So much here: I pain over these and strive for effortlessness - sometimes that happens more than other times, but I appreciate it seems that way!
Common eccentric enemy is a great way to put that and very true. I often don’t know if I’ll survive their (loving) disdain.
I missed your newsletter, is it archived?
The Fly is very fluid! Just gross. I do look forward to watching the original. Part of my process ideally would be all the time to do all the watching/reading I allude to :)
I took two years of German in college. Maybe if the frau taught us the turtle word I would have stuck with it!
Hey! I missed this because it was out of the thread. Sorry! Yes, they seem effortless. I'm sure mine didn't.
I'm glad you liked the "common eccentric enemy" phrase. I worried just a little I was overstepping a line with that, but it sure seemed to have some comic accuracy.
Oh The Fly is so gross. Cronenberg, what do you expect, I guess. I wish you could paid to watch all the movies and books and write these up. It would be worth it to the world!
Sitzfleisch is another one of my favorite German words. I've used it in coaching a lot. It's so great, and the Germans seem to be unique in their ability to put together compound words (like Leggos) to describe the difficult-to-describe. You take "sitzfleisch" apart it becomes "sitz" (sit) "fleisch" (flesh) - which is literally your butt, where you sit, and it means the ability to sit still and work on a project for a long time. If you're a writer you must have sitzfleisch! And zeitgeist: "zeit" = time and "geist" = ghost, literally meaning the ghost (or spirit) of the time. Isn't that just delightful? My German friend Elisabeth, who looked out for me in Berlin and sadly passed this year, gave me the word "Backpfeifengesicht," which means "a face in need of a fist." Now if only I could handle the grammar. It is, uh, challenging, as I'm sure you remember.
Okay, speaking of coaching, yes, a lot of my essays are archived. What I did was collect quotes and write a process essay from one of them every month. I kept it up until my novel came out, then I collapsed. Jen Michalski published them at JMWW. Here's a link to them in bulk:
oh oops, so much for typing from my phone - out of thread! It's a floater!
Sitzfleisch is awesome, I worry about this so much in my office/computer prone life. You make me think I need to do a German words post, or in general, a list of great words in other languages that dumb English should copy. I just went down a rabbit hole trying to find this Russian word my friend taught me once. Something that starts with M? Many syllables. Defines a woman known for her beautiful intellect! or something even more wonderful and specific...cannot locate. Thanks for sharing the essays which I'm sure I knew all along but I'm generally too worried about my sitzfleisch to read much online, ironically...
Oh, and one of my favorite German words that I can't forget from my wee two years was "selbsverstandlich" - it goes without saying.
I really, really loved Cronenberg's "The Fly." I still think of that when I think of really good horror films. Jeff Goldblum really made it work, and being in love with Geena Davis probably didn't hurt much.
Creepy and crawly today! I like it. The Kafka story was new to me.
I got all English majory here, but glad to introduce you to the Kafka. It's so weird how easily the poor guy as bug is just discarded. Nothing to see here!
Cronenberg's is very gross and fun, now I have to see the original.
Did you ever teach English anywhere? I think an English minor was maybe a 2ndary consideration for me in school. I came closer to a minor in art history, but I loved reading and writing, even back then.
I find myself enjoying more and more writing about those times for me, too. If I did something for a while 15 or 20 years ago, it's noteworthy and fun for me to revisit my state of mind back then, to sort of put myself in my old shoes. I'm a sucker for nostalgia these days, too.
Well that was fun, even if I can get skeeved out by bugs. Not their fault, of course. I honestly don't know how you write one of these a week. You're a much faster writer than I am. Were you ever signed up for my newsletter? I'd spend a whole month going over them before they were worth publishing. Yours always have a feeling of being effortless, though they're probably not. But maybe they are! I suspect you've given your daughters a great gift of being the common eccentric enemy for them so they might bond tightly. They will love you forever for this at a certain point, I wager. You're doing a fine job, Mom!
As far as "The Fly," I certainly respect Cronenberg's, though the fluids got to me at a certain point. My favorite is the one with Vincent Price, though it's not as intellectually challenging. Still, the scene at the end with The Fly with a human head, stuck in a spider web, and squeaking out to Vincent, "Help me, help me," just before the spider takes it's meal... Well, it's a special moment in a special movie. And Vincent Price is one of the coolest guys to walk the earth. All Hail Vincent Price!
Then there's the German stuff. Why do I think you'd love this language if you were properly exposed to it? Do you know it? I've been pretending to learn it for years. It fills me with delight. God I wish I could speak it with the fluency of a 3-year old. Wo ist mein handshuhe? Das ist kein sanktionierter Gedanke! Good times! Did you know the German word for turtle is "schildkröte." Which means, a toad with a shield. Isn't that totally adorbs?
So much here: I pain over these and strive for effortlessness - sometimes that happens more than other times, but I appreciate it seems that way!
Common eccentric enemy is a great way to put that and very true. I often don’t know if I’ll survive their (loving) disdain.
I missed your newsletter, is it archived?
The Fly is very fluid! Just gross. I do look forward to watching the original. Part of my process ideally would be all the time to do all the watching/reading I allude to :)
I took two years of German in college. Maybe if the frau taught us the turtle word I would have stuck with it!
You’re the best!
Hey! I missed this because it was out of the thread. Sorry! Yes, they seem effortless. I'm sure mine didn't.
I'm glad you liked the "common eccentric enemy" phrase. I worried just a little I was overstepping a line with that, but it sure seemed to have some comic accuracy.
Oh The Fly is so gross. Cronenberg, what do you expect, I guess. I wish you could paid to watch all the movies and books and write these up. It would be worth it to the world!
Sitzfleisch is another one of my favorite German words. I've used it in coaching a lot. It's so great, and the Germans seem to be unique in their ability to put together compound words (like Leggos) to describe the difficult-to-describe. You take "sitzfleisch" apart it becomes "sitz" (sit) "fleisch" (flesh) - which is literally your butt, where you sit, and it means the ability to sit still and work on a project for a long time. If you're a writer you must have sitzfleisch! And zeitgeist: "zeit" = time and "geist" = ghost, literally meaning the ghost (or spirit) of the time. Isn't that just delightful? My German friend Elisabeth, who looked out for me in Berlin and sadly passed this year, gave me the word "Backpfeifengesicht," which means "a face in need of a fist." Now if only I could handle the grammar. It is, uh, challenging, as I'm sure you remember.
Okay, speaking of coaching, yes, a lot of my essays are archived. What I did was collect quotes and write a process essay from one of them every month. I kept it up until my novel came out, then I collapsed. Jen Michalski published them at JMWW. Here's a link to them in bulk:
https://jmwwblog.wordpress.com/?s=Steve+Adams&submit=Search
And here's one that kind of stuck out:
https://jmwwblog.wordpress.com/2020/12/29/about-your-writing-the-third-thing/
You're the bester!
oh oops, so much for typing from my phone - out of thread! It's a floater!
Sitzfleisch is awesome, I worry about this so much in my office/computer prone life. You make me think I need to do a German words post, or in general, a list of great words in other languages that dumb English should copy. I just went down a rabbit hole trying to find this Russian word my friend taught me once. Something that starts with M? Many syllables. Defines a woman known for her beautiful intellect! or something even more wonderful and specific...cannot locate. Thanks for sharing the essays which I'm sure I knew all along but I'm generally too worried about my sitzfleisch to read much online, ironically...
Oh, and one of my favorite German words that I can't forget from my wee two years was "selbsverstandlich" - it goes without saying.
But of course!
I love such words. Here's one more: "handshuhe" = hand shoe = glove. If your stuffy teacher had told y'all about these you would've had more interest!
I think you found your calling!
: D
I really, really loved Cronenberg's "The Fly." I still think of that when I think of really good horror films. Jeff Goldblum really made it work, and being in love with Geena Davis probably didn't hurt much.
Creepy and crawly today! I like it. The Kafka story was new to me.
I got all English majory here, but glad to introduce you to the Kafka. It's so weird how easily the poor guy as bug is just discarded. Nothing to see here!
Cronenberg's is very gross and fun, now I have to see the original.
Very Kafka-esque of you. just kidding!
Did you ever teach English anywhere? I think an English minor was maybe a 2ndary consideration for me in school. I came closer to a minor in art history, but I loved reading and writing, even back then.
I taught creative writing at NYU actually. Loved it. My essay on shapes here was part of one of my "lectures"
Damn, that sounds like a lot of fun! Write about it some time soon for me?
Oooh sure. I miss teaching so talking about it would be fun
I find myself enjoying more and more writing about those times for me, too. If I did something for a while 15 or 20 years ago, it's noteworthy and fun for me to revisit my state of mind back then, to sort of put myself in my old shoes. I'm a sucker for nostalgia these days, too.
Well that was fun, even if I can get skeeved out by bugs. Not their fault, of course. I honestly don't know how you write one of these a week. You're a much faster writer than I am. Were you ever signed up for my newsletter? I'd spend a whole month going over them before they were worth publishing. Yours always have a feeling of being effortless, though they're probably not. But maybe they are! I suspect you've given your daughters a great gift of being the common eccentric enemy for them so they might bond tightly. They will love you forever for this at a certain point, I wager. You're doing a fine job, Mom!
As far as "The Fly," I certainly respect Cronenberg's, though the fluids got to me at a certain point. My favorite is the one with Vincent Price, though it's not as intellectually challenging. Still, the scene at the end with The Fly with a human head, stuck in a spider web, and squeaking out to Vincent, "Help me, help me," just before the spider takes it's meal... Well, it's a special moment in a special movie. And Vincent Price is one of the coolest guys to walk the earth. All Hail Vincent Price!
Then there's the German stuff. Why do I think you'd love this language if you were properly exposed to it? Do you know it? I've been pretending to learn it for years. It fills me with delight. God I wish I could speak it with the fluency of a 3-year old. Wo ist mein handshuhe? Das ist kein sanktionierter Gedanke! Good times! Did you know the German word for turtle is "schildkröte." Which means, a toad with a shield. Isn't that totally adorbs?
Carry on!