Wrestling the Angel: Writing Against the Odds, Part 2

April 25, 2006

Writing Against the Odds, Part 2

The second speaker on "writing against the odds" was Tom Montgomery-Fate, currently the Henry Luce Foundation Artist in Residence at Chicago Theological Seminary.

His latest book is Steady and Trembling: Art, Faith, and Family in an Uncertain World. [I have ordered a copy, and I'll update this post with some quotations once it arrives.] From the book description: "How does one learn to be creative rather than only productive, to search for meaning rather than marketability, to belong to nature rather than control it, to live in awe rather than on autopilot? From his home in a Chicago suburb, Tom Montgomery-Fate, the father of three children, demonstrates how one might weave a family and a faith into something that is both creative and sustaining, into the art of daily life."

Montgomery-Fate opened by saying that writers need two things that don't usually go together: patience and passion. He said that both words come from the same root word, pati, meaning "to suffer." In other words, he said, suffering is a requirement for writing, not an obstacle.

I'm not sure whether I agree with that, but I'm keeping an open mind. I suppose it depends on how you define suffering. Later on I'll have a story from Han Nolan that involved a lot of unnecessary, self-inflicted suffering.

Posted by Alison at April 25, 2006 08:31 PM | This entry posted in: Family and Friends , Getting the Writing Done

Comments

Alison,
see my writing about limitation... that can be seen as a form of 'suffering'. I think what is meant by suffering here is 'not easy'. If things are too easy, too comfortable... where does passion come in?
-Martin

Posted by: Martin at April 27, 2006 12:15 PM


Get Blog Posts by E-mail Enter your e-mail address Powered by FeedBlitz RSS Feeds Recent Entries Interview: Annette Gilson Interview: Justine Larbalestier The Elusive Agent Will Write for Chocolate Jane Jeong Trenka: Why She Writes Will You Quit? 13 Ways of Looking at the Novel Profile: Stanley Kunitz Writing from the Heart Memoir: Eat Pray Love Articles From the Stage to the Page An Interview with Annette Gilson	« Writing Against the Odds, Part I \| Main \| Writing Against the Odds, Part 3 » April 25, 2006 Writing Against the Odds, Part 2 The second speaker on "writing against the odds" was Tom Montgomery-Fate, currently the Henry Luce Foundation Artist in Residence at Chicago Theological Seminary. His latest book is Steady and Trembling: Art, Faith, and Family in an Uncertain World. [I have ordered a copy, and I'll update this post with some quotations once it arrives.] From the book description: "How does one learn to be creative rather than only productive, to search for meaning rather than marketability, to belong to nature rather than control it, to live in awe rather than on autopilot? From his home in a Chicago suburb, Tom Montgomery-Fate, the father of three children, demonstrates how one might weave a family and a faith into something that is both creative and sustaining, into the art of daily life." Montgomery-Fate opened by saying that writers need two things that don't usually go together: patience and passion. He said that both words come from the same root word, pati, meaning "to suffer." In other words, he said, suffering is a requirement for writing, not an obstacle. I'm not sure whether I agree with that, but I'm keeping an open mind. I suppose it depends on how you define suffering. Later on I'll have a story from Han Nolan that involved a lot of unnecessary, self-inflicted suffering. Posted by Alison at April 25, 2006 08:31 PM \| This entry posted in: Family and Friends , Getting the Writing Done Comments Alison, see my writing about limitation... that can be seen as a form of 'suffering'. I think what is meant by suffering here is 'not easy'. If things are too easy, too comfortable... where does passion come in? -Martin Posted by: Martin at April 27, 2006 12:15 PM	What is Wrestling the Angel? Your Host Alison Gresik has been crafting her writing life for the last fourteen years. She is the author of Brick and Mortar, a collection of linked stories. Visit her author blog at www.gresik.ca. Categories Apprenticeship Biography and Memoir Building a Writing Career Family and Friends Feeling Good Fiction about Writers Finding Your Material Getting the Writing Done Interviews and Profiles Making a Living Why Write? Writing Community Search this site:
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