In recent years, we have been confronted with evidence of a looming environmental catastrophe. Apparently, the nearly seven billion of us are consuming resources faster than the Earth’s ability to replenish them. Symptoms of overconsumption include global climate change, the destruction of ecosystems, a reduction in biodiversity, and overall worldwide environmental degradation. We have also seen the world economy, key to life as we know it, teeter on the brink of collapse. Wages have been reduced, jobs lost; meanwhile, the costs of essential goods and services have risen, and we’re working longer hours just to get by.
What do our current economic woes and environmental sustainability problem have in common? Us, of course. Or, more specifically, it's the way we live.
Instinctively, we know that the whole of civilization is out of whack, that the time has come for a shift in human consciousness, a return to the basics, toward a simpler, more frugal lifestyle. Everywhere—in our homes and in the coffee shops, at the workplace and even around the family dinner table, and especially on the Internet—the conversation about a need for changing the way that we think and do things is taking place. Most of us are genuinely concerned about what the world is coming to, but we are not really sure what to do about it. So, we carry on in the only way that we know how. We recycle what we can, and we are increasingly aware of the purchases that we make, in terms of what we know about how some products impact the environment. Little by little, we are replacing our incandescent light bulbs and other appliances with new, more energy efficient technologies.
That’s the good news. The bad news is that the emerging interest in environmental concerns has created a whole new industry of “green” jobs and “green” products, setting the stage for debate over the role technology must play in the way forward.
“What you lack is faith in the human spirit, in man’s ingenuity and adaptability,” cries one. “But civilization is doomed, if we do not change our ways,” says another.
Consequently, we are divided over many issues concerning the development of our towns and cities, and there is a growing tension between environmentalists and pro-business advocates. While the environmentalists are calling for the preservation of our last remaining wild places and sustainable building practices, the pro-business advocates are calling for more jobs and a stronger economy. Both are very noble and worthy causes, of course; each seeks to improve the conditions of life for us all. But as the population grows and our cities continue to expand, it is becoming increasingly obvious that we cannot have it both ways.
Now, to make matters worse, the environmentalists are divided among themselves. The division is over the matter of “going green.” To some, it means installing solar panels and driving a hybrid automobile. To others, it means “buying local” and a show of support for environmentally conscientious businesses. Still others, myself included, believe that neither of these ideas will go very far toward achieving the desired result, which is, of course, a worldwide sustainable human and ecological wellbeing.
Of course, there is nothing wrong with installing solar panels, driving a hybrid, or “buying local,” except that the research, development, and application of the new “green” technologies stimulate economic growth; and buying local does not isolate one from the world economy. The problem is that we consume too much, and a growing economy enables, encourages, and even forces us to consume more in some ways.
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Friday, January 30, 2009
With all due respect to Al ...
With all due respect to Al Gore, and his plan to stimulate the economy via putting the nation to work with the new "green" technologies:
I like Al. I’m glad he’s alerted us to the problem of global climate change. I thoroughly enjoyed his book, Earth in the Balance. But now that we know about the problem, and the causes of the problem, it seems to me that it would make more sense just to do what needs to be done to solve the problem. Government and technology can’t solve the problem for us; the problem is that we consume too much.
Knowing what I do of Al’s research, I’m sure that he has the best of intentions. I don’t really think that he has any ulterior motives. I just think that he’s been "bred" to believe a little too much in the power of public policy. Otherwise he’d stop consuming so much.
I wonder if he’s stopped to think about just how much environmental damage will be done in the process of implementing all those clean energy programs. And a new national electric grid, even a so-called smart grid (one that encourages us to use less energy during peak-usage hours), sounds a lot like tearing down a perfectly good old system (one that has limits), to replace it with one that will enable us to consume even more energy across the board. The problem isn’t that there’s something wrong with the old grid; the problem is that we’re plugging more and more increasingly unnecessary devices into it. As we continue down this road, always trying to get more for less, we should be aware that regardless of what government does, sooner or later, we’re going to hit a dead end. Al’s a very bright guy. I’m surprised that he doesn’t see this.
The recent economic downturn has done more good for the environment than the efforts of all us "environmentalists" combined. We should go with the flow and encourage those who are concerned with a failing economy to get used to it.
Economic growth and environmental sustainability are not compatible, pure and simple. Add more people, and we’re going to have to learn to live on less. The world is round and has physical limitations in which the ingenuity of humans cannot escape. At the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, we disconnected from localized environmental constraints which kept our populations in check and confined our material wealth to realistic measures. What’s happening now is that our surpassing of localized natural checks and balances has propelled us to the outer rim of the system’s boundary limits. Now, we have nowhere left to go but back to the basics, one way or another.
I agree that Al’s one of the “good guys,” insofar as he is doing his part to do what he is good at in the best interest of the environment. I merely use his personal consumption habits as a means to keeping things in their proper perspective, and as a means for suggesting how we may best use the information he brings us.
In other words, the new “green” initiatives which the new congress is touting will make no more or less of a difference in terms of environmental sustainability, unless we also return to a simpler, more frugal lifestyle. Contrary to popular belief, public policy doesn’t lead the way on the most critical issues; it follows.
The advantage we have in having Al speak of environmental concerns is that he is in an excellent political position to communicate the message that we have a problem. The disadvantage is that he hasn’t actually come forward with the solution. Most of us know instinctively what needs to be done. I suspect even Al is haunted by the possibility that our technologies may not outpace the looming catastrophe. But as a politician, the same as any other politician, he will not speak of his doubts, because that would be bad for the economy. (The economy, of course, is much more important than fresh air, food or water.) And we all know what happens to politicians who do not promise more of everything for everybody; it is the same for anyone of stature who does not deliver a positive message. Chances are we would never hear from him again. He would become irrelevant … like you and me.
So, the message is, and always will be, “here’s how we can get more, for less.” And the lunacy continues.
I like Al. I’m glad he’s alerted us to the problem of global climate change. I thoroughly enjoyed his book, Earth in the Balance. But now that we know about the problem, and the causes of the problem, it seems to me that it would make more sense just to do what needs to be done to solve the problem. Government and technology can’t solve the problem for us; the problem is that we consume too much.
Knowing what I do of Al’s research, I’m sure that he has the best of intentions. I don’t really think that he has any ulterior motives. I just think that he’s been "bred" to believe a little too much in the power of public policy. Otherwise he’d stop consuming so much.
I wonder if he’s stopped to think about just how much environmental damage will be done in the process of implementing all those clean energy programs. And a new national electric grid, even a so-called smart grid (one that encourages us to use less energy during peak-usage hours), sounds a lot like tearing down a perfectly good old system (one that has limits), to replace it with one that will enable us to consume even more energy across the board. The problem isn’t that there’s something wrong with the old grid; the problem is that we’re plugging more and more increasingly unnecessary devices into it. As we continue down this road, always trying to get more for less, we should be aware that regardless of what government does, sooner or later, we’re going to hit a dead end. Al’s a very bright guy. I’m surprised that he doesn’t see this.
The recent economic downturn has done more good for the environment than the efforts of all us "environmentalists" combined. We should go with the flow and encourage those who are concerned with a failing economy to get used to it.
Economic growth and environmental sustainability are not compatible, pure and simple. Add more people, and we’re going to have to learn to live on less. The world is round and has physical limitations in which the ingenuity of humans cannot escape. At the beginning of the Industrial Revolution, we disconnected from localized environmental constraints which kept our populations in check and confined our material wealth to realistic measures. What’s happening now is that our surpassing of localized natural checks and balances has propelled us to the outer rim of the system’s boundary limits. Now, we have nowhere left to go but back to the basics, one way or another.
I agree that Al’s one of the “good guys,” insofar as he is doing his part to do what he is good at in the best interest of the environment. I merely use his personal consumption habits as a means to keeping things in their proper perspective, and as a means for suggesting how we may best use the information he brings us.
In other words, the new “green” initiatives which the new congress is touting will make no more or less of a difference in terms of environmental sustainability, unless we also return to a simpler, more frugal lifestyle. Contrary to popular belief, public policy doesn’t lead the way on the most critical issues; it follows.
The advantage we have in having Al speak of environmental concerns is that he is in an excellent political position to communicate the message that we have a problem. The disadvantage is that he hasn’t actually come forward with the solution. Most of us know instinctively what needs to be done. I suspect even Al is haunted by the possibility that our technologies may not outpace the looming catastrophe. But as a politician, the same as any other politician, he will not speak of his doubts, because that would be bad for the economy. (The economy, of course, is much more important than fresh air, food or water.) And we all know what happens to politicians who do not promise more of everything for everybody; it is the same for anyone of stature who does not deliver a positive message. Chances are we would never hear from him again. He would become irrelevant … like you and me.
So, the message is, and always will be, “here’s how we can get more, for less.” And the lunacy continues.
Thursday, January 29, 2009
The new "Overview"
Following is the first draft to the "Overview" for Warming Up at the Ramada: A Hermit's Memoir and Other Essays. Not much has changed from the synopsis version, except that it's been shortened up a bit and revised to fit the completed work:
Although the idea for Warming Up at the Ramada came to me more than seven years ago, after so many anxious days and nights of writing and rewriting, I am proud to present my now completed work on the project. This is the work that has preoccupied my thoughts and provided me a sense of meaning and purpose for so many years.
The problem is—why this work has taken me so long, I believe—is that I had fallen so helplessly and hopelessly in love with the process of working it all out in my head, that to actually complete the work would have taken all the fun out of it for me. “The finest workers in stone are not steel or copper tools,” wrote Thoreau, “but the gentle touches of air and water working at their leisure with a liberal allowance of time.” So, I had often seen myself in this way, slowly chipping away at the formation of these essays—which had become a labor of love for me.
At heart a book of self-discovery, Warming Up at the Ramada: A Hermit’s Memoir and Other Essays focuses on the development of my ideas concerning what I believe it means to live responsibly in an unsustainable environment. Based on the premise that we are now living in an unsustainable environment because of our excessive consumption of resources, it suggests that the solution to the problem of man versus the environment will not come from government or technology but must come from individuals making better, more conservative, responsible choices regarding how they live. It also suggests more than a casual relationship between personal economics and global environmental concerns, and introduces a Personal Economic and Environmental Impact Theory, equating personal income with negative impact to the environment.
Written in the form of a series of essays, or brief autobiographical sketches, —I have worked by revising and expanding on my notes involving the deeply personal tragedy of losing my home and business, and subsequent experiment in essential living.
Respectively, the work is divided into two parts: The first part, “A Hermit’s Memoir,” is a narrative that deals with the emotional trauma that I suffered immediately following the collapse of my business, LifeWorks Publishing, the experience of living in a rustic, little wooden shack in the orchard behind my sister’s house near Palm Desert, California; my subsequent experiment in simple living, and the broader implications of my living out of a little travel trailer in the backwoods of Oregon. The second part, “Relative Notes and Journals: A Collection of Miniature Essays and Dialogues on Consumerism and Environmental Sustainability Issues,” offers some additional reflections on the subject matter of the book as a whole.
Overview
Although the idea for Warming Up at the Ramada came to me more than seven years ago, after so many anxious days and nights of writing and rewriting, I am proud to present my now completed work on the project. This is the work that has preoccupied my thoughts and provided me a sense of meaning and purpose for so many years.
The problem is—why this work has taken me so long, I believe—is that I had fallen so helplessly and hopelessly in love with the process of working it all out in my head, that to actually complete the work would have taken all the fun out of it for me. “The finest workers in stone are not steel or copper tools,” wrote Thoreau, “but the gentle touches of air and water working at their leisure with a liberal allowance of time.” So, I had often seen myself in this way, slowly chipping away at the formation of these essays—which had become a labor of love for me.
At heart a book of self-discovery, Warming Up at the Ramada: A Hermit’s Memoir and Other Essays focuses on the development of my ideas concerning what I believe it means to live responsibly in an unsustainable environment. Based on the premise that we are now living in an unsustainable environment because of our excessive consumption of resources, it suggests that the solution to the problem of man versus the environment will not come from government or technology but must come from individuals making better, more conservative, responsible choices regarding how they live. It also suggests more than a casual relationship between personal economics and global environmental concerns, and introduces a Personal Economic and Environmental Impact Theory, equating personal income with negative impact to the environment.
Written in the form of a series of essays, or brief autobiographical sketches, —I have worked by revising and expanding on my notes involving the deeply personal tragedy of losing my home and business, and subsequent experiment in essential living.
Respectively, the work is divided into two parts: The first part, “A Hermit’s Memoir,” is a narrative that deals with the emotional trauma that I suffered immediately following the collapse of my business, LifeWorks Publishing, the experience of living in a rustic, little wooden shack in the orchard behind my sister’s house near Palm Desert, California; my subsequent experiment in simple living, and the broader implications of my living out of a little travel trailer in the backwoods of Oregon. The second part, “Relative Notes and Journals: A Collection of Miniature Essays and Dialogues on Consumerism and Environmental Sustainability Issues,” offers some additional reflections on the subject matter of the book as a whole.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Corporations and social networks
I disapprove of commercial interests, especially corporations, covertly using MySpace and other social networks to generate growth in their business ventures, regardless of their "green" status. This is because I believe that economic activity is the principal enemy of environmental sustainability. (I=E)
It is no wonder why commercial interests will work tirelessly to put down the anti-consumerism message. Nor is it any wonder why so many are jumping on the bandwagon. There is a lot of money to be made in the "green" industry these days; in the same way there was a lot of money to be made by selling American flags and "United We Stand" bumper-stickers immediately following the 9/11 attack.
Of course, I am not suggesting that all "green" enterprises are staffed by those who are merely out to make a buck. Many are well-meaning individuals who are guided by a sense of good-will toward the environment; in the same way many of those who grew their businesses by selling flags and bumper-stickers were guided by a sense of patriotism. The problem is that by selling the illusion of help for the environment these well-meaning individuals are doing more harm than good.
My concern is for the average consumer who, caught up in all the hype about "going green," begins to feel as if he or she is doing his or her part to save the environment by following the trend of the times.
I should add, of course, that I don't mind the paid advertising so much, because we all know it for what it truly is.
It is no wonder why commercial interests will work tirelessly to put down the anti-consumerism message. Nor is it any wonder why so many are jumping on the bandwagon. There is a lot of money to be made in the "green" industry these days; in the same way there was a lot of money to be made by selling American flags and "United We Stand" bumper-stickers immediately following the 9/11 attack.
Of course, I am not suggesting that all "green" enterprises are staffed by those who are merely out to make a buck. Many are well-meaning individuals who are guided by a sense of good-will toward the environment; in the same way many of those who grew their businesses by selling flags and bumper-stickers were guided by a sense of patriotism. The problem is that by selling the illusion of help for the environment these well-meaning individuals are doing more harm than good.
My concern is for the average consumer who, caught up in all the hype about "going green," begins to feel as if he or she is doing his or her part to save the environment by following the trend of the times.
I should add, of course, that I don't mind the paid advertising so much, because we all know it for what it truly is.
Friday, January 23, 2009
Long tale short
Sometimes you’ve just got to shake your head. The world’s gone insane, and there’s nothing you can do. …
That’s why I feed the squirrels. The squirrels and I understand the problem of environmental sustainability like none other. In fact, just this morning I was engaged in a conversation with Shorty. Shorty’s the one which used to stash his extra peanuts up under the hood of my car, until one day last winter when I started the car up at a particularly inopportune moment for him, and he was left with only a short stub for a tail.
Anyway, our conversation this morning went something like this:
"Good morning, Shorty," I said.
"Good morning, Kim. Will there be many peanuts today? There’s a storm coming, you know."
"Of course," I said. "I saw the forecast on the Weather Channel, and I figured you guys would be extra hungry today. Only, there’s one thing that troubles me: How did you know that there is a storm coming?"
"Isn’t it obvious? Yesterday, there was water in my water-bowl; this morning, it’s all ice, and the wind is blowing out of the north. This time of year, that means there is a storm coming.
"By the way," said Shorty. "I hear that you’ve had some trouble communicating your views on the relationship between economic activity and environmental impact. Would you like some help with it?"
So, long tale short, I gave Shorty the URL to my blog, and he agreed to leave me a comment. …
That’s why I feed the squirrels. The squirrels and I understand the problem of environmental sustainability like none other. In fact, just this morning I was engaged in a conversation with Shorty. Shorty’s the one which used to stash his extra peanuts up under the hood of my car, until one day last winter when I started the car up at a particularly inopportune moment for him, and he was left with only a short stub for a tail.
Anyway, our conversation this morning went something like this:
"Good morning, Shorty," I said.
"Good morning, Kim. Will there be many peanuts today? There’s a storm coming, you know."
"Of course," I said. "I saw the forecast on the Weather Channel, and I figured you guys would be extra hungry today. Only, there’s one thing that troubles me: How did you know that there is a storm coming?"
"Isn’t it obvious? Yesterday, there was water in my water-bowl; this morning, it’s all ice, and the wind is blowing out of the north. This time of year, that means there is a storm coming.
"By the way," said Shorty. "I hear that you’ve had some trouble communicating your views on the relationship between economic activity and environmental impact. Would you like some help with it?"
So, long tale short, I gave Shorty the URL to my blog, and he agreed to leave me a comment. …
Nothing quite like a good argument
For me, it seems, there’s nothing quite like a good argument to keep the creative juices flowing. That’s one of the reasons that I like playing around in the Myspace forums so much. The following is excerpted from an exchange between myself and a gal with a website for "green" business listings.
[Green Ambassador program] wrote:
I appreciate your frustration at people (and companies) who simply encourage consumption of green products. Buying "green" stuff will never help us clean up this planet and make the changes that MUST be made on a societal level. However, at least for GenGreen, we are not selling a tangible product, we are trying to be a resource. We are trying to put people in touch with the LOCAL SUSTAINABLE people, businesses and organizations who are doing their best to be clean and ethical in their daily practice. I’m interested in what your comments would be to this part of the article- regardless of how "deletable" you may assume they are.
KRS wrote:
Before I begin, are you sure that you want my answer? I mean, I wouldn’t want to rob you of your meaning and purpose (or your livelihood). I know a good marketing scheme when I see one. Green Ambassadors—my ass.
Cool prizes, potentially free travel opportunities. … The kids that fall for this stuff are gullible sales operatives, nothing more. I only know this because I used to use them to sell print media advertising.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that we can’t be friends on Myspace. I admire what you are doing, in spite of your fundamental error. It is the same mistake that most folks make, in looking for change from without instead of from within. You said it yourself: "Buying ‘green’ stuff will never help us clean up this planet and make the changes that MUST be made on a societal level." So, why provide a vehicle for those who are merely trying to make a buck on all the hype about going green? Besides, you’re not doing it for free; you’re merely enabling the bad guys while collecting a buck or two for yourself along the way.
In my view, there are already enough folks earning a living without really producing anything. Economic activity translates to negative impact on the environment, pure and simple. Superfluous economic activity, —that is, where no tangible product is produced or exchanged, is the most detrimental of all.
And by the way, fifteen bucks for a gengreen.com T-shirt is a rip-off. I can get a perfectly good T-shirt in my own neighborhood for three or four bucks; and that translates into much, much less environmental impact in the long run, even if the shirt would have come all the way from China.
Think about it folks. Don’t be fooled by all the hype. Going green is not about finding the "green" products in your area; it’s about discovering a need for less products and enjoying the fruits of frugal living.
On a personal note, I understand that we’ve all got to earn a living somehow. (My books are not exactly all "green" either.) But there seems to be a growing need for us to keep things in their proper perspective. We can’t network and shop our way out of this mess that we’ve gotten ourselves into. We’ve got to make some hard choices. Although, once those choices have been made, I think, most will discover that the benefits of simple living are far greater than the "sacrifices" which one must make in order to achieve our mutual goal of significantly reducing our impact on the environment.
Let’s not forget that the problem is that we consume too much.
[Green Ambassador program] wrote:
I appreciate your frustration at people (and companies) who simply encourage consumption of green products. Buying "green" stuff will never help us clean up this planet and make the changes that MUST be made on a societal level. However, at least for GenGreen, we are not selling a tangible product, we are trying to be a resource. We are trying to put people in touch with the LOCAL SUSTAINABLE people, businesses and organizations who are doing their best to be clean and ethical in their daily practice. I’m interested in what your comments would be to this part of the article- regardless of how "deletable" you may assume they are.
KRS wrote:
Before I begin, are you sure that you want my answer? I mean, I wouldn’t want to rob you of your meaning and purpose (or your livelihood). I know a good marketing scheme when I see one. Green Ambassadors—my ass.
Cool prizes, potentially free travel opportunities. … The kids that fall for this stuff are gullible sales operatives, nothing more. I only know this because I used to use them to sell print media advertising.
Of course, this doesn’t mean that we can’t be friends on Myspace. I admire what you are doing, in spite of your fundamental error. It is the same mistake that most folks make, in looking for change from without instead of from within. You said it yourself: "Buying ‘green’ stuff will never help us clean up this planet and make the changes that MUST be made on a societal level." So, why provide a vehicle for those who are merely trying to make a buck on all the hype about going green? Besides, you’re not doing it for free; you’re merely enabling the bad guys while collecting a buck or two for yourself along the way.
In my view, there are already enough folks earning a living without really producing anything. Economic activity translates to negative impact on the environment, pure and simple. Superfluous economic activity, —that is, where no tangible product is produced or exchanged, is the most detrimental of all.
And by the way, fifteen bucks for a gengreen.com T-shirt is a rip-off. I can get a perfectly good T-shirt in my own neighborhood for three or four bucks; and that translates into much, much less environmental impact in the long run, even if the shirt would have come all the way from China.
Think about it folks. Don’t be fooled by all the hype. Going green is not about finding the "green" products in your area; it’s about discovering a need for less products and enjoying the fruits of frugal living.
On a personal note, I understand that we’ve all got to earn a living somehow. (My books are not exactly all "green" either.) But there seems to be a growing need for us to keep things in their proper perspective. We can’t network and shop our way out of this mess that we’ve gotten ourselves into. We’ve got to make some hard choices. Although, once those choices have been made, I think, most will discover that the benefits of simple living are far greater than the "sacrifices" which one must make in order to achieve our mutual goal of significantly reducing our impact on the environment.
Let’s not forget that the problem is that we consume too much.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Allowing the well to fill up again
So, what am I doing here, when I really ought to be busy working on the revision of Warming Up?
Of course, none of us can stay focused on any one project for an extended amount of time, without experiencing a break in the train of thought every now and then. That is when I will come here, allowing the well to fill up again.
In these blogs, I will vent the trials and tribulations of my writing experience as a whole.
Apparently, I am one of those who need to have at least two or three projects going on at once. That way, when my thoughts fall silent on one project, I can move on to another. I imagine this blog will be the place where it all intersects, where readers may become tormented to death by my rambling about all sorts of things.
Every now and then, I’ll just come in here and babble my brains out, until I become disgusted enough with myself to go back to work on more important projects.
Current works in progress include On Various Subjects: A Collection of Miniature Essays and Dialogues (similar in design to the latter portion of the published synopsis version of Warming Up, but inclusive of my essays on everything from political consumerism to squirrel feeding); The Eternal Internal Conflict (basically an argument with myself); and, of course, a revision of Warming Up at the Ramada: A Hermit’s Memoir.
Besides, it’s nice to have a place to come and do my thing with nobody watching, where I can waste as many words as I want and no one will criticize me for doing so.
Of course, none of us can stay focused on any one project for an extended amount of time, without experiencing a break in the train of thought every now and then. That is when I will come here, allowing the well to fill up again.
In these blogs, I will vent the trials and tribulations of my writing experience as a whole.
Apparently, I am one of those who need to have at least two or three projects going on at once. That way, when my thoughts fall silent on one project, I can move on to another. I imagine this blog will be the place where it all intersects, where readers may become tormented to death by my rambling about all sorts of things.
Every now and then, I’ll just come in here and babble my brains out, until I become disgusted enough with myself to go back to work on more important projects.
Current works in progress include On Various Subjects: A Collection of Miniature Essays and Dialogues (similar in design to the latter portion of the published synopsis version of Warming Up, but inclusive of my essays on everything from political consumerism to squirrel feeding); The Eternal Internal Conflict (basically an argument with myself); and, of course, a revision of Warming Up at the Ramada: A Hermit’s Memoir.
Besides, it’s nice to have a place to come and do my thing with nobody watching, where I can waste as many words as I want and no one will criticize me for doing so.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Work on a revision of Warming Up begins
Finally, after nearly three long winter months of playing around on myspace and feeding the squirrels, I have summoned the courage to begin work on a revision of Warming Up at the Ramada. Up until a few days ago, I had hoped that On Various Subjects would be the next of three works in progress to enter the production cycle. But in attempting to focus my energies on that project, I just couldn’t get into it. The will to create, it seemed, was dead in me. Or, perhaps it was because I just wasn’t ready to let go of Warming Up.
I remember how, after three years of working on the raw materials for Warming Up, I had reached a stage in the writing process that I could no longer bring myself to work on it. I’d sit at my "desk" all day long, and nothing was accomplished. I must have instinctively known that I needed to get some feedback before pressing onward with the final revision. The original manuscript was enormous, an overwhelming 600 pages. The thought of going over it again, even one more time in its entirety, was tormenting. Sure, it was readable, but the central organizing principle of the work had been lost in some parts of the story; and it was confusing even to me sometimes. So, I began the process of reducing the manuscript to its essence, taking out everything that I possibly could without destroying the flow of it altogether. The result was a ninety-six-page synopsis.
So, now, after these past few months of "rambling" all over the Web, I am back at it again: writing and rewriting, rearranging the same materials that have preoccupied my thoughts for the past six years. What is it about this project that keeps me coming back to it?
Perhaps the best answer is to be found in the opening exchange of an interview with Laura Wood, for A Different World web site:
Laura: What was your intent with your newest book, Warming Up?
Kim: Self-expression mainly. Of course, I really didn’t have any choice in the matter. A good idea is like a seed coming in contact with the soil (your energies): it knows not why, it just grows. Like the time that you lied to your best friend and it bothered you for days until you finally confessed. If you have something to say, you write like a sick cat eats grass.
If you would like to read the rest of the interview, you can find it at:
http://adifferentworld.synthasite.com/interview.php
I remember how, after three years of working on the raw materials for Warming Up, I had reached a stage in the writing process that I could no longer bring myself to work on it. I’d sit at my "desk" all day long, and nothing was accomplished. I must have instinctively known that I needed to get some feedback before pressing onward with the final revision. The original manuscript was enormous, an overwhelming 600 pages. The thought of going over it again, even one more time in its entirety, was tormenting. Sure, it was readable, but the central organizing principle of the work had been lost in some parts of the story; and it was confusing even to me sometimes. So, I began the process of reducing the manuscript to its essence, taking out everything that I possibly could without destroying the flow of it altogether. The result was a ninety-six-page synopsis.
So, now, after these past few months of "rambling" all over the Web, I am back at it again: writing and rewriting, rearranging the same materials that have preoccupied my thoughts for the past six years. What is it about this project that keeps me coming back to it?
Perhaps the best answer is to be found in the opening exchange of an interview with Laura Wood, for A Different World web site:
Laura: What was your intent with your newest book, Warming Up?
Kim: Self-expression mainly. Of course, I really didn’t have any choice in the matter. A good idea is like a seed coming in contact with the soil (your energies): it knows not why, it just grows. Like the time that you lied to your best friend and it bothered you for days until you finally confessed. If you have something to say, you write like a sick cat eats grass.
If you would like to read the rest of the interview, you can find it at:
http://adifferentworld.synthasite.com/interview.php
Thursday, January 15, 2009
My first blog
Welcome to Warming Up at the Ramada. Taken from the title of my most recent book, I've created this blog for anyone crazy enough to follow my work on this and other writing projects. I'm a newcomer to bloging, so it may take me a while to determine the focus of my work here.
Current writing projects include a revision and expansion of Warming Up at the Ramada: A Hermit's Memoir. The present version was published in the form of a synopsis, in October, 2008, by Green Ridge Publishing of Lincoln, Nebraska. The expanded version is entitled Warming Up at the Ramada: A Hermits Memoir and Other Essays, and should be ready for publication before the end of 2009.
Other works in progress include On Various Subjects: A Collection of Miniature Essays and Dialogues, and The Eternal Internal Conflict. These titles are both another year or two away from completion.
Current writing projects include a revision and expansion of Warming Up at the Ramada: A Hermit's Memoir. The present version was published in the form of a synopsis, in October, 2008, by Green Ridge Publishing of Lincoln, Nebraska. The expanded version is entitled Warming Up at the Ramada: A Hermits Memoir and Other Essays, and should be ready for publication before the end of 2009.
Other works in progress include On Various Subjects: A Collection of Miniature Essays and Dialogues, and The Eternal Internal Conflict. These titles are both another year or two away from completion.
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