Music, anyone? I found this poignant little poem in Songs from Robert Burns, a pocket-sized volume I picked up a couple of months ago at a used bookstore here in Salem. The book is old, but it has no copyright or printing information. The publisher's name: Collins' Clear-Type Press, London and Glasgow. It has a marbled leather cover and marbled endpapers. A nice companion for a shivery winter day.
John Anderson My Jo
John Anderson my jo, John,
When we were first acquent,
Your locks were like the raven,
Your bonie brow was brent;
But now your brow is beld, John,
Your locks are like the snaw;
But blessings on your frosty pow,
John Anderson my jo!
John Anderson my jo, John,
We clamb the hill thegither,
And monie a canty day, John,
We’ve had wi’ ane anither;
Now we maun totter down, John,
And hand in hand we’ll go,
And sleep thegither at the foot,
John Anderson my jo!
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7 comments:
I am an instructor at Misque, a writer's retreat for authors with complete (or nearly complete!) novels, who want to take the next step and prepare it to be sent to agents and editors. It is a very cozy and encouraging atmosphere, limited to twenty writers, and set in beautiful Hawaii.
We are also interested in affiliation with websites related to writing.
If you think you might be interested, check out http://misque-writer.com/ or email me at misque-writer@misque-writer.com
Ah, yes, that familiar song and dance. And I quote:
"Would you spend 5 days in paradise to get your novel published?
"So you've written a book.
"Congratulations--there's never been a better time to launch yourself as an author. J.K. Rowlings just became the first author to be a billionaire. And she's not the only one making insane amounts of money while living the life that she always dreamed of--being a writer. A vampire trilogy just sold for $3.7 million dollars. Jealous? You don't need to be. Those kind of numbers are sending publishers into a feeding frenzy, looking for the new author who will turn out to be the next overnight sensation.
"If you've written or are close to completing a a novel in the genre of romance, mystery, thriller, horror, science fiction, slipstream, alternate history, fantasy or young adult--you could be just one week away from being published.
"You've already taken the most important step. You pored your love, sweat and tears into your story. You're pretty sure it's at least as good as anything out there on the shelves. It's finished...or at least almost finished. You've sent it out to agents and publishers...or at least thought about sending it.
"So why haven't you published it yet?
"The answer is simple. You need a kick in the ass."
Such an opportunity! This time, fame is only $6,370 away. For that money, I could fly you here, treat you to a week of real homestyle cooking, and give you a kick in the ass.
Best regards,
Rabbie Burns
P.S. It's J.K. Rowling, not J.K. Rowlings.
Ouch.
Yes, I wrote the copy for the website, so yes, I am the dork who doesn't know how to spell the name of J.K. Rowling. Nor do I excel in writing advertising copy. I'm an instructor at Misque by virtue of having published a category romance, so I will be the first to concede that there are probably many, many unpublished writers out there who are better writers than I.
That said, if I could fly to your house, and you would cook all my meals, make my bed, and clean my room; read and critique my 120,000 word manuscript (most freelance editors charge $4000-$6000 for this service alone); give me your advice on how to cut said manuscript down to 95,000 words; also connect me with ten to twenty other writers who would give me feedback on the manuscript; help me compose my synopsis and query letter; brainstorm a list of the agents best matched to my topic and genre, and then encourage me to query them despite my tendency to sabotage my own success with doubt and depression, then you would deserve to be paid $6,370. Sadly, you would find that once you factored in all the costs for providing me with all that, and also for paying for the other guest instructors, you'd find you hadn't much left over for six months worth of work.
Oh yeah, and I want to be able to walk on the beach in the morning and take a swim in the afternoon, all in a beautiful tropical climate. If you can provide me with all that, just give me the dates, and I will sign up.
Look, I know Misque is expensive. Dude, it’s in Hawaii at a 5-star resort. Of course it’s expensive. There are plenty of other writing courses held in drafty basements; this one is luxurious. That doesn’t mean we don’t work hard.
If you have a good day job, but you really want to give yourself a push to publish your first novel, then it makes sense to take a working vacation in Hawaii to really focus on it, rather than, say, go on a cruise or buy a giant TV. If you're fresh out of college, and you could either bum around for a year goofing off, or invest some money and time in kick starting your writing career, it makes sense. If you're struggling just to pay the bills and so a cruise or a big TV or a Hawaiian vaction are not options, then, no, it's not the best workshop for you. If you have already published a book or two but are still a struggling author who can't afford a trip to Hawaii, you can have the best of both worlds. If you want to sign up as a guest instructor at Misque, you come for free (not really free, of course--in exchange for your input, which is why the other Misque participants pay your way).
Christine
Misque Coordinator
Christine:
I think you should have applied the same energy to writing your ad copy that you did to responding to my comment. Plain talk is what we need in this world. And I'll bet it didn't take you nearly as long. But the fact remains, it's highly unlikely that your plush get-together will unleash the next round of multi-millionaire authors. But I doubt the plain truth — that at best a handful of participants will join the ever-growing mob of struggling authors who have published a book or two — would fill up your workshop. Bottom line: it's all about the bottom line. As far as Hawaii goes, I'm just a poet: I'm still exploring my backyard, and finding something new there every day.
Best wishes to you, though. I know writing for a living is tough. Hang in there.
William Michaelian
>I think you should have applied the same energy to writing your ad copy that you did to responding to my comment.<
Er, yes, I'll take it under advisement. And the webpage needs to be updated. I haven't done anything with it since Winter Misque. Sigh. I hate html.
>But the fact remains, it's highly unlikely that your plush get-together will unleash the next round of multi-millionaire authors. But I doubt the plain truth — that at best a handful of participants will join the ever-growing mob of struggling authors who have published a book or two — would fill up your workshop.
Studies show that pessimists make more money, but optimists live seven years longer. I choose to be optimistic. If I'm never going to make millions with my little books or grow famous with my little workshop, at least I might as well enjoy Hawaii, and my delusions while the sun doth shine.
The website also doesn't really capture the best part of the retreat, which is the friendships formed. But that seems an even more fragile thing to promise than a shot at a good career. So far, we've been lucky, and I've gotten to know some truly wonderful people I never would have met otherwise.
>Bottom line: it's all about the bottom line.<
I don't consider money an evil in itself. I know many people do. But I suspect even people who chase money for its own sake don't *really* chase money for its own sake. So money isn't the deepest thing at all, for anybody. There's always something deeper, some value underneath, which money masks, or symbolizes, hides or provides.
>As far as Hawaii goes, I'm just a poet: I'm still exploring my backyard, and finding something new there every day.<
Agh, poets. :p
"My son, become a doctor, a lawyer or a mayor
Become a soldier who marches off to war
or the politician who sends him there.
Manage, if you like, a grocery store.
Do any job like that, and you'll suceed before you know it,
But beware, if you don't want to blow it,
do not dream, do not dare--
do not become a poet!"
Short version: "Mama, don't let your babies grow up to be poets."
Funny, isn't it, that you posted your announcement on an entry about a poet, by a poet — and by a crazy one at that.
>Funny, isn't it, that you posted your announcement on an entry about a poet, by a poet — and by a crazy one at that.<
:)
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