Hello, Word Artists and Admirers! I had been chatting with Magaly the other day about recent reads and interesting quotes. She told me about My Life as a Goddard Movie by Joanna Walsh. It's an essay about beauty, desire, and revolution inspired by the work of Swedish film maker Jean-Luc Godard. One particular quote seemed very ripe for exploration:
“The most expensive garment you’ll ever own is your own flesh.”
So for this week's optional prompt, I shall be asking you to take some inspiration that quote. As always, prose and poetry are welcome, as is fiction and non-fiction. Just please be sure to keep your pieces to 369 words or fewer, and one post per person.
Next week, we’ll invite you to write about “food as ritual”.
How is life treating you, in these dramatic and disconcerting times?
There is much to hate about the world we live in, and also there is still much to love. Even in regard to one’s own tiny life, both surely apply.
These thoughts arose from seeing this on social media recently (evidently the great SF author Ray Bradbury was asked for advice on how to find subject matter):
So that suggested to me your optional prompt this week. Only, even though he does mention both poems and short stories, ten would be a lot in a short piece of writing! The way it’s worded sounds as if he means you to use all ten at once – even though he used only one of each in Fahrenheit 451, and that's a novel.
Well, perhaps he really meant only one love and one hate per each poem or story. In any case, I think we could manage three, particularly if they’re related (though they need not be). But then, you may not wish to tangle love and hate together, in which case you may choose either.
To help your inspiration, here is a poem by Caitlin Johnstone, read by her husband Tim Foley, in which she masterfully entangles things she hates and loves.
To recap:
Optional prompt: Three things you hate (which may or may not be related) and tear them down, and/or three things you love and celebrate them.
Guidelines:
Poetry or prose, old or new, on prompt or not, one post per person,
369-word limit (excluding title and notes). Please also read others and
leave encouraging comments. You are welcome to leave comments here too.
Next week: We will
invite you to find inspiration in this quote: “The
most expensive garment you’ll ever own is your own flesh.”
