Writing Process

Moments of Azure Hue

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We began our visit home to Chicago by flying into subzero temps and snow on the ground, and we returned to snow on the ground in Frankfurt during a particularly icy cold European winter. It seems there’s no escaping the cold this year.

My oldest daughter brought a nasty German virus to Chicago that swept though the family (including my parents) and devoured a large chunk of our time. We spent the holidays at home, in self-prescribed quarantine. After a week and half, the family was on the mend, and we started squeezing in visits.

The trips home are always too short, but this one felt even more so than usual. Still, I was grateful for the time, for the coffee and laughter, the pizza and hugs, the time spent in the company of loved ones—blood-related and chosen family. Those moments are always a gift.

Throughout my visit I found myself wanting to write, but at night I went to sleep early (for me) and exhausted (from jetlag), so I haven’t really written in weeks. Instead I have notes and images in my moleskine for the book I hope to finish up this month.

I hope that you all had lovely holidays, be they Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice, Kwanzaa, New Year’s Eve, or whatever it is you celebrate. I hope that you and your loved ones are warm and healthy, safe and happy.

Conclave: A Journal of Character to Launch at The Book Cellar in Chicago

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New Characters Arrive on the Literary Scene

CHICAGO, Illinois – On Saturday, October 18, 2008, Wolfsword Press will launch its literary magazine, Conclave: A Journal of Character, with a party from 7-9 pm at The Book Cellar, 4736-38 North Lincoln Avenue in Chicago’s Lincoln Square.  The character-focused journal showcases the work of 36 writers and 15 photographers from around the world.

“Conclave is a different kind of literary magazine because of its character focus,” says founding editor Valya Dudycz Lupescu. “It has a less academic texture than many literary magazines put out by university presses. The black and white photography and bold cover art evoke a more accessible and artistic sensibility.”

Dudycz Lupescu, who divides her time between Chicago and Frankfurt, Germany, met most of her editorial team during their participation in Amazon’s Breakthrough Novel Award contest. The Amazon online forum became a conclave for writers looking to find camaraderie and support during the competition.

After the contest ended, Dudycz Lupescu and her husband, Mark, founded ABNABooks.com, an online showcase and networking site for writers.  Recognizing the high quality of talent in their ranks, the couple also created a small nonprofit publishing company, Wolfsword Press to publish Conclave, as well as future fiction, nonfiction, and poetry titles.

Dudycz Lupescu assembled an international advisory board that includes Nahid Rachlin, Maureen Seaton, Roy Kesey, Altaf Qadri, and 12 other renowned writers and photographers. The editorial staff then set out to find strong character-driven poetry, fiction, nonfiction, dramatic excerpts, flash fiction, and photography.

“The writing in Conclave is compelling,” said Dudycz Lupescu. “Kathy Coudle King’s dramatic piece, ‘A Couple of Boobs’ is a bittersweet and believable snippet of a mother-daughter relationship; award-winning author of Darkroom: A Family Exposure,  Jill Christman’s ‘Burned’ is poignant and elegant; and Richard Rutherford’s ‘Mongo Hits the Mark’ is an unsettling naturalistic glimpse into fear and aggression.”

In addition to the launch, Conclave is participating in this year’s Around the Coyote Festival held in Chicago. Several of Conclave’s pieces were recorded by writers or performers and will be played in the festival hall to complement the visual arts being displayed over the October 18th weekend. Conclave Journal is also one of many locally based books and magazines to be featured in the new Publishers Gallery located in the Chicago Cultural Center.

“Conclave has generated an exciting discussion among our editors and contributors on what character really is,” said Scott Markwell, managing editor of Conclave and a Chicago-based writer, educator, and performer. “We’ve asked ourselves what character looks like and why it’s important. Fundamentally, we believe character is core to good story-telling, rather than simply relying on the novelty of a narrative.”

The premiere issue of Conclave:  A Journal of Character will be available on Amazon.com, as well as on the Conclave Journal website. The inaugural issue includes the work of Denise Duhamel, Michael S. Glaser, Mark Neely, Gérard Lavalette, Thomas Weschta, Sebastián Utreras Lizana, and many others. In addition to the Chicago Launch for Conclave, there are plans for a San Francisco Launch, and possibly a New York Launch as well.

Conclave will open for online submissions in April for its 2009 issue. Authors wishing to submit their work can visit the Conclave: a Journal of Character website at http://www.conclavejournal.com for submission guidelines.

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About Conclave: A Journal of Character:
Conclave is an annual print journal that focuses on character-driven writing in contemporary literary fiction and character-focused black and white photography. Conclave is published by Wolfsword Press, a nonprofit independent publisher based in Chicago.

The Nature of Enthusiasm

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Last night, in the middle of a phone conference for our final round of submissions for Conclave: A Journal of Character, my friend and managing editor S. brought up the subject of enthusiasm, specifically in reference to Eckhart Tolle’s discussion of the etymology and the spiritual practice of enthusiasm.

I haven’t read Tully’s A New Earth, but as I understand it, he writes that instead of relying on ego, enthusiasm rides the wave of the present moment and “gives out its own abundance.” When you combine inspired vision along with excitement your creativity soars. Enthusiasm takes over and you resonate with the creative power of the Universe.

After we finished our talk, discussed the round of dramatic excerpts, and made plans to continue the next evening, I began to think more about enthusiasm. First step for a logophile? Etymology of course.

Enthusiasm comes from the ancient Greek. This from The Concise Oxford Dictionary of English Etymology | Date: 1996

enthusiasm †prophetic or poetic frenzy; vain confidence in divine inspiration, misguided religious emotion XVII; rapturous or passionate eagerness XVIII. — F. enthousiasme or late L. enthūsiasmus — Gr. enthousiasmós, f. enthousiázein be inspired or possessed by the god, f. énthous, éntheos inspired, possessed, f. en IN + theós god.
So enthusiast XVII. — F. or ecclL. enthusiastic XVII. — Gr. Hence enthuse vb. XIX.

Reflecting back, I can say that I have been in a state of enthusiasm during several periods of my life, times when I have been completely riding the wave of inspiration, present in the moment. For me, enthusiasm and creativity/creation go hand in hand.

Whether I have been immersed in a literary project, challenged in a seminar, engaged by teaching, or fully present in my body for dance (be it folk, bellydancing, or dancing all night long in Neo in Chicago), when I am creating something that feels authentic and precious to me, I am enthusiastic.

Would I say then that those moments are Divinely inspired? Maybe. I certainly feel compelled by something greater than myself. I know that several writers and artists report this feeling–the idea that the characters and story seem to have a life of their own. Working on The Silence of Trees, I felt as if I had to get the story out. I had to honor the characters and the historical women who inspired them.

When I listen to my intuition and act upon something that engages me, I usually find that I am happiest–even when it means I stay up until 3 am, only to be awakened by the kids at 6am. I may be tired, but I feel fueled by my work. I feel like I am doing what I am meant to do. I am enthusiastic.