Lit blog

[UnderYourSpell]

In This list a large amount are of an artistic nature one way or another be it with words, musicians or actors, with a sprinkling of statesmen. I had heard before about Winston Churchill and recently Stephen Fry has talked openly about how biopolar has affected his life. I'm surprised that Tony Hancock isn't on it which is a name you may not be familiar with.
As for myself I could argue nature versus nurture or a mixture of both. I'm not diagnosed with anything but have always been a bit on the 'odd' side!

 

[EroticOrogeny]

Einstein didn't drive
Linus Pauling got lost in his own back yard

There's a couple of creative scientists who at the least had trouble with day-to-day things.

 

[Senna Jawa]

Einstein didn't drive

This does not make him odd. Very few Europeans drove before WWII. Einstein was about 60 when he moved to the US. At first he would not be able to afford a car. He was not interested in material things anyway, which was not difficult in his case since he had a necessary minimum easily. Let me mention also that people around Princeton kept checks from Einstein not cashed, so that his wife (or his assistant) was never sure how much money they (Einstein and co) had.

 

[normal jean]

"In a second analysis of 520 eminent American women, he again found that poets were more likely to have mental illnesses and to experience personal tragedy than eminent journalists, visual artists, politicians and actresses--a finding Kaufman has dubbed "the Sylvia Plath effect" after the noted poet who had depression and eventually committed suicide. The findings appear in The Journal of Creative Behavior (Vol. 35, No. 1)."

I just read this article: http://www.apa.org/monitor/nov03/plath.html

and since it seems there's usually more women around here than men. I'm curious if any of you poetess' have any thoughts on said article? I don't want to know if you are mentally ill, just what you think of the article and whether you have any reasons for why it may or may not be true as opposed to other artists or non-artists. Just something I found that I think some of you might be interested in, don't want to actually argue anything, I have no opinion on it.

My daughter showed me an article similar to this several years ago and did that just to let me know how vulnerable we all are. The "we" meaning she and I, lol. Yes, we are more likely to commit suicide, we are more likely to use drugs and all that macabre stuff that goes along with suicide and drugs but that does not predetermine our fates, you know? It can become a self-fulfilling prophecy which is what frightens me a little bit.

On FaceBook there is a quiz, "Which Crazy writer are YOU?" I took it and came out as Poe. What a surprise

As for your quest as to what a poetess might think, first, would you consider me a poet?

if so, could hormones, such as estrogen and the monthly cycle have anything to do with our fluctuating condition?

I think that it may just seem like women have more "problems" because more people are expecting us to have them and men are more unlikely to seek medical attention and even more less likely to seek mental health attention.

My daughter that is the anthro major told me that men tend to drop out of the health care system at age 18. I am taking that to mean when they drop off their parent's insurance or whatever reason, I know I had to force my husband to go to the doctor last month. Know what he told me?

" I was just FINE till you made me go to the doctor. Now I have high blood pressure, high triglycerides, an enlarged prostate, an enlarged heart, rheumatoid arthritis and an upcoming colonoscopy. Thanks a lot."

 

[bflagsst]

As for your quest as to what a poetess might think, first, would you consider me a poet?

That in itself is a very interesting question to me. I'd almost say forget about the mental illness article and maybe describe what 'being a poet' means to you. It's actually the sort of question that conflicts with my theory of self-identity. Because I don't think I can call myself a poet if people don't read and recognize me as so. Regarding my parents, I think they know I write poems, but would they classify me as poet? Doubt it. My fiancee sees me writing every day and I've overheard her tell people I'm a poet before telling them my occupation. Which I absolutely adore.

I really think that self-identity is 95% how you perceive others perceiving you. But then when it comes to the artist label, I think maybe you can be an artist in your own head and let nobody in on it.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

What about the artists that died penniless and now their work is acclaimed? When they were alive seems nobody saw them as artists even though in their own minds they were else why keep on painting?

 

[bflagsst]

What about the artists that died penniless and now their work is acclaimed? When they were alive seems nobody saw them as artists even though in their own minds they were else why keep on painting?

It's more of a personal thing to me, my idea of my identity doesn't have to work for everyone. I can't just say it doesn't matter what other people think, because it's really all that matters. The people that matter to me, what they think is all that matters, to be clearer, then maybe people I see regularly, on down the list to maybe people I communicate with on the internet and then random strangers might have the slightest importance. Me as a poet, I haven't exactly figured that out yet, what that means.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Ron (the most important person to me) thinks I'm a wonderful poet but then he would lol he's biased! He doesn't understand it if it doesn't rhyme but that's the way we were taught in my generation and he loves the one I wrote about the lads going away to war. Even if it is all rhymes I like it too and it got published in a competition way back. Some of my friends think the same way as he does and that's ok by me. But it's here I come for a 'different' kind of poetry writing, I've learnt a hell of a lot from the people that walk these boards and I am so glad I signed up for the survivor because it forced my brain out of hiding and I actually enjoy the different forms.

 

[Angeline]

Ron (the most important person to me) thinks I'm a wonderful poet but then he would lol he's biased! He doesn't understand it if it doesn't rhyme but that's the way we were taught in my generation and he loves the one I wrote about the lads going away to war. Even if it is all rhymes I like it too and it got published in a competition way back. Some of my friends think the same way as he does and that's ok by me. But it's here I come for a 'different' kind of poetry writing, I've learnt a hell of a lot from the people that walk these boards and I am so glad I signed up for the survivor because it forced my brain out of hiding and I actually enjoy the different forms.

I remember reading the first poem you submitted here (I remember telling you how to even submit a poem here lol). I remember thinking "This woman has a lot of talent: I want her to come to the forum." And let me use the phrase one more time D): I remember that all your earliest poems rhymed. I have no aversion to form though I get tired of writing them sometimes, but you are one of the few contemporary poets I've read who has such a light, careful touch that you make simple rhymes work in poetry.

You've branched out a lot since you first came here. You've written wonderful form and free verse poetry. I think you've definitely grown as a poet; certainly in your ability to be a versatile poet. But dear Annie, I hope you never give up rhyme completely in favor of free verse because there is a place in this modern world for the kind of stuff you wrote when you first came here. And darnit I wish you'd submit some of your stuff to poetry journals because I think you'll get acceptances.

And now for my bloggy part of this post. I hope to be around more within another week or two. My computer has a big old virus (I think that's what it is), and is off for repair now. I'm using ee's puter and having to share (with him and also with one of his sons at the moment lol). But I need to start writing again on a daily basis. My muse have been on a long vacation. Every time I start to write something I feel like I've already written on that subject (whatever it is) ten times or more. I think for at least five of the past seven years that I've been around this forum, I wrote at least two poems a day. So I guess it's natural for me to reach this point though I've been kind of depressed about it. Sometimes of late it has been hard for me to even be here seeing others write such wonderful poems and feeling like I just don't have it in me right now to do the same. I feel like that time is coming to an end though. I sure hope so--I really want to pick up the pace again.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Why thankyou kind lady and it's good to see you here too although it's good to talk with the newer names I miss the older ones when they fall away. When I married Ron I couldn't write a thing for ages yet when in a miserable marriage the ideas were overflowing. They've never gone back to that but at least I did eventually start to write again

 

[DeepAsleep]

Returned home to peace and quiet: Slept eighteen hours. Spent eight hours Sunday hanging with old hard-core-scene veterans, swapping stories and glaring at people that sucked. it was hysterical and enjoyable.

did so much else, but I have no brain to write about it, yet. I don't drink coffee, but...

 

[bflagsst]

...And now for my bloggy part of this post. I hope to be around more within another week or two. My computer has a big old virus (I think that's what it is), and is off for repair now. I'm using ee's puter and having to share (with him and also with one of his sons at the moment lol). But I need to start writing again on a daily basis. My muse have been on a long vacation. Every time I start to write something I feel like I've already written on that subject (whatever it is) ten times or more. I think for at least five of the past seven years that I've been around this forum, I wrote at least two poems a day. So I guess it's natural for me to reach this point though I've been kind of depressed about it. Sometimes of late it has been hard for me to even be here seeing others write such wonderful poems and feeling like I just don't have it in me right now to do the same. I feel like that time is coming to an end though. I sure hope so--I really want to pick up the pace again.

Writing every day is hard sometimes, I can't do it. I'll write every day for a month or two then sporadically for a month or two then nothing, then it starts again.

I only write on one subject, I won't be sick of it until I master it. I'll write the same poem and lines over and over, even ones from years ago. Once I get my one subject down I'll move on to other types of poetry like birthday card poetry and hedgehog graduation day poetry.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

hedgehog graduation day?!!

 

[bflagsst]

hedgehog graduation day?!!

http://www.zazzle.com/hedgehog_graduation_card-137863624397455847

 

[UnderYourSpell]

sits on hands and says nothing about weird

 

[Angeline]

Writing every day is hard sometimes, I can't do it. I'll write every day for a month or two then sporadically for a month or two then nothing, then it starts again.

I only write on one subject, I won't be sick of it until I master it. I'll write the same poem and lines over and over, even ones from years ago. Once I get my one subject down I'll move on to other types of poetry like birthday card poetry and hedgehog graduation day poetry.

I think it's the cumulative effect that got me. I like writing daily, and I know it has helped me become a much better poet than I was before I began the practice. But now I need some space to digest all this writing, and I think I am finally getting there.

 

[EroticOrogeny]

I think it's the cumulative effect that got me. I like writing daily, and I know it has helped me become a much better poet than I was before I began the practice. But now I need some space to digest all this writing, and I think I am finally getting there.

I try to write every day, usually in the morning.
Sometimes will drop one to work on another.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

Everything starts pouring into my head just as I go to bed ....... very inconvenient as I've forgotten it in the morning and turning on the light to write it down (and risking Ron's wrath!) is not an option

 

[bflagsst]

'head' and 'bed' are two of my favorite rhyme couples. they're so simple and you can get carried away and make something too simple, but sometimes they're the just the right kind of simple.

 

[UnderYourSpell]

I only just realised what I said (and there's an additional rhyme for you)

 

[Senna Jawa]

Let's have the Lit blog back on page 1 -- just for the sake of convenience

I felt like writing here on Lit blog on occasions but it was buried too deep for me to search for it. Finally somehow this time I have persisted.

Why do I keep coming back to this forum? -- Inertia? Sentiment?

I like questions which have no answer.

 

[butters]

I felt like writing here on Lit blog on occasions but it was buried too deep for me to search for it. Finally somehow this time I have persisted.

Why do I keep coming back to this forum? -- Inertia? Sentiment?

I like questions which have no answer.

i'm glad you did, as it's made for some speculative reading this morning

 

[UnderYourSpell]

I felt like writing here on Lit blog on occasions but it was buried too deep for me to search for it. Finally somehow this time I have persisted.

Why do I keep coming back to this forum? -- Inertia? Sentiment?

I like questions which have no answer.

We've had our spats in the past but for all that I kind of missed you and yeah I'm glad you're still around

 

[Senna Jawa]

i'm glad you did, as it's made for some speculative reading this morning

I've written about the thread being buried, and about searching for it. But it was that Hamlet thing: to write or not to write? And I am still hesitating.

 

[butters]

I've written about the thread being buried, and about searching for it. But it was that Hamlet thing: to write or not to write? And I am still hesitating.

hesitating? or merely expressing yourself with words using another medium? it's still writing, of a sorts. i've never been in that place where a conscious decision about whether to write or not write has been on the plate.

surely, when it demands to be written, it will get written ... to keep it all in, the what needs to be out, must put enormous strain on one's mental/physical health. it's tantamount to a denial of one's nature as a writer.