Just got back from a weekend festival of Queer Lit in New Orleans called Saints and Sinners. It's my third time there, and each time I come back with some new lens on literature, my own work, and myself.
A few impressions that stand out:
1. Sitting in Stephen McCauley's master class on character, in which he gave us some great exercises to flesh out a character you don't know well. Two of my favorites: A) describe your character's feet. and B) imagine yourself walking down a street and encountering your character. What's your impression?
2. Hearing Dorothy Allison full-throated no-holds-barred memories of her career and her fiery prescriptions of what needs to be done to the Bush administration.
3. Participating on a panel with novelists Brian Antoni and Paul Lisicky, who taught me about the importance of sticking it out as a writer, even when things look grim.
4. Having dinner with novelist Gary Zebrun, who told me not to let the current doldrums of the publishing business get me down, and encouraged me to believe in myself and above all to keep writing. "I tried to quit writing for eight years," he told me. "Those were eight of the most miserable years of my life."
Now back in New York, I'm sitting at my computer and ready to attack my work with a new verve. Thanks, Saints and Sinners!
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3 comments:
I was there too, and it was an incredible experience! But I can't allow myself to let Aaron be too humble because his Master Class on Transcending Seeing for Setting was one of the most valuable hours I spent that weekend. Bravo, Aaron!
Sounds great. I agree that Dorothy is amazing. I was fortunate to hang out with her last year when she came to the campus where I teach. And Paul Lisicky is coming next year (along with Mark Doty; they're doing a onstage conversation about being a literary couple).
New blog long over due.
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