Submissions and a Snow Patrol Song

My thoughts on the current state of Trillium and the submissions:
Ummm….. Let’s hope there’s more.

Ironically enough, while reading through the submissions I was listening to the Snow Patrol song, "Just Say Yes" and everytime the chorus would play I would find myself striking a "NO" on the page. Maybe, I should re-read and re-think. Or maybe not.

I won’t say anything too terribly negative about the submissions.
Reason #I: They actually submitted work! Brilliant!

And #II: Because this is all just really an opinion of what we want to express the feeling (one group of people’s opinions) of Piedmont College.

I wasn’t exactly THRILLED with this packet of submissions. But, I anticipate many other great works coming in; not that any of these don’t have great potential, but ones that would greatly convey our thoughts of Piedmont’s artistic talents.

True creativity cannot die. And because of this, whether we chose a piece or not, it really won’t matter. If these people want to be published, and truly have the art and love of writing, music, painting, drawing, photography, etc. living inside of them, they will continue to work, and they will get published. Perhaps not by Trillium, but somewhere, they will.

In short, as I wasn’t impressed, I’m excited and ready to soak in more.
And so the hunger begins…….

On "Images".

Okay, so finally, we have another blog coming from my side of the computer screen…
Regarding “Imaginative Writing” and “The Image”:
After reading the selection from “Imaginative Writing” by Janet Burroway I decided the statement made with which I did not agree and opposite was actually one in the same.
“Artists in other media than literature are clear about the media of their process, because they work with material that is fundamentally of the senses.”

In one sense, I disagree, because I find literary art’s fundamentals in the senses just as any other medium of arts. The difference is that most all other art is visual in one way or another; writing sparks the imagination to delve into that visual environment. And it was this thought that brought me to realize that I also agreed with this statement. Because I see that Burroway is saying that the actual material used by the artist is what is fundamentally of the senses. Writers have no paint, or clay, or physical movement, or camera, they merely have a pencil and paper. And this pencil is not used to merely give you a picture (as in drawing), but it’s there to form a bridge with words to pass into your thoughts and pull out an idea. The imagination is the source of all imagery; regardless of the art form.

In the section by Ezra Pound on “The Image”, I must be honest, and say that I did not initially find one statement that needed challenging. And then, after reading it over and over, I found one small brick of his structure I would pull out and look at again before mortaring.
I disagree that when beginning to write you should say “the immediate necessity is to tabulate a list of don’ts”. I believe the best thing to do is just to write, and to write whatever comes into your head and then go back and weed the “don’ts” out with much care and fertilizer for the original thought. If you start with the “don’ts” you will restrict your thoughts and worry will keep you from writing something truly great. “Don’ts” are wonderful, but employ only after there is something with which to work.
And yet, I especially agree with Pound’s statement:
“It is better to present one image in a lifetime then to produce voluminous works.”
As I have preached before in this blog, “QUALITY OVER QUANTITY.” I think that is exactly what Pound is conveying and exactly what the current focus of the Trillium editorial staff should be.