You may recall that a few months ago I had four successive rejections from editors. I’ve had a bit of rest since then, with just one magazine article published, but a couple of months ago decided it was time to have another go. Shortly after that, my father died. To be honest, I started to think how my eulogy would sound and I had to admit it would be pretty dull.
I’ve always been a fan of Gareth’s eulogy from Four Weddings and a Funeral, as read by John Hannah – “I rang a few people, to get a general picture of how Gareth was regarded by those who met him. ‘Fat’ seems to have been a word people most connected with him. ‘Terribly rude’ also rang a lot of bells.”
It fits, but I’d like people to remember me for more than being fat and rude, though they are two of my more defining characteristics, along with ‘untidy’.
The world of poetry is such that any idiot with a word processor and a vocabulary stands a chance of being published. In my previous incarnation as a poet I gained many of my publication credits by selecting magazines with low quality thresholds. After a couple of years I managed to get into a decent magazines and was highly commended in a national competition. Just as I thought I’d made it, I found myself short of time as the kids started to get better at sport.
As you know, I had a few haibun published last year and then faded a bit. I saw an edition of Grayson Perry’s Art Club during lockdown He said something about art being an activity where anybody could participate and there was nothing to stop you being a high achiever, or something like that. It made me think.
You need some talent to be an artist, or the ability to work hard if you want to write a book, but as I realised years ago, being a poet isn’t difficult. Being a good one might be tricky, but after reading some ‘good’ poetry I’m even dubious about that.
And so I started writing again.
I just had my first acceptance.
Typewriter and vocabulary, that’s all you need. And the brass neck to ignore rejection.
Congratulations, Simon. I knew you could do it!
Thank you Clare. I wasn’t so sure for a while. 🙂
🙂
“Typewriter and vocabulary, that’s all you need”…and a way with with words is helpful too. Fortunately you have that in spades. And a mind full of thoughts is good…which you have as well.
AS usual, you are too kind.
Discerning, not kind.
Yay!!! What a happy ending to this post.
Thank you. I am, as usual, quietly smug. 🙂
Congratulations on the acceptance, Simon-Quercus!
Thank you. 🙂
Congrats! And I recently rewatched 4 weddings…the whole movie is a gem
Thank you. Yes, it’s a film that improves with re-watching.
I actually thought of it today because I was reminded of when hugh says to andi about the immortal words of David Cassidy
He thought it over a lot you know, because he wanted to get it right. 🙂
It was kind of perfection….
like the typewriter and vocabulary comment, very true!
Thank you.