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Everyone has been so good to take me up on my invitation to ask questions and make comments on EXPOSED! both here at the site and through exposedwriters@hotmail.com. You have the luxury of seeing the comments posted here, but the email questions you don't. I try to answer them as I can, but sometimes time constraints get the better of me.
In the spirit of freedom of Crowe's press :), I am instituting a new feature by including one reader question or comment at the conclusion of each column. I will try to select things that are of universal interest or suggestions and it will not be vehicle for me to answer personal questions ...which I try to do via email. I will maintain every questioner's privacy so that people feel free to say what they think.
Enough of that...I give you that for which you came...the wisdom of Spudley...
Q: Spudley, You live in southern England. What makes southern England a great place to live?
A: I haven't always lived in England. I spent the best part of the nineties living in South Africa, and I have to tell you that that for all it's faults, SA is a much nicer place to live than Southern England. England is nice enough, but after Africa I find it a bit soulless.
Q: Your website, www.badpuns.com is so entertaining. What is the draw of the pun for you? It is an art form that requires some measure of sharpness by the reader and being well-read if not formally educated. Have you found that puns go over the heads of some people?
A: I've always had an eye for words, whether it's puns and jokes or stories and poetry. Words are my thing; it's as simple as that. I find writing a pun is almost like writing a story: you have to think of both ends at once, and find ways to tie them together. It's makes for a good mental exercise, if nothing else. The site is a hobby - I do it for it's own sake, and I get a lot of enjoyment out of it - but it's also really gratifying to get messages from people who've visited. If it can give someone a smile, then it was worth making. Some of the site's biggest fans are English teachers. I've had a surprising number of emails from teachers thanking me for helping make their subject fun, and to me that really does make it worthwhile.
As for the draw of the pun? Well, I've always said that a good pun is it's own reword. (sorry... I couldn't resist it!)
Q: You are a talented cartoonist, in addition to being a writer... The cartoon on your website, "The Great Choral Leaf" made me laugh so hard ..is it something you would like to pursue professionally?
A. Thanks for the compliment. I'll be honest: I really don't see myself as talented with my comics. I've improved over time, that's for sure, but I've got a long way to go before I would feel talented. I look at the skills of some of the other artists on my site, and others that I know, and I can't compete. But I do enjoy drawing them. And there are some puns that are simply crying out to be drawn.
Q: Your poem Rime of the Ancient Christmas Traditions, in the vein of Samuel Coleridge's Kubla Khan and your poem Flooding of the River Stix took a lot a work, and you did a great job...how does research and knowing the classics help a writer in the modern penning of their work?
A: Classics aren't simply called that because they're old; they are works that were so good in their time that they embedded themselves in their society, and even into the English language. Shakespeare invented dozens of words that we use now without even thinking about them. To know the classics is to know the language. And as I said, words are my thing. That said, I haven't read nearly as much classical literature as I would like. It's about time I started reading them again.
Q: Your poem Three is brilliant and, threesomes notwithstanding, (sorry, I couldn't help myself after reading the pun site) where does the idea for something like that come from?
A: Truly, I have no idea. This one, as with several others of my favorites just popped into my head without any warning. This is why I always carry a notebook, and I also keep one beside my bed to catch any stray brainwaves. Once I've got an idea, I usually roll it around my head a bit before putting a poem together, but the idea itself is often an instantaneous flash of inspiration.
Q: Your Kiss a Poem...is a poetic description of what to DO with poetry...define "poetry" for me...the Spudley definition of good poetry.
A: Wow. Tough question! Poetry is so broad, it's almost beyond definition, but for my money poetry is simply what happens when a writer plays with his words. Good poetry is even harder to define. I honestly don't know how to start, except to say that I know it when I read it, because it reaches out and touches the soul.
Q: Flicking Channels is a great snapshot of the channel surfer, with a message. Does the "state of the world" impact your writing and do writers have a responsibility to address the state of the world in their writing?
A: Flicking Channels was intended to be a much more playful poem than it turned out. I'm not usually a channel hopper, but that one afternoon the TV was particularly bad, and I did flick around a bit.
The state of the world impacts my writing only in as much as if something inspires me to write, then I will write it. I believe that a writer's responsibility is to write. Nothing else; just write about what moves you. If you're moved by politics, then write about politics. If you're moved by romance, then write that. Above all, write. And write from your heart. I believe this is why so many people fail to be writers, because they try to write about things that are not the things on their hearts.
Q: Your poem Worrying About Death is a clever narrative on one person's journey to address the issue. You say in your last line that death is just a part of the journey.and you also wrote lyrics for a Christian song Sailing With the Lord. so I am reasonably certain that you believe in an afterlife, eternity, heaven...what is eternity going to be like...the Spudley commentary on heaven?
A: I've written several Christian songs, but I've only posted the one here. I am a Christian, but I'm a very shy one. It's strange; my normal writing I post here without a second thought, but I'm very nervous of posting my Christian stuff here (and I'm constantly impressed by people like Jeannie for posting hers so often). I'm sure I'll get the courage to post some more here eventually, though.
For me, trying to imagine heaven is a bit like trying to imagine a four-dimensional cube - my brain just can't quite wrap itself around the idea. I think about it, and the answers alway seems to be just tantalizingly out of reach. I get just enough of a glimpse of God to renew my faith.
Q: In some of your poetry you use contemporary pop-culture references...does using pop-culture references in poetry limit its shelf life?
A: All writing is contemporary in it's own time. If you read Shakespeare, it is full of contemporary references. And the science and society of Jules Vernes' novels are obviously very dated now, but they are still being read avidly today. What makes a piece of writing timeless is not the cultural references, but the quality of the writing itself.
Q: Your short story, A Glimpse of His Face, almost has an O. Henry ending...and it was a write off entry. How do write-off's make you a better writer...what challenges do they present...how do they test your skills? (I want more people to enter)
A: The write-offs are fantastic fun - a real adrenaline rush! When I do a write-off, I just take the starter and start writing. I let the characters do their own thing, and I just keep writing, and hope that an ending shows itself. I have no idea how the story will end until I've written about three quarters of it. It hasn't failed me yet, but it is a technique that does inspire a certain amount of fear.
I agree with you - I wish more people would do them - they really are great fun.... I just hope I haven't put anyone off! :-)
Q:: The short story Homecoming has every element of a good short story. Take me through what makes a great short story stand out from an "ok" short story...
A: Ah, Homecoming. I love that story. In a short story, I think the real key is the ending. A weak ending spoils the whole story. A good story will have a catchy opening, good characters, and be well written. But to be a really great story, it has to finish well.
Q: In one of your replies to comments on The Bath, a very clever and humorous diatribe on everyday life, you mentioned you were developing a character for a book... how is that book coming, and share please...
A: That particular book is on ice at the moment. The character is great, but he was very free-willed; I had trouble controlling him in a full length story, so I put him aside to work on other stuff. I've got another book which is going along fairly well, but now that you mention it, now might be a good time to revisit this character - I've left him long enough.
Q: Your article Fighting the Real Software Pirates brings up the issues of criminal stealing of copyrighted material, file-sharing and piracy. ...does the English government handle these issues differently than the U.S. government? How can a writer protect his written material posted on the internet?
A: The music industry is owned by international corporations, so their desire to control their product goes beyond national borders. The UK copyright laws are roughly equivalent to the US, but it isn't the laws or the government, or even the corporations that determine how the issues are handled; it's society. In the US, legal action of the type that the RIAA is using is taken for granted. British culture simply doesn't have that litigious streak (though it is heading that way). That is the only reason the local equivalent to the RIAA hasn't been doing the same things here - if the UK industry acted that way, they would be utterly demolished in the press.
As for writers protecting material on the internet: it can't be done. The nature of the internet precludes the idea of physically protecting your work. The fact that you are reading this means that it has been saved to your computer, and that means you have a copy of it. Legally, my writing is protected by copyright laws, but physically there is nothing I can do to prevent you from stealing it, any more than I can prevent you from photocopying a printed book.
Q: Miscarriage of Justice is a powerful poem which is a commentary on social apathy. Another poem The Hollow Sound is also a social commentary...is that how you choose to "rant"...through poetry? You don’t write many rants
A: I tried a rant here once (Late Trains), but it didn't come out all that well, and I haven't done any more since. I'm not good at getting angry in the way that you need for a rant. I find that the stronger I feel about something, the harder it is to write about in prose. I guess I just find it much easier to express myself through poetry.
Q: Talk to me about flash fiction. It is not an area I am too familiar with. Does it have rules? Where is it's place in literature?
A: Flash fiction is simply the ultimate short story - a hundred words, give or take, sometimes even less, building up a description of scene or a character or an event. That's all there is to it really. They're good fun to write, though. I had an English teacher who called them "nuggets". She used to get us to write them in class as an exercise. Some of the others in the class hated it, but I loved it.
To me, they're more of a writing exercise than a literary form, but that's probably because of my experience of them in school. But I've been amazed more than once by some fantastic pieces of flash fiction on this site (JohnLibertus has written some good ones), and I'm coming to appreciate the form more and more.
Q: Your review of the stage production of The Lion King impressed me because you expected less than nothing and came away with something. What element do Disney productions have that makes them so universally well received?
A: This is the only Disney stage show I've seen, so I can't comment much on that. I have a problem with Disney as a corporation in recent years: they've been focusing on profit over and above product, and their quality has slipped badly as a result. A lot of their older work is truly universal though. What made them great was that the artists cared about their work. This is fundamental to all art, including writing - you have to care about what you're creating. If you do, it will show through, and add that little sparkle that puts it above the others.
Q: Your poem Crows is excellent...was it a social commentary as well? And are you a crow or a sparrow?
A: Yes. One of my more deliberate and less subtle social commentaries! :-)
If it's a choice between the two, I'm the sparrow. But really I see myself more out to the side; watching the fight, but not getting involved. Like the garden cat watching the birds on the lawn (only without the catlike thoughts of eating them).
Q: Your poem I'll Be Fine...puts a brave face on one in peril. If there is a mask on Spudley...is the writing and the art a way to lift it up a little?
A: We all wear our masks, and even though I try to keep it as transparent as possible, I'm still guilty of wearing it. I chose what to post and what not to post, so you're not getting the whole picture by any means. There's a whole lot of poems and stories hidden away in my folders and notebooks, and a lot of them will probably never be published or posted anywhere. But I do try.
Q: Grey Paint is a goody! Is censorship in any form acceptable to you? Is there a line? Do we, as a society let others decide what is destructive and what is not?
A: There is always a place for censorship. The internet is doing it's best to show us what a world without censorship would be like, and it's not very pleasant in places. However, censorship by it's nature must be based on the common consensus, and done for the common good. Censoring things that the majority of people want to read is futile - they say that the quickest way to make a book into a best seller is to ban it. Society as a whole must decide what should be banned.
Q: Your poem Computers, And How to Sell Them mentions the strengths of different computer systems, which brings up an interesting question about publishing...how has "internet" publishing impacted the publishing industry?
A: As far as I can see, the publishing industry has reacted fairly well to the internet. Most magazines and newspapers have online editions, and the format seems to be settling in nicely. The internet has also opened the way for thousands of small publishers to open up shop. Where previously, if you wanted to produce a literary magazine you had to spend time typesetting it and printing it, and then distributing and selling it, now all you have to do is create a web site and put some poetry on it, and you've got an "Online Literary Journal". 95% of them aren't worth the time of day - they simply don't have an audience. The remaining few are good, but hard to find, and even harder to get published in.
And then there are sites like Lit.org. This is where the internet excels. An old fashioned writing circle could never give you this sort of breadth of interaction with writers from around the world.
Books are an entirely different proposition. People just aren't willing to read books on a computer screen, and I can't see that changing for some time yet. Which means that book publishers have hardly had to adapt at all. I'm sure their time will come, but not yet.
Q: One of my favorites A Little Lamb moves me to ask your thoughts about the environment, little furry animals, etc.. Does change in society emanate from the arts?
A: Saving the environment really isn't about furry animals. By the time the furry animals need protecting the environment is already in serious trouble. But in the long term, if we mess things up badly enough, we'll destroy ourselves long before we destroy the planet. Life will recover, even if we don't. So the real reason for environmentalism is self preservation. If we think we're protecting the planet, we're simply being arrogant: what we're protecting is ourselves. But the way we're going, we need all the protection we can get.
Art can change society - truly profound works do have the power to affect people deeply - but I think most art reflects society rather than changing it.
Q: Heightened emotion, whether pain or love...are they the writer's fodder? Are they your fodder? If not, take me to your fodder...:)
A: Words are my thing. But there's a lot more to it than just that: A word is not just a collection of letters; a word means something, it has an emotional content and a dynamism that can't be described. Just playing with words, I can come up with combinations that inspire me. They're magical things, words.
Q: Select your favorite piece published at lit.org and give me the scoop on why it is your favorite...
A: That's easy. Miscarriage of Justice. Miscarriage is the only poem I've ever written that brought me to tears while I was writing it. It may not be the best poem I've ever written technically, but it is my favorite, for that reason.
Q: Back-story inevitability...Select something you have written and give us every juicy bit of the back-story...
A: You've picked most of the best ones already, but I'll try to pick one you haven't mentioned... Revenge. I wrote this poem after an incident between some friends of mine, which left everyone involved feeling very bitter. I wasn't directly involved, but I did get to hear both sides of the story. There was a lot of anger between them, and a lot of emotion got thrown in my direction. I wrote this poem as a way to redirect some of it, and to express how I felt about their feelings.
Q: Where do you want to be in five years with your writing and art?
A: I've had a little bit of joy with publishing small pieces here and there in obscure places, but I would truly love to get published by someone with a recognizable name. Something I can look at and say "yes, I've got somewhere." But the most important thing for me and my writing is that I just keep writing, and that I keep writing honestly and from the heart. If ever I find myself writing and not enjoying it, I'll know it's time to hang up my pen for a while. Here's hoping that never happens.
Cornered! Rapid-fire want to knows:
Q: You can go anywhere in the universe for a year. Take six people (living or dead) with you ...and where are you going?
A: I have three friends who are very close to me that would have to come along. I won't mention names; they know who they are. :-) After that, Nelson Mandela, Albert Einstein and Saint Peter.
Q: Favorite non-fiction work
A: Tuesdays With Morrie, by Mitch Albom
Q: Favorite fiction work
A: My favorite story of all time is "Nightfall", by Isaac Asimov.
Q: Favorite poem
A: I know, I'm supposed to say Wordsworth or Coleridge here, or someone like that. And yes, I do love them - they're great poets. But the very best poem I've ever read anywhere was right here at Lit.org. "Belsen", by cats3000. Wordsworth may have written more, but I honestly don't think he ever wrote anything as powerful as this.
Q: Your most recent “play list”....(Kind of music you like)
A: Yikes. I've got such a varied list I don't know where to start. I have a soft spot for a well played piano, but really I listen to almost anything musical. There's a few South African bands I could point you towards who are very good, though: Johnny Clegg & Savuka, Ladysmith Black Mambaso, Watershed. All worth listening to if you can get hold of them.
Q: Pet peeves in others writing
A: "Unconventional" punctuation. Whether it's an exclamation point at the end of every line, or a five thousand word story without any full stops, or a comma, between, every, word, or any number of other punctuation disasters. It doesn't matter how good your writing is - if I can't read it because it's such a mess, I won't ever find out.
Q: If I could ban one show from TV it would be....
A: I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here" - gah! cringe! cringe! (you do have that in the US, don't you?) (ed note: If we do, I have missed it...lol)
Q: The best movie I ever saw was....
A. Aliens.
I want to thank Spudley very much for taking his time (and staying up late :)) to be EXPOSED! If the creek don't rise and the gods are smiling...Hazelfaern will be in the hotseat next week!
Claire
Reader's question/comment:
Q: I've noticed the interviews are becoming an in depth conversation about the author's writing, and it's becoming tedious. If I am telling you this others are thinking it. You are doing far too much research and not allowing the interview to flow. Do you get my drift?
A: I do get your drift, and it has been my intention, from the beginning, to try and bring more of the writer to the reader. My only vehicle to do that is their writing because I don't know them other than by their published work. I'll see if I can be a little more clever and get to the good stuff without becoming Ted Casablanca. :) Report back to let me know how I'm doing.
Until next time,
Claire
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EXPOSED! at lit.org (williamhill)
