Why I Write
A Sixty Seven Year Retrospective55 total reviews
Comment from royowen
I think poetry writing is more rewarding in the sense that one works from a couple of lines that morph into something useful. But I'm not very good fictionally, it's a much more scary place, where you enter, one can write a lot of nonsense writing fiction. Hard thinking too. Beautifully done Jay, blessings Roy
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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I think poetry writing is more rewarding in the sense that one works from a couple of lines that morph into something useful. But I'm not very good fictionally, it's a much more scary place, where you enter, one can write a lot of nonsense writing fiction. Hard thinking too. Beautifully done Jay, blessings Roy
Comment Written 02-Mar-2023
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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Oh, but I can and do write a lot of fictional nonsense. Unfortunately, some nonsense is nonfiction that takes its own bend in the road and insists on my following -- I assume to learn a lesson. Thanks for weighing in, Roy. I always look forward to that.
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Most welcome Jay
Comment from Lady MJ
Identifiable with! Life throws us curve balls and sometimes we have to catch them, knowing that the straight one we missed earlier will not come back around for a while. Langston Hughes wrote "Dream Deferred" and it carries so much more meaning, than what he intended, for all who have ambitious desires that get delayed for one reason or another.
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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Identifiable with! Life throws us curve balls and sometimes we have to catch them, knowing that the straight one we missed earlier will not come back around for a while. Langston Hughes wrote "Dream Deferred" and it carries so much more meaning, than what he intended, for all who have ambitious desires that get delayed for one reason or another.
Comment Written 02-Mar-2023
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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Some deep thoughts in your review, MJ. I'd be fascinated to see them developed in your own entry to the contest. Thank you so much for your kind words.
Jay
Comment from lyenochka
Thank you for sharing your journey (pregnancy?) of writing. You are probably "birthing" new butterflies every day and you don't realize it. Anyway, kudos to you for the discipline of writing daily. I don't face a blank screen because I have so much stimuli coming to me at all angles that I can barely keep up. It's good to get your perspective of what keeps your writing. Best wishes in the contest!
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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Thank you for sharing your journey (pregnancy?) of writing. You are probably "birthing" new butterflies every day and you don't realize it. Anyway, kudos to you for the discipline of writing daily. I don't face a blank screen because I have so much stimuli coming to me at all angles that I can barely keep up. It's good to get your perspective of what keeps your writing. Best wishes in the contest!
Comment Written 02-Mar-2023
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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Your review brings to mind the rerun of the Young Sheldon series where his philosophy teacher has introduced the young genius to the concept of identity which resulted in his dream that he was a butterfly. The dream ended with his sister, fly swatter in hand, approaching the butterfly on the pillow that has an enormous Sheldon face. I am so easily entertained during my dinner hour.
Thanks, Helen, for reading and weighing in.
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Lol! You must watch that show often as this is the second time you quoted something from it. You, on the other hand, would just pole vault over that fly swatter!
Comment from barbara.wilkey
Thank you for sharing this contest entry with us. I think as writers, our 'Why I write?' changes as we progress as writers. At least mine does. This is very well written, and I enjoyed reading. Good luck with the contest.
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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Thank you for sharing this contest entry with us. I think as writers, our 'Why I write?' changes as we progress as writers. At least mine does. This is very well written, and I enjoyed reading. Good luck with the contest.
Comment Written 02-Mar-2023
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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Thank you, Barbara. I agree, the outward motivation does indeed change. But the creative process, below the surface, I think is more constant.
Comment from juliaSjames
Jay Jay Jay!!! I'm on my feet chanting. This is a winner for me all the way. From the exquisite metaphors to the soul deep vulnerability via the elegant eloquent depiction of your daily routine - you kept me mesmerized my friend.
Love that you brought in the butterfly motif. That's the topic of my latest post ( first for quite a while)
Blessings and good luck
Julia
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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Jay Jay Jay!!! I'm on my feet chanting. This is a winner for me all the way. From the exquisite metaphors to the soul deep vulnerability via the elegant eloquent depiction of your daily routine - you kept me mesmerized my friend.
Love that you brought in the butterfly motif. That's the topic of my latest post ( first for quite a while)
Blessings and good luck
Julia
Comment Written 02-Mar-2023
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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Which poem, Julia. It sent me flitting to your portfolio, but I couldn't find it based on the title. You are so very kind, though. I can bask in your compliments all day. Thank you for that!
Jay
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Hi Jay
It?s a haiku
out of the blue
And you?re welcome!!!
Julia
Comment from Katherine M. (k-11)
My major criticism with this piece was it was too short. I wanted to read more... I wanted to know more of the emotions you felt on the good days and the bad days, and also, perhaps especially if you had it all to do over again, what would you change? I will compensate by going to read it again... good luck in the contest. kay
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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My major criticism with this piece was it was too short. I wanted to read more... I wanted to know more of the emotions you felt on the good days and the bad days, and also, perhaps especially if you had it all to do over again, what would you change? I will compensate by going to read it again... good luck in the contest. kay
Comment Written 02-Mar-2023
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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Not long enough! That's not a complaint I often hear. But I'll accept it from you. I'm sure my writing wouldn't be different if I started over unless at the very beginning, when I was just a kid, I would have begun an exercise in earnest to learn to listen. I mean listen deeply and not let my inner talk get in the way, distorting and blotting the sharp edges of things. I think that if I started out that way and disciplined my young mind not to veer off to my own tangents for the couple of years (maybe even months) it would take I would have the eyes, ears, taste, and all the rest of Rimbaud, Verlaine, or Baudelaire. That haunts me, dear Kay.
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It wasn't meant meanly. I was just enjoying reading it so much - first fun thing for a fortnight almost! So, you imagine being a Frech poet. How interesting.
Comment from patcelaw
Jay, I so very much enjoyed listening to your story about why you were write. The many times that I have read your work I have always been impressed with the smooth flow of your use of the language. You have been very helpful on some occasions with my writing as you had reviewed it and left the pointers on how to make it better. I appreciate you and I wish you the very best with all of your writing. Patricia.
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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Jay, I so very much enjoyed listening to your story about why you were write. The many times that I have read your work I have always been impressed with the smooth flow of your use of the language. You have been very helpful on some occasions with my writing as you had reviewed it and left the pointers on how to make it better. I appreciate you and I wish you the very best with all of your writing. Patricia.
Comment Written 02-Mar-2023
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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You flatter me and yet I read on in the bath of your kind words. Patricia, you haven't left the poetry camp and come over to visit us enough in ours. And I feel so inadequate over there, lol. (Why do I end sentences with "lol" as though I would Laugh out loud over my inadequacies?! It sounds maniacal. Yet here it comes .. LOL.) Thank you so much for stopping by, Patricia.
Comment from jmdg1954
I am glad you provided us (me) with your second perspective on why you write.
You wrote what I am when I write:
If a woman's entire nine-month pregnancy is a preparation for birthing, I was definitely struggling through the discomfort of just my first trimester. While a woman has a pretty good idea of what her baby will look like ... I had (and still have) no clue of what, if anything, my incubation will produce.
This is a great entry into the contest. Best of luck!
John
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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I am glad you provided us (me) with your second perspective on why you write.
You wrote what I am when I write:
If a woman's entire nine-month pregnancy is a preparation for birthing, I was definitely struggling through the discomfort of just my first trimester. While a woman has a pretty good idea of what her baby will look like ... I had (and still have) no clue of what, if anything, my incubation will produce.
This is a great entry into the contest. Best of luck!
John
Comment Written 02-Mar-2023
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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Thank you, John. I know I have birthed some monsters in my day, but if intention has anything to do with my 67 year journey, one or two might be limping along the path to sainthood. They would have been the more boring but steady ones. Again, thanks.
Jay
Comment from Jesse James Doty
This describes to a tee what it is like to face the blank screen or page whichever one prefers and continue to write each day no matter what you have to face every morning.
I love the metaphor for pole vaulting and how it fits into your view of your progress in writing.
Thanks for sharing this worthwhile story about what it is like to face the blank screen and attempt to create a masterpiece!
Jesse
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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This describes to a tee what it is like to face the blank screen or page whichever one prefers and continue to write each day no matter what you have to face every morning.
I love the metaphor for pole vaulting and how it fits into your view of your progress in writing.
Thanks for sharing this worthwhile story about what it is like to face the blank screen and attempt to create a masterpiece!
Jesse
Comment Written 02-Mar-2023
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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Thank you, Jessie. It's interesting that the whole idea of the pole vaulter came to me as I was looking over the interview from a year ago. I was a novice pole vaulter back in the day when the poles were aluminum and there was absolutely no "give" to them. I marvel at the tensile strength of today's fiberglass (I assume) poles that almost bend to an upside-down U and not snap! Wouldn't that be a horrible sound to hear when you're toes are twenty-feet above you and your head is 14-feet straight down to the hardpacked runway? Tell me, Jesse, was that what you were doing when you hurt yourself? I'm sorry, I'm not trying to make light of your injury, my friend. Once again, thank you for reading this piece.
Jay
Comment from John Ciarmello
Hey, Jay Squires!
It never takes me long to find the correct words when it involves your reviews, as they float admirably on the surface like a dry teabag steeping its modest brew.
Jay, I've captured the wordless feeling of this piece and the storytelling brilliance that makes you who you are. I applaud you with both respectful envy and learned appreciation. :))
You are a force!
Okay, I'm not very good at "bromances" so I'm gonna stop steeping now at the risk of coming on too strong, lol. Not that that has ever embarrassed me in the past. Great work, my friend! Best, JohnC
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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Hey, Jay Squires!
It never takes me long to find the correct words when it involves your reviews, as they float admirably on the surface like a dry teabag steeping its modest brew.
Jay, I've captured the wordless feeling of this piece and the storytelling brilliance that makes you who you are. I applaud you with both respectful envy and learned appreciation. :))
You are a force!
Okay, I'm not very good at "bromances" so I'm gonna stop steeping now at the risk of coming on too strong, lol. Not that that has ever embarrassed me in the past. Great work, my friend! Best, JohnC
Comment Written 02-Mar-2023
reply by the author on 02-Mar-2023
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Oi! I love reading your reviews at the beginning of my day. It sets the tempo and pushes my mood to the melody that the rest of the day simply must bring. John likes what I wrote! Mannnnn! Hey, John, as long as we can keep a thousand miles between us on the bromancing bed, why don't we just continue on like that for awhile, LOL.
Seriously, your reviews mean a lot to me.
Jay
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DEAL! ;)