No Wasted Ink Newsletter & Ramblecast - February 2024
a newsletter and voiceover podcast by Poet Laureate Wendy Van Camp
Welcome to the monthly No Wasted Ink Newsletter and Ramblecast. My name is Wendy Van Camp and I’m the Poet Laureate for the City of Anaheim, California. This newsletter is not affiliated with the city. All views stated here are my own.
RAMBLE
January is usually a slow month for me. It is the dead of winter and there are no outdoor events for me to attend as an artist. This is when I spend time drinking plenty of hot coffee as I watch the torrential rain outside. I’ve discovered the comfort of wearing a plaid shacket matched with shearling slippers to offset the cold.
Here in Southern California we don't often experience snow or extreme cold. We do have a six to eight week rainy season where we put on our sweaters and Ugg boots, hunker down and watch the rain flooding our yards. Many of my fellow Southern Californians behave as if they would melt if they step outside into the rain. Much like the Wicked Witch of the West in “The Wizard of Oz”. Was Frank L Baum a Californian? I wonder….
I like the rain.
The sound of it on the roof is soothing and it reminds me of where I grew up, outside of Seattle, Washington. Rain was a part of life in my childhood. It seldom stopped even at the height of summer. Rain feels like you're insulated from the world and all its troubles. I've done some of my best writing late at night while the rain was pounding outside. The natural white noise helps me get into my writing zone.
This year, January has been a bit different. Instead of my normal solitude, I have been under an avalanche of speaking requests and invites to write. Many of the speaker requests are places I’ve been before, but there are new places too. I’m filled with gratitude by this inclusion. I’ve been glued to my desk chair trying my best to keep up with the invites. It is stressful, but also a wonderful predicament to be in.
yours in poetry,
Wendy
ESSAY
The Interplay of Identity and Narrative Voice in Contemporary Literature
In contemporary books, the way characters talk and who they are can be woven together to show a colorful picture of life. It's a performance that evokes all the different experiences we have as people. The narrative voice is a persona who guides and influences how you see and feel about the story. This voice is essential for exploring how identities change and develop.
Identity includes the many parts of being human, such as our culture or personal experiences. It connects with the way our stories are told, affecting how characters see themselves and deal with their surroundings. Combined, these two elements show what it means to be human.
Exploring Multifaceted Identities
Characters’ identities are shaped by many things: where they come from, their culture, race, gender, and who they’re attracted to. These things affect how the characters see the world and relate to others in the story. Writers show how all these factors collaborate, making characters and stories more interesting and meaningful.
To illustrate, in Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s award-winning book, “Americanah,” a Nigerian student talks about race, her history, and learning to fit into a new country with a focus on her hair! Through her, we gain insights into Nigerian culture and its differences from how Americans live in the United States.
Likewise, in Junot Díaz’s Pulitzer Prize winning book, “The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao,” a young science fiction nerd talks about being Dominican, moving to a new country, and what it means to be a man, showing how complex identity can be in the story. The novel features large passages of Spanish along with many quotes from famous science fiction and fantasy books. Facts of the Dominican Republic are also woven into the story, which provides historical context.
Identity as a Driving Force in Narrative Conflict
Character conflicts rooted in identity make our stories complex as we allow characters to grow. They may struggle with societal expectations or face challenges which drive the plot forward. Authors use these conflicts to explore themes of self-discovery, human resilience, and identity.
Conflict comes from characters trying to balance who they are inside with what their culture expects of them outside. They struggle to stay true to themselves while feeling pressure to fit in. This conflict shows how complicated it can be to figure out who we are in society, and make the story and characters more interesting.
Narrative Voice in Empowering Marginalized Voices
Narrative voice can give marginalized groups a powerful way to speak and share their experiences. Characters who are often silenced in the real world can show different perspectives and challenges in the novel’s world. Authors use these characters to help communities express who they are and ask for recognition in society.
Different ways of telling stories in literature give readers new views into the lives of communities. When readers hear from many voices, they learn more about the struggles these groups go through. This helps people come together and perceive the world in a more inclusive way.
In present-day literature, the way characters tell their stories adds layers of meaning and richness. Authors use a variety of characters and viewpoints to show the different sides of being human. This helps readers understand about others, and appreciate the many aspects of identity in our diverse world. Combining identity and narrative voice provides the author with a powerful way to enrich their stories and bring their own diverse culture to the world.
SCIFAIKU
“Velocity Farm”
tapped kinetic energy fluid velocity set in rows dust devils tamed
This scifaiku poem first published in "Far Horizons" a science fiction literary magazine. It is part of a sequence of poems about powering human habitats on Mars. Poem is by Wendy Van Camp.
UPCOMING APPEARANCES
February 1st - Anaheim Central Library Open-Mic 5:00pm (reader)
February 10th - Reading with Casketria 7:30pm
The Dragon and the Rose - Santa Ana, CA 92705
February 16th - 18th - Gallifrey One
Los Angeles Airport Marriott Hotel - Los Angeles, CA
Gallifrey One is the largest Dr. Who themed convention in the USA. I will be in the dealer room selling my handmade jewelry, poetry art prints, and poetry books. Autographs are included with a smile.
February 25th - Rhythm & Rhyme Music and Poetry Festival (Virtual)
Music and Poetry combine within the virtual world of Second Life. In world location and time will be announced on my instagram/facebook page as we get closer to the event.
PODCASTS
“Con-Tinual: The Panel Room 177: What's so special about the Regency era?”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hf9832WUB6U
ANAHEIM POETRY REVIEW 2
Accepting poetry submissions from January 1 to March 31st.
Are you connected in some way to the city of Anaheim? Do you live there? Work there? Do you come to the monthly poetry Open-Mics in either the Central or Euclid library branches? Then you are part of our Anaheim poetry community. Poets of Anaheim, you are welcome to submit up to three poems for inclusion in Anaheim Poetry Review 2024. You poetry should be about your memories and experiences with the city.
Send your submissions via email to: anaheimpoetry@gmail.com
ECCENTRIC ORBITS 5
Accepting speculative poetry submissions from February 1st to April 30th
Eccentric Orbits is an annual volume of science fiction poetry put out by Dimensionfold Publishing, a Canadian Small Press. We seek speculative poetry of any theme. Science Fiction. Fantasy. Horror. If you submit Scifaiku (haiku), please send them in groups of four to five poems and these will count as a single poem submission. Long Form poetry is accepted, but on a limited basis. Please send up to 5 poems in your packet. Only submit once per issue. Please send a short 100 word or less bio with your poetry packet. Cover letters are welcome.
Send the poems via email to: wendy@dimensionfold.com
Please put ECCENTRIC ORBITS all in caps in your subject heading.
LINKS TO SOCIAL MEDIA
Portfolio - http://wendyvancamp.com
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/author/wendyvancamp
Medium - https://medium.com/@wvancamp
X (Twitter) - https://twitter.com/wvancamp
Instagram - https://instagram.com/nowastedink
Mastodon - https://me.dm/@wvancamp
BOOKS
The Planets: a scifaiku poetry collection - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Z8HMPF2
The Curate’s Brother: A Jane Austen Variation of Persuasion - http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OU1V45A
ANTHOLOGIES
Eccentric Orbits: An Anthology of Science Fiction Poetry
Volumes 1 - 5
Editor
Available for purchase: https://dimensionfold.com
Anaheim Poetry Review 2023
Volumes 1 - 2
Editor
Free to Read: https://anaheimpoetry.com
Eye To The Telescope: Quests #46 - Fall 2022
Guest Editor
https://eyetothetelescope.com/archives/046issue.html
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Baum was a New Yorker by birth and a Midwesterner by choice.
Wow, this is very interesting. So he moved to my neck of the woods after all. :) LOL Thanks for pitching in with your comment, Mark. :)