Theses are my thoughts and ramblings as I forge my way through this thing they call life. |
Today's blog.... 30 Day Blogging Challenge The Sunday News Provide your thoughts/opinions on a newspaper/magazine article or a radio/television news story from the past week. And if you feel inclined, let loose and blog about your week. Also, feel free to comment on your favorite blog entries from your fellow challengers from the preceding week. I am not a big one for reading the newspaper or even watching the news on television or the radio. The magazines I do read are writing related. So I chose an article I read from the August 2014 issue of The Writer magazine. The article is called "On the Street: The Art Of Flanerie Can Open Uncharted Avenues For Creative Writing" by Linda Lappin. This was a very interesting article. Lappin gives the definition of Flanarie loosely as "lounger", "loafer", "Idle stroller" and "loiterer". The French argue the flanerie is the opposite of idleness. "He or she is, above all, an explorer of city streets, a keen spectator and reporter of urban realities." I find I love doing this kind of thing without realizing it has a fancy, French name. Watching the world with a detached eye. You are to take a walk in your neighbourhood or an unfamiliar landscape. Take your notebook and as you wander, stop to jot down impressions as they come to you. Virginia Woolf did this kind of thing and described herself as an 'enormous eye'. You could also be an 'enormous ear' or an 'enormous nose' to take in all things through your senses. I love going to different parts of my city or even to the small towns close by and watch the world. Watching the people, absorb the experience with all my senses. I used to do it in Toronto when I was younger. Life is interesting to watch and record. You catch snippets of conversation. At a market you can take in the smells and the action. It is an intriguing concept. When looking back at this weeks blogs, I was interested in the creation of new reality show blogs. Yes, I am a reality show junkie and I am not the only one. It is good to know Charlie ~ is just as into the gruesome details of dumb reality shows as I am. |