So, it’s been a while, I know my
little corner has been as silent as the grave for a few weeks now. Many of you
who were asking what will come next no doubt started what has happened. Well
worry no longer, I’m back, though still sporadically. I chose to pass NaPoWriMo
(National Poetry Writing Month) developing my cultural and artistic pallet,
rather than expressing it. In short, I went to the theatre a lot, researched a
ton and experimented not just a little with my tastes and with cooking. In
short, I’m not reborn, but things have been changing.
So
why do I include this quick detour in my blog? Because it sparked off some
wonder in my mind whether we writers are writing for the people or if we are
conforming to the ideological apparatus whether we are its product and are
reproducing the message or if we are threatening it with our views, creating
balance against its ‘brainwashing’.
I should add
that I do not believe what we are taught in schools and by the church, in the
most part is averse to becoming a good and moral human being, but whether it is
by ideological oppression by the church or through capitalist segregation we
certainly still have faults in society that we must target. I have been asking
the big questions such as these lately, I’m still no closer to an answer in my
own mind. As you write out there, I remind you all to reflect on the purpose of
what you write and read, it all has a target; can you see it?
Let me share
some less theoretically heavy stuff with you. I went to the theatre the other
night (as I do most nights now) and I saw ‘metropolis’ a black and white,
silent film directed by Fritz Lang. I’m not a big fan of cinema, but this film
was worth a mention and some personal thoughts.
In 1927, the year this film was first shown to the public, we were still in the
glory of Western Europe’s industrial boom, class segregation was everywhere and
the bourgeois business owners could even treat workers as commodities, not
completely unlike the slave trade of the 19th century. There were
some powerful images in this film, such as feeding the machines with humans,
something I’m sure would have shocked back in the day, just as it horrified me.
As for myself, I feel the director had no idea what it was like to really be on
the other side of the fence, so to speak, that he had never gotten his hands
dirty with the machinery, as the people operating the machinery were the
stereotypical 2D characters. Nothing distinguished one from another other than
their role, status and sex.
Still, I’m no
film critic, I feel that I’ve profited from seeing it, even if it was not to my
taste. I’ve also realised I’m a long way from understanding modern art,
especially when it concerns dance. The most interesting dance that I attended
was this week in fact, with a medieval theme, the couple clearly excelled in
their profession. I imagine dancing in a corset cannot be comfortable, not in
clothing that flaps around here and there. I felt they deserved their applause.
The accompanying musicians were also commendable, two of the accompaniment were
constantly switching between instruments I’ve not seen played before, mostly
because they have fallen out of popularity hundreds of years ago as technology
has developed.
I will be
talking about how to write poetry for the next few weeks, so that I don’t miss
out on NaPoWriMo, just because I didn’t do it in the month, does not mean I
have to miss out on the fun.
Until next time,
read write, live
My usual hideaways
My book is now available to order at
