Happy Deathday, Mr. Thompson!

On this day in 2005, Hunter S. Thompson died from a single, self-inflicted gun shot wound to the head. He was 67 years old.

What can we really say about this eccentric writer and “totally gonzo” journalist? Well, perhaps it is best to let him speak for himself…

“Find that one thing you can do better than everybody else, doesn’t matter what it is, but find it, and do it.”

He couldn’t have been more right on. Thompson did “gonzo” better than anyone… hell, he was the man behind the term! Thompson, was among the many beaten by police outside Chicago’s 1968 Democratic Convention, an event which fueled him both creatively and politically. 

In the 1960s, Thompson spent several months riding, drinking, and on a perpetual drug-induced high with motorcycle gang, Hell’s Angels. He wrote about the experience in an article for National Observer. And so, the first novel was born; Hell’s Angels, which was published in 1966. Then, in 1972, came one of his most recognized works, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, which was first serialized in Rolling Stone. In 1998, the novel was depicted on the silver screen, with Thompson portrayed by Johnny Depp. Most recently, The Rum Diary, written in 1957 but not published until 1998, was adapted for film, with Johnny Depp at the helm again. If you are fan, you will not want to miss it.

Today, we dare you to release your inner “gonzo”! Pick a topic or political issue that is relevant today and live in it for a day… immerse yourself in it and then write the most honest piece you can about it. We find, a bottle of Rum helps get us in the right mind set… (of course, we also encourage that you drink responsibly ;)

Write on in peace, Mr. Thompson!

Happy Deathday Mr. Hemingway!

On July 2nd, in 1961, American writer Ernest Hemingway was found in his Idaho home, with a self inflicted gunshot wound through the head. He was 61 years old and is remembered today as a brilliant writer, a WWI veteran and an acclaimed journalist. 

During the twenties, Hemingway became a member of the group of expatriate Americans in Paris, which greatly influenced his first notable work, The Sun Also Rises, published in 1926.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. Hemingway’s lucid prose and sparse dialogue undeniably exerted a powerful influence on American and British fiction in the 20th century. Some of our favorite Hemingway novels include For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Old Man and the Sea, and his collection of short stories published in 1932 Death in the Afternoon. However, we would have to say our ultimate favorite long format piece by Hemingway, is without question A Moveable Feast. If you’ve not read it, we are hesitant to say much about it and encourage every aspiring and working writer alike to READ THIS BOOK!

It may surprise some of you to know that our favorite Hemingway short story is only 6 words long and is said to be akknowledged by many to be his greatest work of all:

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

Brilliant!

Today we encourage our readers to stay up all night brooding and reminiscing on adventures gone by, writing and (responsibly) drinking. Challenge yourselves, write a short story in just six words!

Write on in peace, Mr. Ernest Hemingway.

A Tall Order Today… Teasdale, Frost and Frame

On this day, January 29th, three absurdly talented writers died in 1933, 1963 and 2004 respectively. American poet Sara Teasdale committed suicide in new York when she overdosed on sleeping pills. American poet Robert Frost died of natural causes in Boston at the age of 88. New Zealand born writer Janet Frame died in Dunedin after succumbing to Leukemia. She was 79 years old.

Sara Teasdale published her first volume of poetry, Sonnets to Duse, and Other Poems, at the age of 23 and was rather well received by critics who commended her mastery over lyrical verse. Ms. Teasdale was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1918 for her work Love Songs. If you are unfamiliar with her hauntingly beautiful poetry, please follow this link to get better acquainted. Our favorite body of work by Teasdale is Rivers to the Sea, published in 1915.

It is a shame that she ended her life so abruptly at the age of 49 - we would have loved to read her work as she matured. Teasdale was inducted into the St. Louis Walk of Fame in 1994.

Now, onto Frost. Robert Frost is one of the most recognized names in American literature and it’s no wonder… reading his poetry is like viewing a landscape or a painting… there’s always more to see.

In 1912, at almost forty years old, it may surprise you to know that he had only a few poems published and Frost made a decision to move his family to England where he took a chance at living life as a poet. Lucky for him, this gamble turned out to be successful and in 1913, he published “A Boy’s Will” which was extremely well received. By the time he returned to the States, he had published North of Boston and like Salinger, he was quite embarrassed by his sudden fame. Frost received the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1924, 1931, 1937 and again in 1943. He was also awarded the Emerson Thoreau Medal in 1958.

There is something to take away from every one of his poems, but perhaps his most famous will always be our favorite;  “Stopping By Woods on a Snowy Evening”!

Janet Frame is the author of over ten novels, several short stories including autobiographical works and two incredible volumes of poetry. There is just far too much biographical information for us to reprint here… she lived a full and unusual life. The film An Angel at my Table is based on the life of Ms. Frame. And we highly recommend her autobiography, published in 1989. 

We will say, that her unique experiences in the mental health system and the various tragedies suffered in her youth, certainly have a place in her writing. Owls Do Cry  was her first novel, published in 1957, was written over the course of four years, following her release from Seacliff Lunatic Asylum where she was being treated for schizophrenia. It would later be revealed that she did not suffer from schizophrenia at all.

While all of Frame’s novels are incredible reads not to be missed, we must recommend a volume of poetry published in 1967 called The Pocket Mirror… You will discover senses you never knew you had. The imagery Frame uses to evoke the tumultuous nature of the agony within the human mind is spine tingling and sometimes… a little sinister.

Today, keep these three poets in mind… while vastly different in style, all three explored similar themes… love, loss and sometimes a little lunacy. Read a poem by each poet and then add one of your own to the mix! Host a reading tonight with some friends… read a poem a piece. 

Write on in peace, Ms. Teasdale, Mr. Frost and Ms. Frame!

Happy Deathday Ms. Sexton

Today is a biggie.

On this day in 1974, American poet Anne Sexton took her own life at the age of 45. She died of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Now, as you know, we do not like to play favorites here at DWC, however… Anne Sexton is definitely among our top favorite poets!

Sexton, alongside fellow writer Sylvia Plath, is credited with making confessional poetry what it is today. Confessional poetry is autobiographical, and is based on the life experiences of the poet. Many of Sexton’s poems delve into suicidal tendencies, themes of depression and quite possibly abuse. While some critics abhor confessional poetry and often dismiss it nowadays as the ramblings of tragically bored emo teenagers, we simply adore confessional verse! It’s real. 

Some of our favorite works by Sexton are Live or Die, for which she won the Pulitzer Prize for Poetry in 1967, The Death Notebooks, All My Pretty Ones and An Awful Rowing Toward God. We encourage anyone who is a Sexton fan or an aspiring confessional poet to check the aforementioned books out at your local library. 

Now for the bit that undoubtedly must be mentioned when anyone posts anything relating to Sexton or Plath… the suicide. People often question whether Sexton or Plath would have gained as much fame for their work had they not committed suicide? We tend to think the appropriate way to answer this question is to simply read the work. Read Sexton’s work, listen to her read it to you and tell us that her work is only as good as her tragic end…. we dare you. 

While it is true that Sexton suffered from several nervous breakdowns and extreme bouts with dpression, which finally resulted in suicide, we do not feel this is why her writing is relevant. Her writing is raw, beautiful and unbridled. It makes you hurt and feel free all at the same time.

Today, we encourage our readers to write something true. Write about your life, your innermost musings, your fears… anything that is true and uniquely “you”. And please take a minute to check out The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline and find out how you can get involved.

Write on in peace, Ms. Sexton!

Happy Deathday Mr. Hemingway!

On July 2nd, in 1961, American writer Ernest Hemingway was found in his Idaho home, with a self inflicted gunshot wound through the head. He was 61 years old and is remembered today as a brilliant writer, a WWI veteran and an acclaimed journalist. 

Most people tend to focus on Hemingway’s rather low view of women or the fact that he, like so many writers we love, killed himself. The truth, as we see it, is this; Ernest Hemingway documented the world around him. Not unlike the great painter Walter Sickert who boasted that he only painted what he had seen, so we feel it is the same with Hemingway. He wrote what he saw in the vast and adventurous life that he led and in the company he kept.

During the twenties, Hemingway became a member of the group of expatriate Americans in Paris, which greatly influenced his first notable work, The Sun Also Rises, published in 1926.

He was awarded the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1954. Hemingway’s lucid prose and sparse dialogue undeniably exerted a powerful influence on American and British fiction in the 20th century. Some of our favorite Hemingway novels include For Whom the Bell Tolls, The Old Man and the Sea, The Sun Also Rises and his collection of short stories published in 1932 Death in the Afternoon.

Love him or hate him, you cannot deny his brilliance! Our favorite Hemingway short story is only 6 words long and is said to be akknowledged by many to be his greatest work:

For sale: baby shoes, never worn.

What did we tell you? Brilliant!

Today we encourage our readers to stay up all night brooding, writing and (responsibly) drinking. Challenge yourselves, write a short story in just six words!

Write on in peace, Mr. Ernest Hemingway.

Happy Deathday Hart Crane!

It has been 78 years to the day since American poet, Hart Crane plunged to his death 10 miles east off the coast of Florida. He was a mere 32 years old.

Best known for his “epic” poem “The Bridge”, Crane was a Modernist poet who published over 2 volumes of poetry in his short life. During his early years, Crane had a sort of love/hate relationship with perhaps his greatest muse, T.S. Eliot. ( I think we’ve all been there…) While he found “The Wasteland” gripping and profound, he also was known to have said it was “so damned dead” and “a refusal to see certain spiritual events and possibilities”. “The Bridge” was, in a sense, Crane’s response to Eliot’s poem.

In recent years, his poems have continued to be studied under a magnifying glass; eager students hoping to uncover any number of hidden meanings and “hat-tips”. Within the gay community, there has been a tendency to search for homosexual themes as there was speculation as to Crane’s sexual orientation. But many students, scholars and fans alike still study his work through, shall we say, an “Eliotic” lens.

His influence on American poetry is still palpable in the works of Jack Kerouac, Tennessee Williams and why yes… even T.S. Eliot. While his body has never been found, his poetry is very much alive and well.

For more his complete works, check out this link!

Today, we hope you will honor Mr. Crane’s memory by…well… doing whatever you like… just remember to drink responsibly.

Write on in peace, Mr. Crane!

I Shall Not Care

When I am dead, and over me bright April
Shakes out her rain drenched hair,
Tho you should lean above me broken-hearted,
I shall not care.

I shall have peace, as leafy trees are peaceful
When rain bends down the bough.
And I shall be more silent and cold-hearted
Than you are now.

-written by Chicago lyrical poet Sara Teasdale.

This poem, though originally published in her 1915 collection Rivers to the Sea, is commonly referenced as her suicide note. In fact, Teasdale did commit suicide, but not until 1933.

Happy Deathday Virginia Woolf!

Ms. Woolf died in 1941 on March 28th by way of suicide. She walked into the River Ouse wearing an overcoat filled with stones.

However, during her time amongst the living, Ms. Woolf produced a body work which continues to provoke, entertain and inspire. 

Woolf was a member of the notorious Bloomsbury Group which included, among many artists, economists, and writers of the time, author E.M. Forester and art critic Roger Fry.

Virginia began writing in 1900 and her first novel, The Voyage Out, was published in 1915. This would be the beginning of a long and illustrious career. To follow were the novels, Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, Orlando, The Waves, Between the Acts and several nonfiction works as well which included the famed A Room of One’s Own. Ms. Woolf often challenged readers with her subjective explorations of the roles of women in society. Certainly, Orlando, is a brilliant example of this.

The impact Ms. Woolf’s writing had on subsequent writers and popular culture cannot be questioned. Her haunted face has become an icon for feminism at it’s finest, tolerance, pain, staggering beauty and above all, respect for the craft. Though you will find many critics who judge Virginia’s work for not following the standard format of “The Novel”and writing “plotless stories”,we feel that her detailed poetic narratives never fail to capture life’s rather mundane experiences, while exposing the inner workings and often the fragility of the human mind. 

Woolf creates an atmosphere. And we have been quite seduced by it. 

Virginia Woolf, on behalf of writers everywhere- both living and dead- we’d like to wish you a Happy Deathday! Write on in peace!