Gift Guide For Writers

Happy Holidays everyone! Being the resident geek here at Quarto, I usually have a look at many gadget blogs, and this morning I was happily surprised to see there’s something in it for all writers out there. If you’re looking for some good advice on getting a gift for that special writer someone, or even thinking of what to ask for yourself, here’s Crunchgear’s guide to gifts for writers:

http://www.crunchgear.com/2010/11/24/gift-guide-for-writers-and-those-who-support-them/

My Hands

This is a little piece I wrote on my 18 hour flight home.


I look at my hands
The same, who built it all,
The same, who broke it all.
I had the clay in my fist
Started molding and shaping it
What it became,
I never could see
How beautiful was it
I never could tell
As it changed
From the piece of clay
To the beautiful sculpture,
It was meant to be ,
It did weaken a few hundred times
Only to be reinforced
By these very hands
The belief I had
Made it stay.
As it grew,
It was weighed down
By these same hands.
Slowly but surely
The clay began to change.
From a part of the lovely figure,
To the sand which flowed
Right through
My very hands.
I never could see
What my hands held for me.
Still cant see
What the future has for me
Yet
I strive to try again
Knowing I would hold it strong
Only this time
It would not be a sculpture
Waiting to pass into emptiness
But become and stay
What its meant to be.
No, its just not my belief
I’ll make it and show
How perfect
It will be
How everlasting
Its meant to be
My hands will make it
As amazing as it can be
As beautiful as it should be

– Prateek Mehta

“Is Not Known”

At first glance Is Not Known seemed unexpected—that is, compared to Eli Siegel’s other pieces that come just before in this 1954 issue. The voice in the former is less prosaic, the syntax more varied. Here the images stand isolated (especially with the repetition—as if in some sort of vacuum) yet determinate by use of both punctuation and demonstrative pronouns. What struck me most, though, was the thirteenth line “Saw what is going on.” Hm makes me wonder about Louis Mink’s logical theory of explanation and prediction. We have no access to “what really happened” in the past nor “what will happen” in the future nor, as Siegel seems to suggest, “what is going on.” — But the cows?! 🙂

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McNally Jackson Event

Cute but pricy bookshop downtown I visit sometimes for their cafe (they’re also right next to a good cupcake shop..) holds pretty regularly some events, workshops, etc. An upcoming one: “Conversations on Practice with Carole Maso” this Monday Nov. 8, 7:00pm – 8:00pm. Glenn Kurtz will be the moderator. Should be interesting/fun!

For more info:

http://mcnallyjackson.com/index.php/component/option,com_events/Itemid,30/agid,735/day,08/month,11/task,view_detail/year,2010/