Creative Writing
J’s (A Novel)
by Deane H. Shapiro, Jr., Ph.D.
A personal/existential journey, a love story, a life affirming message.
From a Review:
“An endlessly fascinating exploration of the human psyche, a bildungsroman of a young man’s intensely subjective first person narrative… J’s is a novel of ideas, a love story, a sharing of wisdom teachings from different spiritual and philosophical traditions.”
Creation of the Artist: Self-Reflections
In 1970, after I’d written J’s the Novel, and a number of poems, (with no formal training in creative writing), I decided to spend a year studying and reflecting on what makes good writing, including where I had succeeded, and where and why I felt I had come up short. (Section one). Section Two offers examples of “masters at work” from my perspective. Section Three reflects on “Why Write” and Section Four briefly discusses other art forms, followed by “An Authorial Postscript.” and these comments were written then, and echoed again now.
Nature Reflections
by D Shapiro with comments by J Shapiro
Catalina’s gray silhouette
pierces the red afterglow
of a fallen sun
A kayak enters
the half moon’s reflection
a wave breaks…
Poet on a Boat
by Deane H. Shapiro, Jr
This was written in 1970, in Asia, while reading Hardy’s Jude the Obscure. It is a conversation snippet. On a ship. Heading where? From where? There are “characters” Daled ( who later became the elder person of the Last Harbor); one called Ellis, and a poet.
Johanna comments:
A very honest examination and well-written. They develop your ideas more comprehensively about why write and who is the audience. The place of the artist in society (or whether there is a place for the artist). Good elaboration on the poet’s hope for making the world a better place through his writing. I like the title too, like the conceit of the ship and the different “levels” this offers. It’s a very honest, searching dialogue, each character trying to catch the others out, to force them to see their mixed motivations. Definitely something to put up. Love, J
Still ^AMusing
by D and J Shapiro
Had idea of starting to re-write poetry with J, a reprise of our 1970-71 poetry book:
A
Daily ^ Musing
Ode to a Bell Shaped Curve
Played to the tune of ‘I could have danced all night’ from My Fair Lady. (Written in graduate school)
I could have analyzed all night
I could have analyzed all night
And still have begged for more
I could have spread my data sheets
And done a thousand chi squares
and ANOVA’s I’ve done so before before
I’ll never know what made it so exciting
Why all at once my heart took flight
I only know when p=<.01 all in the world was right
And yes, I could have analyzed analyzed all night