Author: David Jacobsen

Between the Covers

art, reading, teaching, writing

This Thursday is the first meeting of a poetry class I’m teaching at Kilns College. (There is still room if you want to register!) I’m asking my students to buy their books from a local bookstore and bring me a receipt, and so I haven’t announced the titles of the books before the start of class. My hope is that the students will browse the local shop, enjoy it, and purchase more of their books there in the future.

Local books, local bikes, local beer…there are certain products that benefit from the wisdom of local guides and local relationships. Writing poems can feel like an isolated experience, but reading poems in community, just as shopping in community, can, in the words of one of our mystery poets, be described thus:

“…entered / the sound everywhere, gathered like glass, boozy with gold.”

When to keep writing

editing, writing

My friend Ross has a post up that I want you to read.

I used to base my success as a writer on publication. When that didn’t happen as often as I hoped, I changed it to how much I could accomplish. But since production varies on my schedule I changed how I measure success completely.

I now ask myself…

Now click through to his post and read the end of it. You’ll be glad you did.

Saint Ephraim teaches creative writing

art, Christianity, writing

I was reading some essays by Scott Cairns recently, and came across this 4th century prayer from Saint Ephraim.

Lord and Master of my life, grant not unto me the spirit of idleness, of discouragement, of lust for power, and of vain speaking.

Grant, rather, unto me, thy servant, the spirit of chastity, of meekness, of patience, and of love.

Yea, O Lord and King, grant that I may perceive my own transgressions, and judge not my brother, for blessed are you, unto all ages. Amen.

After I read it two or six times, I realized it was about the writing life. I don’t know anything about Saint Ephraim, but I’m glad he knew what a creative writer in the 21st century might need, and might want.

Guest Post: Every Damned Tangle and Knot

art, writing

 

This morning I have a guest post up at Ross Gale’s blog. It’s part of a series he’s doing on creativity. The whole series is worth a read. From Ross:

The Bereshit Bara Creativity Series asks 13 Creatives to wrestle with how they make the first move, write the first word, fling the first brush stroke, peel back the first layer of clay? What inspires them, what moves them, what drives them? I’d also like to hear from YOU. Send me your thoughts or a link to your post wrestling with these questions at rossgale4@gmail.com.

If you comment on today’s post you will be entered into a drawing to win David’s book Rookie Dad: Thoughts on First-Time Fatherhood. I’ll announce the winner over the weekend.

Creativity Series: David Jacobsen “Every Damned Tangle and Knot”

Head on over to Ross’s blog and let me know what you think in his comments.

Metaphors for writing

writing

Creative writing

is headlights on a dark road

is a way into the forest

is a way out

is a mountain we can only ever see part of

is a mirror

is a hammer to shape reality

is how we see what we think

is both/and

What do you think creative writing is?

(Most of these are floating around in our global writerly consciousness already;
I’m not claiming to have invented them.)