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Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

By Joseph Langen

 


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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Ready to get back to my routine after a whirlwind few days. Yesterday was taken up with chauffeur and yard work duties.
CALLIOPE: What's on the agenda for today?
JOE: I have a column to write.
CALLIOPE: Have you chosen a topic?
JOE: I had an idea about addressing stresses and strategies.
CALLIOPE: What do you plan to say?
JOE: I said it was an idea. It sounds catchy but I'm not sure what I will say yet. I guess I will have to start writing and see what comes out.
CALLIOPE: Sometimes that's the best approach. Any other ideas in the hopper?
JOE: I have been wondering about all the murders and suicides, sometimes at the same time. I think I would like to explore this more before writing about it. I also wonder about people rushing to get somewhere and missing the experience of life in the process.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like you have enough ideas for a while.
JOE: I guess I do. I will just need to let them percolate until I am ready to address them.
CALLIOPE: Sounds reasonable. Good luck with all of them.
JOE: And your inspiration is also appreciated. Talk with you to tomorrow.
(Statue of Bull Rider- Cheyenne, Wyoming)

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

By Joseph Langen

 


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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. I thought we were to talk on Saturday.
JOE: We were. However it turned out to be a nicer day than I thought it would be and I decided to go the air show with my son.
CALLIOPE: I guess I can't compete with family. What's going on in your writer life?
JOE: I continued the theme I started last week, evaluating where I am with my life, including my writing life.
CALLIOPE: Have you reached any conclusions yet?
JOE: Not really. I don't want to rush the process. There's no hurry.
CALLIOPE: I guess not. Any work on your writing?
JOE: Not this weekend. I have been busy with people- Air Show, church, visiting friends.
CALLIOPE: It's good to be with people. As I recall that was one of the areas of your life you wanted to expand.
JOE: Correct. I also had a chance to do some reading- Poisonwood Bible and The Power and the Glory.
CALLIOPE: I don't recall you mentioning the second book.
JOE: I haven't. It is about the abuse of power in the reign of Pope John Paul II, whom many people revere as a saint.
CALLIOPE: What does the book say?
JOE: Despite the reputation, he ruled with a conservative iron fist. That was not a surprise. The papacy certainly has had a checkered history. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Rocky Mountains- Estes Park, CO)

 

 

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

By Joseph Langen

 


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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. What's been keeping you?
JOE: I have been working on my camera problem, trying to get it to work with my computer again.
CALLIOPE: And?
JOE: No luck. Just a lot of frustration.
CALLIOPE: What's you next move?
JOE: I plan to talk with the dealer about it.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a plan. What's going on in the mean time?
JOE: Further work on revising Marital Property to a first person account.
CALLIOPE: How's it going?
JOE: I think I like the results. I had planned to review each part from the point of view of the narrator as I went along.
CALLIOPE: You didn't follow through?
JOE: Not yet. I tried it but decided it was too hard to revise and evaluate at the same time.
CALLIOPE: What's your new plan?
JOE: My new plan is to concentrate on one thing at a time. First I will finish the revisions and then reread the text from the point of view of the various narrators.
CALLIOPE: Sounds good to me.
JOE: Me too. It just takes a long time. Sometimes I get frustrated with the process. But I'll keep on plugging. Back to work. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Niagara Falls)

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

By Joseph Langen

 


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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good Morning Joe. How are you this morning?
JOE: Fine. I'm ready to go to work.
CALLIOPE: What's on the agenda today?
JOE: I plan to work some more on my video for The Pastor's Inferno.
CALLIOPE: Any progress with it?
JOE: I am still sorting out the technical challenges. This is still a fairly new skill for me.
CALLIOPE: Anything else going on?
JOE: Just work on revision of Marital Property.
CALLIOPE: How is that going?
JOE: I'm happy with it.
CALLIOPE: Tell me about it.
JOE: I am continuing to write in the first person present tense. Other writing I have seen in this style limits each chapter to one narrator. I have been experimenting with multiple narrators in the same chapter. I am happy with it but will see what some of my readers think. It's uncharted territory for me.
CALLIOPE: Sounds exciting. It's always interesting to break new ground. You realize that some readers might be jarred by the break with tradition don't you?
JOE: I do. But I'm prepared for it. Then I will need to decide if it's too new. Back to work. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Amish Family on a Picnic Bench- Niagara Falls, NY)

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

By Joseph Langen

 
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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Fine.
CALLIOPE: Did you do anything exciting over the weekend?
JOE: No. I was ready for an uneventful one. I spent it reading and relaxing.
CALLIOPE: What are you reading these days?
JOE: I finished Lee Child's novel, Nothing to Lose and am working on a rereading of The Poisonwood Bible.
CALLIOPE: Still working on on your voice for Marital Property?
JOE: Yes. But I have decided I like the first person approach and plan to complete revision from this perspective.
CALLIOPE: Glad you like the change. Anything going on in marketing?
JOE: I have a draft for my video, Are You Afraid of This Book. Now I am working on the technology. One approach provides better video and the other better sound. I am looking for an approach which provides both.
CALLIOPE: Have you discovered one?
JOE: I think my video camera would work best but it is being uncooperative at the moment and will not connect to my computer.
CALLIOPE: Have you narrowed down the problem?
JOE: I have pretty well decided it is the camera. The cord and computer seem to be working okay. Maybe I'll take it to the shop. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Relaxing in Jackson Square, Batavia, NY)

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

By Joseph Langen

 


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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Warm but well. We are experiencing a hot spell but still have a nice breeze most of the time.
CALLIOPE: Enjoy it while you can. Winter in the Northeast comes all too soon. What's happening on the literary front?
JOE: I am working consistently on Marital Property chapter by chapter.
CALLIOPE: Do you still like the first person narrative approach?
JOE: The more I write, the happier I am with it. I think it will improve the book quite a bit.
CALLIOPE: Any progress with marketing?
JOE: I have been concentrating more on writing this week.
CALLIOPE: What about the video?
JOE: I completed an outline and recorded a draft. I would like to refine it a bit more and polish it before I publish it on You Tube and My Space.
CALLIOPE: Sounds like a good idea. Any plans for the weekend?
JOE: Other than a concert tonight, I plan to concentrate on reading.
CALLIOPE: Does that help your writing?
JOE: I'm sure it does. I think it is important to surround myself with creative expression to encourage me. Talk with you on Monday.
(Jackson Square Concert- Batavia, NY)

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

By Joseph Langen

 


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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Quite well thank you.
CALLIOPE: How did work on the column go yesterday?
JOE: Smoothly. I started out writing the text since I did not know what the title should be.
CALLIOPE: Did the title arrive in time?
JOE: Just as I finished the column. Thanks for the inspiration. Learn to Appreciate Music as a Common Language seemed perfectly appropriate. I'm not sure if it will show up in exactly that form in the newspaper.
CALLIOPE: Why's that?
JOE: I wondered about my columns being retitled almost every submission and started working harder to find appropriate titles. I finally inquired and learned that they adjusted the title depending on how much space they had rather than for any other reason.
CALLIOPE: Quite interesting. So what's on the docket for today?
JOE: I had planned to record Are You Afraid of This Book as promotion for The Pastor's Inferno yesterday but didn't get to it. I couldn't face you this morning with nothing in hand so I recorded a draft of it this morning.
CALLIOPE: So it's not finished?
JOE: No. I plan to record several other drafts until I am happy with it. Maybe some day I'll move toward professional recording but not right now.
CALLIOPE: Why not now?
JOE: Financial considerations. But maybe in the future. Back to work. Talk with you tomorrow.

(Sunset- Allegany River)

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

By Joseph Langen

 


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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you this morning?
JOE: Relaxed and refreshed.
CALLIOPE: On what account?
JOE: I am planning a column on how music brings us together. Last night I had the pleasure and privilege of hearing a concert in Centennial Park of Batavia presented by the Buffalo Symphony Orchestra.
CALLIOPE: Did the concert provide you with some ideas for your column?
JOE: Sort of. It provided me with experience but not with words. I know the feeling I would like to convey in my column but not how to express them. I can't even think of a good title for the column.
CALLIOPE: Do you need some help?
JOE: Of course. Would you be so kind?
CALLIOPE: I will consider the matter and drop you some hints today if I am at all able.
JOE: You're a kind muse. Thank you. Not too long ago I read a post by a person taking his muse to task. It seemed ungrateful to me.
CALLIOPE: Me too. Muses have the job of inspiring people but not always with the inspiration they expect or want, or dare I say even feel they deserve.
JOE: I agree. It is presumptuous to expect a muse to do one's bidding.
CALLIOPE: As I see it, the point of having a muse is to stretch your imagination and offer you ideas you would not have thought of on your own. You can't expect to be thrilled by every idea which comes your way.
JOE: Again I agree. I don't have to accept every idea you send me. But if you do send it, I think it is my duty to at least consider it and wonder why. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Dusk- Allegany River)

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

By Joseph Langen


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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Fine. I feel rested and energetic.
CALLIOPE: How do you plan to use this energy?
JOE: I have several activities planned involving other people. Still, I have some time for myself. My first priority is to record Are You Afraid of this Book.
CALLIOPE: Please refresh my memory.
JOE: Okay. I think some readers are fearful of The Pastor's Inferno due to its theme and content. Rather than hoping their fears will abate, I thought it might be useful to address them directly.
CALLIOPE: Weren't you working on that over the weekend?
JOE: I was. I completed the outline Sunday but didn't have time to record it yesterday. It seems the summer is busier than I thought it would be.
CALLIOPE: So you plan to do it today?
JOE: Yes. I also learned something interesting yesterday.
CALLIOPE: Which is?
JOE: Larry Shearer wrote a review of Young Man of the Cloth for Amazon. He liked the book but commented that one particular conversation did not sound true to life.
CALLIOPE: So what did you learn?
JOE: That part of the editing process in fiction could be to read passages from the point of view of the narrator or other characters being described. I will be that character for a moment and consider whether the passage describes me accurately. I'll try it today and let you know how it works. See you tomorrow.
(Bailey on the Allegany)

Conversations with Calliope-Dialogue with My Muse

By Joseph Langen


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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today?
JOE: Raring to go.
CALLIOPE: Good. I take it you had a refreshing weekend.
JOE: I did. I chauffeured my clown Fuzzy to the Oatka Festival parade. While watching the parade I made two new contacts. Later we relaxed with friends in Penfield. Yesterday I found some sale books at the Leroy Library and continued reading The Poisonwood Bible and also completed my outline of the video, Are You Afraid To Read This Book.
CALLIOPE: Sounds busy as well as relaxing. What's on the agenda for today?
JOE: I have some library books out which I want to review for style today. I also have an evaluation to complete and the video to record.
CALLIOPE: That should keep you busy. Any progress with Marital Property?
JOE: No, I haven't had time to work on it. If I have time later today I will. If not, I will get back to it tomorrow.
CALLIOPE: You sound more organized today than you did last week.
JOE: I'm working on it. I feel I have a better sense of direction this week. I think it will help me get more accomplished.
CALLIOPE: I hope you're right.
JOE: I hope so too. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Morning- Leroy, NY)

Conversations with Calliope- Dialogue with My Muse

By Joseph Langen


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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you today.
JOE: So far, so good. Carol and I had a delightful breakfast and are ready for the day's events.
CALLIOPE: Which are?
JOE: Her first gig in a parade as Fuzzy the Clown. She's a little concerned about the predicted heat but we have water planned along the way just in case.
CALLIOPE: What else?
JOE: Pat and Dick invited us to their pool later to refresh ourselves after the parade.
CALLIOPE: Any literary adventures planned today.
JOE: Not particularly. I don't think I'll have time for any formal activities. I plan to take my camera to the parade to see if I can spot any characters or incidents worthy of note for future reference. That's about it.
CALLIOPE: So, a little break from writing?
JOE: Indeed. I think it helps every once in a while to step back and look around to see what is happening. I noted several unusual characters at concerts the past two nights. Unfortunately I forgot my camera last night to record the most unusual.
CALLIOPE: What do you mean by unusual?
JOE: Very strange body types as if a person were constructed by committee using spare parts. Also combinations of clothing left over from the show, What Not to Wear.
CALLIOPE: What do you plan to do with these observations?
JOE: I would like to use them as characters in my short stories and perhaps as minor characters in my novels. Time to start observing again. Talk with you on Monday.
(Oatka Festival Parade- Leroy, NY)

Conversations with Calliope-Dialogue with My Muse

By Joseph Langen


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JOE: Good morning Calliope.
CALLIOPE: Good morning Joe. How are you this morning?
JOE: Plotting.
CALLIOPE: Plotting what?
JOE: How to best use the limited time I have available today.
CALLIOPE: What's limiting you?
JOE: I have a massage scheduled this morning. This afternoon I will be doing a police candidate screening in Buffalo. Tonight I am attending a neighborhood concert.
CALLIOPE: I see. So what do you plan to do with the time in between.
JOE: I have two priorities today. One is to outline a video promotion for The Pastor's Inferno. The other is to continue revising Marital Property.
CALLIOPE: At least you have a focus. Will you have more time tomorrow?
JOE: No. I will probably have time to talk with you but I am delivering Carol to the Oatka Festival Parade where she will march as a clown. Then we are visiting friends with a pool to make the heat more bearable.
CALLIOPE: And Sunday?
JOE: I might have some time then and can do some reading. I am continuing with The Poisonwood Bible as an example of first person narration.
CALLIOPE: At least you're keeping busy.
JOE: I am, but sometimes I feel scattered. I think I need to be more careful about planning my time. Talk with you tomorrow.
(Sculpture- Charlotte Beach, Rochester, NY)

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