In the latest Glimmer Train bulletin, professor and author Carrie Brown discusses the role visual art can play in the writing life. She says:
A writer can wander the halls of a museum filled with great works of art, or flip through a book, or even a box of old photographs without being struck by any one of the images before him. But inevitably there will come a moment when the writer’s gaze stays somewhere—there’s that “majestic silence”—and at that moment, the writer knows to stand still and listen and look.
Definitely check out the entire essay, which fully introduces this thought and its context in a detailed way (with a visual!).
Also recently at Glimmer Train:
- On Shortcuts by Mark Hitz
- On Being Interrupted by Joan Wickersham
- Click here to review the full bulletin.
Jane Friedman has spent her entire career working in the publishing industry, with a focus on business reporting and author education. Established in 2015, her newsletter The Bottom Line provides nuanced market intelligence to thousands of authors and industry professionals; in 2023, she was named Publishing Commentator of the Year by Digital Book World.
Jane’s expertise regularly features in major media outlets such as The New York Times, The Atlantic, NPR, The Today Show, Wired, The Guardian, Fox News, and BBC. Her book, The Business of Being a Writer, Second Edition (The University of Chicago Press), is used as a classroom text by many writing and publishing degree programs. She reaches thousands through speaking engagements and workshops at diverse venues worldwide, including NYU’s Advanced Publishing Institute, Frankfurt Book Fair, and numerous MFA programs.
[…] Jane Friedman: Writers: Look for the Majestic Silence […]
Agreed, Jane. I’m new to your blog & appreciate this reference. An elegant essay from Ms. Brown.
Following you on Twitter now.
Sending stuck writers to dance & theater performances can be a catalyst.
A book I recommend to writers about combining business sense with the guarding of creativity, is Twyla Tharpe’s (with Mark Reiter) on, The Creative Habit: Learn to Use It For Life.
Thank you! Great suggestions; I’ve heard of the Twyla Tharpe book, but have yet to read it.
[…] Jane Friedman: Writers: Look for the Majestic Silence […]