Boiling down some notes taken at James Galvin's lecture at Loveland Public LIbrary
This morning James Galvin spoke at the Loveland Public Library. He spoke primarily about writing as a way of working something out.
Galvin began by stating that he'd been told that he was going to talk about technique in writing, but that he didn't really think he knew anything about technique. Everyone laughed. Then he went on to say some things that I thought sounded pretty smart.
Among those smart things were these:
"Technique is where temperament and method meet." He went on to say that temperament is something you can't do anything about, so he suggested focusing on method.
"You know all those Paris Review 'Art of Writing' interviews? Reading them won't help you. You have to figure it out on your own."
"Most writing is born of the anxiety of not knowing. There are some writers who write from a place of knowing [he mentioned Milton and Blake]..., but most writing is born from anxiety about not knowing."
"Method is a way of tricking yourself into letting the language do the talking for you. Because the language is smarter than any of us. It knows how to do it."
"What you think isn't interesting, and what you feel isn't interesting; but what you think about how you feel, and how you feel about what you think, that's interesting."
"When you're writing, it often helps to have somebody in mind that you're talking to.... To have a focused and vulnerable or tender voice, it helps to have someone in mind."
"Most of the time in workshops we talk about things that are not good to talk about. We talk about things that are good to have talked about."
"Writing it down is more important than getting it published."
"The point of making art is empathy."
Galvin began by stating that he'd been told that he was going to talk about technique in writing, but that he didn't really think he knew anything about technique. Everyone laughed. Then he went on to say some things that I thought sounded pretty smart.
Among those smart things were these:
"Technique is where temperament and method meet." He went on to say that temperament is something you can't do anything about, so he suggested focusing on method.
"You know all those Paris Review 'Art of Writing' interviews? Reading them won't help you. You have to figure it out on your own."
"Most writing is born of the anxiety of not knowing. There are some writers who write from a place of knowing [he mentioned Milton and Blake]..., but most writing is born from anxiety about not knowing."
"Method is a way of tricking yourself into letting the language do the talking for you. Because the language is smarter than any of us. It knows how to do it."
"What you think isn't interesting, and what you feel isn't interesting; but what you think about how you feel, and how you feel about what you think, that's interesting."
"When you're writing, it often helps to have somebody in mind that you're talking to.... To have a focused and vulnerable or tender voice, it helps to have someone in mind."
"Most of the time in workshops we talk about things that are not good to talk about. We talk about things that are good to have talked about."
"Writing it down is more important than getting it published."
"The point of making art is empathy."
posted by Anonymous at 1:18 PM
5 Comments:
Thanks for sharing these. He did say some things that caught my attention.
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I'm pretty skeptical of advice by poet teachers sometimes. I don't think writing it down is the most important thing. I think poetry, like any kind of writing, is a form of communication, meant to be pleasurable. Unless a reader sees it, it's not really useful. Too many poets are writing for themselves and their only little group and not for publications/audiences. I could probably knock down some other things, but maybe I just like to disagree and argue. If it's useful to you that's what counts.
For what it's worth, Don, Galvin also said, that "Of course, somebody has to read it before it really becomes a poem." But then he stepped back again and reiterated, "Even so, writing it down is the most important thing."
And I think he would agree that skepticism is good.
Another thing he said about teaching you might have liked. He seems honestly surprised that he's allowed to teach at Iowa. He said that his students are talented, highly able, good writers, and that he feels like his primary job is to try to confuse them so that they'll have to go home and think more about poetry.
One of the things he does is give them books to read that are unlike their own writing.
Talk to you later.
Jack,
Thanks for taking notes. I had reserved a spot and everything (thanks to your message) but just couldn't make it up there Saturday. Things are swell, just too busy. Hope you're doing well. Let's plan on getting together to raise a glass to Pulse of the River when it comes out...all the best to you.
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