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Saturday Spotlight for December 24th, 2011
Daily Literature Deviations is proud to feature this special recognition article!
You can show your support by ing this News Article. We hope this gives you some insight into
the person behind the art.
Please comment and the features and congratulate the artist!
Artists will be featured in a special news article every Saturday. Major points to SilverInkblot
for doing the hard work and research that goes into these articles!
Today's featured deviant is:
Questions
1. Tell us a bit about your writing.
Excuse me if I get technical in this, I haven't studied writing through collegiate methods, but what you see of my writing is mostly what I have learned through voicing out my work and what I learned through self-taught methods and research.
I've been writing for 12 years, since I was 6 years old, and I am now 18. During my younger and more vulnerable years I mostly focused on prose and was inspired by the science fiction of Ray Bradbury. But there was a tectonic shift when I turned 14 and I met two teachers who would influence my form of choice forever. The first was a substitute teacher who was fond of writing that I would see on rare occasions and would offer feedback on my work. Then when I moved to the high school level, I learned of slam poetry and attended the auditions for the slam poetry team. But I left without uttering a word. I was furious with myself, and about 50 feet away from the door where the auditions were ending the anger boiled into motivation and I forced myself back into that classroom, in front of my Freshman English teacher, who ran the team. I'll never forget (the gist of) what I said:
"I walked out, and I just couldn't find why I left. But I'm back because the words written need to be spoken."
I stood there, and bared my soul and my writing to a willing audience in way I had never expressed before. It was beautiful, and I was accepted to the team.
I never went to the team meetings. It was a taste of perfection that I was unprepared for, but it made things clear; my destiny was poetry. Being that I had to face the man who had expressed his disappointment in my not showing up for the team every day in class, he took me under his wing and offered me some of the best advice that I carry with me today. He taught me how to use imagery to complement the abstract and vice-versa.
I began beating out a path for my writing with simple, prolific sentences contrasted with elaborate and verbose descriptions such as can be seen in many of my poems. I became interested in the field of euphonics-- the study of making harmonious sounds out of basic phonetic and vocal sounds.
I wrote both longhand and digitally, but all my editing is almost exclusively done with a pen in hand. But where does my work start? I often find myself wondering this. The best way to put it is that, my work is like coral, it continuously builds off of previous verses and concepts and expands those words and concepts. Only my prose seems to start off as a genuinely new idea. I mostly recycle material that I've cut out of other pieces of writing and word them to fit appropriately.
What often goes most unnoticed in my work are the multitude of allusions to books, songs, headlines, etc. in my writing. To date, I'm not sure anyone has caught all of the references in Sojourner, as there are tons, and they are very subtly worded. But most of all, I just love making the language look and sound beautiful, that is my passion.
2. How do you feel about dA as a literature community?
I feel the dA literature populace is a very confused community at the moment, in terms of what it wants for each other and writing in general, but I, unlike other writers here on deviantART do not use dA to get feedback on their writing, I have some close friends and mentors who provide me with what I need in that area, and I am also fairly confident in my ability to self-edit. I use dA to read other's work and become familiar with other forms and genres and styles. I have discovered many amazing writers here, and hope to continue to discover more inspiring writers. I also do not mind offering my opinions on pieces and providing feedback to others. I know for some, that dA may be there outlet to do so.
3. Do you still participate in slam poetry? How is performing your work different from writing and posting it?
Performing your work can be a lot of fun, it can also be nerve-wracking. I have done it a few times since, in creative writing classes in high school and at a library and coffee shop. I have a copy of one of my performances somewhere that was recorded for my writing class.
The thing about slam poetry is it requires more than just being talented in writing. There are other skill-sets needed, so you aren't just standing there reading off your poetry. You have to choose topics, sentences and words that you know will let you be able to justify your dynamicism onstage, so that you are moving and full of energy when the writing calls for it and when the writing calls for something else entirely.
Anybody who feels that slam poetry is not their type of writing, I would encourage them to experience it at least once in their life. This is a video that I feel explains my feelings on slam poetry: [link]
4. You help run a fairly new group, #EliteLiterature. Would you like to tell us a bit about that? What are you hoping to accomplish with your group?
The goal of the group was to showcase the writers alongside their work. This was inspired by the exhibitions at the Art Institute of Chicago (artIC) which featured whole portfolios of artists and not just works by them. I felt I could connect better to the artist after seeing many of their works displayed beside one another. It becomes rather intimate.
#EliteLiterature is different from other literature groups in the way it showcases its literature, by providing each member with their own individual folder to submit to. Our gallery is a collective of writer's galleries. We don't try to sell the group's work through what comes through your message center, but by encouraging members to visit the group's gallery.
I would also like to say that #EliteLiterature has some ideas for the future that you may see implemented in the coming months, these plans include opening the group up to all users of deviantART to use as a resource and as a hub for writing. I am not comfortable with the idea of using a group such as mine to say who can or cannot use its resources and influence to get people's work out there. I am tired of seeing groups that are open for business for all types of writing but yet do not distinguish between a great written work and a piece with potential. There are also a few groups out there that only promote the well written work. If I had to name a group I believe that does a good job of balancing everybody's work, that group would be #theWrittenRevolution.
My aim with my group, #EL, was to settle into our place into the community, but I just wasn't satisfied with that. I've always had great expectations of myself, and now I want to help shape that community. #EliteLiterature will be undergoing some fundamental changes in the following months to help achieve this. I would also like to note that we are looking for staff members at the moment as well.
5. What would you say is your highest literary accomplishment?
I have three high points in my literary career as Nic Swaner. One is in the past, one I'm working on currently, and the other is a future goal I have set for myself.
Writing and completing my first written work was the first high point I ever experienced, and I still have the notebook the story is in. Presently, I am attempting to get published in journals, quarterlies, magazines and the likes. A goal I have set for the future is that when I am around 20-years-old is that I'll start self-publishing a book/chapbook of my own poetry and short stories.
"I walked out, and I just couldn't find why I left. But I'm back because the words written need to be spoken."
I stood there, and bared my soul and my writing to a willing audience in way I had never expressed before. It was beautiful, and I was accepted to the team.
I never went to the team meetings. It was a taste of perfection that I was unprepared for, but it made things clear; my destiny was poetry. Being that I had to face the man who had expressed his disappointment in my not showing up for the team every day in class, he took me under his wing and offered me some of the best advice that I carry with me today. He taught me how to use imagery to complement the abstract and vice-versa.
I began beating out a path for my writing with simple, prolific sentences contrasted with elaborate and verbose descriptions such as can be seen in many of my poems. I became interested in the field of euphonics-- the study of making harmonious sounds out of basic phonetic and vocal sounds.
I wrote both longhand and digitally, but all my editing is almost exclusively done with a pen in hand. But where does my work start? I often find myself wondering this. The best way to put it is that, my work is like coral, it continuously builds off of previous verses and concepts and expands those words and concepts. Only my prose seems to start off as a genuinely new idea. I mostly recycle material that I've cut out of other pieces of writing and word them to fit appropriately.
What often goes most unnoticed in my work are the multitude of allusions to books, songs, headlines, etc. in my writing. To date, I'm not sure anyone has caught all of the references in Sojourner, as there are tons, and they are very subtly worded. But most of all, I just love making the language look and sound beautiful, that is my passion.
2. How do you feel about dA as a literature community?
I feel the dA literature populace is a very confused community at the moment, in terms of what it wants for each other and writing in general, but I, unlike other writers here on deviantART do not use dA to get feedback on their writing, I have some close friends and mentors who provide me with what I need in that area, and I am also fairly confident in my ability to self-edit. I use dA to read other's work and become familiar with other forms and genres and styles. I have discovered many amazing writers here, and hope to continue to discover more inspiring writers. I also do not mind offering my opinions on pieces and providing feedback to others. I know for some, that dA may be there outlet to do so.
3. Do you still participate in slam poetry? How is performing your work different from writing and posting it?
Performing your work can be a lot of fun, it can also be nerve-wracking. I have done it a few times since, in creative writing classes in high school and at a library and coffee shop. I have a copy of one of my performances somewhere that was recorded for my writing class.
The thing about slam poetry is it requires more than just being talented in writing. There are other skill-sets needed, so you aren't just standing there reading off your poetry. You have to choose topics, sentences and words that you know will let you be able to justify your dynamicism onstage, so that you are moving and full of energy when the writing calls for it and when the writing calls for something else entirely.
Anybody who feels that slam poetry is not their type of writing, I would encourage them to experience it at least once in their life. This is a video that I feel explains my feelings on slam poetry: [link]
4. You help run a fairly new group, #EliteLiterature. Would you like to tell us a bit about that? What are you hoping to accomplish with your group?
The goal of the group was to showcase the writers alongside their work. This was inspired by the exhibitions at the Art Institute of Chicago (artIC) which featured whole portfolios of artists and not just works by them. I felt I could connect better to the artist after seeing many of their works displayed beside one another. It becomes rather intimate.
#EliteLiterature is different from other literature groups in the way it showcases its literature, by providing each member with their own individual folder to submit to. Our gallery is a collective of writer's galleries. We don't try to sell the group's work through what comes through your message center, but by encouraging members to visit the group's gallery.
I would also like to say that #EliteLiterature has some ideas for the future that you may see implemented in the coming months, these plans include opening the group up to all users of deviantART to use as a resource and as a hub for writing. I am not comfortable with the idea of using a group such as mine to say who can or cannot use its resources and influence to get people's work out there. I am tired of seeing groups that are open for business for all types of writing but yet do not distinguish between a great written work and a piece with potential. There are also a few groups out there that only promote the well written work. If I had to name a group I believe that does a good job of balancing everybody's work, that group would be #theWrittenRevolution.
My aim with my group, #EL, was to settle into our place into the community, but I just wasn't satisfied with that. I've always had great expectations of myself, and now I want to help shape that community. #EliteLiterature will be undergoing some fundamental changes in the following months to help achieve this. I would also like to note that we are looking for staff members at the moment as well.
5. What would you say is your highest literary accomplishment?
I have three high points in my literary career as Nic Swaner. One is in the past, one I'm working on currently, and the other is a future goal I have set for myself.
Writing and completing my first written work was the first high point I ever experienced, and I still have the notebook the story is in. Presently, I am attempting to get published in journals, quarterlies, magazines and the likes. A goal I have set for the future is that when I am around 20-years-old is that I'll start self-publishing a book/chapbook of my own poetry and short stories.
Poetry
"Sojouner" by Nichrysalis
"Only As Old" by Nichrysalis
"The Other Color" by Nichrysalis
Prose
"Metamorphose Teaser" by Nichrysalis
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to be featured, please visit us at DailyLitDeviations.
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~ The DailyLitDeviations Team ~
Prepared by: SilverInkblot
Okay, here goes...
Many comments have been made, many people have hauled off and jumped and are now wondering what is really going on, many tears have been cried (at least by me cuz y'all--y'all are mean. Enough said about that, it doesn't matter. I wish everyone all of the best and more.
I would like to take a few minutes to say two things:
1) Many have come through DLD and been better in this literature community for it. Dedication and hard work helped forward their already progressing talent. Not me, not Will, not Lili or any other running administrator--just dedication and hard work. We have present and former hats, badges and most of all the owners of co
Will's Final Words
Final Words
It is with a hesitant mind and a bloated heart that I write this. DailyLitDeviations (https://www.deviantart.com/dailylitdeviations) was something that was formed out of frustration and anger. I suppose I am not surprised to see it go out that way. A young man named Brandon and I were complaining in a private chat room about how little literature was featured on dA and that we were tired of it. We both wrote several emails to the staff only to be ignored like so many quality artists out there. Eventually we knew that we had to do something or explode from frustration. And so DLD was born. I stayed up for 5 or 7 days straight. My wife hated me and my phone bill went throug
New Information...
It seems that all of you in need of seeing this tradition go on can be satisfied. I would direct you to the account of TheseKrimzonFlames (https://www.deviantart.com/thesekrimzonflames) where you will find links to a new account where his version of DLD will go on in a new and different form.
I am awaiting a journal entry from VertigoArt (https://www.deviantart.com/vertigoart) to post here with his thoughts on our closing of this particular project. It will be posted soonest.
Few know of my own love and time put into this project because few worked night and day alongside me to take care of everything possible from general administration duties to contests, to answering 100s of messages a day and soliciting everywhere p
Everyone, please hold on...
Please be advised that we are in the process of deciding what and how to do with this account by way of moving on--by "we" I mean myself, VertigoArt (https://www.deviantart.com/vertigoart), and various seniors/members that are interested in sticking with something DLD or DLD-like. Everyone's responses are being taken into consideration--even the personal attacks made on me are valued opinions. This account owns a number of points and I am considering doling them out to a group of people who would like to start-up a new group in the same vein. A group of people who are concerned with the work of the literature community and not the kudos that go with serving the community. I ha
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What a lovely interview!
Thank you, DLD, for introducing me to a fantastic writer I hadn't come across before.
Thank you, DLD, for introducing me to a fantastic writer I hadn't come across before.