I tried to do all creative writing on the laptop for the past three years? Because it's convenient (not a good enough reason). In those handwritten excerpts, my voice asserted itself as I haven't heard in years.

I received positive feedback from E and C, too. Ironically, everyone in the group except me writes longhand, even the new 20-year-old English major. Before Laptop came into my life I frequently stood on the other side of the fence, preaching the gospel of notebook and fountain pen à la Natalie Goldberg. How I have back-slidden! I feel challenged to repair my ways. Fortunately I have a ready 12 Step Group in place.

This has also fueled my enthusiasm about the winter journal. C suggested it could work as a book, which has been my hope.

Meanwhile I feel challenged, overwhelmed, intimidated and annoyed by David Abram's writing. Somehow I need to slog through the rest of Becoming Animal: An Earthly Cosmology in the next week, so I have time to write the review. Browsing last night led to related topics on Dave Pollard's blog, How to Save the World. I am appalled (and attracted) by the aroma of apocalyptic and messianic thinking, with Earth Consciousness playing the role of Jesus. It is dangerously easy to join a religion when you encounter shared values. I want to remain open-minded and objective, and yet objectivity is precisely the Anti-Christ in Abrams' prophecies. It drives me crazy.

Sadly, today is my last day off. I am ready to go back, and not.

Comments

[changeling72.livejournal.com]

I write my college essays longhand. My peers think I'm mad.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I used to get looks of "How quaint!" I'm amused to find myself at last in a group of writers subtly encouraging me to return to this mode.

[bellakara.livejournal.com]

Longhand! Good grief, my hand wouldn't last long. I'm completely keyboard dependent.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

Oh yes, my hand used to cramp frequently. I'm a little panicky about cutting down my use of the laptop. However, I decided to use the winter journal as an experiment to see if it would improve my writing, and the evidence has already come in.

[artricia.livejournal.com]

FWIW, I think you should write an autobiographical book review: Where are you coming from when reading it? What does it challenge in you? What interests you? What makes you squirm? Pieces you've written here in LJ on the book could be fodder for the review. It saves you from having to come to one "right" reading, and gives some real texture and interest to the review. Becoming Animal: A Reader's Experience.

Read the rest fast if you have to: first pargraphs and last paragraphs of each section, the intro and conclusion, then skim as you like. There's a book called "How to Read a Book" that pretty much says this is the best way to read, or to start reading a book. For a book review, it probably suffices.

[vaneramos.livejournal.com]

I have just one chapter to go, so it should not be hard to finish. Fortunately I have enjoyed some sections more than others. I find skimming well nigh impossible; I'm too curious about what I've missed. Anyway I don't have the right kind of concentration to work quickly through a book. The faster I try to go, the more I have to reread things to comprehend them, so it just slows me down.

I don't think the review will be difficult to write. I already have a lot of it in my head.

[artricia.livejournal.com]

I'm terrible at skimming for much the same reasons. But I so want to be good at it!