Into the Wardrobe

I finally got to making a blog post about this book. I highly recommend the book to any Inkling-lover, writer or lit student!

I'm reposting the blog entry here below, sans links which can be found on the blog if you want them

http://storyspell.blogspot.com

Saturday, March 15, 2008
Weavers of the Web of Story

In her study of the Inklings, The Company they Keep, Diana Pavlac Glyer cites J.R.R. Tolkien's "On Fairy Stories" and discusses how he "conceives of all stories everywhere existing as parts of a tapestry or web, an image that implies the work of many hands, many colors, many times, all contributing to one enormous, seamless, single work."

There are loads of wonderful things about Lewis, Tolkien and the other Inklings in this book. Reading about the heady creative sessions in Lewis's rooms at Magdalen College or over pints at the Eagle and Child, I find myself wishing my own writing crit partners lived nearer so we could enjoy similar occasions, rather than just swapping electronic copies of works in progress by e-mail. But the essential element of reading and commenting on each other's work is nevertheless part of our creative process.

Equally essential is our collaboration with "the immortal words of our dead literary ancestors", as Cory Doctorow puts it in his acceptance speech for the Sunburst Award, quoted by Glyer in her book. Some of the best advice I have ever had about writing-- and I can't remember from whom!-- was to read widely, and read deeply. I'm reading deeply about Saint Cuthbert and Northumbria in the seventh to 10th centuries right now; but reading beyond the specialized field of one or two projects keeps me weaving in threads of new colours. Hard to say, even, just what will turn up in the finished story....and that's all part of the fun.

The Web of Story has many weavers. It's a privilege to be one of them, drawing on threads from the depth of warp and the breadth of weft to weave in my own small but unique threads to the Great Tapestry.

Posted by matushkadonna at 3:28 PM

I'm not a writer per se, but I dream of having a physical pub or meeting place with other inkling-type thinkers. I'm putting myself through a complete course on Chesterton of my own making (it'll take another year or two to get through) and am dying to discuss the ideas live.

For me, getting ahold of any book in English involves moving heaven and earth - not a casual experience.

yes, I like Carpenter's -Inklings- as well. It has a different approach than Pavlac Glyer's book, the two are complementary.

Another big favorite of mine is John Garth's -Tolkien and the Great War-. There is a lot about a group of literary collaborators in this book as well, in this case a group of Tolkien's school day friends.

Yes, you're right. Very good. It's been a few years; maybe it's time for me to read a recent book like Company.

WOW LOOK!


The Company They Keep has been nominated for the Hugo Award!

At first I thought it was the Hugo Dyson award.

I read it not too long ago and thought it quite good, myself.