Thanks for this linkage of your reading on neurons with the experience of both composing and reading/hearing the poems presented in the Sightlines Collections of book and audio book.

Hmmm…people often ask if these poems were a cathartic experience for me. Perhaps. But, not in the usual sense we think of. There was no oozing emotion as one might ooze blood from a wound.

But yes, somehow having this project before me directed and saved my life during that year following Julia’s death. Because…I felt useful. Because…it gave me a positive direction towards a time that promised to be:
–different…
–better…
–less painful..
–more ordered.

Readers and listeners have, in fact told me that there is something so direct and uncontrived about the the poems that they reach directly into their hearts.

Since the heart is where empathy lives, that substantiates your supposition.

Janet Riehl
http://www.riehlife.com

Janet Riehl’s last blog post..Teleseminar Recording: Memoir Moments with Kendra Bonnett & Matilda Butler

I just read your blog:
http://www.livingauthentically.org/2009/04/living-authentically-brings-you-lasting-satisfaction

You have thought deeply about this topic and make good points.

I mostly agree. I would emphasize the importance of effort (“work” known by another name.

All too often folks tend to think that the path of joy and bliss means that everything will be super easy and big fun.

I know you don’t mean this. But, it’s important to underline that your path of joy, bliss, authenticity often means putting in hours and hours of homework drudgery to support your dream.

This has certainly been my experience. During these times I am sustained by vision for the final result/product…and, my Midwestern work ethic.

Creativity, I believe is just as Edison said…99% perspiration and 1% inspiration.

Janet Riehl
http://www.riehlife.com

Janet Riehl’s last blog post..Teleseminar Recording: Memoir Moments with Kendra Bonnett & Matilda Butler

The article also talks about his discovery of how specific sections of the brain control specific parts of the body and their movement, and most interestingly, that when we watch someone else doing something difficult, like some kind of feat of physical dexterity using the hands, for example, the section of our brain that controls our own hands lights up. This is the basis of “empathy,” I suppose, and Ramachandran did interesting further work to demonstrate that those with autism don’t have this empathic response.

I wonder if the writing of “Sightlines” was for Janet the kind of exercise with reflections similar to the experiment/therapy described above, working through the pain of the sister lost. And I wonder whether the rest of us, reading her poems, are not engaging in our brains with those struggles she was going through, exercises in empathy.

These comments are not meant to reduce poetry to neurons, nor to claim ownership of these thoughts (MY NEURONS!), but simply to share one more metaphor that struggles to touch the edges of poetry.

The clue for Isabella’s site is:

First, watch VIDEO 3: Sightlines Blog Tour Video #3: Stage 1–Recording on the top post of http://www.riehlife.com.

Second, answer today’s question: How did Janet find her voice in recording her poems during the 8 hour session?

Third, contact Janet using the contact form at http://www.riehlife.com

The winner receives a free audio book.

Janet Riehl

Janet Riehl’s last blog post..Teleseminar Recording: Memoir Moments with Kendra Bonnett & Matilda Butler

I hesitate to comment in cold text on such personal things. There are a couple of issues of interest to me.

Authenticity. For me this has to do with how personal what we say is (how close something is to our core) and not just how close it is to accurate reporting (“I am sad”).

Ownership. Legality is a pretty crass way to handle personal matters – including ownership and presentation of experience. One answer is that it depends on how the thing is presented (if it says “novel” on the cover then its not non-fiction). With poems this is trickier, but I think it is fair for people to look at the author’s name on the cover and if a poem in the book is presented as someone else speaking, the reader should be able to figure out authorship.

I think we are social individuals, not isolated individuals – legality usually presents us isolated individuals. We also use ideas and poems and many other cultural items every day and are shaped by them (this is acknowledged legally in fair use and quotations and so on). I don’t think a legal system is capable of acknowledging how we incorporate something and make it our own – Miles Davis’ (and the other players”) Kind of Blue I have listened to repeatedly, it is becoming part of the background to my experience. I am part of the Evangelical Christian tradition (whether I like it or not in some ways – I have been shaped by my upbringing: I own parts of this tradition – it’s emphasis on ethical responsibility etc but not others – dis-esteeming our physicality etc).

I think if we are open to each other then we can communicate and share our experience and both be changed by it. These are poetic moments – not easily captured by (legalistic) ideas of ownership.

Thanks for your very thoughtful and thought-provoking post.

Evan’s last blog post..Living Authentically Brings You Lasting Satisfaction

Thanks for this interesting discussion.

Yes, “…the concept of “ownership” [and truth...and story] is amorphous. For my purposes, the definition of ownership does not refer to legally defined real or intellectual property rights.

Rather, it refers to ethical ownership. deciding ownership requires taking into account spiritual, factual, experiential, and aesthetic elements, as well as respect and courtesy.”

Story and truth and ethical ownership is based on interpretation and perception.

These factors are inherently personal, therefore varying and only one facet of some totally unknown whole.

Art is carefully crafted to bring out the clearest version of our truth, our story. And…we are mandated to make this version compelling and helpful to our audience.

In the case of describing your dining room, Isabella, I would not care about the full description. The angle of what you choose to reveal and which details you choose are determined by your potential audience. Is is Architectural Digest? Then, your reader wants to know about the structure and design of the room. Is it an interior decorating magazine? Then, we want to know about that rug of yours…its fiber and so forth.

If you are writing a memoir, then, this audience most wants to know about the emotional associations and the stories that have taken place here with the dining room as a back-drop, as a set in a play of a movie.

Knowing your audience is as important in crafting and revealing the story as knowing yourself is.

Janet Grace Riehl
http://www.riehlife.com

Janet Riehl’s last blog post..Teleseminar Recording: Memoir Moments with Kendra Bonnett & Matilda Butler

can truth be owned?

what is a truth?

one aspect of this is that the truth has – well, many aspects. i’m sitting in my dining room right now. if i don’t describe everything to you that is in the dining room (never mind the parts of the kitchen and the living room that i can see) – will i be lying by omission? not really. i have to select a few aspects of this truth if i want to give you a more or less accurate picture. and that’s just the visual stuff. we’re not talking about the make-up of the fibres of the underlay rug, or how many of the dust particles on the wooden grille are cat dandruff.

the whole truth is inaccessible. therefore it cannot be owned.

the poem is your way of telling the story. so i’d say, the poem is owned by you.

to my mind, the question is – who owns the story?

what do others think?