Sunday, September 9, 2012

Kerouac's writing tips

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21 comments:

  1. May I copy this? I need to remind myself of number 2; figure out number 6, but number 29 will always elude me. He had a knack, that Kerouac ; )
    Thank you for sharing this. Wonderful timing.

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    1. ds, but of course, since these belong to us all in Kerouac's seed scatterings.

      If it takes me until the end of time, I will do what I can to convince you of #29. :-)

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    2. Thanks! And, ha! it probably will...
      For Robert--I love his description of Proust; visualize someone who keeps stuffing scattered tea leaves into his head, which opens like the dome of a teapot (not going for the nose. Nope. Not at all ; ) )

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  2. Wonderful crazy Jack! I'm afraid I didn't succeed at (3) this weekend, and (4) temporarily eluded me, unfortunately. And my only visionary tics were the usual flotillas of vitreous humour in the eyes. However I believe in (20), I believe it, I do believe it!

    We all have weekends like this. Though I know I won't exactly be a genius tomorrow, I trust my self-belief will be back to normal.

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    1. Robert, I believe that Kerouac himself would not have written them down (typed them up?) if he hadn't failed and faltered himself on certain unruly weekends, or had he not feared he would do so again.

      Do you know what #14 means? I don't have a visual tic of what a "teahead" is.

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    2. I think ds has given the dope already with a wonderfully Monty Python-esque explanation here!

      Some think 'teahead of time' may refer to Proust's junkie-like habit of lying in bed all day.

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  3. Always good to reread those, Ruth, thanks. Tea was once (very far back in hipster days) a slang term for marijuana--but I think the explanation offered by ds is more entertaining.

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    1. Hedge, oh I can see that. Well I like all these different teahead variations from ds to Robert to you. I think we should create an annotated version of Kerouac's writing tips!

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  4. Although they're very different, I'm reminded of Eno's Oblique Strategies.

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    1. Dominic, I had never heard of those! I had no idea. Now I've browsed about them a bit. Do you own a set? :)

      This puts in mind an idea for blog writers/artists to post our own lists. I am such a list geek. In fact, stopping list making is on my list of things to do. ;)

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    2. Yes. I think you can download them and print them out if you don't mind patiently guillotining them!

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  5. These give me renewed respect for Kerouac --vivid and thoughtful and energizing.
    I'm interested that he references Proust -- quite unexpected. Kerouac used to drink at Gunther's in Northport LI where my husband grew up. Still a rather disreputable pub.
    Have you read Alain de Botton's How Proust can change Your Life? Fun.
    Lovely to be young and open and wild. One thinks Dylan Thomas here --to have such a vivid appetite for life --and writing ( though you probably shouldn't pop the silver of the people whose house you are borrowing.......) How life intervenes and curbs art!

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    1. Good lord, Elizabeth, look how many literary giants you referenced! You are well read! I have tried to read Proust, but I lose interest in a few pages. But maybe Botton's book is something to try. So Gunther's has not yet been gentrified? There is something comforting about that.

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  6. so much of this makes kerouac seem accessible. so much of this makes writing seem accessible! it's inspiring and forgiving.

    but but but i can't help but focus on your new profile picture. this is you, ruth (?) i mean, this is the you you have chosen to show us. (i know, i've seen photographs of you before but this seems important in another way, doesn't it?) i am curious, what do you think this says about you, ruth?

    it says a tonne that you are willing to step out and be here like this...in this (new) form. why, ruth? what are you telling us?

    love))

    xo
    erin

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    1. erin, I love you. I am so happy for your question, because I hadn't asked it, really, or answered it, though I was certain this was the image I wanted.

      You know first I had a tree. Then I had the wabi-sabi featherhead. And I suddenly realized that was not who I am here. It is strange and surprising, because I resisted personal photos as avatars forever. I thought they were manipulative! I thought people tried to garner favor (and readership) by posting themselves. But now I see that we all choose our avatars for the best of personal reasons. And here I am posting my face, looking right at you, saying: let's sit and converse; I am listening; I need to hear what you have to say; this is me; this is me in my office the way I listen to my students; this is me learning.

      Thank you for helping me, always.

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    2. i see you)))

      and i listen

      xo
      erin

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  7. I have just printed the list and will be considering them all, but #17 is perfectly me. I have work to do on many of the others.

    (Love your profile photo, mon amie!)

    Bises,
    Genie

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    1. Genie, that makes me happy, that #17 is perfectly you. I wonder what each of us would say is perfectly me. OK, I'm going to try in a comment.

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  8. The ones I do pretty naturally: 2, 4, 7, 15, 17, 20.

    And the ones I set before me for improvement: All, especially 6, 8, 10, 13, 19, 22, 28.

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  9. Oh WOW! What a fabulous list...the kind you put up on your bathroom mirror or hang on the fridge! #17 is ME, of course, but many of the others are what I want for myself, immediately, if not sooner!

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    1. Boots, the list for me represents so much about confidence in who we are as individuals. It isn't self absorption or egotism, it's the necessity of expressing experience through the lens of myself, because there's no one else like me—or you! xoxo

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All responses are welcome.