Vee, have you ever read Julia Cameron's "The Artist's Way"? She talks about those in an artist's past who have encouraged them in their journey, and those who have discouraged them, and about the 'U turns' that can be caused by the wrong kind of criticism, or the right kind at the wrong time, and gives lots of exercises to do, food for thought, and inspiring quotes. You might enjoy it! -- I am sailing to Athens... Make voyages, attempt them! There is nothing else! ~ "Lord Byron", CAMINO REAL by Tennesee Williams ---------- >From: "Vee L. Housman" <housman@adelphia.net> >To: NYNIAGAR-L@rootsweb.com >Subject: A simple story I wrote-1942 >Date: Tue, Jan 16, 2001, 8:39 PM > > Dear Group, > > A number of you have let me know that you enjoy the stories that I post and > I know that a number of you have wondered if my talent for writing is a gift > or something that I've studied for years. No, I've ever studied the art of > writing but maybe the following will give you an inkling about how I viewed > the stories I wrote when I was a kid and how discouraged I was back then > when the teacher criticized a particular word I had used in a simple > story. Back then I never knew that I was a writer. > > * * * > > This is something that has been rankling me ever since I was in the sixth > grade. It has to do with a story I wrote for sixth grade English class on > October 1, 1942, and this evening I made a determined effort to dig up that > story just so that I could tell you about it. This evening I went upstairs > and after rummaging around in my old Navy foot locker where I store such > treasures, I finally found it in a scrap book that I had labled "School > Daze." I eventually found it in a folder made out of green construction > paper with the title of "Stories--Grade 6, Vee Housman." This is the simple > story I wrote: > > The Old and the New > > "Tell us a story, Grandfather," cried Sue and Jimmy, "about your experiences > at sea." > > "I've told you about all I know, but I guess there's a few I haven't told > you." > > "One bright October day a young friend of mine came to visit me in my > workshop. He wanted to show me a model airplane he had built. I could see > he spent a lot of time on it. He wanted to ask my advice. He said, 'Do you > think that my model airplane could win a prize at the hobby show?' I > answered, 'Yes.' The next day was the hobby show. Guess what! He won > first prize!" > > "Even if [the story] wasn't about the sea, it was still a nice story," Sue > said. > > "I think it was swell," Jimmy exclaimed. > > Now that was the end of the story. Of course I know that it didn't make > much sense and it didn't keep you spellbound! But what I've always > remembered about that story is what my sixth grade English teacher wrote in > red pencil when she corrected it. She had crossed out the word "swell" that > Jimmy had said and replaced it with "great." And that's when I got > upset--and I'm still upset!. As as an 11-year-old(?) kid I certainly knew > that it wasn't proper to use slang words. But I also knew that they were > commonly used. And when I wrote that little story . . . well that's the > word that I felt Jimmy would use. Hey, *I* didn't say it, JIMMY did! It > was part of the story. > > So if there are any English teachers out there who correct such simple > stories that your students write, be careful with your red pencils. You may > be stifling a future writer with real talent. Jimmy can say whatever he > damn well wants to. Don't shoot down the reporter with your red pencil! It > COULD be permanent! > > WHOOSH! I feel so much better after saying that after all of these years! > :-) > vee > > > > ==== NYNIAGAR Mailing List ==== > Were your ancestors in Niagara County by 1860? You might find their > names at <http://www.rootsweb.com/~nyniagar/extras/1860.html>, > transcribed from 1860 county maps! > >