CanLit authors let loose in discussion on empathy
When novelist Catherine Bush got to thinking about the role of empathy in the creative process, she found the idea so compelling that she queried a number of other Canadian authors. The resulting discussion – a “roundtable” that took place over e-mail – is recorded in the fall edition of Bookninja Magazine, and collects the wide-ranging musings of Bush, Peter Behrens, Barbara Gowdy, Sheila Heti, and Lisa Moore.
Part of the article’s strength is its open-ended format, which seems to encourage surprisingly intimate confessions from the authors regarding their creative process, sources of inspiration, and, occasionally, personal life. That said, the discussion is at times unfocussed and, clocking in at nearly 10,000 words, perhaps unnecessarily long: “empathy” is a diaphanous concept, and it’s discussed here in terms of writing, reading, moral character, as well as romantic and conjugal love.
For fans of CanLit, however, it’s worth mining the article for the intimate details that emerge. Lisa Moore, for example, discusses several works-in-progress. Barbara Gowdy sets the record straight about her purported exhibitionism (“I never cavort and I’m rarely naked”) and her admiration of Montaigne (“Go, Montaigne!”). And for her part, Sheila Heti describes an aborted project “in which a supermarket was the main character.”
Since this roughly has something to do with empathy…
From the earliest onset of recorded history, humanity has retained and sought to foster a relationship with the ineffable.
Throughout the existence of our race, we have felt compelled to chronicle our brushes with divinity, in an attempt to understand,
however faintly, the mystery of that which lies beyond us. From the oral histories of shamans and early biblical verses to the poetry of mystics on up through to the writings of savants and hierophants of our day, there has been a common thread that has unified our experiences.
Known by many names, it may be simply be referred to as the peak experience.
Whether the peak experience is a result of meditative endeavours, near death experiences, experimentation with mind altering substances, sexual awakenings or simply spontaneous bursts of consciousness, this project will seek to include the full spectrum of such triggering factors, and will reach into diverse arenas of faith and non-faith alike. The most predominant criteria: truth.
Help us bring this important literary project to life. We are looking for narrative prose accounts of your truly life-transforming moment, engendering an experience that you will never forget and that you now feel needs to be shared with a wider audience. We are certain this compendium will be highly regarded with those who are spiritually inclined and those who are merely curious and wish to investigate into the nature of things a little further.
Specifically, we are looking for stories to be no more than 2500 words.
We ask that the stories be written from the first person perspective and focus on the experience itself instead of the opinions and afterthoughts of the writer. We also request that the writer permit minor editorial revisions, if necessary.
Submissions and queries can be sent to j ocean dennie at
poetguy1974@hotmail.com.
Deadline open.