(no subject)
writing a narrative for my dad to read at an upcoming panel on racism, i dug up an old, old, old piece i wrote about doing drugs and being broken - a sort of junkie memoir of detatchment (how many does the world need, really?).
i rewrote this piece about a year ago for a speech class and brought my professor to tears. he thanked me for my "courage" and "raw honesty" and strongly suggested i submit it to This American Life.
I assured him i would, even going so far as to tell friends and family about the incident before promptly shoving the file into a deep box of essays and reports, hoping it would never again see the light of day.
since then, various stories have brought up similar suggestions - that is, the same exact suggestion. I'm not sure if everyone i know sits around all day listening to NPR or if everyone thinks i am secretly friends with ira glass. either way, i think a slot on this american life might be the fulfillment of every silly writer's dream i've ever had, which explains why i have not (nor will i probably ever) submit my work.
it's the jones soda bottle, the sociolgical journals, the documentary art show all over again. all i need is for someone(s) to tell me my work is good enough for me to be too terrified to ever submit anything. because if i take them at their word i feel validated without ever risking rejection...
and apparently falling short of accomplishment is something i am willing to live with.
id rather be an activist than an artist anyway, right?
i rewrote this piece about a year ago for a speech class and brought my professor to tears. he thanked me for my "courage" and "raw honesty" and strongly suggested i submit it to This American Life.
I assured him i would, even going so far as to tell friends and family about the incident before promptly shoving the file into a deep box of essays and reports, hoping it would never again see the light of day.
since then, various stories have brought up similar suggestions - that is, the same exact suggestion. I'm not sure if everyone i know sits around all day listening to NPR or if everyone thinks i am secretly friends with ira glass. either way, i think a slot on this american life might be the fulfillment of every silly writer's dream i've ever had, which explains why i have not (nor will i probably ever) submit my work.
it's the jones soda bottle, the sociolgical journals, the documentary art show all over again. all i need is for someone(s) to tell me my work is good enough for me to be too terrified to ever submit anything. because if i take them at their word i feel validated without ever risking rejection...
and apparently falling short of accomplishment is something i am willing to live with.
id rather be an activist than an artist anyway, right?