I am so looking forward to the pleasure of this new intensive, starting just four days after my birthday, a good omen! April is a happy month for me (I believe in month-long birthday celebrations) and will be even happier with a focus on pleasure. Jeannine, I have to say, your paragraph beginning here, "Writing toward pleasure involves paying close attention to sensory pleasures—" and you continuing on to describe so many pleasurable sensations and activities in one beautiful long paragraph without punctuation was such a pleasure for me to read. (I must say, it had a Ross Gay breathlessness to it!) From having worked with you now for some time, I know that all the things one can expect are absolutely true and it is this last one I cherish the most, as a woman in her constant season of becoming: "You can expect with new ideas of who you are, who you are becoming, and what is possible for you as a writer."
I think we need a theme song for this intensive. I'll be thinking on that. . . anyone else?
Something newer than Paul Simon, but I do like this line from Kodachrome
If I took all the girls I knew from high school --------------- (guitar lick) put 'em all together for one nigh ------------------I knew they'd never match my sweet imagination; and everything looks best in black and white . . . "
Jeannine- The timing of this is perfect for me. I’m finally ready to engage in this way as when I first began subscribing to you, I was new to Substack and all its crevices. I’m looking forward to this journey with you and the community here. Putting it on the calendar! 🤩
“Natural selection doesn't ‘want’ us to be happy, after all; it just ‘wants’ us to be productive, in its narrow sense of productive. And the way to make us productive is to make the anticipation of pleasure very strong but the pleasure itself not very long-lasting.” ~Robert Wright in “Why Buddhism Is True.”
Hi, Beth--you never have to register for intensives. They take place entirely on Substack. We also have Write-Ins, Salons, etc. for founding members, and for those, you need only to watch for the Zoom link, which is usually sent out the day before and the day of. We are currently creating our calendar for spring/summer Zoom events! And you can find all of our past intensives here, all of which are available to you to work through (just scroll down): https://writinginthedark.substack.com/p/witd-curriculum-index
Jeannine, I am so looking forward to this. I hope I make time for it. That's been a real problem for me since the first of the year. I read the selections for School, but don't get back to comment. This is the perfect thing.
The other perfect thing is that panel at AWP on the Friday. I book marked it in my app, and saw that other panelist is Lydia Yuknavitch! I can't wait.
It's okay if you don't make time. Just reading/skimming posts is something. All we can do is what we can do, and be kind to ourselves and others. Re the panel ... Lidia can't make it to AWP so had to back out!!! But I promise the other panelists are rockstars and we're adding a 5th to replace Lidia (though no one can replace Lidia). xoxoxo
Never mind — just got my answer reading through comments
See you tomorrow!
Hi!
I've been lurking for awhile and just subscribed 🤓.
Does that automatically enroll me in tomorrow's first intensive — or do I need to register for it somewhere?
Thanks!
Stephanie Roy ✨💖✨
I am so looking forward to the pleasure of this new intensive, starting just four days after my birthday, a good omen! April is a happy month for me (I believe in month-long birthday celebrations) and will be even happier with a focus on pleasure. Jeannine, I have to say, your paragraph beginning here, "Writing toward pleasure involves paying close attention to sensory pleasures—" and you continuing on to describe so many pleasurable sensations and activities in one beautiful long paragraph without punctuation was such a pleasure for me to read. (I must say, it had a Ross Gay breathlessness to it!) From having worked with you now for some time, I know that all the things one can expect are absolutely true and it is this last one I cherish the most, as a woman in her constant season of becoming: "You can expect with new ideas of who you are, who you are becoming, and what is possible for you as a writer."
I think we need a theme song for this intensive. I'll be thinking on that. . . anyone else?
Something newer than Paul Simon, but I do like this line from Kodachrome
If I took all the girls I knew from high school --------------- (guitar lick) put 'em all together for one nigh ------------------I knew they'd never match my sweet imagination; and everything looks best in black and white . . . "
Sorry - I KNOW they'd never match my sweet imagination. . .
(makes a difference)
Jeannine- The timing of this is perfect for me. I’m finally ready to engage in this way as when I first began subscribing to you, I was new to Substack and all its crevices. I’m looking forward to this journey with you and the community here. Putting it on the calendar! 🤩
“Natural selection doesn't ‘want’ us to be happy, after all; it just ‘wants’ us to be productive, in its narrow sense of productive. And the way to make us productive is to make the anticipation of pleasure very strong but the pleasure itself not very long-lasting.” ~Robert Wright in “Why Buddhism Is True.”
I see several intensives I would like to sign up for as a founding member, but I can't find where I click to register???
Hi, Beth--you never have to register for intensives. They take place entirely on Substack. We also have Write-Ins, Salons, etc. for founding members, and for those, you need only to watch for the Zoom link, which is usually sent out the day before and the day of. We are currently creating our calendar for spring/summer Zoom events! And you can find all of our past intensives here, all of which are available to you to work through (just scroll down): https://writinginthedark.substack.com/p/witd-curriculum-index
Jeannine, I am so looking forward to this. I hope I make time for it. That's been a real problem for me since the first of the year. I read the selections for School, but don't get back to comment. This is the perfect thing.
The other perfect thing is that panel at AWP on the Friday. I book marked it in my app, and saw that other panelist is Lydia Yuknavitch! I can't wait.
It's okay if you don't make time. Just reading/skimming posts is something. All we can do is what we can do, and be kind to ourselves and others. Re the panel ... Lidia can't make it to AWP so had to back out!!! But I promise the other panelists are rockstars and we're adding a 5th to replace Lidia (though no one can replace Lidia). xoxoxo