Friday, August 26, 2016

Sitting in judgment.


Literature is art. And art is, to some degree, subjective. What’s good and what isn’t is very much a matter of taste.
That’s why I am always surprised when asked to judge a writing contest. To think someone, somewhere, thinks my literary palate is refined enough to pass judgment on a passel of poems or collection of fiction always astonishes me.
But they ask. I’ve been asked over the years by organizations as various as a cowboy cultural society from Canada, the outfit that runs the National Finals Rodeo, statewide writers’ groups from at least three states and a double handful of smaller groups from various localities, an international society of professional writers, and more than a few poetry performance competitions. What’s more surprising is that many of them ask me back.
It isn’t always easy trying to be objective about something so subjective. But there are certain standards that ought to apply—basic things like spelling, syntax, structure, grammar, form, composition, communication, and such. Poorly proofed and edited works are easily discarded.
After that, it can get tough. A story that grabs and won’t let go. Clever use of language. Word choice. Originality. Rhythm. Pace. Use of literary technique. And on and on, into demonstrations of skill that are hard to define—but you know them when you read them. It’s a pleasure to reward creativity, skill, effort, and accomplishment.
And while it is never pleasant to quickly cast aside an entry that doesn’t measure up—sometimes mere pages past the cover—you do what you have to do. As my friend Dusty Richards says, which he says the late, great Elmer Kelton said: “You don’t have to drink a whole bottle of whiskey to know it’s bad.”



10 comments:

  1. Rod, Art is art no matter what medium it is presented in. Your comments are greatly appreciated and dead on. every artist and potential judge should take heed. Thanks for posting.

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    1. Thanks, Jeff, for the comment. When it comes to art, you know whereof you speak.

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  2. Yup! As usual, you're right on target. A good deal of art is a matter of what you like rather than what's right or wrong. Music is the same way - composing the melody that is. Harmony's implied by the melody, so there's some right or wrong there, but the melody, except possibly for form, is a matter of what the listener likes. Dusty and his dad, Rusty, can probably attest to this.

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    1. Thanks, Linda. Thank Elmer Kelton (via Dusty Richards) for that.

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  4. Rod,
    My favorite judging of literary effort came every year with Presbyterian Manors, a retirement community and nursing home organization deserving of every sort of accolade for the extent of and the quality of its care. In any case, the writers were asked to list their ages -- at present and at the time of composition. The best writer among some very talented and practiced authors was Ms. Daisy Heizer of the Emporia, Kansas Manor. Ms. Daisy let me know that she was ninety-seven-and-a-half, by damn, when she wrote that last poem of hers. Spunk, mister. Some real spunk in that extra six months. Keep typing, good friend. JB

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    1. Great story, John. About once a year I am invited to a retirement home to share some poems or give a brief history lecture. It's one of the most enjoyable things I do.

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  5. Rod, Great post. I don't have near your experience as a judge- one year in mass market paperback for the Spurs. I remember having 40 books to read in about four months. Talk about empty bottles. In the end, the winner was in my top three. One of my three made no other judge's list. I thought it was a great story, it just wasn't in the 'traditional' groove. There's that subjectivity factor. Probably explains why I've never been asked to do it again.

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    1. Good to hear from you Paul. It is often--always--surprising to see what other judges like when you are part of a panel. Sometimes there is little or no consensus. But in my experience, the winners are worthy, even if not my favorites. One downside to judging a lot is that between that and reading for book reviews I seldom get to read books of my own choosing.

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