Dive in versus Toe in the Water

During childhood summers, poolside or at the beach, I always had a sneaking regard for those all-or nothing hardy types who plunged straight into the water.  Their short sharp shock familiarization process. Brave. Or (to me) preening try-hard.

Growing up in coastal South Australia taught me two things about the flat creamy expanses of St Vincent's Gulf city beaches.  Firstly, that sharks might emerge in as little as three feet of water, and secondly, that frigid sea water temperature invariably jolts awake even the most sun-sleepy bather. Now, even in tropical climes, it is an effort for me to approach swimming water unless the air temperature exceeds 86 F degrees. A body memory of sea-swimming-means-shuddering-goosebumps leaves an indelible imprint.

That slow icy creep of waves over my sun heated heated body, the neck-hair tingling dread mixed with tentative anticipation as I slowly edged into the sea.  When the water level reached my waist the dread inevitability of a greater chill propelled me under.  Snorting salt water  I'd re-emerge, cooled, relishing my buoyancy and wondering what took me so long to embrace the waves.

And so it may prove about 'new media' and me.

The Web Writing class I attend urges students to tweet, blog, and profligately profile themselves out there in web world. For me that is a bit like suggesting that an anglophone take up residence in Kazakhstan, their only language aid being a rudimentary dictionary. Immersion therapy, they call it.

The way I see it,  witnesses to my swimming timidity then were maybe fifty probably self-absorbed beach goers.  Whereas now, new media's learning curve is steep; stuff up and your mistakes are publicly magnified.

Clare Strahan: Whole and Fragmented

Clare Strahan and canine supporter  photo: Overland

Writers today face many things yet over-commitment and procrastination seem to be ever present. Clare Strahan is an emerging writer, freelance editor, teacher and director of plays (currently Shakespeare with year eight).  

Self-described as a project person who 'never really wanted to join a faculty and be part of institution,’ Strahan has acted and worked in schools almost by default. 'That was until they made rules about insurance and stuff.'

Strahan spoke with us via computer video conferencing tool Skype from her home in the lush Yarra Ranges and shared her thoughts about writing, technology and a postman poet.

Writing all the time

'[I have] Too many creative projects going on at the one time.' Strahan freely declared. With no plan in mind, she nevertheless feels like she is ‘writing all the time. I'm always thinking about some story or another.' Whether it be 'dreaming, thinking or brewing–they are all part of the writing process.’

Strahan sometimes starts writing in the late afternoon then works until the small hours of the next morning. It is not a routine she recommends to anyone. 

Strahan’s ‘light bulb moment’ came while looking to finish her teaching degree. A writing course testimonial found on RMIT’s website ‘spoke’ to her. ‘My heart leapt when I saw this and I decided: that’s what I want to do.  And so, to my dear mother’s perpetual disappointment, that’s what I did.’

How to procrastinate online

Of the many ways to overcome writer's block including putting pen and paper down and jumping online, it is visiting Facebook, Twitter or YouTube that could prove to be the most distracting.

Although Strahan has tinkered with Facebook 'a couple of times', she is more a Twitter user (9fragments).

Slow-tech editing

 While Twitter may be more appealing – 'at least my corner of the Twitterverse' – it seems the humble typewriter holds a place in her writing world. 'When you type on a typewriter, you virtually have to leave your mistakes…you have a reference point. With a computer your mistakes get wiped clean as you go along. Strahan uses word-processing technology to print out drafts, which she hand-edits typewriter style.

Online Networking

Technological advances require writers to now be multi-skilled.  'Editor, proofreader, grammarian…but overall technology such as Skype 'has made it easier for writers to meet… sort of a virtual meeting. People mightn't know Clare Strahan but they get 9fragments.'

To a certain degree there is comfort about being in your own space whilst interacting in the 'Twittersphere'. It provides a communication opportunity with others, (including publishing and emerging writers), people she 'might not be in contact with other wise'.

Tweetiquette

Sometimes Strahan removes her tweets or deletes them, not for political correctness, but because they seem 'too snarky or I sense they could be misconstrued.' ‘The greatest censorship I know is the thought my mother might read stuff.’ She tries to keep her responses to a minimum.  'If I want to further a more personal conversation on Twitter, I would use Direct Message.’

Overland magazine autumn 2011 #202

Twitter to Blog

Most of the traffic to her blog comes from her Twitter page. The initial blog idea was for commentary pieces but it evolved to be a forum for her fiction and poetry – and the Literary Rats.  'Maybe that [blog post content] could be because I've got Overland. [My] more non-fiction or commentary is for their audience. Strahan's recent short story 'Finders Keepers' is in Overland magazine’s autumn 2011 edition 202.

Literary Rats

Clare Strahan via tumblr

 Strahan also doodles and publishes cartoons known as the Literary Rats in her 9fragmented blog. 'They sprang out of going to an Emerging Writers Festival. The rats represent what people have said,  some are quotes/comments heard from outside sources, some her responses/thoughts. ‘They have a life of their own, really.’

Postman Bukoswki, Poet: Flawed ordinary beauty

In Strahan’s April 2011 blog 9fragmented.blogspot.com appear three poems about Charles Bukowski, an American writer (1920-1994) who was 49 when published.

Strahan’s round green eyes shine at us through the computer monitor when discussing poetry. ‘What really struck me was hearing him read his poems – it went to my heart – and that damn bluebird, the idea that we are so flawed but can still find a spark.  That resonated.’

[Bukowski’s] voice, in the idea that we can be ordinary people, you can create something amazing, fascinates Strahan. 'Charles was a postman for a long time and in amongst ordinary people...but you can never go back. Once you've heard him speak you can never look at him the same.' 

Clare Strahan’s literary fragmented voice is beguilingly whole.

by Stephanie Galea and Bernadette Winfield-Gray

Online Media Writing class Victoria University Melbourne, Australia

Jumping the State Education Ship

After seven years of state funded education we have 'jumped ship' to the private, single sex path.  In the jargon, 'pastoral care' is what school is at least fifty per cent about.  Or, tellingly, what the state system did not, or could not, provide.  My 'only' Eleanor suffered bullying in Rhode Island when she started school there (different voice) then again when we entered the Australian system. (American accent.)  Both times  schools paid 'lip service' rather than addressing the problem; essentially my daughter was to 'toughen up.'

High school provided a new set of challenges.  In this state single sex girls schools abound but Victorian state education is chronically underfunded for boys so some state schools end up with an over-concentration of males.   Footscray City College provides boys-only classes to partially address this problem.  But in Eleanor's academic 'high achievers' class the ration of boys to girls was 22 to 7.   (Although school staff assured me there would be no problems provided the girls made up at least a third of the class.)  However, at thirteen,  Eleanor notices how the boys already dominate teacher attention...

A 'politically correct' support only state education is all very well – in theory.  This late life mother has learned that when it comes to your own child, it is their best interests that matter, not what the intelligentsia may preach.

Hard Wired

Farewell my embryonic blog.  The powers that be decided my blog connected email differed from the one that I used to log in to Blogger.  Even my dashboard showed my faltering first effort.  If I typed in its URL there was Late Life Learning waiting with trepidation for a comment or post.

Alas, a transparent technology wall now exists between me and my darling.

Will my second child be the stronger, smarter more savvy sibling?