Polly this is absolutely exquisite and so inspiring. The Reason to Do Anything (Quote by Kurt Vonnegut). Yes!! I started about a year ago and look forward to reading it every day. Thank you for revealing this idea youve been following. I had been raised in such an achievement-oriented environment, so inundated with the myth of talent, that I thought it was only worth doing things if you could "Win" at them." Write like a writer, Vonnegut said. This speaks to me. Leeds, Marc. Loving and expansive. View the contents and read select essays, articles, interviews, and profiles from the current issue of the award-winning Poets & Writers Magazine. Find a writers group to join or create your own with Poets & Writers Groups. What a beautiful spirit you have, shining right through your source. And this is where the archeologist said something to Kurt Vonnegut that Vonnegut would later say changed the trajectory of his thinking. What is failure anyhow? Offits right. From up at the podium along with Bourjaily and Vonnegut in a Form of Fiction class, Algren scoffed bold-facedly at us students for coming to school to learn to write. I have had similar thoughts for some time. (acrylic) by Polly Castor. Oh how I love this! Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Thank you Polly for your radiant joy and embrace of each of us, wrapping us in your color and beauty of Soul. I've grown to like George M. Helmoltz, Kurt Vonnegut's fictional Lincoln High band teacher. Some truly marvelous work there!!! Especially separating church from a building or denomination. Magnificent poem. Thank you for this exercise in balance, Polly. You are a blessing! Your blog has inspired me to get back into painting, cooking, prayer and meditation. The third group, of which I was a member, might as well have been deador studying chemistry. I look forward to reading your posts! So the simplicity, and thats not a bad word for it, of my writing was caused by the fact that my audience was composed of sophomores, juniors and seniors. Thank you sincerely for your joyful out-pouring of love, light, color, comforting, inspiring words. I appreciate you!! Wow what a great way to approach life. Very clear. He graduated from Shortridge High School in Indianapolis, and later attended Butler University in Indianapolis for a short time before transferring to Cornell University . I have been blessed beyond words by your daily posts. She lives in New York City and Wellfleet, Massachusetts with her husband, a sculptor, Gary Kuehn. I enjoy reading your notes from the Bible Lesson. Author Kurt Vonnegut Jr. wowed 'em at the Rice University Commencement without ever mentioning floss, calcium or sunscreen. I am so happy to have your blog in my life! Kurt Vonnegut: Myth and Science in the Postmodern World attempts to understand, in Vonnegut's novels, how Darwin's theory of evolution functions as a cosmogonic myth that is widely accepted in order to explain why the world is as it is and why things happen as they do, to provide a rationale for social customs and observances, and to establish the sanctions for the rules by which Vonnegut . Your site is bolstering my creative thoughts. "No damn cat, and no damn cradle." (Vonnegut 66). Kurt Vonnegut Jr. (November 11, 1922 - April 11, 2007) was an American writer and humorist known for his satirical and darkly humorous novels. from the old days, when male American writers acted like tough guys, like Humphrey Bogart, to prove that they, although they were sensitive and liked beauty, were far from being homosexual. Top 10 brightest novels about the meaning of life !<br><br>1. Oh my goodness Polly, this is absolutely magnificent and reaches so far deep into my soul. Here, Vonnegut plainly says that American society marginalizes certain citizens, namely the poor and people of color, for the benefit of others. Just beautiful, Polly. I must find the higher spiritual path that nature often helps me see. Letting our true, authentic self come forth! Tell stories. I am so totally impressed with your photography, poetry, and painting. shadows. Read it. Kurt Vonnegut tags: talent, writing. Polly, I love your poem you were never unwanted. LOVE it. Thank you for focusing in on and capturing the little things we so often pass by and/or take for granted. You are so incredibly sweet, gracious, kind, thoughtful, creative, generous, joyful, witty, courageous, tender, persistent, compassionate, brilliant, articulate, ad infinitum! It's cast in the form of fictional autobiography and is . The "Myth of Talent"Kurt Vonnegut's take: January 26, 2023. Kurt and Jane Vonnegut worked together to build his career, a fact he readily acknowledged upon their separation. claudiatiefisher.substack.com. I had been raised in such an achievement-oriented environment, so inundated with the myth of Talent, that I thought it was only worth doing things if you could "Win" at them." . You are such a gem Polly- it is an incredible blessing to daily read your blog! Very clear truths. Grace is a beautiful quality and you exude it in spades thanks so much for all you do and are! Because I believed in the merits of this type of prose, I was quite teachable and so I worked hard to achieve as pure a style as I could. I cannot wait to try this recipe! I wanted you to know that I found the time I spent on your blog to be relaxing, refreshing, inspiring, and totally enjoyable. Review Posted Online: Oct. 6, 2011. I love it! Im off on a refreshing direction. I just love your photos, Polly. ) -But if it sets your soul on fire, just . In 1965, Kurt Vonnegut submitted a thesis to the University of Chicago outlining how classic stories such as Cinderella shared a basic "shape". Because I went from a failure, someone who hadnt been talented enough at anything to excel, to someone who did things because I enjoyed them. Thank you! My reply: Listen, there were creative writing teachers long before there were creative writing courses, and they were called and continue to be called editors.. . An anthology series focusing on various stories from Kurt Vonnegut's acclaimed collection "Welcome to the Monkey House". To see what your friends thought of this quote, please sign . All rights reserved. Thank you for your transparency of love, your generous sharing of what you are pondering and doing. Kurt Vonnegut's classic Slaughterhouse-Five is adapted in graphic novel form for the first time this Wednesday courtesy of Boom! Thank you for your spiritual calm, support for each of us, uninhibited creativity, and amazing paintings. Its helping me with a great challenge. I love the vitality of the city scenes and vibrant color palette. You inspire goodness, wholeness, contentedness and joy. Yes!! In our weekly series of craft essays, some of the best and brightest minds in contemporary literature explore their craft in compact form, articulating their thoughts about creative obsessions and curiosities in a working notebook of lessons about the art of writing. Oh so beautiful! I give thanks for you and the blog! With appreciation for all you do to magnify good! Plyja kezdettl 1975-ig Kurt Vonnegut Jr. nven rt. Thanks, Polly! I can taste the yellows and hear the oranges! I hope Im making this clear: these editors were neither tyrannical nor contemptible. Triage was practiced there as it is practiced everywhere. Its a breath of fresh air, beauty, and innovative thinking! Thanks for going deep on this. I love reading your blog with its many insights. They are always so beautiful and interesting and full of life ! You are terrific and amazing. $17.95. Your blog is bursting with poetry, art, writings, love of God, family, friends, all things great and wonderful and good! Love the black and white contrasts enhanced by the light. [it] was uplifting and instructive. Kurt Vonnegut. Vonnegut repeatedly tells the reader to "Listen" throughout the novel. like a bird, natural and beautiful, just singing out truth in her special song on a fine winter morning. Love the abundance of exotic shapes and colours in the Autumn sunshine! You have such a gift for photographyand for pastelsand for cookingand for finding interesting booksand, and, and. Now it is a legitimate activity in my life and I am enjoying it immensely! Wow, super powerful and definitely what I needed to hear today. What a stunning collection of gorgeous images and though-provoking quotes. Thank you for getting it out there. This is a beautiful summary and reminder of how we can both individually and collectively dissolve the powerless, baseless lies with Truth. Add to library. BY the high imaginative standards of Kurt Vonnegut at his best - ''Cat's Cradle'' and ''Slaughterhouse-Five'' come to mind - '' Bluebeard ,'' it seems to me, is a minor achievement. Thank you so much for your fantastic, soulful images your photos really capture the love, joy, camaraderie, power, and intensity of the present moment. Sign up to get The Time Is Now, as well as a weekly book recommendation for guidance and inspiration, delivered to your inbox. Thank you for your honesty, integrity and willingness to speak out for Truth and Justice!!! There were those students who would surely be anthropologists, and the most winsome faculty members gave them intensive care. Thank you so much for recommending it. He says: What in hell are you doing here? It just turned out that I could write better than a lot of other people. He published his first novel, Player Piano, some 30 years later, and in the decades after that, proceeded to become one of this country's most beloved and influential writers. If you dont have an athletes knack for that swing, youre not going to be a pro. Thank you Polly for sharing those wise words! Poets & Writers lists readings, workshops, and other literary events held in cities across the country. Helps a lot! Well Done! A student of Vonneguts at the Iowa Writers Workshop from 1965 to 1967, during a time when the teacher was finishing his masterpiece Slaughterhouse-Five, McConnell draws on firsthand knowledge and extensive research to guide the reader through nearly everything the famous author ever said or wrote about the art of writing. Find information about venues that host readings and author events, including bookstores, bars, cafes, libraries, literary arts centers, and more. Polly lets her spirituality into her art as you can see in the many abstract paintings she creates. Love all you do and express. Thank you! Palm Sunday is a 1981 collection of short stories, speeches, essays, letters, and other previously unpublished works by author Kurt Vonnegut Jr.. Thank you so much. Thank you for sharing this. Your poem feels like a lesson, a treatment, and a love letter all rolled into one perfect package. The Spirit at work is so well described here. Wow. THANK you for sharing so abundantly! You have put into words what so many of us have in our minds and hearts. Kurt Vonnegut, whose dark, satirical vision in works including "Slaughterhouse-Five" and "Cat's Cradle" was shaped by the horrors he witnessed during World War II, has died at age 84. BLUEBEARD By Kurt Vonnegut. Please carry on the good work of guiding our book choices. The Paris Review asked Vonnegut two fundamental questions for aspiring fiction writers: Interviewer: Surely talent is required?Vonnegut: I was a Saab dealer on Cape Cod for a while, and I enrolled in their mechanics school, and they threw me out of their mechanics school. I heartily agree with them all now I have a bigger perspective on life. Thank you for bringing to light and sharing an undeniably important part of the one stupendous whole we all sharethe countless ways beyond sight, and not to be missed, always at hand. You are such an inspirational person Polly! He grew up in the Midwest and taught in a rural school in central Illinois for several years. You are letting your light shine. Find a home for your work by consulting our searchable databases of writing contests, literary magazines, small presses, literary agents, and more. You encourage me to grow with your everyday wisdom and your lovely contributions. A wonderful example of seeing the possibilitiescreativity at its best. As a result his interests took him from soccer, lacrosse and football to magic, juggling and circus arts. Thank you Polly. Vonnegut's motivation is always a different flavor. Download our free app to find readings and author events near you; explore indie bookstores, libraries, and other places of interest to writers; and connect with the literary community in your city or town. You are a woman deeply filled to the brim. Love your blogs colour and joyfulness and the inspiring leads, Polly. Kurt Vonnegut1922 1111 - 2007 4111976Kurt Vonnegut Jr. The colors are so vibrant and I like that you notice I have so enjoyed your recent posts about your garden, your reflections about parenting, your vibrant artwork so many wonderful expressions of Spirit. Interviewer: Do you really think creative writing can be taught? Thank you for bringing your beautiful great outdoors into my world. Perspective is everything and choosing a liberating one blesses everyone, as you point out! Much of Vonnegut's work is marked by an . Thank you for these great ideas! In 2006 a high school English teacher asked students to write a famous author and ask for advice. I was talking to one of the archeologists one day during our lunch break and he asked those kinds of getting to know you, questions you ask young people: Do you play sports? All of your work is eye and mind popping. Beautifully written, Polly captures my sentiments exactly.. Keep up the good work. The blog post by Three Rings also quoted a letter purportedly written by Kurt Vonnegut, which contained this lovely gem in it: "Here's an assignment for tonight Your paintings make me so happy. Because writing prose is one thing, and writing a yarn is another. He is a character that doesn't have much talent but, when it comes to sharing his insight, he shows his knowledge and speaks on what he knows. Polly always captures the balance between what I can do, and all the miraclesI am given. Thats amazing! I love everything you share with us such a joy to have your daily input in my inbox! Thank you for this.I absolutely love reading it! You share so freely, with so so so much love and joy and an open-open-heart. I really do. This is a fantastic article Pollyso much in it, I know Ill have to re read it at least twice more! He dares not only ask the ultimate question about the meaning of life, but to answer it."Esquire Nominated as one of America's best-loved novels by PBS's The Great American Read The Sirens of Titan is an outrageous romp through space, time, and morality. Love your poetry, your photos, your ideas, your YOU! I am vegetarian and look for meals I can make that have lots of flavor. The photos speak volumes tooand I see the connections with the poem perfectly. I love it! I encourage authenticity, nurture creativity, champion sustainability, promote peace, and hope to foster a new renaissance where we all are free to be our most fulfilled, multifaceted, and terrific selves. In my sisters case, it was drawing and sculpting. He is in the last seat of the C band section which is the worst possible seat to be in. Polly, I needed you today and there you were and it was enough. I love the photos such a gift which makes me feel closer to Fall, my favorite season. Pages. Again and again, these questions arise. Deeply nourishing. This blog is so prolific and original, inspiring and joy producing. Copy link. Thank you! Player Piano. The author uses the 1965 novel Stoneras a catalyst for sharing his own struggles as a writer, father, andhusband grappling with his own mortality. You amuse-inspire-edify-entertain-inform-uplift-enhance-educate-color!-my days! Copies of photos and artwork are available for purchase in my Gallery. What a breath of fresh air!! The richest, most depraved man on Earth, Malachi Constant, is offered a chance to take a . You sure know how to cheer up a really old geezer (84) in his sunset years. Thank you deeply, Polly! Deeply nourishing. I had been raised in such an achievement-oriented environment, so inundated with the myth of Talent, that I thought it was only worth doing things if you could "Win" at them." . Yes, quite something to contemplate. We are going to check on each other, and progress. Thanks, Polly. Start, renew, or give a subscription to Poets & Writers Magazine; change your address; check your account; pay your bill; Thanks for sharing this wisdom. Wow! Find information about more than two hundred full- and low-residency programs in creative writing in our MFA Programs database, which includes details about deadlines, funding, class size, core faculty, and more. I think you have covered absolutely every way anyone would wish to be blessed. I shared it with my mom, an artist, and she is impressed with your art. Thanks for sharing from the seat of your soul with generosity and openness. A beautiful wake up call to change our thinking and focus on what is real and true. Claudia Tiefisher. What great seeds to sow in world thought! Your art, your poetry, your philosophy, your religion, your book reviews, your photography, your husband! Thanks for your strong, bright and clear art work! Your email address will not be published. X x x. It radiates hope and feeling of calmness. Wow, you outdid yourself this month with your Bits and Clips. They bring me such joy. She was born in Schenectady, New York, in 1949, and raised in Barnstable, Massachusetts. He always challenges the A band in order to take their seat. I love your Blog, Polly!! So, we came up with a living, breathing version of what Poets & Writers already offers: Poets & Writers Live. Thank you for sharing its beauty. Kurt Vonnegut. Thank you so much for the recommendation. (acrylic) by Polly Castor. Lets all have a productive day and be joyful! I find the ideas you share on your blog very encouraging in having a sense of order when it comes to goals and priorities. Everything on your site is so colorful, spiritual and alive! I love this! The Legend: A tough guy, I forget which one, is asked to speak to a creative writing class. I love your blog. Outstanding, superb and beyond all imagination. Thank you! Thank you for your ultra positive, upbeat, cheering and cheerful expressions in so many forms. From Kurt Vonnegut "When I was 15, I spent a month working on an archeological dig. Thank you, Polly. Your tart was just perfect! Well known author, Kurt Vonnegut, shared wisdom for aspiring musicians and I'd like to share his words with you. In addition, the idea of an uncomplicated style was very much in the air back thenclarity, shorter sentences, strong verbs, a de-emphasis of adverbs and adjectives, that sort of thing. so inundated with the myth of Talent, that I thought it was only worth doing things if you could "Win" at them. Copyright Poets & Writers 2023. I do theater, Im in choir, I play the violin and piano, I used to take art classes. This is absolutely wonderful and so helpful. Also included is information about more than fifty MA and PhD programs. This blog is colorful, beautiful, and edifying. amaze me, Polly. I appreciate your blog. Learn more about this program, our special events, projects, and supporters, and how to contact us. This is absolutely beautiful and so incredibly helpful and inspiring! You certainly are a shining example. I am so happy to have found your site and to be able to enjoy your expression of Spirit! Page Count: 316. Because I went from a failure, someone who hadn't been talented enough at anything to excel, to someone who did things because I enjoyed them. Thanks for sharing your inspiration with the world! A pro can point out obvious flaws in your swing. Deep and encompassing. . Yummy and beautiful! It says with abundant clarity what thousands upon thousands of thoughtful men and women think and believe. And I told him, no I dont play any sports. You put into words what I have been grappling with for a long time. The epigraph to the book is a quote from Iowa: Write like a human being. Thank you for your commitment to reality and our true nature! This quote is so true. Thank you so much for this wonderful insight! Not nearly as many have the hang of telling a story. I mustve read it half a dozen times or more. I always appreciate your reviews. I feel like an armchair adventurer. Thank you for writing this opinion so eloquently, Polly. This variety of experiences and memories built up to bring him to his passions of today. The colors are exquisite!!! Thats all very helpful for me today, Polly. I think you've got all these wonderful experiences with different skills, and that all teaches you things and makes you an interesting . The True Art of Winning By Kurt Vonnegut. You have addressed many nuances that I have been espousing for years, and your words are powerful and thought-provoking. There is lots that I relate to in your comments! I recently I recommended your blog to a friend saying, Shes like a dear friend, she just doesnt know me. Thank you for all the delight you add to my days! Kurt Vonnegut. Neither did he confuse life experience with craft. You inspired me to do the same thing. I appreciate the joy, inspiration, and great information you provide us in your blogs. I find it very inspiring! 11, 2007], Manhattan, aged 84; his dark comic talent and urgent moral vision in novels like Slaughterhouse-five, Cat's cradle, and God bless you, Mr. Rosewater caught the temper of his times and the . You are doing so wonderfully at praising God with your talents. our only true peace is in pleasing Our Creator! report a missed issue; contact us. I think youve got all these wonderful experiences with different skills, and that all teaches you things and makes you an interesting person, no matter how well you do them.And that honestly changed my life. Offit taught much longer than Vonnegutat NYU, Hunter College, and the New School. It gives me hope for the world. Your colorful art, your beautiful photography, your tasty looking and well presented dishes, your uplifting ideas, your insightful book reviews, and your wonderful healing work! Bring the literary world to your doorat half the newsstand price. Yes, healing does happen when we deeply and humbly pray. I really appreciate your blog. About Press Copyright Contact us Creators Advertise Developers Terms Privacy Policy & Safety How YouTube works Test new features NFL Sunday Ticket Press Copyright . I love these particular colors together and the different styles and techniques really give it a lot of depth and texture. I love it! You truly have a way with words: warm; strong; inviting; enlightening; so substantive, and more. New York: Delacort P/Seymour Lawrence, 1973. This is just what I needed today. She works as a painter and has exhibited in galleries across the United States. Not easy to do! . In over 50 years Kurt Vonnegut published fourteen novels, three short story collections, five plays, and five works of nonfiction, with further work published posthumously. Our Top Topics for Writers addresses the most popular and pressing issues, including literary agents, copyright, MFA programs, and self-publishing. so inundated with the myth of Talent, that I thought it was only worth doing things if you could . Such a complete radiance of Soul you are demonstrating. Whether youre pursuing the publication of your first book or your fifth, use the Small Presses database to research potential publishers, including submission guidelines, tips from the editors, contact information, and more. Thanks, I needed that! some very funny but always with love. I am so grateful for your generous sharing of ideas across so many different fields! Our series of subject-based handbooks (PDF format; $4.99 each) provide information and advice from authors, literary agents, editors, and publishers. This technique, which Vonnegut uses in other novels as well, draws increased attention to whatever he is about to say. Since our founding in 1970, Poets & Writers has served as an information clearinghouse of all matters related to writing. He had an interesting story about ability the myth of talent, When I was 15, I spent a month working on an archeological dig. Wow! Showing Vonnegut's talent for satire, his first novel, Player Piano, took on corporate culture and was published in 1952. I love all the colors and this food looks amazing! From the outset, Vonnegut makes it clear that this is a book that goes deep into . This is one of the BEST explanations of ones understanding of God I have seen in a long time. You are a treasure! He has his dream to have one of the letters of the A band varsity sweaters. Malby 2023. I will enjoy you forever. Lovely Polly! Kurt Vonnegut (magyar ejtse: [krt vonegut], amerikai angol: IPA [kt vngt]; Indianapolis, 1922. november 11. Students have been writing all their lives. Polly, your wonderful blog is doing more than its bit in this dreadful time. Can you really teach anyone how to write? a New York Times editor asked Vonnegut, just as he was composing a piece for that very newspaper about that very subject. Real winners do not need validation. I loved this book, Polly. It was a wonderful mix of beauty, humor, and thoughtfulness. Now the work required to make a lasting change is up to each of us! . Ive just finished this book and I loved it! This is so well thought out and written. What is rare is the willingness to endure the life of the writer.' . The unlikely leap from freelance popular fiction writingthat left . . But today you are on top. "Jane has a strong feeling that we have both earned whatever we have, and she is . This poem really hit home. Thank you very much, Polly. so inundated with the myth of Talent, that I thought it was . A wonderful poem Polly! Her second novel, Dead Drop, is a 'lyrical, daring' thriller, published by Linen Press. I was talking to one of the archeologists one day during our lunch break and he asked those kinds of getting to know you questions you ask young people: Do you play sports? Life is so exciting we should limit ourselves less! Kurt Vonnegut was the only one to respond - and his response is magnificent: "Dear Xavier High School, and Ms. Lockwood, and Messrs Perin, McFeely, Batten, Maurer . I need to put them into action. I love seeing them. And he went WOW. Polly! Pair it with some previous thoughts I shared on on art and self-expression, which also references the myth of Talent (or as I put it, the Tyranny of Talent). Thanks, and keep on keeping on! What a stunning place! Polly, your reflection of Souls endless creativity is truly wonderful! I am just left in awe ! Read more quotes from Kurt Vonnegut Jr. Share this quote: Like Quote. Mechanics fix automobiles.