The Slice of Life Challenge is hosted by the inspirational writers of Two Writing Teachers. Each March, they invite people to join them in a commitment to write every day. Here's to another year of daily slicing!
I spent Sunday doing a lot of work for the creative writing program I am taking, as well as my Sunday night writing group. All day, I was pretty immersed in reading and writing. One of my favorite lines I came across was in John Gardner's book The Art of Fiction where he quoted Robert Frost as saying:
"I never write exercises, but sometimes I write poems which fail and then I call them exercises."Good to know that even Robert Frost sometimes wrote poems that failed--or were they exercises? I hope this quote makes others smile, as it made me laugh out loud!
Happy Slicing,
Melanie, Yes it is good to know that Robert Frost failed. But of course he did! He was human. Still it gives me hope when I try to write a poem. Thank you for your inspirational post.
ReplyDeleteMelanie, Yes it is good to know that Robert Frost failed. But of course he did! He was human. Still it gives me hope when I try to write a poem. Thank you for your inspirational post.
ReplyDeleteLove it -- maybe I will write something that fails and it call it a poem!! I have trouble with poetry. Thanks for the laugh.
ReplyDeleteClare
I guess many of us are doing "exercises", and sometimes celebrating a poem. Thanks, Melanie, fun to read this about Frost.
ReplyDeleteI am laughing out loud...I know this feeling!
ReplyDeleteI am laughing out loud...I know this feeling!
ReplyDeleteIt is reassuring to read quotes like this from literary giants. It makes me feel less alone (and less like I'm failing to do something right) when I hear how greater writers have struggled.
ReplyDeleteI love this quote, Melanie. The great Robert Frost found humor in his own works.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the reminder that mentors can model success AND failure! And he did it with such style and humor. Wonderful.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing this, Melanie! I'm off to do some "exercising!"
ReplyDeleteI do love that even Robert Frost knew failure. But he continued to show up at the page, thank goodness.
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