And it feels damn good. On Wednesday night, Amy Hempel brought my Crafts class ("crafts" meaning the craft of writing; "class" meaning we spent every Wednesday during the semester sitting around and sharing and talking about writing) to the Happy Ending (a place with carpeted walls—very lounge-y) to see a great evening of reading and music. Rick Moody and the Wingdale Community Singers did a couple numbers—some of which were subversive takes on the usual Christmas carols. Then Mary Gaitskill and A.M. Homes read new stories, both of which were perceptive, sad, funny, and so good. It was an inspiring night, and a great way to end the semester.
The inspiration thing: Sometimes it's inspiring to hear accomplished writers read. And sometimes I walk away thinking, I'll never be able to do that. They make it look so easy. Good ol' self-defeating talk, I know. On Wednesday, I was more inspired than intimidated, because last week I wrote a story that actually sort of made sense. Everyone in my class has been asking each other, "So, it's the end of the semester....have you learned anything?"
A few things I've learned:
1) I know I've read a bunch of books and writers I never had before. A couple:
• Steve Erickson
• Shelley Jackson
• Walter Abish
• Barry Hannah
• Jo Ann Beard
• Robert Coover
2) I know I'm writing more than I was writing before, fiction-wise. As in, I wrote three short stories as opposed to the none I would have written had I not been in school.
3) I know that deadlines are a good thing.
4) I know a lot more about theories relating to teaching freshman composition, and people I'd never heard of before (Bartholomae, Elbow, Berlin, Sommers, Bean). Where it'll lead, I'm not sure: As with everything and everywhere else, CUNY is making budget cuts in the spring, which might mean no T.A. position for yours truly.
5) I know I have a lot more to learn, and I'll never really know how to do this.
6) I guess that's the beauty of it, no? Writing: a constant struggle with just enough moments of epiphany to keep me coming back for more.
Friday, December 19, 2008
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1 comments:
Hurray for your accomplishment, Evelyn! The end of a semester is a beautiful thing--and it's a good thing to concentrate on what you've learned and what new writers, etc., you've been exposed to that you wouldn't have discovered otherwise. I have always found the end of a semester is also a time to put away, WITHOUT regrets, all those weighty books I just couldn't get through and am happy to leave behind, starting fresh the next semester or quarter!
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