The Blessed Unrest

I'm listening to Sara Bareilles' newest album The Blessed Unrest. Though I have many artists I enjoy listening to and even follow closely, Sara is my FAVORITE. I discovered her in college when her first big studio album was released, Little Voice. Her melodies and lyrics jumped out of the speakers for me. She seemed to write every kind of melody that I immediately fall in love with, and every lyric as though they came from my heart. Since then, I have followed her career through every album, tour, and interview..

I hope you go out and buy her new album and heck, if you haven't listened to her music before, go and buy her others: Careful Confessions, Little Voice, and Kaleidoscope Heart.

With that, I leave you with a quote from Martha Graham. This quote was the inspiration for Sara to title her newest album as such.

"There is a vitality, a life force, an energy, a quickening that is translated through you into action, and because there is only one of you in all of time, this expression is unique. And if you block it, it will never exist through any other medium and it will be lost. The world will not have it. It is not your business to determine how good it is nor how valuable nor how it compares with other expressions. It is your business to keep it yours clearly and directly, to keep the channel open. You do not even have to believe in yourself or your work. You have to keep yourself open and aware to the urges that motivate you. Keep the channel open. ... No artist is pleased. [There is] no satisfaction whatever at any time. There is only a queer divine dissatisfaction, a blessed unrest that keeps us marching and makes us more alive than the others."

 

 

 

New Words

I love to find new words and learn what those words mean. When I was little, I would ask my parents what words meant as they'd fly out of the television program or movie we were watching, or book I was reading. I would turn to them and ask what the word meant. As I grew older, I soon realized that though they were answering me correctly, they more often were defining the word within the context of how it was used in the movie or television program.

But that's not what I wanted. I'm kind of a snob when it comes to word definitions.

I want the simple, scientific, without context definition of each word I ask about. I wanted my parents to be a walking dictionary where they would ramble off the definition precisely as Merrium-Webster had written. I imagined it like the end of "The Wizard of Oz" when the scarecrow get's his diploma; he changes his voice and rambles off a mathematical problem proving his now genius brain. That's apparently how I imagined definitions to be shared: in monotone. Now, I'd much rather it recited back to me much like Stephen Fry, whom of which undoubtedly knows every word and definition. I need a British scholar in the back of my pocket at all time.

Though I may be a snob in my preference for precisely recited definitions, I am not a snob in where I find new words. I love finding new words in movies, television, newspapers, books, strangers conversations, friends, family, etc.

Do you get it?

Basically, ANYWHERE!

I recently have begun keeping track of new words I learn from Nina Conti interviews and/or videos. She's by far my favorite comedian since she is beyond clever and witty but she is also, not surprisingly, incredibly articulate. I conclude it is because she is British as well as greatly educated and well-read. I truly believe that the British are better versed in language than Americans and are also, more importantly, actually encouraged to use articulate speech in every day life.

All of these words were found from interviews or social media and said by Nina herself. It's important I make this clear as she is also a ventriloquist and "speaks for many", but these words are all from Nina.

Monkey, her main puppet, finds the use of these words haughty and ridiculously foolish. He'd never be caught using these words. He's better than that.

I've put an asterisk next to the words I'd heard before but never knew the actual definition. The rest are completely new and are easy to remember but difficult to include in conversation. This will be a new goal and I shall be successful!

Intransigent - uncompromising.

Gauche - lacking social experience or grace; not tactful.

Counterintuitive* - contrary to what intuition or common sense would indicate.

Physiognomy - art of judging human character from facial features.

Conspicuous* - attracting notice or attention.

Wherewithal *- the money or other means needed for a particular purpose.

Metier* - an area of activity in which one excels; forte.

Flummox - perplex (someone) greatly; bewilder.

Nora Ephron: An Inspiration

I'm currently reading a book by one of my FAVORITE authors: Nora Ephron.

It's called "Wallflower at the Orgy" and it's about her life as a reporter/journalist and how she's always at the "party" but more often on the sidelines, taking notes and making observations. Only Nora would think to equate her work as a journalist to an orgy and somehow make that make sense. Brilliant. 

Anyway, in the second chapter she talks about the famed editor of COSMOPOLITAN, Helen Gurley Brown and a particular sentence stood out to me that exemplifies the reason why I truly love Nora as a writer:

"But no. Just the other night, it happened again. On the Merv Griffin Show or the Joey Bishop Show. One or the other."

I understand this simple section is not glamorous or even really clever, but you must understand what stands out to me; what makes it complete and utter brilliance.

In writing, she has made her confusion and lack of memory very conversational and natural. She's a reporter/journalist so you know that she understands what it takes to research and find your facts, but instead, she chose in that moment to write as though she's thinking out loud and can't quite remember what show this famed editor appeared on. It made me realize how the internet and search engines have ruined us (or maybe just me) for brilliantly written exchanges like this; an exchange that Nora made effortlessly and why so many enjoy her books, plays, and screenplays.

Writing can be a conversation, not a presentation. 

Thanks, Nora! I needed that.