BIBLIOGRIND

The Life of a Wordsmith — Read … Live … Write

From the Letters of Mark Beyer

Hey, Buddy … Last Stop!

Writing, photography, music, art — they each have aims, and no artist should be so focused as to fall into a tunnel vision that, though can produce good work on the short field, leaves out the possibility of influences from what I like to call the all-at-onceness of life. What the creative eye sees in the everyday can be used, if the body will let it. As I write daily — prose, poetry, essays, and (always) a novel-in-progress — I inevitably find that in the world outside my window there are events, actions, gestures, and overheard conversation that seem to fit with what I’m writing about. Naturally, I used to distrust such influences, having thought that I was merely looking for anything to help me along. Later, I discovered that I was not alone in how a writer (or any artist) gets involved with their stories and sees their world insinuating itself — in a good way—on story. Eudora Welty spoke of this in her Paris Review interview in 1972:

“Once you’re into a story everything seems to apply—what you overhear on a city bus is exactly what your character would say on the page you’re writing. Wherever you go, you meet part of your story.”

Now, many years later, I can see all life’s bits and pieces as found nuggets, like a squirrel digging beneath snow at mid-winter thaw, and I use them for either inspiration, or for purpose — to enhance an image, fill out a scene, describe the empathic reactions between two lovers, or how a mother unwraps a lollipop for a screaming child on a crowded bus.

Writing has been my passion for more than twenty-five years. I made sure that writing was how I made a living, eventually. All the other stuff have made potent grist for the millstone. Equally, writing — storytelling — remains my yoke. And this is where my aimlessness is so important: to be ready when that word, the active image, the gesture, creates story and drives inspiration.

I have had the great privilege of being allowed at key moments in my life to speak my thoughts to a public forum. Along the way people have been kind enough to let me into their lives for a short time to get their story. On BiblioGrind.com you’ll find a selection of my archival journalism, new and in-print fiction, wordplay games, and blogs — lots of blogs: on writing, living, and loving; working, playing, and sleeping through the rough patches.

“The Letters of Mark Beyer” collects my thoughts on The Writing Life, the Publishing World, Books Read Lately, travel bits’n'pieces, Notes on a Novel, and even a bit of self-promotion (hey, why not, it’s my blog; might not be the best literary blog on the web, but it’s something worth reading and returning to).

“A Commonplace Book” is a collection of not-so-random words of wisdom — short-short excerpts of writing that entice, intrigue, madden, amuse, inspire, and turn on. I’ve found these little gems in novels, poetry, essays, and even other blogs. I chose each so that I could remember them; I remember them because have them now.

“Ways of Seeing” is my short essay blog. I have things to say about art, literature, music, culture, the web, news, and sports, to name a few. When I say “short essay” I mean column length. You’ll be surprised to learn how much thought can be packed into 750 words!

“The Prague Blog” follows life in one of the world’s more beautiful capitals, as I teach, travel, play, drink wine, read, and write about whatever else irks me.

My “Novel-a-Week” (TK) blog follows my reading habits. I read about a novel per week (36 books read in 2010; 45 in 2011) and I keep a short critique of each for you all to enjoy. Listen up: this ain’t genre crap. I read literature, and literature is what I write about. Look through these brief reviews and maybe you’ll feel a nudge to pick up a book or two you’ve been meaning to read.

“Alliteration Altercation” (TK) gathers short sentences of an alliterative nature.

“Novel Bites” (TK) brings short bits from my first novel, “The Village Wit” and my novel-in-progress (soon to be published) “What Beauty”. . . You’ll learn about the stories’ characters, experience intense emotional encounters, and read sharp dialogue.

Likewise, for a tour of Europe’s best parks, visit my travel website, www.european-city-parks.com, an ongoing project that takes me around Europe again and again looking for great parks to photograph, roam through, or just sit with a good book. If my writing interests you, please tell others; if you find my work can suit your editorial needs, please contact me: mark [at sign] bibliogrind [dot] com to negotiate article commissions or commentary syndication.

And so: let me tell you a story . . .