What is this writing journal all about?
“-but any strong connection, I think you can feel that at first sight, but then also, at first sound. Every sense gets its own first, you know? So that, maybe you think you fall in love at first sight, but really, it’s just your eyes do. And if you’re lucky, your ears will, too. And then every once in awhile, your touch, your smell, your taste…and then it really is love, once all five senses agree. And maybe, maybe we have more senses than that, our sense of justice, our sense of how stories should go, maybe you really need all seven senses for it to be, I don’t know, true.”
The above is from Persephone – I completed six new pages of the play on a train back from Connecticut, and was treated to a hot staging of the scene at Flux Sunday (thank you Brian, Melissa, Anna and Heather N). The text above, spoken to her interrogator, captures protagonist Melinda’s contortions of thought – what I like about this is those contortions give a sentimental discovery a tortured birth, which takes the gild off the lilly (and fits her contorted soul well).
I also like the ellipses after “your taste”…there is a progression of intimacy there, and I suspect that Melinda imagines – or remembers – what Perse tastes like in that moment; and that swell of desire carries the rest of the thought forward.
Saturday was nearly entirely devoured by wedding shower excitement, but on the train to CT I did do some plotting of the complex Mrs. Dalloway inspired play (currently untitled). Even a little work keeps the consecutive writing streak alive!
It’s late now, but hopefully I’ll be able to wake early again tomorrow, and return to the novel.
Corinna Schulenburg 