Editorial Blather: Writing In a Tin Can by this gangster:
Cinema and theatre are often compared, most of all because of their external similarity. They both have actors and a director, and they both tell a story. But the external side is where the similarities end. Theatre is alive; it is born tonight, here and now, and after the curtains close, the play dies to be born again the next evening. Only the myth of theatre remains – in the stories, the descriptions, and the memories of the audience. In case of theatre, the existence of a viewer is important; the audience is an inseparable part of the theatre, and in a way, its co-creator. Paraphrasing Peter Brook: Take an empty room, a person waking over a stage and another person watching it, and you basically have everything that is needed for the birth of theatre.
Cinema is different because the birth of a film is different, and the end product resembles a painting more than theatre. Imagine a film as a celluloid tape in a tin can, kept there unchanged. Would it make you question its value – whether it is constant or changing?
Much like a painting, the film remains as it was made and nothing is changed in it. However, its value can transform in time. You have heard stories about paintings worth millions of dollars today, which were given away for a piece of bread or a glass of wine, haven’t you? A similar thing occurs in cinema, although in a different aspect. A film in itself doesn’t change – it is what it was made – but like a painting, its value can change. But this process doesn’t happen in cinema as it does, for instance, in the art of painting. I have certainly never heard of someone buying a Tarkovski, Bunuel, Antonio or Bergman at an auction. Perhaps the reason for it is that in cinema the original product is a negative, from which any number of identical copies can be made – while a copy of a painting is simply a fake, no matter how well it is made.
Times change and so do the attitudes. Yesterday’s trashy b-movies become today’s celebrated cult films and gain millions of fans. Perhaps the phenomenon of not giving an adequate valuation when a piece of art is born is explained by today seeming ordinary and the past being regarded as something with more value. Or maybe there is no acceptable valuation because values do change over time and will continue to do so.
Now, take literature. Do you think your writing will be famous two hundred years from now? Do you see a piece of writing and see it more as a film – a celluloid tape in a tin can – or a living, breathing play in a theatre?
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Announcements
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Submissions:
Don't forget - we now accept submissions which means, gasp, send us your best work. While it's nice to have someone think highly enough of a piece of your writing to nominate you for a feature, there are some of you, perhaps thousands, who are unknown and wondering how you can change your situation. Here's how:
• At this time, Suture only accepts submissions by email. Please send your pieces to submissions(at)suturemag(dot)com, with the text pasted into the body of the email. Do not send attachments – they will be automatically deleted without notification.
• Submit 4-6 poems or 2-4 prose pieces, along with your name and email address. Do NOT include a cover letter, as we wish to judge you based on the quality of your writing rather than your past accomplishments.
• Please include “Poetry Submission” or “Prose Submission” in the subject line of your email. Our filter will block emails with any other subject, and your submission will be left unread.
• Send only one batch of pieces per issue, unless an editor specifically requests otherwise. (Sometimes we may reply with suggested edits on pieces, or request another writing sample from those whom we feel are on the cusp of making it into the magazine. In this case, we will make it clear that you can bypass this requirement and submit again immediately.)
• Simultaneous submissions are fine, as long as you specify this in your email. If your pieces are accepted elsewhere, please notify us immediately so we can remove them from consideration.
• Please allow us 2-3 months to consider your pieces. If after 3 months you have received no reply from us, feel free to send a polite inquiry about the status of your submission.
We have been receiving submissions at a good pace - some very nice work has arrived on our doorstep for which we are grateful. Unfortunately, due to timing issues and some other logistical problems, none of the submissions were ready to be included in Volume 7. Look for this to change when Volume 8 hits the stands.
Recommendations:
We also encourage you to recommend the work of others. If you see something that strikes your fancy feel free to send DA notes to the appropriate people with your recommendations:
Poetry - `
krissie
Prose - *
saintartaud
Ideas for Serials - =
Bringa
Articles - =
girlonstage
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Features
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This is a tranquil scene that is not just a collection of separate, individual images, but a single living instant composed of all the images and sounds interacting in our senses: the feeling of wholeness and interdependence is emphasised beautifully. Read, see, and listen. Recommended by `
inziladunSubtle contrasts and headstrong language, ~
WhoKilledKirov ventures into a playful piece of love and creation. If I caught a dream, it would probably be moss-covered and chewed on the edges, with oddly mismatched colours slapped on top of it. It'd consist of smiles and mischief, and perhaps in the end, I would also be ever full and satisfied. We can't really know until it
is the end. But this poem describes the chase in a fascinating, inspiring way. Recommended by `
krissieI really enjoy the multiplicity of simultaneous visual and audible events all going together, like a carnival transpiring in the middle of a street fair. What's it about? A fire-breathing circus freak? A chain-smoking lunatic in a bar? Who cares? This is finely articulated sensory overload without relying on the usual thesaurus-emptying crutch so often employed by the novice. Recommended by ^
ndifference Moments like these are rare, when the value of the gritty and the seemingly uncouth is recognised. In making his imagery dual in this way, =
shotgunmessiah proves that crudeness has its own charm, which when used to subtly punctuate an idyllic scene makes the moment all the more whole, and all the more real. Recommended by `
inziladunPerfect and skilled rememberance and nostalgia; a pain is present in this heartfelt tribute that more people should read. An awing piece to be sure. Recommended by =
kaujot They say
an elephant never forgets but they also say
never say never. If you like the paradox you'll really appreciate this haiku which is ghastly and beautiful at the same time. Recommended by ^
ndifference Prose
The sky is coming down; literally. How, and why, and what to do next in the case of falling sky are things you can only find out by reading this joyfully self-aware piece of prose. Recommended by =
Bringa While
she is playing Für Elise, the snapshot of a perfect household around her trembles, as if about to crumble. =
IfrozenspiritI has composed a concise prose fantasia, weaving people and concepts into this powerful vignette like a composer would combine themes. Recommended by =
Bringa LSD, nicotine, and a lot of confusion.
Smokes by *
TheBunk is hilariously funny and comes with a final twist so epic and devastating it could be straight out of a classical Greek tragedy. Warning! Do not try this at home. Recommended by =
Bringa
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Resources
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Recommended Books For Aspiring Writers
Suture Staff recently had a discussion about which books they have come across that have helped our writing. Aside from the mainstays many know as cornerstones in this area (Strunk & White’s “Elements Of Style”, Stephen King’s “On Writing”), many handy titles were thrown about. We decided sharing this list could be helpful for those looking for some reference in the quest to always improve as a writer.
The Beacon Handbook and Desk Reference by Robert Perrin
This handy book is an excellent tool for all areas of writing: grammar, punctuation, the writing process, research, MLA and APA formatting, complete with clear and understandable explanations, examples, and writing samples.
Availble from
Barnes and Noble online, for $24.76
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Eats, Shoots, and Leaves by Lynn Truss
A hilarious guide to understanding the how/when/why of punctuation mechanics and why it drives people like Truss (and ourselves) insane.
Available in most bookstores, $19.95
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A Handbook to Literature by Harmon and Thrall
This A to Z reference guide works as an in-depth dictionary reference to all literature terms, genres, and styles. It's an excellent quick-reference guide for anyone studying literary analysis, or for someone who sees the word "Sestina" in a poetry forum and has no idea what that means.
Available from
Barnes and Noble online, used for $37.80
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English for the IB Diploma by Steven Croft, Helen Cross
This book makes the perfect companion for your Language A1 course. Chapters cover: prose, poetry and drama; writing commentaries and essays; World Literature assignments; oral work; preparing for the examinations; the Extended Essay. Among the examples discussed are works by: Margaret Atwood, Albert Camus, Joseph Conrad, Carol Ann Duffy, Robert Frost, Ernest Hemingway, Henry James, Franz Kafka, John Keats, Sylvia Plath, Christina Rossetti, William Shakespeare, and Tennessee Williams. (from their website)
Available online
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Favourite Verse Edited by Christopher Hurford
Despite the popular attention towards visual media, poetry remains an important and powerful force in the consciousness of many people. Whether encountered at a young age when imagination is most receptive, or perhaps learned at school, or in the memory because f some coincidence with a particular period in the life of the reader, poems bing a quality that stays forever.
Here is a collection of poems valued by generation and generation, but there are also some surprises in store. Grouped into themes, these poems are some of the very best and the most memorable. They will stretch the imagination and bring new joys to all who read them. (from book jacket)
Poets included are: T.S. Eliot, Philip Larkin, Ted Hughes, Seamus Heaney, W.H. Auden, Wilfred Owen, W.B. Yeats, John Keats, John Donne, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Wordsworth, William Shakespeare, etc.!
Available online
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Writing Fiction by Janet Burroway
A good, if rather basic, introduction to writing fiction. Goes over all the components of fiction and includes examples. Definite leaning towards MA style realism, but quite helpful nonetheless.
Available from Amazon.com, one lucky staff member found it at a thrift store for $5
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The New Book of Forms: A Handbook of Poetics by Lewis Turco
Includes nearly every single poetic form in existence, from the haiku to villanelle. The sections covering rhythm and meter are quite helpful. A practical necessity for any formal poet.
Starts at $30 used on Amazon
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The Norton Anthology of Poetry
Well worth the high cost, as few anthologies are so fully loaded with such a wide selection of English language poetry.
$71 on Amazon
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STORY: Substance, Structure, Style and The Principles of Screenwriting by Robert McKee
Praised as a bible for screenwriters, this is the reference for you future penners of the next Police Academy installment.
Available online
Mixed, stirred and simmered by =
girlonstage, `
inziladun, and *
saintartaud
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Don't Believe in Editing?
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Think it "kills the spirit" of the piece? Think real writers, published writers, professional writers, successful writers, revered writers don't edit their work? Think again. After searching off and on for several months I finally found what I was looking for on a site that I regularly visit. Shame on me for not thoroughly exploring the place earlier but we are, after all, largely creatures of habit - and I habitually checked out the
Current Issue section of the front page and nothing else. If your current habits encompass the notion that editing "ruins" work, lets see what we can do to dispell that harmful myth and help you get over the fear of actually
working on your art by showing you extant manuscripts from dozens of writers - with words and lines scratched out, notes in margins, the whole shebang.
The Paris Review should be on your list of things to do anyway, but in their
Interview section, under the heading "The DNA of Literature," you will find a fascinating repository of interviews, grouped alphabetically and by decade, with everyone from Nelson Algren to Marguerite Yourcenar. Most listings also include a link entitled,
View a manuscript page. Fascinating stuff.
Here is a list of some highlights, but please make plans to get comfortable and spend several hours reading. The interviews are solid gold, too, and downloadable as pdfs.
John Updike
Kurt Vonnegut
William Carlos Williams
Thornton Wilder
William Faulkner
Max Frisch
Robert Frost
Allen Ginsberg
Seamus Heaney
Ernest Hemingway
Aldous Huxley
John Irving
Arthur Koestler
Arthur Miller
Pablo Neruda
Garrison Keillor
Wrought upon you by ^
ndifference
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90 Short Ones
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90 Short Ones. Yeah, that's not a typo.
One of my favorite artists is John Cage. He is known far and wide as an experimental composer but I find his experimental writing to be a true inspiration. He was constantly reconstructing layout and typeface in order to offer up different perspectives on the acts of reading and writing, often working from right to left, bottom to top, employing chance operations, and running multiple stories concurrently in alternating lines.
Follow this link to 90 stories written by Cage. They are short - trust me - yet intriguing and often amusing, profusely thatched with his penchant for Zen. And to make it all more exciting, the good people at Little Cambridgeport Design Factory run Cage's text through a CGI script which parses the format and outputs HTML, spacing the story out to a fixed measure. If you like it, you can download the scripts
here.
Indeterminacy... Ninety Stories by John Cage, With Music, ca. 1'00" to 2'00"
From “How to Pass, Kick, Fall, and Run”, A Year from Monday by John Cage
Tracked, bagged and skinned by ^
ndifference
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Winter From a Bridge
The dream was always running
Paradox For The Splinter Man
Riverboat Blues
Four Years
elephantasma
Tell Me A Story
she is playing Für Elise
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the news article as well as check out the individual pieces. We understand that each day you may not be able to check out each and every one of the pieces, everyone has their own things going on. We just ask that you make an attempt to help support the growing Literature community.
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Devious Comments
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"The ending is brilliant. Seriously. I might get that inscribed on my casket someday so God will understand."
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Only in America can a poor black boy become a rich white woman. (its Michael Jackson for those who didnt get it)
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I still shrug at the sight of Two Days Notice. If you see what's missing I love you
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Tonight I don't even have the stars to hold on to...
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Bible is not a geography book.
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