I was going to do another post where I do my advice from an editor thing, but I have a different subject on my mind that doesn’t have anything to do with writing or journals.
This semester I am teaching several sections of Rhet. and Comp. on two different campuses in central Texas. While my main objective is to teach these students how to write and communicate more effectively, I also try to include a good amount of discussion about the content of our reading.
During these discussions I come to one strange conclusion over and over again – I wish my students watched more TV. I know this sounds crazy. As an educator I am suppose to bemoan the perils of watching television and encourage my students to do nothing but read James Joyce. But I don’t. More often than not I find myself telling my students they should watch shows like The Office, Arrested Development, Weeds, The Wire (I know that Arrested Development is no longer on television but I love that show and feel it needs mentioning).
But haven’t we, as educators, won the fight if our students are no longer watching the dreaded boob tube? Not at all. From what I can tell the students have traded general TV watching for two things: videogames and reality television. Both males and females admit to playing a couple of hours worth of videogames a day, especially those that live in the dorms. My males generally watch ESPN and the girls watch Next Top Model (so do some of my males they just won’t admit it in the classroom).
Granted my main annoyance is that when I quote Scrubs or Friends or say: There a-loo-sions, Michael, my students have no idea what I am talking about. But beyond that, most of NBC’s shows throw in references to politics and current events, CSI had an episode about dog fighting when that scandal arose, and who knows how much they could learn by watching even one or two episodes of The Daily Show every week. I think we’ve entered into a culture where watching some amount of television is as important as reading the newspaper was twenty years ago. And I’m not talking about just news shows, but watching sitcoms and dramas to help us a gain a cultural context to the world we’re interacting with.
It just amazes me how much information is at my students’ finger tips, yet they have no clue what is going on outside of their own world. Sure, they’ve all seen the video of the kid in Japan get hit in the head with a skateboard, but they have no idea why we’re fighting in Iraq or even who the presidential candidates are. Maybe these are the typical ravings of a new teacher or maybe I just feel that I should be able to relate to my students a little better, but either way, I’m seriously thinking about assigning two hours of TV watching before class on Wednesday.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Fun at Chain Bookstores
So, I was in a certain chain bookstore to day. (I ain't naming names!) The universe must really be playing with me, because I did about five double-takes before confirming that, yes, I was looking at a Valentine's Day display that contained the following items:
1) The latest issue of a magazine that promised to make me "the sexiest brand on the market." Umm, no thanks - it's hard enough work just to be as sexy as I already am.
2) Lindt's chocolate. No problem there.
3) Sex Tips for Straight Women from Gay Men. Ok on this one too.
4) Why Men Love Bitches/Why Men Marry Bitches (guess they're a set) Interesting - they love *and* marry them, but for, like totally different reasons that demand two books!
5) The Feminine Mystique.
Yes, you knew this was headed somewhere: in between the chocolate and sex tips is a new edition of the feminist classic which helped catalyze one of the most important social movements of our century. I amused myself for the rest of the day trying to figure out if the higher-ups at said unnamed chain store were so clueless as to not recognize the hilarity of the pairing (feminine mystique . .. must be about how to be more feminine, right? to catch a man, duh) or if, as I liked to imagine, some mole was working on the inside, doing a kind of guerilla shelving. I'm in a good mood today, so I'm going with the later.
What does this have to do with Vibrant Gray? Well, not a lot. Except this: I was thinking about our mission statement in relation to conversations I've had with students over the years who don't understand what are wrong with cliches and generalizations. After all, if someone's said it a million times, it must be right, no? If some fancy pants weren't trying to make the world difficult, or make me see it as complex, or as gray, I could just live happily. And I tell them: I wish it were that way. I really wish you could tell people: do x, and you'll lose five pounds, and never age, and find true love. Self-help books thrive by telling people this, and people buy them, and then buy them again when they don't deliver, thinking this time it'll work. Even though, not being stupid, people know better, but desire is a powerful thing.
So, while a lot of teachers and writers do fetishize something called "complexity," and look for distinctions with out a difference, the real shades of gray, the real, simple fundamental questions like 'how can we be equal' are still out there. That means good writing is still out there too, no matter how many styles come and go, waiting to be written and read.
1) The latest issue of a magazine that promised to make me "the sexiest brand on the market." Umm, no thanks - it's hard enough work just to be as sexy as I already am.
2) Lindt's chocolate. No problem there.
3) Sex Tips for Straight Women from Gay Men. Ok on this one too.
4) Why Men Love Bitches/Why Men Marry Bitches (guess they're a set) Interesting - they love *and* marry them, but for, like totally different reasons that demand two books!
5) The Feminine Mystique.
Yes, you knew this was headed somewhere: in between the chocolate and sex tips is a new edition of the feminist classic which helped catalyze one of the most important social movements of our century. I amused myself for the rest of the day trying to figure out if the higher-ups at said unnamed chain store were so clueless as to not recognize the hilarity of the pairing (feminine mystique . .. must be about how to be more feminine, right? to catch a man, duh) or if, as I liked to imagine, some mole was working on the inside, doing a kind of guerilla shelving. I'm in a good mood today, so I'm going with the later.
What does this have to do with Vibrant Gray? Well, not a lot. Except this: I was thinking about our mission statement in relation to conversations I've had with students over the years who don't understand what are wrong with cliches and generalizations. After all, if someone's said it a million times, it must be right, no? If some fancy pants weren't trying to make the world difficult, or make me see it as complex, or as gray, I could just live happily. And I tell them: I wish it were that way. I really wish you could tell people: do x, and you'll lose five pounds, and never age, and find true love. Self-help books thrive by telling people this, and people buy them, and then buy them again when they don't deliver, thinking this time it'll work. Even though, not being stupid, people know better, but desire is a powerful thing.
So, while a lot of teachers and writers do fetishize something called "complexity," and look for distinctions with out a difference, the real shades of gray, the real, simple fundamental questions like 'how can we be equal' are still out there. That means good writing is still out there too, no matter how many styles come and go, waiting to be written and read.
Monday, February 11, 2008
Potrait of an Editor as an Artist: We're all in it together
I do feel like this title is somewhat pretentious but I also feel like it’s better than some of my other ideas: Confessions of a Literary Journal Editor, What Journal Editors Laugh about but Never Tell. Those seem played out and cheesy so I went with pretentious and snoody.
Anyway, the idea behind this entry (and more to come after) is to give writers and editors a forum to discuss getting published and publishing in small journals. I’ll start off by telling stories and giving advice that I have gathered during the last three years I have worked with literary journals.
Now, those of you who have submitted to this journal, or are thinking about submitting, don’t worry I am not going to talk about Vibrant Gray. For the last two years I worked with a small journal in New York. I won’t give out the name directly since the current editorial staff (most of who I worked with) tends to be more tactful and discreet than I. A Google search will tell which journal this is, but since I have two last names it takes some searching.
My first piece of advice is that we are all in this together. I know that’s pretty cheesy but I feel like the larger community of writers tends to forget this. I don’t know that I have ever met an editor for a small literary journal or press who is not a writer themselves. I am sure there are some out there, but I haven’t met them.
My story to illustrate this point: while working on this print journal we receive a letter from an angry poet. The letter included two rejection letters we had sent him and note he had written. The poet was angry because the first rejection letter included a note that said we appreciated his work and would like to see more. The second rejection letter had nothing. The poet gripped about getting his hopes up and accused us of pulling a poor Southern boy’s leg.
As I said, this journal was small, we had a print run of just over a thousand, but yet we got over a thousand submissions for every bi-annual issue. It’s possible the poem was weeded out by other readers and editors before the first appreciative editor saw it. Another possibility is the original editor was gone. The journal was sponsored by our university which meant the whole staff changed every two or three years.
But, if the editors of Vibrant Gray were in this situation I feel that we would be just as disappointed as the poet. Since we are a new journal and receive maybe a hundred submissions per issue, we would definitely notice the poet and be just as upset that we still didn’t feel that his work fit in our journal.
My point is that publishing is a tough and tedious process. So is working as an editor. Remember most editors are writers too. They feel your pain.
Anyway, the idea behind this entry (and more to come after) is to give writers and editors a forum to discuss getting published and publishing in small journals. I’ll start off by telling stories and giving advice that I have gathered during the last three years I have worked with literary journals.
Now, those of you who have submitted to this journal, or are thinking about submitting, don’t worry I am not going to talk about Vibrant Gray. For the last two years I worked with a small journal in New York. I won’t give out the name directly since the current editorial staff (most of who I worked with) tends to be more tactful and discreet than I. A Google search will tell which journal this is, but since I have two last names it takes some searching.
My first piece of advice is that we are all in this together. I know that’s pretty cheesy but I feel like the larger community of writers tends to forget this. I don’t know that I have ever met an editor for a small literary journal or press who is not a writer themselves. I am sure there are some out there, but I haven’t met them.
My story to illustrate this point: while working on this print journal we receive a letter from an angry poet. The letter included two rejection letters we had sent him and note he had written. The poet was angry because the first rejection letter included a note that said we appreciated his work and would like to see more. The second rejection letter had nothing. The poet gripped about getting his hopes up and accused us of pulling a poor Southern boy’s leg.
As I said, this journal was small, we had a print run of just over a thousand, but yet we got over a thousand submissions for every bi-annual issue. It’s possible the poem was weeded out by other readers and editors before the first appreciative editor saw it. Another possibility is the original editor was gone. The journal was sponsored by our university which meant the whole staff changed every two or three years.
But, if the editors of Vibrant Gray were in this situation I feel that we would be just as disappointed as the poet. Since we are a new journal and receive maybe a hundred submissions per issue, we would definitely notice the poet and be just as upset that we still didn’t feel that his work fit in our journal.
My point is that publishing is a tough and tedious process. So is working as an editor. Remember most editors are writers too. They feel your pain.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
NPR's Book Tour
If any of you are in the same situation I am - stuck in some small town, teaching, with no cultural outlet - this book tour is pretty good. They include full thirty to forty minute readings. I will put a link up later this week. And, hopefully, we will have Deborah Poe's piece up in the near future.
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
What does literature do on Super Tuesday?
Today I've been watching the aftermath of Super Tuesday. With the Democratic party still in limbo about who the nominee will be and the GOP leaning towards McCain, I can't help but think that Vibrant Gray's mission is more important than ever.
I don't know that I have ever talked to a person who is completely happy with our country. No one ever says: yeah, Bush being president is really working out and I think it's great that both Obama and Clinton are in the primary. Oh, and the way McCain and Romney hate each other and argue, that really helps the country grow. If anyone has had a conversation like that, please, let me know. I would be interested.
Anyway, what does Vibrant Gray have to do with this? Our mission is about celebrating the world as gray, encouraging dialogue where there is no drive to find the "right" answer but merely expand our worlds through inquiry. This is definitely not an idea the media is latching on to. So when the media and politicians won't allow room for dialogue I think it is our responsibility, not as artists but as human beings who want to live in a better world, to create that dialogue and narrative in the form of prose and poetry.
Writers and educators alike complain that people just don't read anymore, especially not literature. But what literary pieces are being published right now? I feel like more often than not literary fiction is about the agnst of being young and single and "poor" (read: way above the poverty line, but I can't yet buy a Lexus) and living in New York. Where is the teeth? Where is the drive? Maybe instead of blaming the readers we as writers should look on our own material. Are we celebrating the masterbatory pleasure of being able to write about our own selves and feelings? Or, are we promoting dialogue, thought and discourse, then allowing our readers to make decisions on their own?
I hope Vibrant Gray will help with the latter.
I don't know that I have ever talked to a person who is completely happy with our country. No one ever says: yeah, Bush being president is really working out and I think it's great that both Obama and Clinton are in the primary. Oh, and the way McCain and Romney hate each other and argue, that really helps the country grow. If anyone has had a conversation like that, please, let me know. I would be interested.
Anyway, what does Vibrant Gray have to do with this? Our mission is about celebrating the world as gray, encouraging dialogue where there is no drive to find the "right" answer but merely expand our worlds through inquiry. This is definitely not an idea the media is latching on to. So when the media and politicians won't allow room for dialogue I think it is our responsibility, not as artists but as human beings who want to live in a better world, to create that dialogue and narrative in the form of prose and poetry.
Writers and educators alike complain that people just don't read anymore, especially not literature. But what literary pieces are being published right now? I feel like more often than not literary fiction is about the agnst of being young and single and "poor" (read: way above the poverty line, but I can't yet buy a Lexus) and living in New York. Where is the teeth? Where is the drive? Maybe instead of blaming the readers we as writers should look on our own material. Are we celebrating the masterbatory pleasure of being able to write about our own selves and feelings? Or, are we promoting dialogue, thought and discourse, then allowing our readers to make decisions on their own?
I hope Vibrant Gray will help with the latter.
Monday, February 4, 2008
The Blue Issue is up!
Yes, the Blue Issue is up and ready for your reading pleasure.
AWP was great. Things were too busy and crazy for us to blog everyday and, honestly, who wants to read about us sitting behind a table and watching people walk by.
Anyway, thanks to everyone who stopped by the table, talked and bought chapbooks. We still have plenty for sale. Just send an email to laura@vibrantgray.com and we'll send one out to you for just six dollars.
For all of our featured authors, we are hoping to put up videos of you reading the pieces we have published in the last two issues. If you have a recording or would like to make one let us know and we will set up a link here on the blog. Thus far, Deborah Poe has promised a performance of "Fragile Magnets" which should be up fairly soon.
Enjoy the second issue of Vibrant Gray and definitely let us know what you think.
AWP was great. Things were too busy and crazy for us to blog everyday and, honestly, who wants to read about us sitting behind a table and watching people walk by.
Anyway, thanks to everyone who stopped by the table, talked and bought chapbooks. We still have plenty for sale. Just send an email to laura@vibrantgray.com and we'll send one out to you for just six dollars.
For all of our featured authors, we are hoping to put up videos of you reading the pieces we have published in the last two issues. If you have a recording or would like to make one let us know and we will set up a link here on the blog. Thus far, Deborah Poe has promised a performance of "Fragile Magnets" which should be up fairly soon.
Enjoy the second issue of Vibrant Gray and definitely let us know what you think.
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