A vignette challenge

AlwaysHungry · Mar 2, 2017

I haven't seen any "Challenge of the Month" threads pop up since USY's gothic one-liner challenge. So, I'll run this up the flagpole and see who salutes. I propose to run a challenge where everyone submits a poem that is a vignette, a short Norman Rockwell-style image/story with evocative characters. If this comes off the way I envision it, it will be difficult to tell which poem is GM's because everyone will be writing in his signature genre. Any takers? I figure on using the double-blind format that we have used over the past year.

Angeline · Mar 2, 2017

I have an idea for it, AH, but we can write in any form or free verse as long as we produce a vignette, right? I love the way GM writes, but I can't reproduce it!

Also what would be the timing?

It's a good idea!

AlwaysHungry · Mar 3, 2017

Angeline said:
I have an idea for it, AH, but we can write in any form or free verse as long as we produce a vignette, right? I love the way GM writes, but I can't reproduce it!

Also what would be the timing?

It's a good idea!

I would recommend free verse, although I won't make it mandatory. I forget how we usually do this -- maybe make the submission deadline the 17th, followed by two weeks of critiques and kibbitzing, and then the posting of re-writes and the outing?

Angeline · Mar 3, 2017

AlwaysHungry said:
I would recommend free verse, although I won't make it mandatory. I forget how we usually do this -- maybe make the submission deadline the 17th, followed by two weeks of critiques and kibbitzing, and then the posting of re-writes and the outing?

That sounds perfect.

Gives folks time to think about it and critique the poems before the finale.

greenmountaineer · Mar 3, 2017

Angeline said:
I have an idea for it, AH, but we can write in any form or free verse as long as we produce a vignette, right? I love the way GM writes, but I can't reproduce it!

Also what would be the timing?

It's a good idea!

That's very nice of you to say, Angie.

AH: I am a story teller at heart. Funny you should mention Norman Rockwell. I live in Vermont as he did for many years in Arlington which is in the southern part of the state. I'm twenty miles south of the Canadian border.

Many of his paintings included local citizens. One of his more famous paintings, "Freedom of Speech," has as its background what we call "Town Meeting Day" that occurs every year on the first Tuesday of March which is a state holiday when citizens vote on town budgets. It's a big deal: potluck lunches, old folks coming out of hibernation seeing old friends after a long winter which still has some life to it, kids running around, and then there's usually someone named Ethan or something like that with a strong Vermont twang who stands up to complain that the local highway folk won't snowplow the road to his deer camp "so I can get away from my Martha now and then" at which, of course, everyone laughs.

Silly me; here I am storytelling

Angeline · Mar 3, 2017

greenmountaineer said:
That's very nice of you to say, Angie.

AH: I am a story teller at heart. Funny you should mention Norman Rockwell. I live in Vermont as he did for many years in Arlington which is in the southern part of the state. I'm twenty miles south of the Canadian border.

Many of his paintings included local citizens. One of his more famous paintings, "Freedom of Speech," has as its background what we call "Town Meeting Day" that occurs every year on the first Tuesday of March which is a state holiday when citizens vote on town budgets. It's a big deal: potluck lunches, old folks coming out of hibernation seeing old friends after a long winter which still has some life to it, kids running around, and then there's usually someone named Ethan or something like that with a strong Vermont twang who stands up to complain that the local highway folk won't snowplow the road to his deer camp "so I can get away from my Martha now and then" at which, of course, everyone laughs.

Silly me; here I am storytelling

You do have a distinctive voice as we all know (and ergo, guess you right off lol), but that's the most important thing in poetry, to me, to find one's own voice. Also your stories are interesting. I feel like I've lived in about a third of them.

UnderYourSpell · Mar 3, 2017

Puts on thinking cap to see if it still fits ..............

Piscator · Mar 3, 2017

Could a Haibun also qualify as a vignette?

UnderYourSpell · Mar 3, 2017

Piscator said:
Could a Haibun also qualify as a vignette?

Hells bells

glad that's not the challenge!

AlwaysHungry · Mar 3, 2017

Piscator said:
Could a Haibun also qualify as a vignette?

Well, according to Wikipedia, apparently it can. That doesn't rule out the possibility that a powerful clique of Haibun aficionados is on the ascendancy at Wikipedia and is spinning article content that way -- but sure, go for it.

AlwaysHungry · Mar 4, 2017

I think there are enough good poets responding on this thread that I may safely say that the challenge is on. PM me your entries between now and the 17th, please.

Magnetron · Mar 4, 2017

Can't say that I've ever tried a vinaigrette before.

I'm not a salad eater.

UnderYourSpell · Mar 5, 2017

We soooooooooooo need a Like button in here

legerdemer · Mar 5, 2017

Like

UnderYourSpell said:
We soooooooooooo need a Like button in here

Magnetron said:
Can't say that I've ever tried a vinaigrette before.

I'm not a salad eater.

Like!

UnderYourSpell · Mar 6, 2017

legerdemer said:
Like!

AlwaysHungry · Mar 7, 2017

One or two more submissions, and I'll be ready to post a batch.

HarryHill · Mar 7, 2017

marked

AlwaysHungry · Mar 7, 2017

I have started a "poems and discussion" thread.

AlwaysHungry · Mar 8, 2017

There are five poems posted now, and three have names for their characters, which is normally the tell for GM. Either one of them is his, or he is faking us out by breaking profile, or else he hasn't submitted one yet. One of the poems is rather abstract for a vignette.

UnderYourSpell · Mar 9, 2017

Do we comment on the other thread because for some strange reason dirty socks makes me think of Magnetron

HarryHill · Mar 9, 2017

UnderYourSpell said:
Do we comment on the other thread because for some strange reason dirty socks makes me think of Magnetron

..
Heh

AlwaysHungry · Mar 9, 2017

UnderYourSpell said:
Do we comment on the other thread because for some strange reason dirty socks makes me think of Magnetron

Yes, please comment in the other thread. That way you can quote the poems in your critiques. So, you think someone wrote a vignette about Magnetron, without actually using his name in the poem?

UnderYourSpell · Mar 9, 2017

HarryHill said:
..
Heh

AlwaysHungry said:
Yes, please comment in the other thread. That way you can quote the poems in your critiques. So, you think someone wrote a vignette about Magnetron, without actually using his name in the poem?

Nooo you daft lump ....... written by him ll

AlwaysHungry · Mar 11, 2017

OK, six more poem-writing days until the deadline. We have enough time to generate a second batch.

AlwaysHungry · Mar 16, 2017

I plan to post the list of contestants Friday evening Pacific time, which is edge of the world unless you live in Hawaii. However, if you have something in the works and need a few additional hours, PM me and let me know, and I'll wait until Saturday morning.

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