Wednesday, August 7, 2019

Take no prisoners

It's another meeting of the Insecure Writer's Support Group and so, like a criminal returning to the scene of the crime - here I am. For more info on this supportive group for us creative neurotics click the link.



Toni Morrison has died. I don't dare mourn her without sharing what that means with this group. When I think of her and her writing I think of her absolute bravery in refusing to be anybody but herself. When her novels were rejected by the writing establishment in the early days of her writing, she did not bend to become someone else. She knew that what she wrote was challenging to some and incendiary to many. She took no prisoners. Her writing and her living was a constant approach to those who wanted to sleep walk through the racial divide that was and is her country. She told it as she saw it and if people's feelings got hurt, well tough. I saw her call out a British journalist for her racist questions and you could see that journalist rethink her whole life in the moment before she talked again. In a moment she became Morrison's student, humbled and willing to look again. That is powerful. 

In my last post I talked about my feeling of not being a writer anymore. As I explained it didn't mean that I wouldn't write but that I felt the pull to drop the stuff around it. That is still true but I have since realized it wasn't all of the truth. Another part of this has been my stuckness around my novel Crooked Knife. I think my block with it has been that it centers around some issues that I feel so passionately about that I scared myself. What if it was too much - I've seen people's eyes glaze over when someone won't shut up about some social justice issues and I feared that reproach. As well, the story takes place for the most part on a reserve. Was I making hay out of the misery of a people? Was I stealing another people's story? And that is just a part of it - the story behind the story cannot end well. It already hasn't. This novel wouldn't change anyone's mind - or so I thought in those dark hours. 

About a week or so ago I began to see things differently. I saw that none of those were reasons not to tell the story. They might be reasons why no one would pick it up but that is not my concern. At least not now. I do not pretend to know things that I don't know. It is the story of a person like me who longs for the social inequities to end, who is passionate about the environment and for the children who inhabit dangerous places to have refuge. She is passionate and sometimes stupid. Like me. And I realized that I don't need to make excuses or wait for someone else to tell the story that I want to read. 

This is our precious life to use as we see fit. Thank you Toni Morrison.

12 comments:

Margot Kinberg said...

I've always admired Morrison's refusal to be anyone but herself, too, Jan. Her passing has made me think a lot about what sort of person I am and want to be. As for telling your story, I'm glad to hear you're drawn back to Crooked Knife. To me, that means it's a story that needs to be told, and you're the one to tell it. I wish you well as you go where it takes you.

Computer Tutor said...

I'm with you on your conclusions. While your theme may make some glaze over, it might empower others, knowing the right words to pick in their own arguments. The former may be a larger group, the latter a niche, but you'll have to decide if it fits your reasons for writing. Good luck!

Alex J. Cavanaugh said...

Don't worry about what others think - just write. You'll find those who agree with you.

Pat Garcia said...

Hi,

I want to say thank you for writing that Toni Morrison died. I really didn't know it because I have been so busy that I haven't even taken the opportunity to look at television and I am quite sure they announced it on German television. I don't know how many books I have written by Toni, but I do know I have a lot of them.

In reference to your own writing and your story Crooked Knife, I can only say stand up! Be yourself and write from the heart.
All the best.
Shalom aleichem,
Pat G @ EverythingMustChange

Liza said...

Oh my. I love this post. I think you HAVE to write with the passion in your heart. Please go for it. Write it all down. If it's too long, it can be cut, but get those feelings, those beliefs out on the page. IF you do,iIt will be real, true writing and I believe will be your very best.

L. Diane Wolfe said...

Oh wow! So powerful. You have to write that story.

Lynda R Young as Elle Cardy said...

Some stories just need to be written. It takes courage, but it has to be done.

Chrys Fey said...

Thank you for visiting my blog!

Tell the story you want to tell. And it's usually the ones that scares us that are worth the time. :)

Shannon Lawrence said...

I try to shut down that voice when it starts up telling me maybe no one wants to read this. I hope you're able to move forward and write what you want to write.

Toni Morrison is a great loss, but I'm glad she fought and got her works published.

Powdered Toast Man said...

You can never stop being a writer.

Alexa said...
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