Join Sarah and Rebecca as they discuss creativity and whether or not you must be born with the ability to be creative or whether there are ways that you can develop your creativity. Listen in and then join the conversation! We’d love to hear from you at http://www.thebookdialogue.com.
Sarah’s Musings on Katherine Mansfield and her poem, “The Meeting”. – The Book Dialogue
S4 E13: Sarah’s Musings on Katherine Mansfield and her poem, “The Meeting”.
The Meeting by Katherine Mansfield
We started speaking,
Looked at each other, then turned away.
The tears kept rising to my eyes.
But I could not weep.
I wanted to take your hand
But my hand trembled.
You kept counting the days
Before we should meet again.
But both of us felt in our hearts
That we parted for ever and ever.
The ticking of the little clock filled the quiet room.
"Listen," I said. "It is so loud,
Like a horse galloping on a lonely road,
As loud as a horse galloping past in the night."
You shut me up in your arms.
But the sound of the clock stifled our hearts' beating.
You said, "I cannot go: all that is living of me
Is here for ever and ever."
Then you went.
The world changed. The sound of the clock grew fainter,
Dwindled away, became a minute thing.
I whispered in the darkness. "If it stops, I shall die."
Voice by Sarah Ahmadi
Photography by Rebecca Budd
Music by Sight of Wonders “A Shade of Steam” Epidemic Sound
http://www.epidemicsound.com/track/eU5T5zuehK/
The Book Dialogue 
This is a fascinating podcast! It seems creativity is the work or production of a passionate interest or talent, whether acquired by nature or nurture. We see often that someone has a gift but not the dedication to cultivate it. And on the other hand, as Sarah so articulately puts it, anyone can be creative if they follow their passion with some hard work. I now feel much better about my own prose technique which first involves jotting down ideas ‘out of the blue,’ memories, and basically lots of random thought, fact-checking, etc. I always criticize this as undisciplined thinking and illogical. (But white hat according to the professor) Then I move on to the purpose, and then the organizing, shaping and editing. (Don’t remember all the hats!) So happy to receive validation!
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I enjoy my conversations with Sarah. I think she has about 10 books going on at the same time. I remember when we worked through 500 Harlequin romance books together several decades ago. My uncle had a book store and, much to my father’s chagrin, sent the 500 books up to us by mail. It was quite a big box that landed on our doorstep. I wish I had kept some of those romance stories for they are treasures from the 1950’s and early 1960’s that give insight into that time. I am a detail person which comes out of many years of objective thinking, so, like you, my go-to place is logic, organization. There is a freedom of just letting everything go. I think that is why I enjoy reciting poetry these days. It is my way of letting the world move on without my direct supervision. LOL
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500 Harlequin romances?! The mind boggles. I could see this as the opening of a memoir (or a novel): “The year my sister and I read 500 Harlequin romances . . . . “
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You have the best, best, best ideas!!! It was an amazing summer. I remember trying to read 10/day. Sarah was always a speed reader so I think topped off at 15. My fondest memory was the romance about a “would be” opera singer, who went on a game show and almost won the prize. She knew every classical piece but when she heard a modern song, she was at a loss and could not provide an answer. But all was not lost, because one of the adjudicators was the famous symphony conductor. Well.. you can only imagine what comes next… yes. Lesson with the symphony conductor (somehow he had heard her sing), who had a huge array of followers, especially the famous soprano, who conveniently became sick before a important performance. Who should take her place…. can you guess?
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Will you write the story? I would love to read it!!
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One day….. you are the best support.
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🙂
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My prose technique is the same as yours, Mary Jo, and I’ve never thought of this as undisciplined thinking or illogical. I see it as gathering my raw materials that I will then shape, refine, and polish.
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Sarah just introduced me to a new app called Padlet, which allows for this type of creative thinking. The “free” app allows for 3 Padlets, each Padlet a place to write notes in different colours. I’m checking it out to see how it works. Sarah set up a Padlet to discuss the topics for “The Book Dialogue podcast.” Still not certain how it all works but here is some info on the app: https://padlet.com/features
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Thanks, Rebecca. A former colleague was a big fan of Padlet for her classes. I probably should have taken a look at it before I bought Scrivener.
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I have Scrivener as well – it is an excellent tool, but I am still learning. I’m using it to create my father’s biography.
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I didn’t know that you’re working on a book!! When it’s finished, I would love to read it. I remember you and your brother speaking about him on Tea, Toast, and Trivia.
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Thank you!!!
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Now that word is out, I’m going to pester you to finish it. 😉
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I know you will – and that makes me very happy!
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This is so encouraging to hear, Liz, just like the podcast! When we listen to how others create, it can often do this. There’s no one size fits all, and I suppose having an overactive mind can sometimes be a blessing, creatively speaking 🙂
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Love those overactive minds. You never know where you will end up. Hugs to you both!
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I agree about the overactive mind being a creative blessing. Following a tangent while working on one piece can lead to inspiration for another one. Bonus!
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