Erik Broderson
1. A Storyteller's Shoptalk by Raymond Carver -
http://www.nytimes.com/books/01/01/21/specials/carver-shoptalk.html
This is a short piece that was written by Raymond Carver on February 15,
1981. Carver talks a little about his life and what factors influence his
writings, mostly alcohol. He also talks about his style and compares that with
many other authors of poetry, short stories, and novels. He talks about his
dislike of "trickery" in writing, how an author's style is theirs and
theirs alone, and his three by five cards. I think the best part of this article
is his sayings that Carver likes to put on three by five cards and then post in
conspicuous places to help him through his day. My favorite is "…and
suddenly everything became clear to him" a sentence from Chekhov. Not only
does this lead to the realization that things may be making sense, but it also
makes you think - What was unclear? Why weren't they clear before? Where are
they going now? This article tends to dig into a lot of the why on Carver's
style.
2. Bold Type: Poems by Raymond Carver -
http://www.randomhouse.com/boldtype/1098/carver/poem.html
It is said that when Carver is too out of it to concentrate on writing even a
short story, he turns his thoughts and ideas into poetry. This link takes you to
three poems that were written by Raymond Carver, The Current, Fear, and The
Scratch. Although everyone's interpretation of these poems may be different, the
one that I feel everyone can relate to is Fear. Carver talks of the fears that
he faces possibly every day of his life. The question that is left in my mind,
is are these fears what lead Carver to drink, or are they brought out more by
the fact that he drinks? Throughout everyone's life they may face the majority
of these fears.
Questions
· Why is Carver writing just short stories and why does he write occasional
poems?
· Do all of Carver's writings portray his life?
· Is Carver's improvement in writing related to his outlook on life?
· Is it true that a writer's style cannot be copied, that it is solely one
writer's?
· Is the current alcohol?
· Are these fears that Carver faces everyday when and are they what lead him to
drink?
|