writing workshop november 27th

dear friends

wednesday evening are for writing : 6-8pm at the Forest Center + (38 Castle Terrace). come out from the cold & spend some time with a pen & paper (remember those?) and see what comes about. 

this week we are going to work with Imitation as Inspiration; close readings of kickass writing helps us to identify what makes writing great and serves to inspire us to reach beyond what we might normally write in our own practices. No need to be a literary scholar or published author; just be open and willing to be with your own awesome creative mind and give it a chance to take precedence over computer time, pub time, couch time.

please email editededinburgh@gmail.com for more info or to reserve a place. £5-10 (sliding scale) for 2 hour session. tea & coffee here for you

see you wednesday!

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and a little on John Steinbeck to bring some love to your heart on a rainy day:

Among Steinbeck's correspondence is this beautiful response to his eldest son Thom’s 1958 letter, in which the teenage boy confesses to have fallen desperately in love with a girl named Susan while at boarding school. 

New York
November 10, 1958

Dear Thom:

We had your letter this morning. I will answer it from my point of view and of course Elaine will from hers.

First — if you are in love — that’s a good thing — that’s about the best thing that can happen to anyone. Don’t let anyone make it small or light to you.

Second — There are several kinds of love. One is a selfish, mean, grasping, egotistical thing which uses love for self-importance. This is the ugly and crippling kind. The other is an outpouring of everything good in you — of kindness and consideration and respect — not only the social respect of manners but the greater respect which is recognition of another person as unique and valuable. The first kind can make you sick and small and weak but the second can release in you strength, and courage and goodness and even wisdom you didn’t know you had.

You say this is not puppy love. If you feel so deeply — of course it isn’t puppy love.

But I don’t think you were asking me what you feel. You know better than anyone. What you wanted me to help you with is what to do about it — and that I can tell you.

Glory in it for one thing and be very glad and grateful for it.

The object of love is the best and most beautiful. Try to live up to it.

If you love someone — there is no possible harm in saying so — only you must remember that some people are very shy and sometimes the saying must take that shyness into consideration.

Girls have a way of knowing or feeling what you feel, but they usually like to hear it also.

It sometimes happens that what you feel is not returned for one reason or another — but that does not make your feeling less valuable and good.

Lastly, I know your feeling because I have it and I’m glad you have it.

We will be glad to meet Susan. She will be very welcome. But Elaine will make all such arrangements because that is her province and she will be very glad to. She knows about love too and maybe she can give you more help than I can.

And don’t worry about losing. If it is right, it happens — The main thing is not to hurry. Nothing good gets away.

Love,

Fa