Thursday, September 9, 2010

The Hand is Divided Into Fingers.

 Regarding the novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry James once wrote that "the best things come, as a general thing, from the talents that are members of a group; every man works better when he has his companions working in the same line, and yielding the stimulus of suggestion, comparison, emulation."

This sentiment is one that swells a desire within me for all my friends to pursue the art of writing as well. 
Not to have writing done by committee, mind you, but to amplify and enhance the conversation.

The unique world view that each individual holds is squirreled away in their minds, only to appear at infrequent dinner conversations or at passing social engagements. Writing allows one to channel the chaos of the individual mind into a solid form to rub against, to interlock, to resonate, to repel or repulse, to change or be changed by the forms of others. Writing will ultimately enhance by adding to the collective form that we all assume.

So, write! Don't worry. As Kerouac says "just blow and blow."



5 comments:

  1. those guys are forming a collective wang

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  2. So funny you did this post today. On NPR this afternoon there was a great interview with Jonathan Franzen about his writing and work. When his friend David Foster Wallace was alive they would call each other bi-weekly and discuss writing. It made me think: Micah and I should start this!

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  3. But what of those of us who are not so good with words?

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  4. time micah. its all about time. the lack there of.

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  5. hear, hear! my mother formed an online writing group but i don't think that's my bag. i prefer the salon model - an evening with friends, drinks, and just a dash of drama.

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