Line by Line 10-21-2020
#WritingCommunity,
You are invited to #LineByLineTime, A Mini Critique Hour hosted by @graestonewriter on Twitter.
In the movie Gore Vidal’s Lincoln, the president “runs the lines” of The Gettysburg Address with his aides, saying, “I have a short short short speech, which I will try out on the chickens, as the farmer said.”
(Marvelous, powerful movie that has haunted me all these years.)
Each week #LineByLineTime writers share lines from their WIPs. (Try it out on the chickens, as the farmer said.)
There will be a focus question during the hour, a chance to share, and a time for “best in show.”
Next Time: Poetry
Wednesday, October 21st, at 9:00 PM Eastern, we share a poem.
I am using Betsy Byars’ Good-bye, Chicken Little, and The Cybil War for our Line-By-Line exercises. Byars wrote MG books for years, won prestigious awards, and knew her stuff. Betsy passed away on February 26, 2020.
I have never read a Betsy Byars poem. However, I have learned she wrote Beans on the Roof. The book blurb says:
“George Bean always wants to play on the roof of his apartment building. But only his older sister Anna can sit there, because she’s writing a roof poem. Anna may be the first Bean to be in a book if the poem wins a contest at school.
George decides to write a roof poem too. Soon all the Beans are on the roof writing the roof poems.”
I cannot quote a Roof Poem, but I have to say that the idea of a roof poem is poetic.
So, for a beautiful poem, I offer this from J. R. R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring. Bilbo sings this quietly as Frodo and Sam prepare to leave the Last Homely House. I read this poem to the kids on the last day of school for years.
I sit beside the fire and think
of all that I have seen,
of meadow-flowers and butterflies
in summers that have been;
Of yellow leaves and gossamer
in autumns that there were,
with morning mist and silver sun
and wind upon my hair.
I sit beside the fire and think
of how the world will be
when winter comes without a spring
that I shall ever see.
For still there are so many things
that I have never seen;
in every wood in every spring
there is a different green.
I sit beside the fire and think
of people long ago,
and people who will see a world
that I shall never know.
But all the while I sit and think
of times there were before,
I listen for returning feet
and voices at the door.
If you are not as good as J. R. R, this may be of comfort: Michael Rispoli, in the movie, It Had to be You, says, “When doesn’t rhyme, it means more.”
I hope you will join us Wednesdays for #LineByLineTime.
Feel free to make helpful suggestions about other lines the group might explore in the future.