Former Member

Happy Birthday Celethiel

Shamefully inaccurate stereotypes   - not all Australians have wombats, some of us have numbats, wallabies, wollies, or bandicoots.

Yey for the bandicoots!

I have just finished the most recent chapter of Judas Tree. It was the typical AC endeavor, full of so much, from the more obvious to the gently nuanced. It, like the whole story, continues to take me down my own memory lane which is oft times uncomfortable, yet sometimes even soothing in it's overall innocence. It is an incredible experience to look again through the eyes of a 12 year old boy and remember what it was like and how confusing it could be. I approached this story with trepidation but now I can say that I am so glad that I took the plunge and it has already given me much more than I bargained for...not even taking into account AC's exceptional writing skills. Simon is a fascinating character who I have grown to care for...and I am strongly hoping for him to redeem himself in my eyes...if he doesn't then the luminous Dustin will fall into the category of young love betrayed and a beautiful friendship brutalized... because of fear  and uncertainty and shame imposed upon children by the adults and the peers in their life,oft times directed by their distorted religious beliefs.I could go on and on and on....cheers...Gary

Thank you Gary so much for posting this. Simon may have some growing to do yet, but do not count him out. There is so much more to say, but i cannot 'go there' until the whole novella is posted.      

I'm grateful too that you insisted ! And I'm having so much fun finding all sorts of links to go with my chapters. I already have a list of five things for the next one: two on food and three on places.

 

But right now I'm dying to know what people think of the SATW comic. Am I the only one to be fascinated by it ?

I haven't looked at it yet, but i like your 'tourist map.' It's full of information on places that 'smell like fish,' and handy 'drunk people' zones. lol

Having fun with stereotyping 

 

As a lead up to chapter 7, I’d like to introduce you to the web comic Scandinavia and the World: www.satwcomic.com

It portrays stereotypes of the Scandinavian countries and how they see other countries in the world, each other and various events. I recommend you start from the beginning : http://satwcomic.com/sweden-denmark-and-norway, and read at least the first twenty pages (eg to the one called America Has Spoken).

Only go there at a time and place where you’re able to laugh out loud and spend hours reading and occasionally crying with laughter and   Or at least that’s what I did when I first got introduced to the wicked humor of this Danish girl.

I’d love to hear what you think about it, and which comic is your favorite. Or maybe some of you know it already?

 

Another stereotype of Denmark (including Greenland and the Faroe Islands) is this map of how tourists (domestic and foreign) see the country. http://i.imgur.com/0fAvDQy.jpg Can you find the places Russell and Jacob visited?

Damn, Timothy M - by the awesome display of information you have to share, and ALL of your amazing posts here, I'm so glad you let me twist your arm and set up a Clueless Camping Forum! And you were worried no one had anything to say...   

I love the store Image - People, it's always best to stand back and admire your work before you say 'it's done.' LOL

A Tanka tryout.

Loved it. You take that moment seen, and then relate it to how it made you feel. That is ideal for a Tanka (IMO). Thanks for taking my none-too-sublte hint to heart and trying out the form. 

Bryce, I would leave a review for Chapter 15, but I believe you are going to update it, and since I have only 'review to live,' I am going to wait.

I want you to know that I think it is an interesting and ambitious POV that you are trying in Demi-gods and Monsters, and I support it fully.

I also want you to know that I am really looking forward to the Halloween chapter, but that you already knew  

AC and Irritable- great idea.  Very interesting reading what a Tanka is.  I've been off this site for a week and it was a real treat to come back and find this going on.

Thank you, Percy. I'll be hoping to see your Tanka coming shortly

On 9/4/2014 at 11:26 PM, aditus said:

Has it to be the poet's 'I' ? Can't it be an 'I' the poet describes? Just a thought.

Anyway, someone explained it to me like this. Usually a Tanka is divided in two parts: The first part - the 5-7-5 part- can be a description of an image, an idea, like a Haiku. The second part - the 7-7 is the prospect of the idea/image. It hasn't necessarily to be personal but can be, for a prospect is sometimes very personal.

As for my first try: I tried to describe an erupting volcano. The prospect is that the volcanic earth becomes fertile earth, even if it takes years and if you want to push it, and I wanted to push  it, out of destruction can come new life in nature and for the person/poet. I'll try to make this clearer. And my ever present question: Did this make sense?

I like your poem! It's just that with the Tanka, there is more opportunity for you to place yourself in it. As far as the difference between the Tanka and Haiku, think of it as the difference between two perspectives: subjective versus objective. Tanka (as per the form established hundreds of years ago) are supremely subjective, and seek to connect poet to reader via a personal experience and the emotions its generates. 

Thanks for your feedback, and I look forward to more Tanka!

Herewith my pedantic efforts. At least I had a bit of fun doing it.

https://www.gayauthors.org/forums/story/jaro-423/poetryprompt1-tanka

Jaro, you really took the form and ran. I would have to do some research, but you may be the first person to treat a string of Tanka as stanza in a broader work. I really like that, and may have to 'borrow' it in the near future   [For 'hibernation,' which has one extra-pesky syllable, you might consider substituting 'winter sleep.'] 

For everyone interested in Jaro's prompt here is the correct link https://www.gayauthors.org/story/jaro-423/mypoetryprompts/1

 

Please also keep in mind that some members will be in the mod queue and although they can post links to their chapters immediately, the story/chapter will not actually be available to the GA public until it has been approved.

Thank you Andy, i did not think of that.

I'm chaffed that you've identified both metaphors correctly

YEY!!!

On 9/4/2014 at 12:49 PM, Dolores Esteban said:

Great idea!

 

I gave it a try.

 

https://www.gayauthors.org/story/dolores-esteban/gawritingprompts/50

Very, very nice! I usually do not do this, but may I offer a suggestion..?  Consider replacing the word 'The' in the third line with 'My.' IMO, this would complete both the thought and flow of the five lines as a unit.

As a person, I can be with you as you experienced this quiet and introspective moment; that feeling is right at the heart of Tanka as an art form.  

I don't know how to create a link as some of you have done, but here's my attempt at arranging some words:

 

 

I see blossoms bud,

 

heralding the Maiden fair.

 

Snow forms rivulets,

 

skylarks singing joyously...

 

The Old Man has gone to sleep.

Intriguing...the maiden fair is springtime..? Oh yes, i guess so! The old man is winter...Somehow i think this poem translated into Japanese would turn out very Japanese indeed, lol! 

Thank you so much for the great idea. I know mine's funny, hope it's not too bad

It almost sounds like it's the poet who is red and juicy and sitting on the plate, LOL! I like it, it did have me chuckling

 

Okay, I tried one

No idea what "I" is

 

 

https://www.gayauthors.org/story/foster/poetryprompts/1

 

'A stranger lost and found' - is that a puppy i am picturing?

Herewith my pedantic efforts. At least I had a bit of fun doing it.

https://www.gayauthors.org/forums/story/jaro-423/poetryprompt1-tanka

Jaro, something happened...not only does this link not work, but when i go to your profile and click on stories, none of them come up ;(  

I had to do this.

I like it, but think of it this way, where is the poet in this..? I mean, what is the poet feeling - not just what is he seeing.

This is a great idea. Thanks for the inspiration. Will get to work and hopefully produce something to share soon.

And, i see you did!

Hey, it's dahlia season now. Get on it!

...only one in the garden this year...another Tanka

My understanding is that the "I" is the poet's self.  Emotion. And that the tanka should include more self-revelation than the haiku. I like yours, Foster.

 

I took another shot at the "I" here.

Irri, your 'rain' poem hit me right in the kisser, so to speak, lol. It's because we are in the same climate and environment - needless to say, i know exactly what you are expressing by saying you are waiting for the rain to return. In this part of the world it rains from about mid-November to sometime in May, and then we have a long dry and usually hot spell. Right about now i'm longing for that rain to start falling too. The good thing about the moisture starting before Thanksgiving is, we have roses by Christmas; I love that. Hey, there's an idea for a Tanka if i ever heard one!  

 

Okay, I tried one

No idea what "I" is

 

 

https://www.gayauthors.org/story/foster/poetryprompts/1

 

Yes, as Irri said, the "I" is the poet, the one who is there to witness the event that inspired the poem.   

Also guys, don't forget - this is not a Haiku! The 'I' is essential in Tanka, as it is what reaches out to touch other readers.  

I gave it a try. For your inspection and derision enjoyment . . .

 

Tanka No. 1

Awesome! The ice is broken, and it sounds like the heat of your poem needs some ice right about now. Love it.

Hey, thanks Irritable1 for all of your vision, drive and hard work to get this launched. I hope we see lots of Tanka rolling in!