For Christmas my wife Cathy, gave me a beautiful leather journal by Oberon Design of Santa Rosa, California. The one she selected was the forest pattern.Cathy said one of the reasons she selected this one was that she liked the historical note on the significance of the forest:
Forest - The forest is a refuge. In this realm of green half light one cannot define distance, only the mystery of the moment, the discovery of what is near but hidden. In human history the forest has always represented the psyche, a place of unknown dangers or initiations. It is a safe and beautiful place for those at ease with solitude and quiet, the hermit or forest dwellers, friends of creatures great and small.
I too found this this interesting. Certainly writing poetry often is about discovery and finding the hidden inner voice. At any rate, it is indeed a gift I will get much use out of as well as treasure. The journal allows for inserts so once it is full, I can simply pull the old one and replace it with the new one. I have found in recent times I am starting more of my first drafts with pen and paper as opposed to on beginning them on the computer. This of course lends itself well to that practice.
This causes me to wonder how many poets still utilize pen and paper for early drafts as opposed to computer. What are some of of the favorite utensils of poets for creating their work?
2 comments:
Lucky you, that's a beautiful journal!!
As for still using pen and paper, I still do for everything. I can't remember the last time I wrote a first draft on the computer. There something about holding a pen and watching the poem appear on a piece of paper. Also I think you are force to revise, just do the fact it doesn't look finish yet.
Cathy
www.thequietpoet.net (my main blog)
Yes, absolutely gorgeous journal. Your wife has lovely taste.
Pen/pencil and paper always for drafting. It slows the mind with more deliberate rhythyms and more fluid patterns on the page. That said, I've also written drafts or a few lines (a). in crayon, (b). in the snow with a stick, and (c). with an eyeliner pencil. Desperation is the genesis of creativity. :)
Editing, now that's where a computer comes in handy.
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