We're writing personal manifestos in my Poetry and the Political Imagination class, and it's a surprisingly powerful exercise. Here's what I've come up with so far:
1. I am a writer. Everything in my life should support this.
2. Meaning: Since writing is the most satisfying, soul-gratifying thing I do, I cannot be distracted by other projects or pursuits that will pull me away from it. I will not be lured by either the promise of immediate rewards (a bigger paycheck, the glory of Saving the Day, “security”), or the sheer relief of doing something easier than writing.
3. Everything is easier than writing. At least for me.
4. I write to make sense of the world, to witness in my own life and the lives of others, and to connect with people. Without writing, I am lost.
5. I will not berate myself for lacking the brilliance of a Joan Didion or Toni Morrison. In this case, it’s okay to lower my standards. A little.
6. But I will continue to study, read widely, and surround myself with language lovers, since osmosis is a fact.
7. I will do my best to make the language sing and the words provoke.
8. I will not be deterred by rejection.
9. I will support the work of other writers, whether that’s by buying books and literary journals, attending readings and conferences, or spreading the word about work I admire.
10. I will not get precious about my work. I’m not curing disease or feeding the hungry, I’m just stringing words together on a page. Life does not depend on this.
11. But my life does. So I will value and respect my work, because it matters.
What would your manifesto look like?
Thursday, February 26, 2009
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8 comments:
6. "Read widely." I am a voracious reader myself and have found bookcrossing.com to be a great resource. - Deb
3. Everything is easier than writing. At least for me.
This for me, too!
Hmm.. I'm not sure what my manifest would look like. That's something I'll have to think about!
Deb - thanks for the tip!
Margosita - seriously, do a manifesto. It really clarifies things. Especially when we're so overwhelmed with busy-ness - the priorities get buried in all the mental clutter.
What an excellent post. Thanks for sharing this exercise with us. I'm motivated to write one, too.
Erika - thanks for the kind words. I now have two docs on my MacBook desktop: the first includes my one-year, three-year, and lifetime goals (which are evolving); and now, this manifesto. I look at them pretty regularly, and they help keep me on track.
I like the manifesto even better on the blog than in class! (And I liked it a lot in class.)
Echoing here, excellent post, Deonne! I will be thinking of mine over the next few weeks as I found out whether I will have an official writing life or not :)
Thanks, Stef and Michelle! And Michelle - you already have a writing life, regardless of what program you do or don't get into. I'm confident you'll be starting an MFA program this fall, though, to make it even more official (ha).
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