Looking Back

10.07.09

We're two weeks into this blog, and it seems like a good time to look back at the original plan as stated in my first post:

I hope to use the stories in Visions as departure points for the discussion of writing, science fiction, fantasy, and whatever else the stories bring to mind. Along the way I hope to pass along some strategies for young writers, lessons for writing instructors, and perhaps a few reviews of contemporary works that have proven useful in lectures over the years.

So far we’ve considered the second-person voice of "Aberrations," looked at a lesson involving "Echoes," and discussed a contemporary approach to live readings that can be employed by writers or teachers looking to enhance live performances of the written word -- all of which make me glad that I hedged my bets with that line in the first blog about “whatever else the stories bring to mind.”

Such broad intentions will give me the chance to touch on a variety of topics in the coming weeks, and along the way I hope to get a sense of what readers find most useful and what they would like to see more of. To that end, I would like to use some of these Wednesday postings to consider reader responses.

One reader writes:

LOVE the blog! Great concept and theme...lovely appearance...awesomely rich content. I just can't seem to get my comments to 'stick' when I click on 'post' (I suspect it's my web browser/cookie blocker's fault). Your blog is a sort of living breathing 'teacher's guide' -- I dig it!

The teacher’s guide element is certainly something I had in mind at the outset. Actually, the plan for posting early in the week (Mondays, Tuesdays, and Wednesdays) is to give teachers and workshop leaders things to consider while planning their week's activities.

As for comments that won't "stick," I should point out that other readers have reported trouble posting comments. I hope that all those who do will consider dropping me an email.

Reader Michael Brendan was able to post, and I’m delighted to hear that he is going to be a regular follower of Teaching Visions. Michael is a rising star in the SF field. He’s a graduate of the Writing Popular Fiction program at Seton Hill University and a darn fine writer. You can follow his reviews at Associated Content. I’m delighted to have him as a reader.

Also on board in the followers box are W. H. Horner and Charles Prepolec. If you get a chance, be sure to check out W. H. Horner’s thoughtful comments on the publishing industry at his blog Art .'. Design. And while you're at it, take a few more minutes and drop by Charles Prepolec’s newly launched Sherlock Holmes News, which I will be following regularly in the days to come.

Another blog that I am following is Michael A. Arnzen's long-running and wonderfully informative Pedablogue. I encourage all of you who may be interested in discussions of “the scholarship of teaching” to check out his site.

Overall, it seems that the members of TV’s audience (by which I mean the followers of Teaching Visions) are as eclectic as my original design.

I’ll return next week with further reflections on music and story with a consideration of a recently restored print of L’Inferno (1911), scored by the music of Tangerine Dream. Dante’s Inferno is on my syllabus for this semester, and Tangerine Dream is a band that I listened to while composing many of the stories in Visions. Thus, the film and its new score seem like good material for our next discussion.

Until then, enjoy the links above . . . and share the vision.