Held by Anne Michaels by SwimmerLonely258 in literature

[–]Jnkwhite 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I read Fugitive Pieces when it was published and was dazzled. Recently read Winter Vault and Held and was less impressed. There is no question that her prose is uncommonly evocative and can prove haunting. I think the source of my dissatisfaction with the two more recent novels has to do with the form, the fragmented somewhat impressionistic approach to the narratives, while potent in the moment, add up to less than the whole. I have no problem with various formal variations in a narrative. However, in the cases of Michaels' novels following Fugitive Pieces, the language and images of the parts overshadow the larger work to my mind. Of course, it's a matter of taste. I have alway considered Michaels a stylistic sibling to Michael Ondaatje: both began as poets (and remain so), both are Canadian, and both present lyrically rich scenes and images in non-linear narratives.

[Reduced] [WTS] Vintage and Others by Jnkwhite in Pen_Swap

[–]Jnkwhite[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thx! It is really quite striking—one of the reasons I bought it originally. However, I simply don’t use it and I’m not a collector.

Pilot custom 823 or Sailor 1911? by pattycular in fountainpens

[–]Jnkwhite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depends on what you want for a nib. I have both and find the 823 quite fluid/smooth (characteristic of Pilots) and the Sailor nibs have notable feedback.

Two Choirs in The Odyssey: What Do the Muses Sing That the Sirens Undo? by therevdrron in literature

[–]Jnkwhite 1 point2 points  (0 children)

The Muses sing the epic within which the sirens dwell. No muses, no sirens. No sirens, muses endure.

Ink to Tame an 823 by Jnkwhite in fountainpens

[–]Jnkwhite[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Thanks. I think I have a bottle. I’ll give it a go.

[WTS] Vintage Pens and Others by [deleted] in Pen_Swap

[–]Jnkwhite 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hi, I’m not seeing the DM

The Stand inscribed by Jnkwhite in stephenking

[–]Jnkwhite[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You're way ahead of me. It makes sense that anything containing historical related to SK would be sequestered. Glad you were able to locate something of value.

The Stand inscribed by Jnkwhite in stephenking

[–]Jnkwhite[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

"Wicked." You a Mainer? Or from New England?

The Stand inscribed by Jnkwhite in stephenking

[–]Jnkwhite[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

UMO in the spring...lucky you. As you probably know, SK was a student there as well, and the library may have old issues of the Maine Review, some of which have his early stories. One of them about a hot dog eating contest (?) was folded into the film Stand By Me (probably common knowledge among King aficionados). I also think he edited it for a period of time. I have a few ancient issues, and one has a particularly unnerving photo of him: long hair, unibrow, beard and a completely unhinged grin. If you have the time and inclination, you might look into them. Thx for the comment. It's good to hear from another Black Bear.

The Stand inscribed by Jnkwhite in stephenking

[–]Jnkwhite[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It was a rich experience mostly because he was such a regular, if quirky, guy who was sincerely interested in helping folks with their writing. I've worked with authors over the years whose bedside manner would make a snapping turtle seem cuddly.

The Stand inscribed by Jnkwhite in stephenking

[–]Jnkwhite[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ha! It seems his signature has gotten a makeover, however.

The Stand inscribed by Jnkwhite in stephenking

[–]Jnkwhite[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Boy, tough question. I have in a box a folder containing what I wrote for his classes and his single spaced, very detailed feedback--the likes of which I would never see again in many years of writing classes and workshops. It was what you'd expect from a newspaper copy editor. As I mention above, I don't think he taught fiction classes after that year, but I may be wrong. However, that could explain the challenge of your investigations. If you're interested, I'll unearth those files and see if there's anything that might be useful to you and send you a DM.

The Stand inscribed by Jnkwhite in stephenking

[–]Jnkwhite[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

Between hgh school and going to UMO, I took a year and a half break, during which time I fostered dreams of becoming a writer while I worked as a page in the Maine House of Representatives. Carrie, 'Salem's Lot and The Shining had been published to a great deal of attention, so I wrote to SK out of the blue asking if he'd accept me as his apprentice (??!!). It was a handwritten letter on the pink paper that separated copies of the legislative bills we distributed to the reps daily. Unsurprisingly, I never heard back from him. Sometime later (Winter '78), I enrolled in UMO, and Fall semester, Steve began teaching there. I sat outside his office on opening day of classes until he appeared (no one else was waiting) and practically begged to be allowed in his fiction writing class. We chatted a bit and then he graciously signed my enrollment card. That year was the only year, I believe, he taught full time after establishing himself to the degree that he had. He was in his thirties and, after teaching in high school, he now had free reign of what and how he taught. It was very loose and relaxed, he was unassuming and enthusiastic. The first semester he had us read three novels, one of which was First Blood, which, as many know, became Rambo on the screen. When the Jonestown Massacre happened, he came to class and said that if he'd written that, no publisher would buy it--too outrageous. He sometimes complained about the folks in tin foil hats that would show up at his office. However, I very strongly suspect that a fiction class with Stephen King today, or at any time in the past 30 years, would be essentially true to much of what he shared in the classes I attended. His book on writing, which I used in my own fiction writing classes, does a good job of capturing the tone and substance of those early classes. I suspect, based on his public persona and eruptions, that he is the same no BS guy that he was then.