about passion
It’s not often you witness passion (if you’re not watching a Russell Crowe movie), but I got a firsthand look this weekend when I visited the NY Botanical Garden. My sister-in-law Peggy is a botanical illustrator and she was visiting and it seemed like a fun place to go. I like plants and trees (and, in fact, a tree plays a very important role in my new novel!!!) So, I expected to have a nice time.
But the moment Peggy stepped onto the gardens, she was transformed. It was like being on a field trip with Joan of Arc. She quivered with excitement as she looked at every plant and bush; she knew the story behind each plant (and there are wonderful stories) and then we went into the botanical library, which had never truly beckoned me before. The librarians were setting up an exhibition by George Ehret. I know. I’d never heard of him either, but Peggy almost fell right over. He was a very influential illustrator, and even though he was a stranger to me, as I saw him through Peggy’s eyes, he became someone miraculous.
One of the things I encourage my students to do is write about their obsessions, but not until I watched Peggy at the botanical gardens did I truly realize how important passion is for a writer. For one thing, you want to share your passion and you desperately want to draw the reader in. Peggy could not fully enjoy the exhibit unless she knew that I was enjoying it too, and in order for that to happen, she had to make me understand who Ehret was. Isn’t this the impulse that makes us want to write—the desire to shout, “You have to hear this story!”
Also, passion is big-hearted. Literally, I think your heart swells when you feel strongly about something, and that great-heartedness is the foundation of great writing. Passion is also specific. Peggy didn’t adore Ehret because she thought his drawing was nice. She adored him because of the specific colors and techniques he used, and she was precise in explaining them to me. Passion is also defining. I looked at Peggy differently after our botanical visit—I felt as though we’d shared something special.
And, speaking of passionate people, one of my favorite just had her first story accepted for publication. Michelle Chan is a frequent commenter on this blog, and a truly fearless writer, and her first story is to be published in Sinister Tales Magazine. Many, many congratulations.
So what about you? What are you passionate about?
April 16th, 2009 at 11:44 pm
Sue–Thank you so much for your beautiful piece about me on your April 16th posting: About Passion.
Thank you for spending such a special day with me at the New York Botanical Gardens.
I am so honored that you recognized my passion for the plant world and botanical art, and that you chose to share your observations with your own readers.
I always treasure our time together. I am especially grateful that it was with you that I looked upon Ehret’s original paintings for the first time in my life.
I wish I had your way with words, but then, I don’t have to, because you have described so perfectly for me and for others how I felt that day.
Thank you.
Peggy
April 17th, 2009 at 8:00 am
Thank you, Peggy. It was a wonderful day!
I should have added that Peggy is the artist who drew my wonderful bookmarks.
April 18th, 2009 at 2:31 pm
Susan,
What a nice blog. And how lucky for us that you are so observant — and appreciative of what makes other people special. It’s really a gift for all of us because how else would we know about cool people like Peggy.
My passions:
Reading: (I have books, a kindle, and reader software on my blackberry to ensure that I can read anywhere anytime). Specifically, I like literary fiction (lately I’ve been on a Haruki Murakami kick), poetry (Mary Oliver, Ted Kooser, Stanley Koonitz, Lucille Clifton, etc.), non-fiction on anything that I find interesting (which is nearly everything, I’ve discovered) and/or know nothing about (see last parenthetical comment).
Writing: I spend a lot of time deconstructing writing that I like to understand how it works, then I try to use the tricks that I’ve learned in my own writing.
Fountain pens and paper. I love a flexible nib (usually 18 carat gold is best) and bold ink. The paper should be smooth, but not too heavily coated. It should also be blank — no lines — and fairly heavy weight with a low rag content. I’ve started making my own journals to ensure that I get exactly what I like. Tip: If you like writing in pencil, get a liquid graphite pencil. They don’t smear, they erase very cleanly, they last twice as long as a regular pencil, and they never need sharpening. You can get a pack of 3 at RiteAid for around 3 bucks.
Cats: I love cats. They are amazing, beautiful, and intelligent creatures. They’re also fascinating. I have a couple that were feral once and they taught me so much during the socialization process. They’re both bold and sassy now.
I’ll stop there for now, though I have a few other passions.
Thanks Susan, for sharing your experience with Peggy. And thanks to Peggy, too, for sharing her passion with you, so we could all enjoy it.
And congratulations to Michelle!
KT
April 18th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
Thank you! I’m not surprised to see that we share similar passions. Thanks, as always, for your thoughtful comment.
May 13th, 2009 at 11:52 pm
Hello, Susan!
Please read my email to you. Just sent it. I do love your book and I continue ot read it and absord so much in the process. Thank oyu so much for giving that book to the world! My Congratulations!
I agree that we should write about what we are so passionate about.
I hope you could act as boook doctor!