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Gina's Interview Series: Famous People From Around the World
Poet
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Posted on Saturday, April 07, 2012 8:37 AM
 Morten Jorgensen is an acclaimed Norwegian author who currently is writing his first novel in English.
A master of words, Morten is the author
of "Sennepslegionen" ("The Mustard Legion"), "Kongen
av København"("King of Copenhagen"), "Kalle Solflue og
insekttyvene" ("Charlie Hoverfly and the Insect Thieves",
children's book), "Bank" (thriller, German edition: "Rache auf
Raten"), etc.
Novelist, poet, musician, photographer, punk rock veteran, etc., Morten made his debut as an author in 1984 with Shadow letter Bungalow 33 . He has published 5 books, written lyrics and reinterpreted texts for radio and stage, translated plays for, among other things, the National Theatre, written numerous book reviews and articles.
I had the great opportunity to catch up with Morten on his return from his recent research trip to London and Beijing, China, for his forth-coming, two-volume, novel "Brent".......
 Where are you from?
I was born in
Trondheim, Norway’s 3rd largest city, population 176,000 (2012). When I was 13,
my family moved to Oslo, the capital of Norway.
When did you
realize you wanted to be a writer?
I started reading
at 5, and it became a teenage dream. The conscious decision to become an author
I took after my first book was published in 1984.
What do you
currently have in the works?
“Brent”, a rather
massive two-volume novel from the immediate future, scheduled for publication
in 2014. A crossbreed between a space opera and a road movie, with Goethe’s
“Faust” as backdrop. It is not science fiction in the traditional sense. No
aliens, no laser swords. I chose the future because it gives me an indefinite
and open canvas, and a large one at that.
Where do you like
to write?
At home. I travel
for research, but I write at home. All my books have been written at home.
Mostly at night.
What is your inspiration
for your novels and poetry?
The word
“inspiration” has always felt somewhat irrelevant to me. I am very systematic
in my authorship. I planned my authorship in 1984 and adjusted its course, in
1988 and 1995. “Brent” is the final book on my temporary agenda. When “Brent”
is out, I will decide what to write next. Maybe all the way to Tombstone.
Unless you count “women” as inspiration, that is. Authors are
not all that different from rock musicians. Most of us start out with a
romantic teenage perspective on writing, hoping for some kind of glory. I have
been fortunate enough to grow out of it. But it is a statistical fact that I
still work exceptionally well under the influence of women. I’m a sucker for
female compliment. However, I never let it influence my work, only my drive. I
think authors should be more honest about themselves. Not go all “Syria” and
boast a lot of pompous drivel all the time when they talk about “inspiration”.
Besides, if you
have problems being “inspired” to write, you are probably not very skilled as a
writer. A pen and a napkin is all an author needs. A finger. Sand.
My only
inspirations are language as such, the beauty of it, and my own technical
ambition: The strive towards the smooth and the unique. In that sense, mostly
dead, but also some living great authors, are inspiring. But I prefer the word
“influence”, as I have no control over which authors who make an impression on
me. Reading books by skilled colleagues is a learning process to me.
Do you use real
life events; your own personal experiences?
I use everything.
I’m a total magpie. I can use personal experience, real life events, whatever.
But I find it most satisfying to write about The Other, Strangers, people I
don’t know. The Dark. The Unknown. If I use personal experience, it is out of
convenience. It saves time. And I have no “message” or theme. I find myself as
a person completely uninteresting for my own authorship. Through “Brent” ,
which I consider the final exam of my apprenticeship as a novelist, my
authorship is working its way towards what I consider riddles, mysteries,
things that I don’t understand. I explore, I do not lecture, and my books have
no opinions. Pingo ergo sum.
What suggestions do
you have for beginning writers and poets?
That depends on
what kind of writer you want to be, whether you want to explore mankind or
(just) entertain it. If you want to write thrillers or romance, just go ahead
and try. Think commercial, like everybody else. Suck up to your audience. It’s
a good life.
However, if you want to explore mankind, in whatever sense,
ask yourself if this is what you really want to do. There are too many rehashed
novels written in the Western World. Do you have something, if not unique, at
least something special to bring to the public square, or are you striving for
it, with a minimum of realism? The world does not need another depiction of
your lost love. Write a diary instead.
It is a very
serious craft. Authors are statistically prone to divorce, alcoholism, drugs,
suicide, conflict, ridicule, estrangement. In conflict regions, it’s even
worse. This goes also if you are a happy camper and irony is your tool for
exploring man and his doings. Ask yourself if you really want to. Maybe you’d
be better off as a journalist or an academic.
Who is your
favorite author? Why?
Technically, I
would have to say Shakespeare. It’s sort of embarrassing, in a way, even
ridiculous. How can a poet born five hundred years ago, still be the master?
It’s the DaVinci and Michelangelo syndrome. It may be seen as an indication of
the validity of the theory of devolution.
My favorite writer,
though, is Nobel Laureate Samuel Beckett. I enjoy his brutality, his depth, his
merciless depiction of man and his axing of language. I read him constantly,
again and again. Norwegian Nobel laureate Knut Hamsun is another favorite.
My favorite novel,
though, is the epic “The Master and the Margarita” by Michael Bulgakov. A book
that contains everything.
Poetry: Besides
Shakespeare, I have no particular favorites when it comes to poetry.
In your opinion,
what is lacking in today's literary market?
Too much
entertainment, too few watersheds and milestones.
Where do you see
yourself in five years?
Hopefully writing
full-time with a generous budget to travel the world and explore mankind.
Follow Morten
Norwegian publisher: CappelenDamm, Oslo. Editor: Harriet Karoliussen
International Rights Manager: Kristin Weholt
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Posted on Friday, April 06, 2012 9:34 AM
Welcome Ann!
From Quezon
City, Philippines, Ann is a fiction writer and a
digital artist with a strong imagination. Her first stories involves an epic
fantasy and a dark fantasy. She started writing in February 2010. Ann also enjoys writing her blog, poems, commentaries and visions. She illustrates her
own book covers, like her third story "L.A. Supernatural Detectives". Every time she writes a new story, she embraces a new genre. Ann likes playing with new ideas.
Tell
me about your writing…
I started writing a
novella when I was waiting for the corrections of my Thesis. My first novella
was titled "Kisho Cross" with two volumes and the third novella was
titled "LA Supernatural Detectives”. At first I focused more on fiction, but now I
am focus on writing on my blog, writing concise poems, topics that may help
others get through rough times. Back in College I wrote short screenplays and
short stories but I don't know what happened with them. My first novella is
script format.
How do you store creative thoughts?
At first I like
daydreaming, play pretend or sometimes I just lie on my bed starring at the
ceiling and then it is either I write it by hand or sit in front of the
computer and type it.
Where do you like
to write?
In my room where it is silent but sometimes even if the
television is on or the music is being played I can write as long as I can hear
my self think. As long as the sounds are not disturbing, my thoughts or the
visions in my head.
What are you
currently writing?
I am writing "The Object Finder” a psychological
thriller.
Book description "The Object Finder"...
She seems ordinary.
There's nothing special about her but she can find objects, the truth and the
secrets people hides. She can't make you win the lottery but she can warn you
about your near future though she not a fortune teller. You can either love her
or hate her. She can be an angel or a bearer of bad news.
What are your goals
as a writer?
To improve in
writing my story, I hope to write good stories that are relevant, insightful
and inspiring, though they are written as fiction.
Excerpts from
"The Object Finder"
Chapter 1 Excerpt
At dinner, they eat
at a near by restaurant.
"How did you
find me?" Fey looks at his exotically handsome face. He is half Japanese
and half British-American.
"You know me,
the things people hide, I always find them." Kanu shakes his head a bit as
he blushes. She grins. "Oh, wait. Oh yeah, you don't know. Megan knows but
you don't." She smirks as he laughs. "Of course, I know. Megan and I
are one in the same. You know that, I am only pretending so that I won't
flooded by e-mails sent by fans."
Chapter 5 Excerpt
At eight-twenty,
she finished getting dressed and walks towards the door. Her phone rings. She
clicks the answer call button. "Hello? Who's this?" She hears a man's
voice. "As if you don't know." Fey grins. "Kanu! Hi! I'm almost
out of the door."
She opens the door.
Her pretty almond brown eyes gets bigger as she sees Kanu. He smiles. "Hi
baby!" He embraces her and gives her a kiss on her cheek. They both end
the call. Fey embraces Kanu tight. "Did you miss me?" She looks into
his Hazel almond eyes. He grins. "I sure did."
All of a sudden,
she gives him a puzzling look on her face. "How did you get up here
without Ben seeing you?" He grins. "He saw me and just nodded. I
think, he knew." She sighs. "I guess Aunt Jessy told him about us."
Kanu laughs. "It's okay. Don't worry about it."
Fey clicks the lock
button and closes her door. Kanu puts his arm around her shoulder and she puts
her arm around his waist. They walk towards the stars. He kisses her lips
before they even reach the stairs. The walk down the stairs. They let go of
each other as soon as they reach the ground floor.
Follow Ann...
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Posted on Wednesday, April 04, 2012 5:07 PM
L.David Ryals ....... ........is a freelance writer and sometime English
teacher living in New York City. He is a graduate of Long Island University's
Master of Fine Arts program in English and Writing. His poem "Gentle
Fire" was published in the September 2005 issue of Essence Magazine. Mr.
Ryals is passionate about Cancer awareness; Adult Basic Education and Literacy.
He leverages his considerable talents in the advance of several causes close to
his heart. Subsequent to his first surgery, Mr. Ryals underwent a second thyroid
surgery. Mr. Ryals is a thyroid cancer survivor.
Where are you from?
I was born and
raised in The Bronx, New York. I am a product of New York City's public school
system. I've emerged pretty much unscathed.
What is your
genre/writing style?
I write poems,
essays and short-stories. I notice, though, that I tend to write more essays.
Essays allow me to reveal more of myself than the poems or short-stories.
When did you know
you wanted to become a writer?
I had the idea
about it when I was about ten years old. My mother is a writer, too. I would
watch her do her writing and so, the ground work of it was laid early. Mostly
anything literary came easily to me. But, the idea of it being an actual in the
world sort of thing happened when I went to college. In all of my reading about
the famous writers I liked, I noticed that they found a place to go and
practice their craft. College was that place for me.
I went to
Southampton College of Long Island University. It's on the East end of Long
Island. The place famously known as "The Hamptons". I went there
because it was far enough away from the city and the college had a Summer's
Writer's conference where you got to study under and meet famous authors. I had
managed to find the place where writing and the nuts and bolts of it would be
made real. Today, Southampton College is no more. It is now known as Stony
Brook Southampton. The writing program has been retained and expanded.
Obviously, I am a very "be true to your school type of guy."
What is your inspiration for writing?
For my writing, I try
to use everything. That is, I watch the news, read the papers and just try to
pay attention to what's going on around me. I people watch and listen in on
conversations. I can be shameless. Not intrusive, mind you. But, still,
shameless. Not being able to write is less about a lack of material and more
about not knowing how to approach the subject. Should this be a poem? Should it
be a short-story or an essay? Should it even be written by me?
Very recently, I found a way to "use everything" in my own life. After undergoing a second thyroid surgery, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. It's a diagnosis that's an earth shaker, to be sure. I decided to use my training as a writer to help me through it. Writing help me feel as if I had a measure of control over my situation. And, it allowed me to help people along the way.
Sometimes, writer's fall into the "Everybody But Me" syndrome. That is, everybody, but me has a more interesting life or are doing more interesting things. Do your best to resist that mindset. Being able to look at your life and find what makes it interesting, what makes you interesting, forces you to sift the particulars and find the universal in your situation.
Are you first generation American? There's a story there. Are you the eldest child and feeling the burden of family expectations? Again, there's a story there. A lot of times, the story that's worth telling isn't the story that you think you know. It's what lies in the spaces of the story that you think you know all too well.
Why is grandma always so mean? Did you know that in the "old country" she was a town elder; came from old money and used her influence, judiciously? When she came to America, she had to start over and work two jobs; learn the language and endure the taunts of people who assumed she was stupid because she didn't speak "American". My point is, when you go looking, you will trip over stories that are worth telling. Sometimes, the best stories to tell are the ones closest to home.
Any suggestions for
a new writer?
I would advise a new writer to read as widely as possible. Do
your best to gain an international perspective. Figure out why you like
something and the areas in which it works or doesn't work as a piece of
writing. I mean this for any prose that you come across. Adverts on the subway?
Yep. Airport novels? Absolutely. In-flight magazines? They are gold mines of
the power of persuasion. Critique and learn from everything you read and hear.
Why was that magazine article unpersuasive? Why didn't that car commercial have
you out the door and to the dealership? If you're aware of what moves and
motivates you, you can move and motivate someone else or millions of someones.
Who is your
favorite author? Why?
I am a fan of Raymond Carver. in his writing, he made the
mundane and everyday accessible. Sometimes, as writers we have the idea that
the day-to-day things are to be avoided. Carver showed that you can take hum
drum and show a microcosm of humanity. I like Flannery O'Connor for that
quality, too. A fairly decent writer can paint a scene and make you believe it.
The exceptional writers, like Carver and O'Connor, will hand you back your life
revealing areas of pathos, humor and horror. You come away from their stories
and wonder how much of the world aren't I seeing?
Do you have a
favorite quotation?
I like this retread of a Benjamin Franklin quote: "Who
is so wise as to learn from the mistakes of others?" This goes back to my
suggestion to read everything that you can and to read internationally. I used
to tell my students that if they read widely enough, they could avoid all sorts
of heartbreak and calamity. I would ask them, "Can you learn from the
mistakes of your parents and friends and everyone you know? Everyone's life has
a lesson to teach."
Where do you see yourself in five years as a writer?
I have
the desire for the writing trifecta: The Pulitzers in Essay writing, Poetry and
Short-story writing. Aim high, I say! I expect that I will have completed a
doctorate in English and Writing. I enjoy teaching and am looking forward to
getting back to it. Also, for those of you considering a graduate writing
program: Remember, that a program like that offers you the gift of time. It'll
be two or three years when you'll be able to focus and improve your writing and
develop friendships and rivalries with people who share your passion to write.
Choose a place that makes you happy; a place where you can see yourself waking
up and spending hours of your life with the same people and with professors you
respect and who respect you.
Read L. David's articles and more ...
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Posted on Friday, January 27, 2012 10:14 PM
Welcome Marla!
 From Orangevale, California, USA, Marla is an art director/illustrator/designer, writing ad copy and marketing material, as well as an accomplished writer - Marla has six novels up her sleeve! Girl in the Woods is in the works, an epic fantasy romance adventure, to be released soon! Marla likes to write alongside her cat 'Oscar'. She is an avid photographer as well, and loves to take photos of her lovely daughter, Charlotte.
Marla and I are in the Wolfpack Writing Group, a daily symposium of phenomenal writers. We share accomplishments, challenges, artistic endeavors, and more! So happy you are here, Marla....a howl for the pack!
Tell me about yourself....
I draw. I paint. I cut intricate things out of paper. It is what I do and who I am. I tell jokes and it doesn’t take much to make me laugh. I live for art and keeping life creative. I write stories of adventure. I read about 5 books a month (mostly fiction). I figure out the history and stories of historical artifacts. I love anything to do with costume, and history and art and adventure and good wine. I love to walks by the river, road trips, visits to the frog pond and watching the stars. I collect old photographs from the 1840’s – 80’s. I also collect old friends and new, because like the antique artifacts, they all have wonderful stories and bring beauty and joy.
What is your inspiration for writing?
 It’s a lot cheaper than therapy and a lot more fun. When I write I keep a sense of my own personal self. I've always worked for others doing design work or writing, but my own writing, my
fiction and essays are my own. I don’t share any of my own art or writing with
anyone in my “professional” life as an art director/designer. It is my secret
life.
What keeps me writing is that it is entertainment for
myself, then for others. It is fun. My dad always told us stories he’d just make up off the top
of his head. He was always a great science fiction and fantasy reader as well.
We’d spend a lot of time discussing books and speculating on time travel and
sharing stories. Story telling was part of my life from the start.
I started out years ago writing plays, poetry and essays. I
had several essays published, plays produced and read one of my bits on NPR.
Now I’m writing novels and short stories. Writing about relationships and
characters and dialog is great. Start with a great cast of characters and then
the plot will evolve around them.
Until about 8 years ago I’d more or less stopped writing
seriously. There were too many emotional roadblocks. Everything I wrote was
serious and not even fun for me. I became one of those brooding gloomy writers.
I appreciate good gloom, but I’m just not good at it.
Writing started again when I wrote a story sort of as a joke
for a friend. Eight years later that turned into 700 pages and a sequel. A lot
of old ideas came to the surface as well as new stories and books. I started to
have fun again. I brought the humor and light back into my writing.
A big inspiration is the people in my life. My husband Steve
Kings and daughter Charlotte, my mom, my friends – especially Becky Miller who
has pushed and pushed me over the years, both of my Kims, and of course my dear
dear amazing creative writer friends in the Wolfpack [a writer's symposium] who have been such an
inspiration and kept me going on those dark and stormy nights. I’ve never
had so many people cheer me on and encourage me. And this time there is no
negativity or pushing. This is my time as a writer – there are no limits this
time.
Another inspiration is photography and art. I collect 19th century
photography. I’m always looking for faces of my characters in old images, or
photos with a story behind them. I’ll do the same with art – my own or the art
of others.
How do you collect ideas?
Collect is a great term for ideas! I have no idea how I
collect ideas. I’ve found that anything and everything can spark the idea for a
story. I’ll drive down the road and see a roadside memorial at an accident
scene then think it would make a great story about some kids who put up fake
memorials, then that thought moves on to something else and by the time I’m
done I might be writing a science fiction story from the Civil War.
I also get ideas from my own life, the stories of others and
history. I don’t write historic fiction but I’m inspired by it.
Do you have a favorite place for writing?
I write in my head on walks. I used to listen to audio books
but now I play my own stories and work out characters, dialogue and plots. Then
I key it in.
My computer is by a fish tank so I hear the sound of the
water, sort of like a calming fountain. Or I like to take the laptop outside
when the weather is nice.
Any suggestions for novice writers?
Have
the proper tools ready and available at all times (a computer that works,
perfect fountain pen, a notebook in your car or purse for ideas, sharpened
pencils).
Write
all the time – in the computer, on paper, in your head.
Don’t
worry about what others think right now – just write.
Hone
your craft. Learn to use the words, like you’d learn about cooking or fine
wine. Savor it.
Don’t
be too into yourself – look at others and the world around you for inspiration.
It will open up your eyes.
READ
– the more I read the more I write. Be it a National Geographic magazine, a
historic novel, science fiction, murder mystery, and styles and genera I would
NEVER write, it doesn't matter – the more you read the more you’ll write. It is
yoga for your brain.
Most
of all – suffering for your art is not a requirement and I don’t recommend it.
Have fun. You don’t HAVE to be serious. Yes, serious about your writing but not
about your subject matter. HAVE FUN.
What are you currently writing?
Six novels and several short stories.
Family Tree (working title): A novel about a girl named Liz,
who runs from an abusive husband into the arms of a serial killer, then escapes
to find a new face, a lot of money, a new life and a group of eccentric friends
who have secrets of their own. In the meantime her ex-husband becomes more
famous by the day building a career on her disappearance.
Misplaced Souls: A ghost story/novel. Sort of a New Wave
Ghost and Mrs. Muir murder mystery romance.
I have several others in the work as well including a book
based on camping trips I used to take once a month with girlfriends when I was
in my 20’s (rain or shine).
A few short romantic stories are also in the works.
What are your future plans as an artist and a writer?
To keep writing. I have pages and books of funny graphic
novel sort of things I used to play around with. I’d like to complete one.
Who is your favorite author? Why?
I love to read. I go nuts if I don’t have a book or two going. A few of
my favorites are, of course Mark Twain, John Sanford (Prey series) is at
the top of the list. Nelson De Mille, Matthew Pearl, Martha Grimes, Tana
French, Douglas Adams, to name a few. I also have a few guilty pleasures
– writers that I won’t admit reading to most people. There are so many
good authors writing now. The authors I like the most are those with great
characters I can relate to or at least find interesting, good dialogue and a
bit of humor and/or romance thrown in.
My feeling is a good writer can put a character in any
situation and run with it.
Do you have a favorite quote that sums up who you are as an
artist and a writer?
“Ignorant people think it's the noise which fighting
cats make that is so aggravating, but it ain't so; it's the sickening grammar they
use.” Mark Twain A Tramp Abroad
“I may not have gone where I intended to go but I think I
have ended up where I needed to be.” Douglas Adams
Girl in the Woods- Prologue
 Alexander Byron a Prince of the Northwestern Kingdom is told that he must marry a Real Princess. Having been engaged three times already to Real Princesses he is ready to give up when Princess Candi shows up. But Candi isn't all she seems to be. On an attempt to get away from the pressures of it all Alex goes on a diplomatic mission where he meets Olivia Snowhawk, a child of war and wizardry, and the President of the powerful mulit-national corporation Universal Technologies International. She is anything BUT a perfect princess. Olivia is a woman of frightening mysteries and secrets unlike anything he could ever imagine. In a world where technology and wizardry are both common facts of everyday life the pair figure out what it really means to love heart and soul.
Excerpt from Night at the Crest by Marla Todd
Chapter 1 ..... He loved the drive through the rolling oak forested hills. He spent every weekend he could with his cousin Ruth. But this weekend might be rough. He was going to ask his family about his latest job offer. This was his dream job. He’d all but signed the contract. Everyone would be there to give him their own jaded opinions. Most wouldn’t be too thrilled.
He looked over at beautiful golden Lorna dozing in the seat next to him. She was his older sister, his mentor, the one who kept him grounded. He imagined her with a halo and beautiful wings spread out in shining glory. Then he wondered if she was sleeping with her new best friend, a plastic surgeon named, Dennis O’Brian. Denny, as she called the man was nice enough, but suddenly Jonathan felt like he wanted to beat the crap out of the guy if he ever touched Lorna. Then he’d torture him and flay off his skin leaving him a quivering mass of, well, whatever. He had to stop being so protective of his sisters.
Jonathan’s mind skipped back Dallas Andrews. He felt sick to his stomach. It had been unpleasant business, but somebody had to do it. After all it wasn’t easy being angel.
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Posted on Tuesday, January 03, 2012 3:43 PM
Welcome internationally acclaimed writer and performance poet, Omer Tarin....
When did you first realize you
wanted to be a writer?
There
wasn’t ever a fixed time, when I knew, no sudden epiphany or realization! I
always read and wrote a lot, even as a child, and my imagination was always
working. I used to day-dream a lot, too; and many of my dreams became ‘ideas’
for poems or stories. So I have been writing ever since I can remember, all
sorts of things, and gradually, quite by themselves, things began to fall into
place. I must say my parents, especially father, were very supportive and
encouraging—my father was my earliest literary mentor and guide and he had very
good taste, was an avid reader and had a rather substantial library which he
allowed me full use of. I never remember him saying ‘read this’ or ‘read
that’—it was a true voyage of discovery for me, one day reading (say) Dickens,
and a few days later Gerald Durrell or Robert Frost or selections from various
regional languages and literatures. And then, when I began to write, my father
encouraged me all the more, would often take time out of his busy schedule to
discuss a poem or story I’d written. Later on, I was lucky to go to some of the
best schools in Pakistan, in the old British colonial ‘public school’
tradition, and some of the masters there were absolutely splendid people.
They’d encourage us to ‘do our thing’, whatever inspired or appealed to us, and
always had time to discuss, to critique and guide. Although I write in three
languages, the major part of my writing now is in English and this was
something that my teachers guided me towards initially, and they were also the
first ones to publish some of my work in school and college magazines and
later, to prompt me to write for literary journals and even newspapers and
periodicals. This gave me a great deal of confidence in my writing potential in
my student days.
What’s your genre and style?
I
am essentially a poet. However, I have also written some shorter fiction and
non-fiction prose—some of these writings have only just been made available in
privately printed editions, in the USA/North America. Since I’m also an
academic and research scholar by profession today, in addition to my literary
writings I have also written a fair amount of research: on history, culture and
folklore, Pakistani and South Asian regional literature and art and so on. As a
poet writing in English, in South Asian contexts, I am not, I believe,
restricted to any limitations of style or content. Although most of my poetry
is vers libre, I have experimented and keep on experimenting quite a lot. Even
with forms and styles that are not usually found in English/Western literature.
As a young student, I was deeply influenced by certain mystic, spiritual and
meditative aspects of some of our South Asian literary traditions, for example
such as the works of the Punjabi Sufic poets like Baba Farid, Bulleh Shah,
Waris Shah; and also by the broader ‘Islamic’ Sufi poetic tradition, especially
the classical Persian works of Rumi,
Hafiz and Attar. One of my own early poetic mentors in Pakistan was Taufiq
Rafat, a fine poet who was also an authority on Punjabi poetry and a bold
exponent of the adaptation of a Punjabi idiom into his own English poems. I
guess one way or the other, these ‘influences’ are all to be found in my work.
Do you use real life experiences,
characters, storylines etc, for inspiration?
Yes
and no. ‘Inspiration’ for me isn’t a fixed or systematic thing. It’s something
that just ‘happens’. Sometimes, you are thinking, or in a day-dream or reverie,
or sometimes some person, word, action, some sight or sound or smell becomes
evocative and –lo! I think I do tend to draw upon personal experience in
certain ways, too, in fiction by utilizing certain events or people that I’ve
met or known, and ‘filed away’ as the basis for imagined scenarios and
characters, in due course. In poetry, my ‘experience’ is something different;
something from another source, or part of me altogether. As you might know, I
am also a ‘practicing mystic’ in the Islamic Sufic way, and various forms of
meditation, of ‘connection’ to higher spiritual ‘realities’ are regular parts
of such practice. At times, these experiences, which aren’t really
‘expressible’ in other forms, find their voice in my poetry. At other times,
the subjective condition, that strange half-awake and half-asleep ‘poetic
state’ emerges out of some part of me on its own account and ‘inspires’. I must
add, that for me at least, ‘inspiration’ is seldom direct. I don’t go and sit
by a river or watch a sunset and say “Oh! How lovely! I’m going to write about
this!”. It acts in subtle, elliptical ways. Seeps down into the subconscious
and takes on some strange and often unbelievable shapes and disguises. . .
Where do you like to write?
I
am personally most comfortable writing at my ease in my small study, or work
place at home. For more ‘academic’ type of writing I like to be at my desk and
with my Computer/Word processor in front of me and flanked by all my
paraphernalia like dictionaries and thesauri and reference books etc. When I
write poetry, this can take place anywhere; there are many nights when I wake
up and start to write, and I always keep pen and paper handy. Later on, I take
my ‘draft poem’ to my desk, too, when I start to ‘polish’ it up. This takes me
quite some time, as I like to write and rewrite a poem a number of times, and a
number of ways. I enjoy experimenting like this. One thing I am normally not
able to do, is write outdoors, in proximity to nature—I might take in varied
impressions, sensory perceptions and all, in such surroundings, but for me
these have to be eventually ‘refined’ through a certain process. Was it
Wordsworth who said that poetry was “Emotion recollected in tranquility”? I’m
not sure; but whoever it was, came quite close to expressing how I (a) ‘feel’
and then (b) create, later.
How do you maintain ideas and thoughts
for manuscripts?
Mostly
in diaries that I keep. These are less the standard daily journals than my
general musings, thoughts/ideas and all. Often, during the course of such
writing, I come across good or useful ideas for a future essay or story or
something—not poetry, generally—and when such an idea occurs to me, I jot out a
quick outline how I’d organize it, or do it, and then I flag the outline or
page/s, using my own codes and abbreviations. This makes it easier for me to
return to a particular idea or outline, when I need to. Usually, I don’t
maintain bulky files and odds and ends (although I know some writers who do)
except for my research/academic writing –but for that, I also have other
resources, and people, to assist and help me out. That’s quite a different
sphere of activity for me compared to creative writing.
In your opinion, what makes a
great poet?
To
tell you the truth, it is very difficult to say. Poetry is such a complicated
business, and such a ‘personal’ one, that it’s very hard to pass such facile
judgments! Even with regard to many ‘great’ poets at one time or another, their
‘acceptability’ as great is or might be something entirely to do with certain
popular trends and critical opinion and such things—take Lord Byron, for
example, the quintessential product of a certain time and age; and take Emily
Dickinson by way of comparison, who was quite unknown and unrecognized in her
time, but ‘discovered’ by a later one. Yet, inspite of this, one feels there
are some ‘commonalities’ too, in some truly ‘great, lasting poetry regardless
of where it’s written. As I see it, such poetry ‘reaches out’ to us at many
levels, in many ways, and makes us ‘sing’ within! It whispers fantastic things
into our ears and hearts, and makes us fly and soar away, into certain realms
that we don’t always know exist within us. It also somehow changes us, and
allows us some sort of insights into ourselves and into the world and into many
things that we normally perhaps don’t think about, or feel in any deeper sense
during the course of our routines. It’s a very delicate thread, that binds Rumi
and Shakespeare and Basho and Goethe and Tagore and makes them as one. In a lecture ‘On Poetry’ delivered in 1900,
WB Yeats made that famous albeit ponderous statement that sublime poetry
emerged when , “All sounds, all colors, all forms, …call down among us certain
disembodied powers [which]…we call emotions; and when sound and color and form
are in a musical relation, a beautiful relation to one another, they become one
sound, one color, one form, and evoke an emotion that is made out of their
distinct evocations and yet is one emotion”.
This is as close as one can come to expressing what ‘great poetry’ is.
What suggestions to you have for
first time writers and poets?
I’m
very happy to see so many people, at least, writing nowadays, especially young
people! Even twenty years ago, this wasn’t so common, at least in this part of
the world. Young people, or those young at heart and overflowing with words,
would often be sidetracked or even actively discouraged; and in a way, there’s
a ‘publishing revolution’ that is going on at this time, major changes, which
allow writers access to audiences worldwide and very quickly, too. So, in this
respect, there’s a lot that’s positive for aspiring writers. At the same time,
the basic standards for good writing, for writing that is meaningful and
lasting, remain the same as they ever were. I think that all good writers
automatically start by reading a lot of good literature, or reading a lot,
generally! And this is something that I always advise new writers, please do
read, try to see and note and feel what has been written by the best writers
everywhere, and how they’ve written it. Finally, if you are seriously committed
to writing as a vocation, then just keep on writing, and don’t be discouraged
by negative criticism or sidetracked by quests for fame and fortune. These
things will come too, in good time. But whether they do or not, write, as if
writing was all, and write as well as you possibly can and take time—don’t be
in a hurry. There’s no race going on, and that’s just the illusion of the
‘marketplace’, and if you’re good you’ll get published sooner or later. Just
believe in yourself and put in a lot of hard work.
Follow Omer via these links....
A sample of Omer’s poetry… Two in My Garden
They stand together
The twin stalks
In my backyard,
Sometimes reminders
Of some things not done,
Some weeds not plucked
When it was time to do so;
Why I did not clear the yard
Is not so important now
As why did I want to?
Indeed, I see no petal
Half as nice as those two
That grow together, in their awkward fashion,
And they have some part of me
Where it wouldn't do;
It doesn’t matter anymore, of course,
When other weeds have grown
Along them, only not like them at all,
And choked the petunias
Out of their shallow beds;
And there is some justice
In my garden going to seed,
Then standing tall and together
Once I’ve ceased to tend.
Shandur Polo
Had I seen the ghosts of this place
They would dance their victory dance;
Glorious vale
Cup, chalice,
Basin;
The glacial streams
Empty into that lake
Quiet, ever so silent,
Rippling lyre, reflection;
Snows and rocks frame it —
I have no words
Only emotions
Which boil and rise
With the thunder of horses,
The sound of stick
And ball thudding
Across the turf;
The ghosts of this place,
Had I but seen them,
Pale as the snow
Cold as the lake
As vivid as the night-fires
That light the valley;
The whistle of wind
The throb of drum
The chant of song
Had I seen the ghosts dance
Their victory dance….
Question
All my life
Has been lived
For the one moment
Beyond being
Which now points out
New horizons, yet unseen;
Not-being,
What will be?
Mists
over Thandiani*
Tonight on the veranda
I behold
The crystalline hilltops
Sublimate into an avalanche
Of snowflakes, in turn
Dissolving into the haze
Of silent mists;
Trees stand frozen
Like stiff soldiers
Mantled in unstirring ranks
Braced for some dire consequence Ill-defined;
A wolf’s eldritch howl
Echoes
And night-birds trill their alarm
As the sickle moon
Glides away behind its many veils;
Owl-flights haunt
My dreams now
And your long green hair
Bewilders me with witchcraft.
* Thandiani is a hill resort located at approx.9000 ft above sea level in the
Hazara Division of the NW Frontier Province of Pakistan. It is surrounded on
three sides by dark coniferous forests and these offer a stark contrast to the
snowy peaks of the Pir Panjal Range, in Kashmir, to the North-East.
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Posted on Sunday, December 18, 2011 3:42 PM
 Welcome Brandon!
From Blackpool in the Northwest of England, Brandon is a musician, writer, poet, lyricist, etc., etc...With a new album debuting soon...
You are a famous musician. Do you write your own lyrics?
- Yes, of course! I am constantly writing lyrics. Its rare that I'm not putting pen to paper, fingers to keyboard or thumbs to iPhone!
What is your inspiration?
- My past experience lately. A lot of stories from my youth have come to the fore. Most of my songs are amalgamations of memories and fictional representational characters. I don't believe in just making something up, forcing it. I open the door and the music just floats on through, I'm lucky that what happens is coincidentally true. I don't really think about doing it, I just do it. Kind of streams of consciousness if you like. I've read a lot of Jung and am very spiritual. I believe the energy needs to flow through your art unhindered by the ego. It sounds pretentious and daft to some but it's the truth for me, it's not let me down yet. As Van Morrison said "...let go into the mystery". I do often write about individual liberty too though, I mean the states impact on civil liberty and the mainstream media's impact on the general public's ability to believe or to dream. I feel that people today have been robbed of faith in many ways and have been sold a worthless dream of materialistic riches. Nature is richer than we'll ever be.
 You play guitar and what else?
- My first instrument is, and always has been my voice, guitar second. I also play piano, bass guitar, drums, mandolin, ukulele, Greek bazouki, harmonica etc the list goes on. I like anything that allows me to embellish my music. I'm playing with the idea of buying a flute at the minute.
You have just finished recording a new release. Is this your first?
- No, I've had three previous releases although two have been with a band and one solo self release. You could say this is my first official solo record, definitely my first in the states though. I went over to Richmond, Virginia and recorded with some great musicians in an old converted theater. Was a beautiful experience. Some beautiful people and my lord is Virginia magnificent! I truly fell in love with that place. I'm also working on a soundtrack to an English film too. It's called "Better to burn" and is still in production.
What is it like in the recording studio?
- Well, it depends on how you are recording it. Recording with a band, as part of a group is probably the most difficult thing for me. I am used to writing for bands, for myself and solo and just being able to let it flow (as explained earlier) but usually, egos appear in the studio and it tends to blur the flow. I have to be honest and say the studio with a band is probably the worst thing I do with my music. Solo however, that's different. Its more a battle with myself. Still not a nice thing. Everything goes to slow for me. I struggle to articulate the flow, or rather translate it to the producer/engineer as quickly as I feel it. It's easier when I home record. I do have one producer I work with in England who knows me well and tends to get me although my experience in Virginia was phenomenal, I self-produced a lot of it and engineered some of it along with a great engineer called Rob Astleford. The producer, Evan Batemen really helped us get the show rolling and turned it into a real album which any great producer does but he only joined the session half way through. He made it get finished though. The studio owner Arron Reinhardt was also unbelievably cool with studio time and production. It's such a hard process recording. Virginia was definitely the best experience ever. The magic flowed in all the right places but I still had moments where I was pulling my hair out. Live, playing live for an audience is where it's at for me. That's the real edge, the best time. That and right, slap-bang in the middle of a song I'm writing. Live and writing. Much better times.
Who is your favorite musician(s)?
- I would have to say John Martyn, Van Morrison, Jeff Buckley and The Doors. If I was pushed. I do love lots of others though too. A Virginian named Paul Curreri and also Kelly Joe Phelps a few others, John Prine, Townes Van Zandt, Jackson C Frank. Plenty!
Did you grow up in a musical family?
- Erm, well my father left when I was five and my mother spent a lot of time in hospital as a child so I spent a bit of time in care and in foster homes so I never connected musically much at home although my mum has an amazing voice but suffers terribly from stage fright. My father played tenor and alto sax, my auntie was a professional singer out in Australia where she emigrated and toured the north west. My grandfather on my mothers side Harold, was a club singer and multi-instrumentalist in the north of England, my grandmother on my fathers side was also a club singer. I have a tape of her singing, it's one of my most cherished things, I never met her. It's in my blood. I am the first to record music though, record my own music that is.
 Where can we buy your music?
- Right now, nowhere. The old stuff I've done is no longer in print. I am working on this new album, adding English musicians to it. It should be out in the new year in Virginia and online via iTunes. If people want to get my music, they can buy it through me at my email until I've sorted my record deal. Rodgerdadodger@hotmail.com.
What are your future goals as a musician?
- I am heading up to Scotland in February, Ireland in March/April and then back out to the States in June hopefully. Long term, I hope my album is heard by people and that they get me and feel what I'm trying to do.
What did you have for lunch?
- Lunch was good old English chips and sausage (that's fat French fries and English sausage to you lot!)
Ask yourself a question...
- Erm, favourite drink? Amstel lager or Faustino I Rioja or of course a nice cup of Yorkshire tea with milk and one sugar thanks. .
Two songs off Brandon's forthcoming album...
CHASING BLISS
The sun came up & broke his nightime flying like a bucket of water on the face of a sleeping giant
He tries to shield his eyes from the Blinding sunny silence
But the sun has won now he's lost his night in the day nothing to do cept try and hide away
he fumbles around and finds the fix he was trying to break
as a memory forms in the clouds of his floating mind of a happier day when it was all just passing time
but he is shaken awake to find that reality's much crueler
he spies a needle lying like a ticket to somewhere dearer but it's an empty shell of air that he pumps down deeper
He's greeted by lights & his soul find's himself & leave's here
oh why Don't you just read between the tracks run deep beneath your skin what would your mother think of this womblike coma chasing bliss
This is my most personal song. It's about my father. This is my most honest and painful song. The track was recorded in Virginia and is accompanied by native american indian flute. It's called Michael and is on the album.
MICHAEL
On a foreign shore miles away from his home
Michael first witnessed death
At 16 yrs old, his friends and he
First faced down the enemies stand
Michael only remains though he’s never the same
& his life he just can’t get back
All the wounds that he bore were fleshy and raw
But he knew that they’d heal in time
Yes he was sure they’d heal in time
The skin it did heal though his friends they still scream
From his memories cold and black
And his scars though unseen still remind him in dreams
Of the friends he left behind
He just can’t get passed all the pain in his past
That somehow keeps crippling his mind
The mistakes he’s made since are all littered with drink
Just to keep his head from the pain
Though he was sure it’d heal in time
Now it’s 40 years since he was discharged unfit
Though it feels like yesterday
It seems every day now he see’s their faces again
In all that he tries to do
Waking up in the night screaming trying to fight
Unseen enemies from years ago
now he’s so tired of life cos it’s so full of death
He just longed to let it all go
He longed to let it all go
So one day alone Michael unplugged the phone
And looked through his photos of the past
He drank from the bottle down deep with rope
Considering how to go
with a swift jump and fall Michael ended it all
for himself not his two sons and wife
In them his pain lives so bitter and sharp
But they’re sure it’ll heal in time
Yeah they’re sure it’ll heal in time
Follow Brandon...
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Posted on Friday, November 25, 2011 9:50 AM
Jessica McHugh is an author of speculative fiction that spans the genre from horror and alternate history to epic fantasy. A prolific writer, she has devoted herself to novels, short stories, poetry, and playwriting. She has had ten books published in three years, including "Rabbits in the Garden", "The Sky: The World" and the first three installments in her "Tales of Dominhydor" series. More info on Jessica's speculations and publications can be found at JessicaMcHughBooks.com.
Greetings, Jessica! Welcome to my blog! Thank you for sharing your talent!
Where are you from?
I grew up in Hampstead, Maryland where imagination was essential. Well, I suppose I could've gotten into sex and drugs to combat boredom, but I was saving that for my twenties.
When did you begin writing?
I always wrote, but I started writing seriously when I was 19. I worked for 11 hours a day at a perfume kiosk that didn't sell much perfume, so naturally I had to find something to occupy the time. I read a lot, especially macabre short stories. One day, I just started writing my own. I still have that first notebook, filled with not-great but not-terrible short stories and the beginnings of my first novel "Maladrid".
Do you have a muse, catalyst or sidekick for writing?
I enjoy wine. Oh yes I do. I love getting home from work, setting myself up in my Writing Hut with a glass of wine and going ink-sane. :) Other than that, the stories themselves are my muses. I'm inspired (and often surprised) by what tumbles out.
Where is your favorite place to write?
I do love being in my Writing Hut, but honestly, my favorite place to write is wherever I get great writing done. It could be the break room at work, the waiting room of a doctor's office, or outside while I'm taking my daily walk. I write anywhere at anytime, so one might say I take my Writing Hut wherever I go.
When you are writing and deep into characters, do you become a hermit for days?
I used to, but ever since I met my husband, I've taken to disappearing for hours instead of days. Now when I'm deep into story and characters, I bombard my husband with ideas and plots and character quirks until he has to politely say "That's a lot to take, Honey."
You are an accomplished published Author. Your genre is diverse. What is your favorite genre to write? Why?
I'm rocking a horror vibe right now. I find horror extraordinarily fun to write because of the descriptions that are inherent: dripping blood, spattered gore, cracking bone: it's all very playful for me. Plus I love that I, an admitted scaredy-cat, can scare other people. It pleases me to no end. However, I will be turning back to sci-fi in a few months and I'm looking forward to the change of scenery. I definitely delight in being a genre nomad.
Who are your favorite authors? Why?
Roald Dahl is my absolute favorite, but Bret Easton Ellis and Stephen King aren't far behind. I love Roald Dahl because of his diversity. Most people don't even realize that he wrote anything but children's books, but he has some of the best short stories I've ever read. Some are slightly twisted and some are downright terrifying. Some are incredibly funny and incredibly adult like the "My Uncle Oswald" short stories and novel. His autobiographies are also extremely interesting/funny/terrifying. If anyone out there likes Roald Dahl's children's books, read a few of his short stories. Once you re-read the children's book, you'll realize how incredibly macabre he is even in his stories for kids.
What do you like to do in addition to writing?
I love to sing. I'm ones of those weirdos that practices karaoke before going out. I was in show choir and musicals in high school and since I don't have the time to perform on stage anymore, karaoke is the closest I get.
What is your deepest, darkest secret?
I don't have any. I've already spilled all of my secrets in my writing. You may never spot them, but they're there.
What are you working on at the current moment?
I'm currently in revision hell for three novels, and they're all very different. The first is "Telinhe: The Tales of Dominhydor, Book Four" slated for release next year, and that's an epic fantasy. The second is my historical fiction about playwright Christopher Marlowe, "Verses of Villainy", and last but not least is my new horror novel "PINS". I'm also working on various poetry and short stories.
What are you plans for the future in regards to writing?
My plan is to maintain my uniqueness. In every endeavor, I want to be original and conform to nothing but writing entertaining fiction. I have a lot of stories to tell; whether they are told through fiction, poetry, or theatre, I'm not exactly sure, but I'm confident they'll let me know when they're ready.
Out of the Woods A poem by Jessica McHugh
I walk the stone-fields of home, watching industry turn
alpine And craft too many houses with too few backyards. The old manor at the foot of the knotted Hampstead hill is
gone. What happened to the squatter, I will never know, But I imagine him somewhere below the pavement, Knocking on the sidewalk's underside And begging for something I still cannot give. I stomp and he knocks back, Letting me know we are likewise entombed. Past the squatter's lot, the bramble-lined paths we cut with
sticks-turned-swords Are only roads now. They turn with an ease that trees refuse And lead travelers too readily out of the woods. As a child, I hoped I'd never find my way out.
The Prettiest Girls A Short Story by Jessica McHugh
Henry Young had a fondness for blonds, especially the fake ones. His height of sensuality was in watching a girl strip away the brunette until she hit the flaxen attitude beneath. He hadn't found a girl who'd let him watch yet, but he was always on the lookout for the one who wouldn't run, the one who wouldn't call the police or chase him away from the window with a pair of dull scissors. He was surprised by how many people had dull scissors laying around. How did they expect to defend themselves against someone whose scissors were as sharp as Henry's? They never could, which is why he also had a fondness for dull scissors. But he still wished for a girl who wouldn't reach for a weapon when she saw him. He'd never gotten that far and it left him with a perpetual desire for satisfaction, always hoping the next girl would be the one, then the next, and the next...However, he couldn't deny his enjoyment in the chase. Fear played with women's bodies in the most delightful way. Every heave, every shriek, every jostle of fight and flight incited Henry's hunger, even for those who were only half-bleached. The allure of blood soaking into blond was a bonus Henry cherished with every methodical snip. Those clippings never entered his collection, but they were beautiful, scattered around a bald head like a rosy halo.
The girl from the tavern was more strawberry than he usually preferred, but he was willing to make an exception. He'd been watching her for nearly a month, growing more enraptured with each day he beheld the difference between the bartender and the actual girl. She was always soft at work, always polite, but through the window of her living room, she seemed softer still. She danced more than she walked and sang more than she spoke, and it solidified the truth he'd always known: blonds were the prettiest girls. And although they weren't always sweeter, they had a sweetness brunettes did not. It was an intangible thing...until Henry had their hair in hand. Feeling their beauty, he, too, felt beautiful. She was gleefully singing along to her favorite TV show and didn't hear him break the lock on the back door. He walked into the room calmly, pretending he belonged there. She didn't run until he withdrew the scissors, but she didn't get far. He grabbed her by the ankle and pulled her to the ground, dragging her into the kitchen while whistling the jaunty Journey tune she'd so recently been singing. She thrashed madly until the scissors got a taste of her. One quick slash of her Achilles tendon and the resulting shower of blood onto the linoleum stopped her flailing. But she wouldn't stop crying. It was rather unattractive the way her face scrunched up during each bawl. He tried to ignore the ugliness by repeating “blonds are the prettiest girls”, but it didn't work. She wasn't who he thought she was, so there was no reason to keep her around. Her hair, however, was pretty enough for keeping. “Pretty pretty pretty” he clucked as he pressed the scissors against her throat and grabbed her hair. It felt strange: dry and wiry; somewhat plastic. All it took was a tug to realize why. The wig pulled free, revealing a short crop of dark brown hair. Henry threw it to the floor angrily and she laughed. He expected her laughter to enrage him more, but oddly, his rage diminished. She was so pretty when she laughed; even with her true brunette out in the open, she was prettier than any blond he'd seen before. The scissors froze her smile and the blades stretched it up her cheeks. Looking down at her new Glasgow grin, Henry realized his lifelong mistake. The prettiest girls didn't have to be blond. The prettiest girls laughed at death.
THE END
LINKS:
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Posted on Tuesday, November 15, 2011 9:16 AM
Arshad Saleem is a Performance Poet, Writer (Fiction, Drama, Articles, Stories for Children), TV Anchor, Radio Jockey, Voice Over Artist, Journalist..and more!! As a Copy Writer and Journalist by Profession, Arshad is well-versed in the literary arts.
Thank you, Arshad, for being a guest on my blog!
Where are you from?
Ans.: My home town is district Charsadda in Province Khyber Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan. But currently I am in Karachi.
What is your profession?
Ans.: I am a Journalist (columnist, feature writer & Editor) also Broadcaster, Voice over Artist & Radio Producer by profession.
When did you know you wanted to be a writer?
Ans.: I didn’t want to be a writer but in other words all these creative writings (poetry, short stories etc.) wanted to be written by me. Actually I have a literary background, my father Mr. Saleem Raz is a well known writer, critic, poet & columnist of international repute.
As a journalist and newspaper editor, what do you look for in creating a news worthy story?
Ans.: Today’s journalism is just creating sensation or presenting politicians statements based on propagandas (talking about Urdu News Papers not English Newspapers in Pakistan). Unluckily, I am affiliated with Urdu press but not working in News Section, I am by choice in Magazine section, love to work on Literature and culture. Few years back I was editor of children magazine.
What is your favorite subject to write about?
Ans.: Do you think that there should be a favorite subject for a writer to write about? These are feelings, experiences and observations appeal to write about. Sometimes current burning events, conflicts, exploitation, injustice and cruelty compel to write.
What is the funniest story you've covered?
Ans.: Good question, hahaaha….next please!!!
You have a radio show as well. What is your program about?
Ans.: From last few months not doing any show, but in broadcasting carrier more than 1,500 shows have presented in Pashto and Urdu languages from different FM, AM Radio channels and Television Channels on different social issues( like violence against women, child labor, women trafficking etc.), culture, current affairs and literary subjects (poetry based shows also included).
Who or what is your inspiration for writing?
Ans.: My father, family background and studying books of some Indian, Pakistani, English and Russian Fiction writers really inspired me.
Do you have advice for aspiring journalists/writers?
Ans.: Keen observation….In depth study of all the philosophical work and study, study and study of all the influential Eastern, European and American writers.
Ask yourself a question...
I think it will be better to convert this wish or message into a question. I want peace, prosperity, justice equality for all the humanity equally.
Arshad has a passion for books..some of his favorite writers include:
Guy De Maupassant
Jean Paul Sartre
Anton Chekhov
Fydor Dostoevsky
Maxim Gorky
Leo Tolstoy
Charles Dickens
Jhon Steinbeck
Mirza Ghaleb
Rajendar Singh Baidi
Pen Name : Arshad Saleem & Ibn e Raz Known in the world of broadcasting as Arshad Saleem & RJ Arsh
Follow Arshad via these links:
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Posted on Tuesday, November 01, 2011 7:04 AM
Welcome, Angie, to my famous people blog!
Thank you for words of wisdom, beautiful poetry, intriguing stories and encouragement to those of us who want to excel at writing!
I love your quote "Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think." So true, profound and words to live by!! Please keep us posted of your writing endeavors! Anigie Parisi, Missouri, USA
When did you begin writing?
- When I was about 9 or 10. While in high school, I continued to write poetry-ish type scribbles, but only my closest friends were allowed to read and/or comment. (I was always shy and insecure and would only share with those who had earned my trust, which wasn’t always an easy feat in those days.) In fact, I recently found my old notebook. After all of these years, it’s amazing to read what I wrote back then and compare to what I’ve written since.
What is your genre? Fiction or Non-Fiction?
- It really depends on what I am writing. My poetry and prose seem to be more non-fiction while my snippets (still not sure if they will become short stories or are all part of a larger work) are fiction, colored by reality. Now, my blog (http://pollyannasperspective.wordpress.com) is another story entirely as it’s mostly a collection of my random thoughts run amuck. Anything I encounter that keeps nagging at me incessantly, will eventually become a blog post.
Tell me about your work and what you are currently writing.
- Lately, life has done it’s very best to interfere and has become a major contributor to “writer’s block”. While trying to work through this, I have been doing research in preparation to publish a book/eBook consisting of my poems/prose/stories. On my “good” days, I may manage some prose and/or poetry and have occasionally been able to add to a project I’ve been working on; it’s affectionately been dubbed, what-ever-the-hell-it-is-I’m-writing. In addition, being October and all that entails, I am working on a writing challenge and cannot wait to see how it turns out!
Do you use your own life events for themes?
- I think everyone uses portions of their own lives when they write. I mean, how could they not? Everything you do, say, read, watch - it all shapes you and your views regarding the world. It’s only natural that these things also seep into how you express yourself creativity. In my case, that also means whichever “lucky” person is working my last nerve may end up as an antagonist in whatever I happen to be writing at the time.
Who or what is your muse/inspiration?
Where is your favorite place to write?
- I don’t have a favorite place, per se. I will write wherever inspiration strikes, which is why, at the very least, I always have my phone with me; I love my little NOTES app! Luckily, my iPad fits in the diaper bag so I also have that as an option. With today’s technological advances, it’s no longer necessary to have pen and paper with you at all times.
What do you enjoy reading the most?
- I love to read fantasy, suspense, horror - honestly, I will read most anything.My mom always had a wide variety of books lying around: Harlequin romances, Tolkien, Erich von Daniken, V. C. Andrews…you name it. When I was 16, I ran out of books to read in the house and, since I didn’t feel like walking to the library, I started reading the bible cover to cover. Well, mostly cover to cover…I skipped the “so-and-so begat so-and-so” section. Honestly, I feel being exposed to such an eclectic collection while growing up encouraged me to keep looking for my own voice. I’ve also recently discovered I truly enjoy the books based on the television show Castle, but my single most favorite book of all time is The Once and Future King by T. H. White.
Who is your favorite author?
- I have so many favorites: Anaïs Nin, Edgar Allan Poe, Heather Brewer, Stephen King, Laurell Hamilton, Dean Koontz and the entire Wolf Pack – such an amazing group of very talented and gifted people!
Ask yourself a question….
- Why do I write? I really don’t know. When I was younger, it was something I felt I had to do; like breathing, it was necessary for me. As I became older and life became more chaotic, it fell by the wayside and I ultimately felt like something was missing. Now that I’ve begun once again, I feel more secure and confident about myself and am continually amazed at each piece I complete.
By Angie Parisi:
If only…
If only to turn back the hands of time If only to start over once more If only to hear those soft words If only to feel that way still If only to pretend it's all real If only to believe the illusion If ony to have a little hope If only to, but never again
~ Untitled ~
Star light, star bright, Where is my brain tonight? I wish I may, I wish I might, Have it back, both left and right.
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Posted on Saturday, October 15, 2011 7:16 AM
Greetings Douglas McDaniel! Welcome to my blog of famous people! A writer, poet, publisher and a creative blogger since 2000 (and much, much more) you are well-versed in the publishing/writing industry! Congratulations on your book and media releases! An amazing portfolio of literary genius!
When did you begin writing?
Probably, when my intention was to be
creative, was in the first or second grade. It was a kind of song-poem called,
"Glockenchockaglockawok." It was about the next stage of man. A new
kind of animal. "He wasn't dumb and he could walk,
Glockenchockaglockawok," I wrote, or sang, actually. Weird I still remember
the slow one-two punch of it and everything.
What is your genre? Fiction or Non-Fiction?
Creative non-fiction. Reality lit.
Tell me about your work and what you are currently writing.
Working on three new books. One
poetry. Another reality lit novel to catch me up on the Obama years, and a
baseball book.
Do you use your own life events for themes?
Yes. Myth exposed, confessed. Like Joyce
did with myth. Except in non-fiction form.
Who or what is your muse/inspiration?
Depends on the day. I tend to just go
blank in the head and it pours out when I tip my mind over. Probably everything
I've ever felt, heard, read and so on ... the collective unconscious pouring
through me ... Like that Grateful Dead song ... could be the angel or the devil
... who knows?
Where is your favorite place to write?
Coffeehouses. In public. It's a
desperate cry for attention. Plus, I need the noise.
What do you enjoy reading the most?
Physics makes me feel better. After
that, Thomas Pynchon, Salman Rushdie, Mark Twain ... and poets from the early
1960s ... Robert Lowell, John Berryman, Ginsberg ... Plus, one of my favorite
books of all time was Norman Mailer's "Armies of the Night," because
he wrote about himself in third-person ... so many books ... things to remember
... an almost impossible question that I thought I could just kiss off, but
didn't ...
Who is your favorite author?
Kurt Vonnegut. He changed my life at an
early age.
What advice do you have for inspiring writers?
Inspiring or aspiring? Blog first. Don't
do it, second. Study hotel motel management, buy an iPad and become a reader
instead.
What’s your favorite quotation?
My own: "Although it may not be apparent,
everything is in order."
Ask yourself a question….
What is my favorite color? Red, no,
blue, auuuuuaauauauauaugghggghhh!
Follow Douglas:
DA VINCI BLUES
Consider the totality of stress on the renaissance man. Hustlin' to & fro', talkin' wings off birds, puttin' eyeballs on kites, makin' list of daemons. Start one thing no sooner you're burning the next green branch, jugglin' chaos and oozing blood to congeal the form, breakin' time's inscrutable pane a' glass & gettin' no sleep in the process. There are days when ideasrise in the sequence of smoke holes to the ceiling, and you gasp for air, allowing the muse to take form. There is no sex life, nada,no time for introspection, only invention and monk's tea, as if mere air were a seven-course meal before you turn to bed to weep.
~Douglas McDaniel,Phoenix, Arizona Currently available at http://lulu.com/mythville in the book of collected works,"Many Moons to Mythville"
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Posted on Monday, September 26, 2011 10:35 AM
Hi Marty! Welcome to my blog! Besides being witty, blue-eyed, hippy and a vegetarian, you are also a fantastic writer and poet! Thanks for gracing your poetry here and the connection!
Why do you love poetry?
- Because it allows me to freely express my inner self in a way prose or verbalization can't.
When did you start writing?
- I have been writing for decades, but only seriously and with any regularity for the past 14 months. Prior to that I wrote (I guess) a poem or two a year...?
What are your goals as a poet?
- To get Published!!! And perhaps more importantly, to be read widely on whatever medium.
Which poets do you enjoy reading the most?
- William Shakespeare, Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Seamus Heaney, Edgar Allan Poe, Keats, Shelley, Oscar Wilde, Roger McGough, T.S. Eliot to name but a few.
What inspires you to write?
What advise do you have for starting out poets?
- Dear starting out Poet, Be true to Yourself when writing from emotion, avoid clichés! and write, write, write and read... Learn from the Greats and practice.
Do you write in other forms besides poetry?
- Occasionally I did a toe into Flash Fiction, though I'm in the process of starting an episodic novel to be published as a Blog.
What is your ideal environment to write?
- Anywhere... have notebook, will travel (which is a cliché... so I didn't write that okay???)
What does poetry add to the world/what would the world be without poetry?
- Passion, joy, happiness, emotion... / Greyer and more boring.
Ask yourself a question....
- What's for Lunch? Probably salad with a vegetarian non-chicken Kiev.
Follow Marty..... http://kingofwords.wordpress.com
 Eternal ~ Sonnet 26
Beyond the time when my heart beats less strong, and age drawn curtains, rheumy, cross my mind, When nailing down the lid renders me blind, And after the end notes of my last song echo unto the gates of heavens throng, past when my agéd joints have ceased to grind, When deaths corruption starts me to unbind and this cruel life can no more do me wrong, When all I am has vanished to the past, no memory of me remains extant, And naught of me is left here on this plane, The one thing I can promise You will last, The ONLY thing I never can recant, My Love for You, My Love will never wane.
@Marty TheGoatPoet 2011
Daughter of the Sun ~ Sonnet 11
My heart on Angels wings soars high this day,  For I have seen the daughter of the Sun, Her father’s light upon her face doth play Her hair a halo that has equals none, beauty like this must be of one divine, for naught but the divine could be so fair, her lips will surely taste of rich red wine, should she acquiesce my unask’d dare, I call upon Great Pan lend me Your guile, Sweet Thaleia please send to me Your art, Upon me Aphrodite shine Your smile Athena Your great wisdom please impart, My Goddess harken now and hear my plea, And when You can, open Your Heart to me?
@Marty TheGoatPoet 2011
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Posted on Wednesday, August 31, 2011 10:27 AM
Introducing Hollie Bollster, aspiring poet and writer from Hamilton, Ontario Canada! Hollie is a published performance poet at Destiny Poets, UK and a creative writer.
Welcome Hollie! You are from Canada! Tell me about Canada and where you live.
- I am from Hamilton, Ontario Canada a fantastic city, we have more waterfalls than anywhere else in the world. My city, as am I, is in a period of flux. The old industrial past is conflicting with the future and the same thing is happening to me. I feel at home here, love my town and wish to be part of its future.
Your poetry has been published online at Destiny Poets, UK; you are a fabulous poet! Do you anticipate publishing an anthology of your poetry?
- I would love to publish my poetry but doubt nags at me. The new world order for books and publishing is a daunting mess and I am overwhelmed by the way too many options. I plan to buckle down and have recently begun a more serious attempt to find places for my works.
You are also a creative writer! What plans do you have for your creative writing? A novel or collection of short stories?
- Short stories can be sold and published individually in, again, way too many venues. I have however submitted several, which were all turned down, but that is but a learning process. As for novel(s)...yes I plan to finish one I have started and have the ideas floating in this miasma that is my head for many more.
What is your writing style/genre?
- I grew up reading mainly science fiction, but have wandered to classics, to modern musings, horror, comedy, and I do so love tragedy. My stories seem to reflect me. therefore they are of a darker, adult nature. My characters are imperfect, damaged people with pasts that need to be overcome. I like the possibility of redemption but not guarantee it to anyone, not even the beloved main characters).
What is your inspiration for writing?
- I love to read and have always marveled at the depth of stories and the creation of peoples that seem so real to me that I would weep, laugh, cry, hurt when they do. My mind is a constant chaos, a seething, burning miasma and if I do not find and output for the incessant buzzing....
What advice do you have for aspiring poets and writers?
- Read everything and anything you can whenever you can. Set aside time to read because it is wonderful. When writing , just write, let yourself pour out and never look back until you absolutely must.
Thank you, Hollie, for sharing your endeavors and for sharing a few samples of your wonderful poetry!!
Destiny Poets UK
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