Poetry Challenge #314-See What to Do with It…
Today we’re veering a bit to the dark side of poetry, and maybe the biggest challenge of all: editing.
Dum-duh-dum-dum….
Why ever for? Because whether you know it or not, modern literature such as it is, IS because of today’s birthday boy, Maxwell Perkins. And if any of our poems IS going to be something they will need some of what he was: a thoughtful editor.
Maxwell Perkins was an editor at the publishing house Charles Scribner’s Sons.
He discovered and edited:
F. Scott Fitzgerald (The Great Gatsby),
Ernest Hemingway (The Old Man and the Sea),
Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (The Yearling), and
Thomas Wolfe (Look Homeward Angel).
Many of the books Perkins edited became best sellers and award winners; many of the authors Perkins discovered became household names.
Want to know more: A. Scott Berg’s biography makes excellent reading!
Kenneth D. McCormick, editor-in-chief of Doubleday & Company once said:
“Perkins was unlikely for his profession: He was a terrible speller, his punctuation was idiosyncratic, and when it came to reading, he was by his own admission ‘slow as an ox.’ But he treated literature as a matter of life and death.”
If, like Perkins, you’re “slow as an ox” but want to know more about him watch Genius, a 2016 movie starring Colin Firth is about his relationship editing Thomas Wolfe. (Colin, Jude, Nicole, Laura…the cast is reason enough to watch!)
Here’s the trailer for Genius—fascinating watching!
But for now, enough avoiding the inevitable: By now you will have already followed—many many times over in the course of this challenge—what I consider Perkins’ finest pin-up advice:
“Just get it down on paper, and then we’ll see what to do with it.” ― Maxwell Perkins
Poetry Challenge #314
See What to Do with It…
In honor of Maxwell Perkins’ birthday, Sept 20th, it’s time to use your editing skills. It’s said that Maxwell Perkins forced Thomas Wolfe to cut 90,000 words from his first novel (although some sources think that’s an exaggeration). However, we often use too many words, and our writing would be better if we tightened it.
Choose a poem you’ve written that has at least 50 words. Now take out ¼ of those words—if it’s a 50 word poem, try to get it to 38 words. You can delete words or change a phrase to one word—whatever works to get to your new word count. Read the new poem aloud. Is it better? Can you cut another ¼ of the words?
Set Your Timer for 7 Minutes
Start Writing!
Don’t Think About it, Edit!
After you’re finished editing, reward yourself with this delightful read about Perkins on Lithub!
Cindy Faughnan and I began this 7-Minute Poetry Challenge 2700+ days ago. Now we take turns creating prompts to share with you. Our hope is that creatives—children & adults—will use our prompts as springboards to word play time. If you join us in the Challenge, let us know by posting the title, a note, or if you want, the whole poem in the comments.
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