Sunday Author Appreciation: Billy Collins

I don't think I've ever dedicated a post to any particular author, but I feel I should.  Some people are just too awesome not to acknowledge, and one of those people happens to be a favorite poet of mine, Billy Collins.

My first taste of Collins' poetry came a  few years ago when my friend got me The Trouble with Poetry for my birthday, and I fell in love with the almost easy way he had with words.  Don't get me wrong; writing poetry is never a simple task.  The thing about poetry is that every word should matter; every phrase and the placement of each line can connote a particular meaning, which is why I think it's so hard to do, and I truly commend those who do it well.

What strikes me about Billy Collins' poetry, though, is the fact that it seems so easy.  It doesn't read like the kind of poetry that takes time to muddle through because you're trying to decode each line for meaning.  It doesn't seek abstraction but is content to merely observe the ordinary in a way that is accessible to all readers.  

And I think that is the brilliance of his writing.  It's almost luring you into a false sense of comfort.  You read his works and you admire the straightforward way he speaks about his surroundings or his observations of life.  Yet at the same time, if you reread it, there is something deeper to be found, some cleverly disguised emotion or hidden irony or humor that might not have been discovered upon first glance.  Or sometimes he foregoes the subtlety altogether and outright mocks an established convention, such as his blatant overuse of the word "suddenly" in his poem "Tension" (Ballistics, p. 55), in response to the theory that you should "never use the word suddenly just to create tension."

It's things like this that make me truly appreciate Collins' poetry.  His poems are meaningful, and they can certainly be irreverent, but they make you stop and think.  And they have a way of reminding you that not everything need be so complicated, nor taken so seriously.

Check out more about Billy Collins here.  

Hello, Blog. It's Me, Shannon.

Me: Hey, Dot.  Look, I know it's been awhile.  Things have been kinda hectic, after all, what with work, grad classes involving very archaic Renaissance texts, discovering new television shows that have consumed my life (hello, Once Upon a Time, why must you toy with my emotions so?), finding time to write creatively, and general procrastination...Needless to say, I am sorry, and it will never happen again--

Dot: That's what you say now!  Do you know how long it's been?  Huh?  Do you?!

Me: Well...

Dot: Almost a year!  A YEAR! Do you know what that kind of thing does to one's self-esteem?  

Me: It's not like I wanted to stop seeing you, it's just--

Dot: Don't you start with me!  I thought we HAD something!  I thought I MEANT something to you!  I guess I was wrong...

Me: No, Dot, really!  I never meant for things to go this far!  Honest!  There were times when I truly thought of writing, but I...well...I just didn't know what to say.

Dot: Well, I guess that makes two of us. *sob*

Me: How about this?  Why don't we start over, okay?  New year, fresh beginning?  

Dot: And what?  Get my hopes up again?  I don't know if I want to reconnect with you, anyway.  You're mean and get easily distracted by other websites and other people's blogs.  I've seen your browser history! And who is this Rumbelle you keep reading about online?!

Me: Never mind them.  It's you I came back to in the end.  I want to make this work, I do.  

Dot: How do I know you won't sneak off to some other site again, or abandon me while you frolic on Facebook?

Me: Look, I won't promise that I won't fall back into my old ways.  I can't promise that I won't slip up again.  But I am willing to try.  Give me that chance?

Dot: *Sigh* Fine. But if I see one word on here about your "ships," I'm leaving.

Me: I won't promise anything, but I'll try.

Dot: I suppose that will have to do.

Me: ...

Dot: ...

Me: Hey, Dot?

Dot: Yeah.

Me: It's nice to be back.

Dot: Shut up and type.

Me: Alrighty, then.

No, it is not weird at all to treat your blog like an ex with whom you're looking to make amends.  I will continue to tell myself that, and you should as well.  

Welcome to the New Year.  Polka Dot Prose is back.

(Any and all gifs (now and in the future) are not mine, but were found using Google Animated Image Search.  Frankly, I'm just amazed I got it to work.  If the gif is yours, you may message me and I will credit you/remove it at your behest.  Hopefully you won't make me remove it...come on, it's Hugh Grant dancing!)

A Room of One’s Own/New Blog Design!

Virginia Woolf wrote, “A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.”  As for the first part, money is definitely necessary regarding publishing a book, though in our modern, technology-driven world, it is much easier to write by, say, starting up a blog or posting to online forums. 

However, having a “room of one’s own” is still an important aspect to the writing process, whether one is choosing to use paper or a Word document.  The environment in which one writes is critical to a consistent and successful writing career, and I believe that that environment can refer to either a physical room or even to a person’s blog.

With that in mind, I’d like to present the new layout and design of my blog!  As you might have noticed, it has been freshened up a bit from what it used to be.  I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my good friend Gina, creator of Tulle and Combat Boots, for helping me in this endeavor and creating a beautiful new look for my blog.  She is a very talented graphic designer, and you should definitely visit her site. 

With this new design, I feel like I truly do have a space to call my own, a space where I can be proud to post my thoughts and ramblings on writing and everything else.    It also represents a step forward in my journey towards becoming a professional writer. 

And speaking of writing professionally, I’d like to also announce that my paper on Batman’s female villains will be featured in The Journal of Popular Culture, and as soon as that issue is published, I will post a link to it on my blog. 

Looks like the new year is starting off right! J

Happy writing,

Shannon

Show Me Your Assonance

I’ve mentioned before that I’m a huge English nerd, right?  Yeah, I think it’s pretty obvious.  I noticed this again recently while listening to the Mumford and Sons song “The Cave” and noting the wonderful examples of assonance present, especially in the second stanza.  I swear, when they say, "The harvest left no food for you to eat/ You cannibal, you meat-eater, you see,” I can practically hear the gnawing sound of someone chewing or grinding on food…which I suppose is exactly the kind of imagery that belongs in those lines. 

It’s like they’re eating their words, so to speak.  Ba da bum. (I’m sorry.  I couldn’t help it.)

I like assonance, though.  Assonance and alliteration, really, but even more, I love the way some writers manipulate words, creating music in the mere sounds that coalesce when certain words are placed next to one another.  That’s one of the main reasons I like Mumford and Sons, apart from the fact that they use many Shakespeare references in their songs.  They just know how to make words sound beautiful and lyrical.

I know I have more to say on this subject, but for now I just wanted to get this thought on the page.  It was just something I was thinking about yesterday, and maybe later on I’ll compile a list of songs whose lyrics I find especially compelling.  However, for now I will just say that for all those who haven’t heard them yet, you should check out Mumford and Sons.   I particularly dig the banjo action they have going.

Happy listening,

Shannon

Spaceships versus Pirate Ships: The Eternal Question

This is a really random post, and I’m not exactly sure where it originated.  I guess the post on eye patches got me thinking about pirates, and I tend to think about pirates frequently anyway for one reason or another, but I’m not quite sure why I’m even bringing this up.

Well, what I want to know is this: what’s better, a spaceship, or a pirate ship?

I know, I know.  Spaceships go into outer space!  You can explore distant galaxies and have space adventures and whatnot.  You can meet aliens!  If you find a ship like the one in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, you can enable the Infinite Improbability Drive!

Of course, there are many downsides to spaceships.  For one, as of right now, the technology does not seem entirely foolproof.  If this were science fiction, I’d say right on, but real spaceships?  Don’t get me wrong; I’d still go into space, but I’d be much more leery.

Then there’s the whole “no air in outer space” dilemma.  I think I’d feel awfully claustrophobic in that cramped space, not to mention the bulkiness of the spacesuits and the whole bathroom situation.

Then again, I’d imagine pirate ships have that problem, as well.  The bathroom situation, that is.  The thing about pirate ships, however, is that while you may be stuck on the ship for an indefinite period of time, you still experience open air and some sense of freedom of movement.  It’s not such a great options for those who get seasick easily, but I’ve never had that problem myself.

Another positive aspect of pirate ships is the customary attire one gets to wear on the ship.  It’s pretty hard to top those big, floppy hats and long jackets.  Don’t even get me started on the boots. 

One con of pirate ships?  Definite hygiene issues all around.  Maybe if I could find a ship where the crew took pride in their appearances and their teeth…and their body odor.   Alas, such are the stuff of dreams.

Of course, there is a third option, I suppose…

Space pirates!

Hmm…this will warrant more thorough research and thought.  For now, I will leave these random thoughts and perhaps dream of Treasure Planet.

Happy Random Thought Day,

Shannon

New Year, New You! (And New Me, Too)

Happy 2013, all!  Well, the holidays are done, but I have not forgotten my promise to keep up the updating every week.  I would have posted this on New Year’s Day, but I was a bit preoccupied with lugging a heavy desk around the back of my house and setting up my new desk (or, rather, providing moral support for those helping me to assemble my new desk—much love).

Actually, aside from Christmas, New Year’s may be my favorite holiday of the year.  The ability to let go of the past and start with a fresh slate is very appealing, and it is a constant reminder of something I fully believe, which is the idea that it is possible to change for the better.  This year, especially, I want to try and stick to my resolutions and become a better me.

One book in particular I find relevant to this idea of resolution is Bridget Jones’s Diary.  I’ll admit I watched the movie before I got a chance to read the book, and while I do enjoy the movie immensely (that “fight” between Hugh Grant and Colin Firth—come on, what’s funnier?), I loved reading the book even more.  I know that shouldn’t come as too much of a shock (English major, after all), but it’s true.  Bridget herself is, I feel, much stronger in the book than in the movie, and her journey is captured so perfectly that it is hard not to identify with her. 

I bring up Bridget Jones’s Diary, though, because she, too, makes New Year’s resolutions that she intends to keep.  In the beginning of the book, she has compiled a list of goals she has for the coming year, such as to stop smoking, to lose weight, to develop “Inner Poise,” etc.  The novel follows her progress throughout the year, and by the end, she has compiled a summary of what she has accomplished.  And you know what?  She only manages to keep one of her resolutions.

Does this make her a failure?  Absolutely not.  Quite the reverse, actually.  Not only does the reader see how far she has come throughout the book, but Bridget compliments herself on “an excellent year’s progress.”  The idea that Bridget is proud of herself, is doing something for herself to make herself better, is the whole point.  She is not doing this for anyone else, and the fact that she is happy with who she is despite her numerous faults speaks to her as a person.  (And I must say that another reason I liked the book better is because the romances are not emphasized as much as Bridget's personal growth.)

So I will say two things.  First, go read the book.  It’s really great.  And second, make resolutions for the new year.  Try to better yourself.  Make an effort to change the things you want to change.  Ultimately, though, at the end of it all, make sure that you are happy with yourself, knowing that you want to change for yourself and not for others.  That’s one of my resolutions, and I plan to stick to it. J

Happy New Year, all,

Shannon

A Holly Jolly End to Writer's Block

Well, folks, I’ve done it.  The 10 Days of Christmas: Writer’s Edition was a resounding success, and I posted something every day up until Christmas.  I’d say that is quite an accomplishment, especially given my past track record with posting things on here. 

Granted, the posts generally had little or nothing to do with writing, but that wasn’t really the point.  The point was to set up a schedule and consistently post something to the blog. 

And this is how I can tie all of this back to writing.  You see, a big part of being a writer is writing (yeah, no duh).  Realistically, though, many people find it hard to stick to a set schedule of writing, which is a very big part of the process.  Even if you don’t have something to write about, even if you don’t have a story idea, you can still write something.  Writing anything is practice, and while you may not always have an idea initially, the writing process can help with writer’s block.

As I’ve said before, sometimes we get into a nasty cycle of complacency; we go for so long without writing that it just becomes normal.  And that’s not okay.

If you want to be a writer, you have to write consistently, whatever it may be.  The best way to write is to set up a schedule and stick to it.  Even if you write for only ten or fifteen minutes a day, you are still creating a habit.  Once you get used to writing every day, it will become second nature.

Hopefully this experiment has given me the stimulus to write more frequently and update this blog regularly.  I cannot say that I will update every day (I do have a life), but I will certainly try to update more than once a week. 

Merry Christmas Eve to all (and to all a happy whatever holiday of your choice),

Shannon