Thank you for this reinforcement, Courtney and Marie-Helene!
This quote brings me back full circle to how I first learned of Bertino’s writing. I read Parakeet after hearing about her from Sabrina Orah Mark in her journaling workshop (and have since also read Beautyland, which I adore).
Marie-Helene’s advice—“Cultivate what you notice and why….You’re… learning how to notice and find the creatively fertile detail, to know what it even is to be the matter of writing, to the be the stuff of writing….Note taking is extremely important and counts as writing, walking around the world noticing and keeping track of what you’re noticing. You’re keeping an intimate and steady relationship with what you think about things. That’s not extra to writing; that IS your writing. Developing these things in lists or gratitude lists or journal entries or notebook observations every day, that is how you find your voice somewhere, in there.”
Which is what we did in Sabrina’s workshop, and that I practice daily. But in this practice and mixup of morning pages I sometimes forget to use this goldmine.
I loved this interview so much that I had to go find a book by Marie-Helene Bertino. 2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas was the first one I got my hands on (I'm on the library waiting list for Beautyland). Give it a try! I just wrote about it in my latest newsletter for "The Readerly Writer" (maybe check it out?). Discovering new authors is such a huge perk to this online literary community. :)
I listened to and loved this conversation so much, a great complement to the First Pages workshop I attended last night. I scribbled a ton of notes from what Marie-Helene said, including, "Every decision you make on the page is part of voice." (Interiority, dialogue, exposition). That voice is linked to the author's confidence, belief in oneself. That in order to get really brave on the page we may have to remind ourselves we don't have to show what we've written to anyone. I liked hearing about her superstition not to have the work of other authors on her desk as she writes. I, too, like the cleanest possible space when I am creating. No other books or clutter, just me and the right playlist:-) I appreciated her encouraging us to look at what we might be avoiding as a clue to identifying voice--that which we most fear may be the very thing that reveals voice the most. That quote she shared from Virginia Woolf on the "creatively fertile detail." Noted! Also inspired by her suggestion of art dates and the constant presence of a journal for taking notes about what we see, think, observe, and feel about all of it. Her phrase about "writing too thin" because you're just trying to get the page written to get to the next page and so on and her practice of reading aloud those slowest, least loved parts and reworking them until they become her favorite parts. Pure gold! And finally, she made me pull my not-yet-read volume of 2023 O. Henry stories edited by Lauren Groff to have a crash course in voice in the most efficient way possible, through the short story. So...wow! Just wow. So rich. Thanks Courtney and Marie-Helene. This was a masterclass in voice.
Thanks for posting! I liked both Courtney’s comparison of graphing a paragraph like sheet music and Marie's comment that taking notes and observing counts as writing. I will be sharing those ideas with my high school student-writers.
This interview was worth staying up past my bedtime! Thank you for posting it, conducting it, and as you noted - keeping it short and digestible so we can all get back to writing our weird stories. I ordered up Beautyland and Parakeet before the interview and I’m congratulating myself on this stroke of genius. I know I’m in for a treat.
Also, as someone in a mild panic about how to have a sufficient, non embarrassing, website, Marie-Helene’s is just a soothing delight. Until I read her long bio there, I thought long bios were 0% useful. Now that I’ve read hers, I’m even more excited that her books are coming my way. It’s hilarious. http://www.mariehelenebertino.com/marie-helene/
Best wishes for smooth recovery. I had sinus surgery almost 4 years ago. Major quality of life improvement.
Wonderful & affirming interview. Later I found a long-forgotten gem on my bookshelf: in faux silver, it reads, "Be a Voice, not an Echo." Some things need to be heard and seen to finally "get."
What a lovely interview! The idea of observing how you observe the world to help develop voice --!!! Thank you, Courtney, for your time and energy and finding such a stella guest. Reading Beautyland now and sending you healing vibes.
OK, there were so many great pull quotes from Marie-Helene, but the one that jumped out and stuck was around reading or hearing feedback on your writing. "Put on your Superwoman reflective bracelets..." I'm going to carry this image with me for more than just criticism of writing! "Shazam!!"(as I throw my Superwoman arms across my chest to ward off the any evil juju!)
Having ventured into video and interviews and being tech challenged myself, Courtney, I was laughing along with you as you were trying to be "profesh" with your signs. Keep it real is what I say!! And your interview from the couch was definitely that. I look forward to more.
I'm in Canada, so I know I don't qualify for the give away, but thank-you for introducing me to Marie-Helene. I'm looking forward to reading her work. Also, as I'm in my own writing bootcamp at the moment I appreciate her reading recommendations at the end. More to add to my growing list.
I hope your recovery goes well. Have been thinking about you this week!
Thank you so much for this, Courtney and Marie. Courtney, you have such a gift of distilling and magnifying meaning from what you read, and your sheet music analogy really resonated. It made me realize something about myself that I'd never before considered. I was a trained opera singer (in my 20s) who never learned to read music. Instead, I sang by ear, by recording, by imitation. I realized today that I write and read the same way. I regret now (in my 50s) that I never learned to read music--it would have made my vocal experiences and performances so much richer. So, I'm committing to read and write with more examination, thoughtfulness, and inspection. I trust that it will open up new worlds for my voice and my writing in general. I'm getting my colored pencils ready, and I've already ordered Beautyland, The Best American Short Stories (2023), and the The Best American Essays (2023) to begin.
P.S. I loved you keeping your inaugural "Craft from the Couch" 100% profesh. Hope you're healing well. :)
I love this ! Thank you so much for sharing. You can still learn to read music, too! It's so rewarding. I used to be a very serous piano player and my music reading skills are incredibly rusty-- I will also commit to building that fluency back!
This was such a great interview! I’m hobbled after knees surgery and sore song time with both of you felt like visiting with good friends. Good friends who are lovely kind and whip smart 😊
Thank you for this reinforcement, Courtney and Marie-Helene!
This quote brings me back full circle to how I first learned of Bertino’s writing. I read Parakeet after hearing about her from Sabrina Orah Mark in her journaling workshop (and have since also read Beautyland, which I adore).
Marie-Helene’s advice—“Cultivate what you notice and why….You’re… learning how to notice and find the creatively fertile detail, to know what it even is to be the matter of writing, to the be the stuff of writing….Note taking is extremely important and counts as writing, walking around the world noticing and keeping track of what you’re noticing. You’re keeping an intimate and steady relationship with what you think about things. That’s not extra to writing; that IS your writing. Developing these things in lists or gratitude lists or journal entries or notebook observations every day, that is how you find your voice somewhere, in there.”
Which is what we did in Sabrina’s workshop, and that I practice daily. But in this practice and mixup of morning pages I sometimes forget to use this goldmine.
It’s exactly that, a goldmine! Thank you so much for watching and listening.
I loved this interview so much that I had to go find a book by Marie-Helene Bertino. 2 A.M. at the Cat's Pajamas was the first one I got my hands on (I'm on the library waiting list for Beautyland). Give it a try! I just wrote about it in my latest newsletter for "The Readerly Writer" (maybe check it out?). Discovering new authors is such a huge perk to this online literary community. :)
Love Loyd Alexander’s Black Caldron series!!! So good!! One of my favorite book series as a kid. Love, love, love!
I listened to and loved this conversation so much, a great complement to the First Pages workshop I attended last night. I scribbled a ton of notes from what Marie-Helene said, including, "Every decision you make on the page is part of voice." (Interiority, dialogue, exposition). That voice is linked to the author's confidence, belief in oneself. That in order to get really brave on the page we may have to remind ourselves we don't have to show what we've written to anyone. I liked hearing about her superstition not to have the work of other authors on her desk as she writes. I, too, like the cleanest possible space when I am creating. No other books or clutter, just me and the right playlist:-) I appreciated her encouraging us to look at what we might be avoiding as a clue to identifying voice--that which we most fear may be the very thing that reveals voice the most. That quote she shared from Virginia Woolf on the "creatively fertile detail." Noted! Also inspired by her suggestion of art dates and the constant presence of a journal for taking notes about what we see, think, observe, and feel about all of it. Her phrase about "writing too thin" because you're just trying to get the page written to get to the next page and so on and her practice of reading aloud those slowest, least loved parts and reworking them until they become her favorite parts. Pure gold! And finally, she made me pull my not-yet-read volume of 2023 O. Henry stories edited by Lauren Groff to have a crash course in voice in the most efficient way possible, through the short story. So...wow! Just wow. So rich. Thanks Courtney and Marie-Helene. This was a masterclass in voice.
I couldn't agree more-- she is a goldmine of advice!
Thanks for posting! I liked both Courtney’s comparison of graphing a paragraph like sheet music and Marie's comment that taking notes and observing counts as writing. I will be sharing those ideas with my high school student-writers.
Oh marvelous! I'm glad you enjoyed.
This interview was worth staying up past my bedtime! Thank you for posting it, conducting it, and as you noted - keeping it short and digestible so we can all get back to writing our weird stories. I ordered up Beautyland and Parakeet before the interview and I’m congratulating myself on this stroke of genius. I know I’m in for a treat.
Also, as someone in a mild panic about how to have a sufficient, non embarrassing, website, Marie-Helene’s is just a soothing delight. Until I read her long bio there, I thought long bios were 0% useful. Now that I’ve read hers, I’m even more excited that her books are coming my way. It’s hilarious. http://www.mariehelenebertino.com/marie-helene/
Best wishes for smooth recovery. I had sinus surgery almost 4 years ago. Major quality of life improvement.
MHB is a phenom. Thanks for this interview!
Wonderful & affirming interview. Later I found a long-forgotten gem on my bookshelf: in faux silver, it reads, "Be a Voice, not an Echo." Some things need to be heard and seen to finally "get."
Love that!
Great interview! Loved Marie's insights on voice, and I love how you keep it real and relatable, Courtney. A wonderful inaugural episode!
Thank you!
Everyone is horny that it’s spring.
What a lovely interview! The idea of observing how you observe the world to help develop voice --!!! Thank you, Courtney, for your time and energy and finding such a stella guest. Reading Beautyland now and sending you healing vibes.
Thank you Carol, and thank you for watching!
Courtney, I feel seen- I looked at the sun too much too!
OK, there were so many great pull quotes from Marie-Helene, but the one that jumped out and stuck was around reading or hearing feedback on your writing. "Put on your Superwoman reflective bracelets..." I'm going to carry this image with me for more than just criticism of writing! "Shazam!!"(as I throw my Superwoman arms across my chest to ward off the any evil juju!)
Having ventured into video and interviews and being tech challenged myself, Courtney, I was laughing along with you as you were trying to be "profesh" with your signs. Keep it real is what I say!! And your interview from the couch was definitely that. I look forward to more.
I'm in Canada, so I know I don't qualify for the give away, but thank-you for introducing me to Marie-Helene. I'm looking forward to reading her work. Also, as I'm in my own writing bootcamp at the moment I appreciate her reading recommendations at the end. More to add to my growing list.
I hope your recovery goes well. Have been thinking about you this week!
"Everyone IS horny for spring." :)
Thank you so much for watching! xo
Thank you so much for this, Courtney and Marie. Courtney, you have such a gift of distilling and magnifying meaning from what you read, and your sheet music analogy really resonated. It made me realize something about myself that I'd never before considered. I was a trained opera singer (in my 20s) who never learned to read music. Instead, I sang by ear, by recording, by imitation. I realized today that I write and read the same way. I regret now (in my 50s) that I never learned to read music--it would have made my vocal experiences and performances so much richer. So, I'm committing to read and write with more examination, thoughtfulness, and inspection. I trust that it will open up new worlds for my voice and my writing in general. I'm getting my colored pencils ready, and I've already ordered Beautyland, The Best American Short Stories (2023), and the The Best American Essays (2023) to begin.
P.S. I loved you keeping your inaugural "Craft from the Couch" 100% profesh. Hope you're healing well. :)
I love this ! Thank you so much for sharing. You can still learn to read music, too! It's so rewarding. I used to be a very serous piano player and my music reading skills are incredibly rusty-- I will also commit to building that fluency back!
Oy. Spell check is not so smart. ! Should be spending time - not sore song ??!!
This was such a great interview! I’m hobbled after knees surgery and sore song time with both of you felt like visiting with good friends. Good friends who are lovely kind and whip smart 😊
Thank you so much for watching! My autocorrect is the worst, whenever I write someone about a "blurb" it gives me "blub" instead.