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Quote by Laura Mullen

“Maybe one way to think about it would be in the context of the historical development of germ theory. The problem of childbed fever was not significant until the development of a male-dominated medical establishment made possible the situation in which a professional might move from touching a corpse (for the purposes of study) to putting his unwashed hands up against, or into, a woman in labor.”

Quote by Laura Mullen

Author

Laura Mullen, born in 1958, is an accomplished American poet known for her profound emotional depth and unique narrative style. Her works have been widely appreciated by readers. more

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“The boundary between expert and amateur was an imposed social-cultural "protection" which actually exposed a number of women to a fatal disease, because decaying matter, as the fireman said of fire (cited in the book's final piece, "Torch Song") "ain't got no rules on it."”

Said Book Matter Song Social Numbers Fire Pieces Disease Finals Protection Boundaries Experts Exposed Torches Fireman

Author:Laura Mullen

“There's a nice clear difference between real protection (wash your hands, or wear a condom) and the fake protection offered by institutions which often come, finally and sadly, to be much too interested first of all in protecting their own power.”

Firsts Real Hands Differences Clear Nice Institutions Protection Fake Condom

Author:Laura Mullen

“Given our examination of the behavior of our police forces at this moment the question of protection has an extra resonance, yes?”

Moments Given Force Behavior Police Protection Extras Examination Resonance Police Force

Author:Laura Mullen

“It seems all "protection" has to be monitored, considered, weighed and justified - I am suggesting we do that (but it's something Mary Shelley (and Gertrude Stein) also suggest). "Torch Song," the book's final section, looks at an arson committed by someone hired to protect the wilderness from fires, a catastrophic failure of protection!”

Looks Book Seems Song Fire Protect Finals Committed Protection Wilderness Mary Sections Justified Torches Suggesting Gertrude Shelley Arson

Author:Laura Mullen

“I can tell that I shaped the book very deliberately, after a great deal of thought, and that I insisted this piece function as a prologue, but I find the word "intention," confusing ("trust the art," as D.H. Lawrence said, "not the artist"). These speculations are perhaps better responded to by text and reader, rather than author.”

Art Said I Can Book Artist Deals Pieces Reader Function Intention Confusing Speculation Prologue

Author:Laura Mullen

“Helen Vendler calls this kind of interrogation of a work "roads not taken," suggesting that it's useful, when writing critically, to consider what differences it makes to the work or the encounter with the work if changes are made. It's one way of better understanding your experience, comparing it to other possible experiences you can imagine having.”

Ifs Way Writing Kind Made Understanding Differences Taken Imagine Made It One Way Compare Encounters Suggesting Helen Interrogation Road Not Taken

Author:Laura Mullen

“With Complicated Grief I can say that there was a certain simplification in the process. Getting older means less wasted effort, things are clearer earlier. Being young meant flailing around a lot, especially as I was trying to invent new shapes without a ton of models.”

Trying Mean I Can Young Certain Process Effort Grief Shapes Models Complicated Getting Old Getting Older Simplification Flailing Complicated Grief

Author:Laura Mullen

“I had Paterson, and The Art Lover, to guide me for The Tales of Horror (written from 1988-'97 and published in 1999), but I still was so lost, back then, as I tried to understand what I was writing and how it went together. There was a draft of that manuscript that had all these brightly colored paper clips on the pages so I could visualize what I saw as the book's themes and threads - that was a long time ago.”

Writing Long Art Stills Book Together Lost Saws Written Lovers Horror Paper Pages Long Time Guides Tales Theme Thread Long Time Ago Manuscripts Clip Guide Me Art Lovers Paper Clips

Author:Laura Mullen

“Complicated Grief was written in larger and more coherent (if disparate) shapes. The question was how they fit together. The mind is coherent, trust that was the best writing advice I ever got (I got it from Carole Maso and I pass it on). It's true, and clearer and clearer as one grows and gains an improved sense of who one actually is (as versus who one was supposed to be).”

Ifs Writing Mind Together Grows Grief Written Advice Fit Shapes Gains Complicated Supposed To Be Versus Writing Advice Complicated Grief

Author:Laura Mullen

“The most important aspect of writing the pieces that make up this eighth book was yielding to my obsessive side, letting my own "complicated grief" in on the process. You can imagine how tempting it is to try to fight the part of you that loops and loops, caught up in tangled sorrow from which it seems there's no escape.”

Writing Trying Important Book Seems Fighting Process Sides My Own Grief Pieces Imagine Sorrow Aspect Caught Complicated Caught Up Obsessive Tempting Loops Tangled Complicated Grief

Author:Laura Mullen