Forest Management #2
Where we beginā¦
As with most things, how you begin a project will have a lot of bearing on its long-term success. This week, we began the process of deciding which three poems from Forest Management will be produced as films first, to accompany the book launch. I have absolutely no idea when this will be, as my publisher has still not replied to a single email I have sent him since March.
There are no signed contracts, no schedule of intent, only a document I filled in for him within ten days of being told I had āwonā. He uses the same newsletter generator I do for marketing and I know full well that most of what Iāve see sent since then is automated. Weāre due some more ācontestā results soon, and when that happens, it will be time to attempt a resolution to my publishing dilemma.
For now, however, weāll start with a ātrailerā as a statement of intent.
The most logical starting point is the pamphletās own prologue. It didnāt exist when this work was originally shortlisted for publication previously. Itās existence now is because I knew to make this more accessible, some important reference points needed to be signposted on the way in: what happens from the start to the finish, why it happens, and what colours those changes on the journey.
Having learnt an awful lot about narrative progression over the years, but not as much about the importance of emotional expression until now, I realise that it is memory where the real issues lie. Itās the way I record and recall that colours every aspect of the approach. I donāt see the world like everybody else, and how that is expressed is a significant divergence from many peopleās comfort zones.
The visual has a significant part to play in secondary storytelling.
This first poem lends itself perfectly as a trailer, not simply for exposition purposes. Itās a way to set out my stall, and to give an idea of the themes and ideas that Iāll be exploring in the sequence that follows. I can seed ideas inside the visuals too: the opening of this video will be nodded to (how the beauty of the Universe is mirrored in the mundane, for instance).
Then it is about doing the work and making the art.
Weāll have this complete and ready to roll for September 1st.
It must be difficult to engage a reader in thought processes that are yours and not theirs. I'm more of a story teller than a poet, but the video has that narrative arc which helps a reader engage. A fascinating project.