There have been great societies that did not use the wheel, but there have been no societies that did not tell stories.
– Ursula K. LeGuin
haiku 161
cloud rains
on neighbor’s metal roof
then crosses the road
Pen to Paper: The KJV Endureth
Today is the 400th anniversary of the publication of the King James Version of the Bible.
The KJV was created during the Elizabethan era (if, as some scholars do, you stretch the definition a bit), perhaps the greatest moment the English language has known. William Shakespeare was wrapping up his contributions to English and would live only four more years after the KJV was unveiled. (Some people – numerologists and their prey, primarily – believe that Shakespeare wrote or helped to write the KJV and slipped his name into one of the Psalms. History gives no credence to these assertions.)
Fiction: Far from the Center Ring
The door of William’s inner office opened and a sad clown walked in. He quietly closed the door behind him and shuffled to a corner where William could see him but where he was out of the way.
William regarded the clown sourly but said nothing and bent his head to his work. He made occasional furtive glances at the corner and saw the clown standing there, regarding William morosely. Each successive irritable peek at the clown led William to work harder to plow through the stack of papers on his desk.
Clients came in to keep their appointments, and William would talk them through their financial concerns and what the next step in the process would be. If any of the visitors noticed the clown, they were polite enough to make no mention.
Quotable 49
There are many reasons why novelists write — but they all have one thing in common: a need to create an alternative world.
– John Fowles
haiku 160
low on horizon
thin cloud bisects
orange moon
Pen to Paper: On Being Well-Read
What does it mean to be well-read? We who write have more than a passing interest in reading. We read to fuel our own thoughts and works, and we want others to read us. My idea of someone who is well-read is a person who can quote extensively and lovingly from my stories.
But seriously, folks…
Pen to Paper: Writer’s Block
Very sorry, but no fiction again this week. Instead, I offer a spare essay.
Quotable 48
Genius is in a certain sense infallible, and has nothing to learn; but art is to be learned, and must be acquired by practice and experience.
– August Wilhelm von Schlegel
haiku 159
power outage –
cat inspects
oil lamp