Magic Lantern
Monday, January 11, 2016
Brian McGough 1/11/15
In my opinion the best stories are personal and Eileen Myles does a wonderful job of being personal and painting detailed pictures with her words in “Aunt Anne”. Her tale of both feeling an immense sense of belonging yet also feeling like an outcast rings true to me and is something I can relate to. I served in the Army for 11 years and have an immense sense of belonging to that culture, but can also feel alienated in school with peers half my age.
I plan to tell the story of my journey after being injured in Iraq by a roadside bomb and how it intertwines with the warriors who came before me, but can leaving me feeling isolated in a world that is not aware of the sacrifices made and the damages those sacrifices can cause. I will intertwine quotes from authors who have written about war, from the ancient to the modern to show how the costs of war have remained the same through time, but weave in my own story and experiences as well to show that although some of the costs are the same, the results can be very different.
I hope to paint a picture as vividly as Myles does, while being able to emote the sense of belonging in one group while feeling isolated and out of sorts in the other.
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I think this is a wonderful and powerful topic for storytelling, and I admire you for sharing. Although sometimes on entirely different levels, feelings of inclusion and exclusion are relatable to readers of all backgrounds and ages. If you tell your story in a way in which readers can understand I know it will be a very successful piece. I am interested to see how you layer and build your story from a one minute monologue to a four minute multimedia presentation. I think with shorter time frames it might be harder to portray the emotion you mention but I am excited nevertheless.
ReplyDeleteI really like your idea for your story. Even from that excerpt alone I am completely hooked and want to hear more. It sounds like an incredible story to tell. I also agree with you, that the best stories are personal, and that opening yourself up and telling a group of strangers some of your hardships, your raw emotions, and your struggles can be really powerful and effective as a story. I also agree with your idea of including a lot of detail just like Myles does. If you can paint the picture for your audience of your experience in Iraq, I think it has potential to move the entire room, whether we are aware of the sacrifices you are talking about or not. I'm really excited to hear your story.
ReplyDeleteI think Myles' style of immersing us in her personal experiences is perfect for your story and I could foresee it being a very powerful tool in your writing. I definitely like the idea of bringing in quotes from other, well-known authors. The closest thing Myles got to doing was in "Joan" (sort of). I think adds some legitimacy to what you're talking about. Citing topics that other people have written about could help you in making certain ideas in your writing hit harder.
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