Comments on: Writing and Silence http://johnesimpson.com/blog/2009/06/writing-and-silence/ Ridiculous Pursuits, Solemn Matters Tue, 07 Feb 2012 11:51:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: John http://johnesimpson.com/blog/2009/06/writing-and-silence/comment-page-1/#comment-6989 John Mon, 22 Jun 2009 19:47:58 +0000 http://johnesimpson.com/blog/?p=4849#comment-6989 cynth: Thanks. One of my favorite things about doing these <em>whiskey river</em>-inspired posts ever week is that I can just sort of let my mind drift -- which I guess is the "flowing" you mentioned, and for which I can't take any credit at all since a mind adrift is pretty much at the mercy of the world. :) marta: I've taken in recent years to listening to music via headphones while writing. But when I really want to concentrate, with no distractions -- at the day job, even -- I shut off (or remove) the hearing aids. Jules: Merton is a tricky writer to quote, if one doesn't want to seem to endorse any particular religious persuasion. But personally, I think he (and others nominally "sectarian," like de Chardin and Niebuhr) needn't be read <em>literally</em> when he uses terms like "God" and "the Holy Spirit" and so on; you can pretty much substitute your own noun of choice for "supreme being" or "ineffable force" or whatever, and the sentences make perfectly lovely sense. cynth: Thanks. One of my favorite things about doing these whiskey river-inspired posts ever week is that I can just sort of let my mind drift — which I guess is the “flowing” you mentioned, and for which I can’t take any credit at all since a mind adrift is pretty much at the mercy of the world. :)

marta: I’ve taken in recent years to listening to music via headphones while writing. But when I really want to concentrate, with no distractions — at the day job, even — I shut off (or remove) the hearing aids.

Jules: Merton is a tricky writer to quote, if one doesn’t want to seem to endorse any particular religious persuasion. But personally, I think he (and others nominally “sectarian,” like de Chardin and Niebuhr) needn’t be read literally when he uses terms like “God” and “the Holy Spirit” and so on; you can pretty much substitute your own noun of choice for “supreme being” or “ineffable force” or whatever, and the sentences make perfectly lovely sense.

]]> By: Jules http://johnesimpson.com/blog/2009/06/writing-and-silence/comment-page-1/#comment-6934 Jules Sat, 20 Jun 2009 03:04:59 +0000 http://johnesimpson.com/blog/?p=4849#comment-6934 I've always had this fascination with silence. And I admit, with some embarrassment, that it's what led me to want to study American Sign Language. (Embarrassment, because the deaf world is hardly a quiet one. Yeah, I was romanticizing it all after seeing "Children of a Lesser God" eleventy billion times in high school.) I love love love love love Thomas Merton's writings. I’ve always had this fascination with silence. And I admit, with some embarrassment, that it’s what led me to want to study American Sign Language. (Embarrassment, because the deaf world is hardly a quiet one. Yeah, I was romanticizing it all after seeing “Children of a Lesser God” eleventy billion times in high school.)

I love love love love love Thomas Merton’s writings.

]]> By: marta http://johnesimpson.com/blog/2009/06/writing-and-silence/comment-page-1/#comment-6933 marta Sat, 20 Jun 2009 02:25:23 +0000 http://johnesimpson.com/blog/?p=4849#comment-6933 Love the song and the film. For a little while today I was making art in silence. It was a joy. Love the song and the film. For a little while today I was making art in silence. It was a joy.

]]> By: cynth http://johnesimpson.com/blog/2009/06/writing-and-silence/comment-page-1/#comment-6929 cynth Fri, 19 Jun 2009 20:33:55 +0000 http://johnesimpson.com/blog/?p=4849#comment-6929 Very nice flowing post, John. Thanks. I hadn't seen the opening credits of The Graduate for a long time. Very nice flowing post, John. Thanks. I hadn’t seen the opening credits of The Graduate for a long time.

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