John Thomas, from "Pocket Memo" in Kayak #2


Change. In any case, try and see if change isn't all I need. As:

1. Write sitting in some other chair, or write standing up, or in a different room; write on the toilet.

2. Write every day; write at unlikely hours.

3. Write while people are here, talking, or with the radio blaring.

4. Write with random tools -- crayon, carpenter's pencil, anything that comes to hand -- and write on random surfaces - -any scrap of paper or cardboard, anything.

5. Write whenever I think of writing, whether the usual impulse is there or not.

6. Always write in a spirit of play.

7. Read nothing, just look at pictures or listen to music. Or --read only the newspaper, or children 's books, anything unlikely and non-literary. Or read only random portions of books.

8. Behave inappropriately. Be difficult.

9. Keep different hours, ridiculous hours.

10. Avoid my friends and at the same time start dropping in on everyone else I know, in alphabetical order.

11. Try to live always in a spirit of play.

Like turning myself upside down and shaking all the change out of my pockets. Learning to play again, renewing my vigor, turning myself on.


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Last modified: Wednesday, 18-Jul-2007 16:29:03 EDT