Monday, October 10, 2011
Death of a Character
4:17 a.m., the 10th of October. In a mix of moonlight, slumber, dusk and sleeping dogs, I came to a groggy conclusion: Allah Om Ilahi Elohim, the original (and fictional) author of Genesis, compelling as he is as a major character, does not fit into the tapestry of storyline in my second novel, Christmas in Mecca. Elohim is a diversion from what is evolving into the novel's central anchor, the plight (emotional, sexual and professional) of Dr. Harold Hawkins.
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Upcoming Talk
A link to my upcoming talk this Sunday:
http://www.chestertownspy.com/unitarian-universalists-welcome-dr-mohamed-mughal/
http://www.chestertownspy.com/unitarian-universalists-welcome-dr-mohamed-mughal/
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Fonzi’s Jacket, Archie Bunker’s Chair and Richer Expressions of Literary Cubism
I visited Washington, D.C. on a quest last week. I wanted to see Fonzi’s jacket at the Smithsonian’s American History Musuem. I failed. I never found the jacket.
Instead, I found: Archie Bunker’s chair; Dorothy’s ruby slippers (yes, the heels were clicked together); the original Muppets; and Catwoman’s leather outfit. I moved along the National Mall under cloudy skies, sneakers crunching over the softly pebbled walkways, walking into the Natural History Museum where I saw the Hope Diamond and an array of other gems and minerals. I then made my way to the National Gallery to stand before the creative progeny of Rodin, Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso.
It was here at the National Gallery of Art, through the accident of freeform milling and through the failed quest to find Fonzi's jacket, that I discovered new perspectives on literary cubism. The small exhibit tucked into a small corner of the sprawling museum was titled “Text as Inspiration: Artists’ Books and Literature.” Intrigued, I entered the area and studied the fourteen artists' books on exhibit. The books were cubist in that their authors employed various modes of artistic expression to tell a story; the individual cubes of art became building blocks that converged into a thematic whole.
The form of literary cubism that I use in my writing is limited to various modes of written expression. I’ve used poems, letters, e-mails, government and legal memoranda, news articles and even automated spreadsheets as the cubes or building blocks of fiction. The books in this exhibit transcend the use of words as a sole means of expression. These books couple words with visual and tactile formats, giving the reader a synthesis of text, image and form.
Hmmmmm.
Have I unnecessarily and blindly shackled the expressive components of literary cubism in my practice of fiction writing?
Yes, I have.
One of the texts on exhibit was Sandra McPherson’s book of poetry titled “Eve.” In it, the author includes a papier-mâché sculpture of Adam’s rib covered in a feminine black veil. The text of the book falls out of the sculpture in an accordion-like fashion.
Literary cubism is a potent and provocative technique for creating fiction. A richer and perhaps more expressive mode of this technique goes beyond the use of only words. Literary cubism gives full license to inclusion of visual and tactile formats.
Instead, I found: Archie Bunker’s chair; Dorothy’s ruby slippers (yes, the heels were clicked together); the original Muppets; and Catwoman’s leather outfit. I moved along the National Mall under cloudy skies, sneakers crunching over the softly pebbled walkways, walking into the Natural History Museum where I saw the Hope Diamond and an array of other gems and minerals. I then made my way to the National Gallery to stand before the creative progeny of Rodin, Monet, Van Gogh and Picasso.
It was here at the National Gallery of Art, through the accident of freeform milling and through the failed quest to find Fonzi's jacket, that I discovered new perspectives on literary cubism. The small exhibit tucked into a small corner of the sprawling museum was titled “Text as Inspiration: Artists’ Books and Literature.” Intrigued, I entered the area and studied the fourteen artists' books on exhibit. The books were cubist in that their authors employed various modes of artistic expression to tell a story; the individual cubes of art became building blocks that converged into a thematic whole.
The form of literary cubism that I use in my writing is limited to various modes of written expression. I’ve used poems, letters, e-mails, government and legal memoranda, news articles and even automated spreadsheets as the cubes or building blocks of fiction. The books in this exhibit transcend the use of words as a sole means of expression. These books couple words with visual and tactile formats, giving the reader a synthesis of text, image and form.
Hmmmmm.
Have I unnecessarily and blindly shackled the expressive components of literary cubism in my practice of fiction writing?
Yes, I have.
One of the texts on exhibit was Sandra McPherson’s book of poetry titled “Eve.” In it, the author includes a papier-mâché sculpture of Adam’s rib covered in a feminine black veil. The text of the book falls out of the sculpture in an accordion-like fashion.
Literary cubism is a potent and provocative technique for creating fiction. A richer and perhaps more expressive mode of this technique goes beyond the use of only words. Literary cubism gives full license to inclusion of visual and tactile formats.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Another Speaking Engagement
I enjoyed my visit to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Hagerstown this past Sunday. What an open-minded and interesting congregation of folks! We discussed: Islam; Martin Luther; the Quran; George Orwell; Kurt Vonnegut; and notions of Good vs. Bad...and we did it all in 20 minutes :).
What a fun group of people; thanks for the great experience!
What a fun group of people; thanks for the great experience!
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Bo's Cafe Life: Exploring the Writing Life
Well, it had to happen sooner or later...someone was bound to put one of my literary ruminations into a comic format. Wayne Pollard did just that in his 500th installment of Bo's Cafe Life. If you click on the link, bounce around on Wayne's blog and enjoy more of his observations regarding the comic aspects of the writing life.
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Easton
I'll be speaking at the Unitarian Universalist Fellowship at Easton on Sunday, June 26, 2011. My topic's "The Basic Beliefs and Practices of Islam and the Notion of the Good Guys vs. the Bad Guys." Wish me luck!
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