May 1, 2003

• I started working my way through a book called ‘Steering The Craft,’ by Ursula K. LeGuin. It’s the book form of a workshop she gives, on the craft of writing.
  
  It’s a series of exercises. I think I’m going to ‘blog my exercise work, unless it’s just too embarassing.
  
  Exercise 1 is to write something to be read aloud, to emphasise gorgeousness. Here’s what I came up with in the short time I gave to it (presented without any real editing or critique, because that’s how it should be):
  
  
  The Letter O
  
  Over and over
  with nothing beautiful insight
  The O not the zero and troubadour meanderings. Took its own tail and auroraborealous shone in the sky. Circling the sun and halo the moon. Bothered to come back where it started in a single simple loop.
  
  She said, “Oooooooooooo,” out of need for narrative.
  
  She sang, “Doo, do-dooo, do-dooo,” by way of prayer.
  
  God answered, thusly when he spoke: “Take a walk on the wild side.” He went on to say, “Don’t expect me to make sense. O is the middle of my name, take it for a spin and walk the dog.”
  
  Staring at an eddy in a meander in a river in a meadow. Oxbow. Oxen in a rice paddy, orientalism extreme. Shoot shakes shot with a beefheart thing. The captain. The mothership, the mothership never was too happy with us for plagiarism.
  
  O, O how I love you. Jackie on the phone from Greece in that tight dress with the sunglasses.
  
  O tannenbaum can you see. By the leaves unchanging light.
  

  • 2:06 pm
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