The Muse
I have been thinking about my 'Muse'. My Muse used to be my agent; I used to write for her but now that we have parted company I guess my Muse has to be someone else.
Patricia Duncker has a good section on this in her novel HALLUCINATING FOUCAULT. According to one of the characters in her book, an author called Paul Michel, '...the Muse functions as collaborator, sometimes as antagonist, the one who is like you, the other over against you...' The Muse is the 'other voice' - the voice the writer hears somehow as he writes. The Muse is also, according to this character Paul Michel, the person who first reads the work, which when I think about it generally tends to be the author himself.
Patricia Duncker has a good section on this in her novel HALLUCINATING FOUCAULT. According to one of the characters in her book, an author called Paul Michel, '...the Muse functions as collaborator, sometimes as antagonist, the one who is like you, the other over against you...' The Muse is the 'other voice' - the voice the writer hears somehow as he writes. The Muse is also, according to this character Paul Michel, the person who first reads the work, which when I think about it generally tends to be the author himself.
posted by Clare Dudman at 11:48 am
7 Comments:
I thought you were a woman, CLare.
Andrew: Yes I am! But when I write 'herself' in stuff like this I always feel it seems wrong, too self-conscious. The general statement for me is male. It includes male and female.
I sometimes tell people that I wanted to be an architect's muse when I grew up.
THey would ask what that was and I explaine that I wanted to get a really great architect that can crunch math numbers and help him make things with towers, circles and rectangles. Something with an approach road that fits gracefully with a garden. We dont have much of that here.
I am totally incapable of doing that kind of work, I just want to find someone who can and help with the dreams.
Time to get a new muse and oh how exciting!
Susangalique: I love the way you put things - I think you should keep looking for that architect - I am sure whatever you dream up will be unique and inspiring.
CFR: Yes, I definitely need a new Muse - not sure when I am likely to get one, however.
should one have one muse, over years, through different pieces of work, or would each piece be written to and for a different muse?
I seem to find and lose mine over and over again. Sometimes the voice of the character feels like the muse, leading me on, to tell their story. Sometimes it feels like a mysterious other, a kindred spirit, who is waiting to hear just such a story. It is the bridge I am building between us. The person I want to give this gift to, a piece of my heart. Sometimes I am just writing alone in the dark, and there seems no one to lead me on, they have no light for me, and I have no inspiriation to find light to guide them.
I think it would help me a lot to find and solidify my notion of my muse. An extra element of energy to pull me along.
Taffiny: Yes, I think it is important to find a Muse. I think we all need one that will stay with us, loyal and supportive, work after work, - someone outside ourselves. Maybe it is too much to ask. I do have Hodmandod Senior but sometimes he feels so much part of me (although he definitely has his own mind) that I feel I need someone else as well.
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