The Weekly Atticus (09/07/2018)

Time-Travel Back to High School with No Pants On | The Weekly Atticus

September 08, 2018

A recap of the week at Atticus Review, along with some extras.

Dear ,

Lately, when talking to myself—which every writer does but few will admit to—I’ve been juggling two seemingly opposing ideas: 1) comfort zones are absolutely killing your writing, and 2) feeling comfortable while writing isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Let’s tackle that second one first.I’ve always been drawn to the relaxed beauty of Zen poetry, to an aesthetic that decries pretension and places little value in “shock jock” writing. (Side note: I once attended a reading in which the writer simply read about ten minutes’ worth of synonyms for “shit,” and I’m pretty sure my fingernails left marks in the armrest.) On the other hand, as much as I value a simple description of rainwater dripping off a stop sign, and as much as I detest stylistic risk that reeks of insincerity, I also chafe at modern poets who basically just write the same comfortable poem over and over again.Getting out of our comfort zones and pushing ourselves to write about subjects (or in styles) that challenge us helps us evolve as writers; this is crucial for all the obvious reasons. At the same time, though, we must be careful to avoid the assumption that writing should always feel like time-traveling back to high school with no pants on. And there’s the conflict. But if we embrace the idea that writing involves equal measures of comfort and discomfort, the next question is: How do we integrate the two? Some writers seem to move like a pendulum between moments of peaceful, comfortable reassurance on the one side, and on the other, moments in which they rip out their stitches and set their loved ones on fire—that’s certainly one way to go. But maybe there’s a sweet spot in the middle. Not too little effort or risk, but not too much, either. When I think of the most difficult poems I’ve ever written, I remember the gnawing discomfort I felt while writing them. At the same time, I recall an underlying sense that, yes, I was on the right path. And there’s a lot of comfort in that. These days, when wearing my editor hat, I think that’s what draws me in the most: not just the feeling that I’m reading the work of someone who understands the importance of craft, but that here is a writer who knows that writing should be difficult—perhaps even grueling—but it should also be joyous. Thanks for reading. We’re glad you’re here.Michael MeyerhoferPoetry Editor

ATTICUS NEWS

Atticus Review is happy to announce our second annual Flash Fiction Contest judged by Mary Miller. First Prize: $500. Deadline: 10.29.2018. 

WANT SOMEONE TO PAY FOR YOUR SUBMISSION FEE? JUST ASK...We know writing contests can get expensive over time. That's why we’ve made it easy for any generous benefactors in your life to gift you an Atticus Review contest entry.

THIS WEEK AT ATTICUS

FERAL TOWN by Adam Gustavson

BOOK REVIEW: NEVER BE AN EMPTY CAN OF SOUPA Review of DEEP CAMOUFLAGE by Amy Saul-ZerbyReview by Naomi Kimbell"It isn’t often that I put some of my own story into a review, but I felt as if these poems were in conversation with me. Deep Camouflage took me to places I don’t like to think about, but the memories of which have made me who I am. I am as much rejection as I am acceptance, possibly more so."READ ON

FICTION: THE ALTITUDE OF SINKING DREAMSby David Drury"Enthusiasm was high, even for a Disney cruise."READ ON

POETRY: THE BELLETRISTby Linette Marie Allen"I’m sorry I brought you into this. Dreams with spikes, wolves, trains, beds of broken teeth, crushed & unripened cherriesof rayless maraschino, of open fires."READ ON

CNF: GLORIAby Grace Campbell"My mother patrols the whole space like a one-woman panopticon and adds to her growing stash since the money is all hers, she reckons, on account of 1. terrible childhood and 2. being there to tip a can of Ensure into gramps’ throat on the daily now that the dog-eared death chapter has been unfolded."READ ON

FILM: ANIMATED JUBILANCE A review of Masaaki Yuasa’s NIGHT IS SHORT, WALK ON GIRLReview by Brad Avery"Rapid-fire dialogue, surrealist imagery, and vibrant colorful images that flow and transmorph in and out of each other make Night Is Short, Walk On Girl a transcendent experience."READ ON

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