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Quote by 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.”

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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“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

“We live in a culture that insists on "moving on" (even while our loyalty to and love of the franchise and the sequel give away a larger loopiness). But I tend to dwell or obsess or meditate, and I came back to, for instance, the figure of Dickens's "Miss Havisham" with some (self) recognition if not relief.”

Ifs Giving Self Moving Culture Missing Figures And Love Loyalty Instance Recognition Relief Sequels Dickens Self Recognition Havisham Miss Havisham

Author:Laura Mullen

“Miss Havisham is an important feminine literary figure in the tradition of Antigone (though it's significant that Antigone is fighting to bury something and Miss Havisham refuses, as it were, to bury the corpse). Like Hamlet, she's focused on what everyone would rather not know or would like to forget, and she seems crazy / stuck as well as bitter, but she's also a perfect prototype of a performance artist. She's intentionally hard to deal with inviting the audience to remain with the violated body, the evidence of violence.”

“It's painful, but it's part of the recognition that makes real healing possible, if healing is possible (the jury is out on that, that's the usual phrase - should I say the jury is deadlocked?). Staying with the pain, attending to it, being present to and with it - that's the task, because that's the only (as far as I can tell) hope of finding a way forward.”

Ifs Way Should I Can Real Pain Healing Findings Tasks Painful Recognition Phrases Staying Usual Should I Jury Attending Way Forward

Author:Laura Mullen

“It is worth asking who decides what's an "obsession" and where it differs from meditation or the kind of deep dwelling on a subject we see in philosophy or the work of Robert Wilson, for instance?”

Kind Philosophy Meditation Subjects Asking Obsession Instance Dwelling Wilson

Author:Laura Mullen

“So when we're told to "move on" or "let go," we should take a look at who is saying it and why, and when we see repetition happening it's worth trying to understand it before attempting to shut it down.”

Should Trying Looks Moving Letting Go Happenings Repetition Attempting

Author:Laura Mullen