Sunday, October 22, 2006

I won't be writing a detailed summary of this year's Redcat experimental writing conference as I did last year (I decided to relax and simply watch and listen rather than take notes). But I may make a few comments and observations over the next few weeks. My experience is colored by my nerves. I moderated a panel this year, which I had never done before, and which was slightly disastrous (I had to apologize at one point for being nervous when my shaking body and quavering voice became too obvious...and in a q&a I referred to Anne Waldman's Fast Speaking Woman as Fast Talking Woman, which I immediately realized but didn't have a chance to correct -- dear Anne Waldman: I doubt you're reading this but I apologize for that). I guess I realized the hard way that I'm not cut out for panels or live conversation. I prefer the slow, unstressful and revisable thinking that occurs in writing to the quick-thinking, composed and smart repartee that the best conversation before an audience requires. My career as a cable news talking head lies in ruins.

1 comment:

pam said...

awww, that's too bad (for us) about the no summary this year, but i can definitely relate to the need to relax. and yes, slow and unstressful forms... hear hear!