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The Wednesday Web Browser: A "Radical" Idea, Truth in Nonfiction, and Chanukah Poems

by Erika Dreifus on
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“We believe that students who major in foreign languages should be required to have a good command of English and some knowledge of English and American literature; likewise, English majors should be required to learn another language and become familiar with literature in another language.” So suggests the MLA (working with the Teagle Foundation), in a new white paper. People are thinking this is a “radical” idea? I’d say it’s reactionary–in a good way. Not too many scholarly generations ago, it was a given. (And the MLA is just talking about undergraduates here–just think about what might reasonably be demanded of graduate students in literary fields.)
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I’m so grateful to Deonne for writing up her take on a panel discussion both she and I attended recently on “Autobiography/Biography: Narrating the Self.” Deonne is clear and comprehensive in her summary–and has discreetly neglected to describe how I erupted when one panelist seemed to argue that “truth” in nonfiction is overrated.
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We are well into Chanukah now. I am delighted to discover this batch of Chanukah poetry compiled by the Academy of American Poets.

Tagged on a Tuesday

by Erika Dreifus on
2

Deonne tagged me to try this exercise in fives, so here goes.

What were you doing five years ago (December 2003)?

1. Still living in Cambridge, Massachusetts
2. Teaching fiction-writing at the Harvard Extension School
3. Celebrating my niece’s very first Chanukah and New Year–she was four months old!
4. Applying for tenure-track teaching jobs in creative writing (talk about being delusional!)
5. Exercising much more diligently than I am now (sad, but too true)

What were five things on your list for today?

1. Go to work (and don’t forget to set autoresponder there for any messages coming in the rest of the week)
2. Check in with my latest e-mail from The Southeast Review Writing Regimen
3. Go to my branch library to pick up the long-awaited book waiting for me there
4. Phone calls/e-mails I meant to take care of yesterday
5. Pack for my upcoming trip to exotic New Jersey

What are five snacks you enjoy?

1. Anything with “reduced-fat” or “light” printed on the package
2. Granny Smith or Braeburn apples
3. Crackers of various sorts
4. Popcorn
5. Chocolate!

What are five things you’d do if you were a billionaire?

1. Donate a lot more money to many more charities, with a particular focus right now on organizations defrauded by Bernard Madoff
2. Buy a place in Paris, and never hesitate to fly over for the weekend
3. Learn how to run (and establish) a publishing company
4. In keeping with #3, pay “my authors” well
5. Buy some really nice jewelry

What are five jobs you’ve had?

1. School library assistant
2. Babysitter
3. French tutor
4. Campus tour guide
5. U.S. Government employee

Who are five people you want to tag?

1. BJ
2. Lisa
3. Anne
4. Mark
5. “Oronte” (if his paying gig allows for this kind of thing)

Quotable Quotes from The Journal of Jules Renard

by Erika Dreifus on
3

The first in a new “Lost and Found” series from Tin House Books, The Journal of Jules Renard holds a number of lines bound to resonate with practicing writers. They’re not always cheerful (to say the least!), but they are there. I’ve chosen some to share with you.

Renard lived from 1864 to 1910. This edition was edited and translated by Louise Bogan and Elizabeth Roget.

And here’s some of what Renard had to say about writing:

“To write in the manner that Rodin sculpts.”

“The critic is a botanist. I am a gardener.”

“Yes, I know. All great men were unknown at first. But I am not a great man, and I should be just as pleased to be known now.”

“If the word arse appears in a sentence, even in a sublime sentence, the public will hear only that one word.”

“I have not renounced ambition. The fire still burns in me–a banked fire, but alive.”

“Writing. The most difficult part is to take hold of the pen, dip it in the ink, and hold it firm over the paper.”

“This is a notebook of abortions.”

“The arm I want to extend toward my manuscript seems to be paralyzed.”

The Wednesday Web Browser: Questions for Deborah Treisman, Wiki for Job Seekers, and Guidance for Guest Bloggers

by Erika Dreifus on
Disabled

Have a question for New Yorker fiction editor Deborah Treisman? Ask it here. And don’t forget to check out the magazine’s new Winter Fiction Issue, which is packed with promising stuff I have yet to read!
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John Griswold (aka “Oronte Churm”) points us to a wiki for those on the academic job market in creative writing.
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Guest-blogging advice galore on Buzz, Balls & Hype. (via The Book Publicity blog)