So Natalie Goldberg was advised by her Zen teacher. I have come upon this knowledge much less glamorously, discovering through necessity that writing is "a way to help you penetrate your life and become sane." I listened to Side 1 of Writing Down the Bones yesterday morning, which includes periodic commentary by the author updating her own inspired words. She talks about breathing the words by reading them out loud. Goldberg doesn't mean tone, nor is she talking about voice, she means literally giving breath to language, enabling it to move.
I scribbled down some memorable lines, those that might be useful for teaching as well as some that touched me personally. For teaching
Goldberg says you have to "get slow and dumb and watch your mind to see how you connect." Then, "once you penetrate your mind you are yourself: you are free." She discusses learning to trust her own mind, stressing the importance of free writing to "burn through first thoughts" to get to the rich, deep stuff. Even if you are surprised by or emotional during free writing, "don't stop at the tears, go through them to the truth."
I think I might actually have students listen to the section when she explains how to do freewriting. I also enjoyed her way of talking about context (without referring to rhetorical situations or pickles (!)). :-o "The inside world creates the outside world, but the outside world provides our tools and also affects our thoughts." Did someone say "co-production of meaning"?!!!
Hurray for pickles! I have heard about Writing Down the Bones. Think I may need to read it -- or listen to it -- soon.
Pickle Power! I can share my audiobook... it's on cassette. I'll be done with Side 1 by Wednesday. I like it quite a bit. :-) Some of the advice is (IMHO) specific to her style but I've found several gems I might work in at some point. Meanwhile, listening to it helps me think about lesson planning. AND, a bit (about slowing down) came out spontaneously during class in a powerful way: when I spoke about slowing down mind and being quiet, I started to slow and quiet my own speech - not planned, but it's how it came out. Then there was this moment of palpable silence. I knew they were all Listening.
It was cool. :-)