summusings

[summusings]

The Poem that Saved My Writing Career

I have been writing for 10 years. Sometimes I read my own work and wonder at my stroke of genius. But most of the time, I find myself needing to reread Anne Bradstreet 10 times just to feel okay. 

So here’s the poem that saved my “writing career”. Remember that despite all this doubt, she still published and is still changing lives till this day. 

Thou ill-form’d offspring of my feeble brain, Who after birth didst by my side remain, Till snatched from thence by friends, less wise than true, Who thee abroad, expos’d to publick view, Made thee in raggs, halting to th’ press to trudge, Where errors were not lessened (all may judg). At thy return my blushing was not small, My rambling brat (in print) should mother call, I cast thee by as one unfit for light, Thy Visage was so irksome in my sight; Yet being mine own, at length affection would Thy blemishes amend, if so I could: I wash’d thy face, but more defects I saw, And rubbing off a spot, still made a flaw. I stretched thy joynts to make thee even feet, Yet still thou run’st more hobling then is meet; In better dress to trim thee was my mind, But nought save home-spun Cloth, i’ th’ house I find. In this array ’mongst Vulgars mayst thou roam. In Criticks hands, beware thou dost not come; And take thy way where yet thou art not known, If for thy Father askt, say, thou hadst none: And for thy Mother, she alas is poor, Which caus’d her thus to send thee out of door. — “The Author to Her Book" Anne Bradstreet (1678)

[summusings]

On the Making of a Classic Novel — A Room of One’s Own

“A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction.” — Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own

A Room of One’s Own is one of Virginia Woolf’s most influential work. A literary essay in the form of fiction, it deconstructs a central question: What conditions are necessary for a woman to write a classic novel? 

Yet, Woolf’s ideas transcend gender and era. She speaks to creativity, freedom, and independence. Her insights resonate with anyone asking: 

What conditions are necessary for anyone to write a classic in their own voice? 

Here is a breakdown of Woolf’s proposed prerequisites and some of my reactions: 

1. 💸 Money

“Intellectual freedom depends upon material things. Poetry depends upon intellectual freedom.”

Jane Austen's writing desk. Austen, ironically, did not have a room of her own.

To own your voice, you must first own your time and space.

In the age of social media, anyone can speak, and sometimes quite loudly. But distinct, individual voice remains elusive. When you depend on market trends for your livelihood, you often find yourself chasing tropes instead of truths. A work without a clear voice and personal truth will fade as quickly as the hashtag it rode in on. 

2. 🕊️Freedom

“Fiction is like a spider’s web, attached ever so lightly perhaps, but still attached to life at all four corners.”

Fiction is writing about life. And to write about life, you must live freely. 

You must step out of the “drawing room,” out of the role of someone’s “so-and-so,”and experience the world on your own terms. See the sky. Touch the trees. Feel deep emotions. You must struggle to make sense of what you see and feel. You must struggle to put that understanding into your own words. Only then, can you write something that is truly yours.

3. 📚Literary Traditions

“For masterpieces are not single and solitary births; they are the outcome of many years of thinking in common, of thinking by the body of the people, so that the experience of the mass is behind the single voice.”

As crucial as it is to find your own voice, many new writers begin by echoing their predecessors. You don’t write in a vacuum. You inherit symbols, metaphors, structures, etc. Only through practice and iterations, through time and perhaps even generations, does a voice emerge that both honors its lineage and redefines it.

And that is what we call a classic. 

💬 Do you agree with Virginia Woolf's prerequisites? Are there any other writing essentials? Which one(s) are you striving for now?

[summusings]

The Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge

I’m diving into the ultimate Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge. All 408 books mentioned across 7 seasons plus the revival! I’ve seen the full list floating around, but decided to make my own cozy, aesthetic tracker to stay motivated and romanticize the process.

Wanna join me? Let’s read our way through Rory's literary world, one book and one cup of coffee at a time ☕📖 I'll be sharing updates, favorites, and reflections along the way.

💬 How many of these books have you read? Which ones were your favorite? Tag me or use #Gilmore Girls Reading Challenge so we can do this together!

[summusings]

In Defense of Amy and Laurie – Why They’re My OTP

Based on Louisa May Alcott’s Little Women (the book), not the 1994 or 2019 film. May update my opinions after viewing.

1. Shared “Castles in the Air” Laurie dreams of becoming a famed musician; Amy, a celebrated painter. They share artistic ambition from the start.

2. Parallel Artist’s Disillusionment In Europe, both realize “talent isn’t genius.”

Amy discovers that she’ll never be the next Raphael and chooses “great or nothing.”

Laurie, encouraged by Amy, pursues music in Vienna, only to realize he lacks the genius to compose.

After Mozart and Rome humble them, they face the same question: What now? Few things bond two aspiring artists like confronting that question together.

3. Amy Challenges Laurie to Be Better While Laurie flounders in self-pity, Amy pivots, “I shall polish up my other talents, and be an ornament to society.” She delivers a harsh but much-needed wake-up call for Laurie out of genuine love, “I despise you... (You’re) very selfish.” It is perfectly in character for her to say, “Aren’t you ashamed of a hand like that?” The artist in Amy sees a physical detail that proves how little real work Laurie has done. That speech snaps Laurie out of his daze and launches him toward change.

The best love makes you strive to be your best self.

4. Laurie Honors Amy’s Love of Beauty Amy craves beauty and security, not out of shallowness, but self-awareness, “I hate poverty, and I don’t intend to bear it a minute longer than I can help.” She sees marriage as the only viable path to support herself and her family:

“One of us must marry well. Meg didn’t. Jo won’t. Beth can’t yet. So I shall and make it cozy all around”.

Laurie, though not as rich as Fred, gives her the life she dreams of: high society, art, charity, and dignity.

5. Jo Never Loved Laurie Romantically Jo is afraid of Laurie’s affection, not flattered, “I’m afraid Laurie is getting too fond of me.” When he confesses, she pleads, “No, Teddy. Please don’t.” Laurie speaks not to persuade, but to “have it out,” as even he knew, deep down, that his boyish love is one-sided.

And that final exchange: “Oh, Jo, can’t you?” “Teddy, dear, I wish I could.” Devastating in its simplicity and realness.

Jo is honest, brave, and a really good friend: she still cares for him and goes to “prepare Mr. Laurence to be very kind to my poor boy,” despite having just been through the emotional turmoil of rejecting her best friend. Sometimes, you can love a friend more than anything in the world and still not see them as a lover. (That said, in another universe, I can imagine them as lovers and am curious how the films interpret it.)

6. Laurie and Amy Married for Love, Not Convenience Despite being well matched, Laurie and Amy didn’t settle.

Amy rejected the more wealthy Fred because “something more than money and position was needed to satisfy the new longing that filled her heart so full of tender hopes and fears”. Her letter home radiates joy, “I love my gallant captain with all my heart and soul and might, and never will desert him, while God lets us be together”.

Laurie speaks of her with warmth and pride, “She winds one round her finger as softly and prettily as a skein of silk, and makes you feel as if she was doing you a favor all the while”.

And don’t you just love how Laurie calls Amy “my wife,” and Amy calls Laurie “my lord”?