Bibliophilia 9 - Slavery

Bibliophilia

ISSUE NINE Trenz Pruca JULY 2015 24 September 2014

Issue nine Slavery

Poetry Where it all began and what it actually is

Mini Master class in plotting your crime story Plus short fiction, poetry, book reviews and more

ISSUE NINE - JULY 2015

Copyright ©2015 by Bibliophilia Magazine All prose and poetry rights are reserved by the contributing authors. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written permission of the individual author.

NEXT ISSUE!!

Having explored the many and varied faces of slavery, next month we’re throwing off the chains and celebrating FREEDOM And all it entails. We’re looking for poetry, short fiction, features and artwork exploring this idea. As always please follow our submission guidelines and make sure your contribution is with us in plenty of time to be included.

Submission Guidelines Our guidelines are few and simple. We want to make it as easy for you to submit to us as possible and want to make our rules (such as they are) easy to follow. So here’s all you need to know: ‣ All submissions must be sent to bibliophilia@outlook.com by the 20th of the month to appear in the next month’s issue. ‣ All submissions must be sent as a pdf or word attachment, with your name, your pen name (if different), a short author bio (no more than 50 words) and your twitter name/ blog address in the email body. ‣ Short fiction can be no longer than 2,000 words, with the words ‘fiction submission’ as the subject of the email. Longer submissions will be considered on a case by case basis. ‣ Poetry can be no longer than 40 lines, with the words ‘poetry submission’ as the subject of the email. Up to three poems can be sent together. Longer submissions will be considered on a case by case basis. ‣ Features can be no longer than 1,500 words; proposals must be sent in the first instance with the words ‘features proposal’ as the subject of the email. Longer submissions will be considered on a case by case basis. ‣ All submissions must be sent via email - we do not accept snail mail submissions at this time.

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ISSUE NINE - JULY 2015

Regular Features

OUR BOOK OF THE MONTH REVIEWED PAGE 8

A NOTE FROM THE EDITOR

BOOK VS MOVIE PAGE 13

Submission guidelines and next month’s theme Page 1

WHAT IS POETRY PAGE 10

Follow us on Twitter: @bibliophiliamag

Our Contributors Page 3

bibliophiliamag. wordpress.com

In another mini edition this month we have a darker theme than usual, that of slavery in all its guises. Both myself and book reviewer Richard chose books seated in real life as our individual choices.

You can read both of our opinions further in.

From next month we will be planning further ahead, and you’ll be able to check our website for details about themes months in advance, giving you more time to polish your work and send it in to us as good as it can possibly be.One ask - please check the guidelines carefully so you have the best chance of being published with us!

Mini Masterclass in Crime Writing Page 4 Book of the Month Page 8 What is Poetry Page 10 What We’re Resisting Page 12 Book vs Movie Page 13 Prompts page Page 14

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ISSUE NINE - JULY 2015

CONTRIBUTORS A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE PEOPLE BEHIND THE WORDS

Editor

Our Regulars Natasha McGregor - Editor Having written various genres since she was a teenager Natasha is looking forward to a new challenge in editing Bibliophilia. She is also working on her first full length novel and writing a collection of poetry.

Twitter: @Natasha2Mc

Literary Reviewer

http://natasha2mcgregor.wordpress.com

Richard Southworth - Literary Reviewer Following prolific but not terribly original writing as a child, Richard got back into proper writing in 2009 by competing in National Novel Writing Month. He currently has eight NaNoWriMo victories under his belt, in addition to writing book reviews and the occasional short story.

Twitter: @PneRichard

Features Writer

http://velociraptor256.wordpress.com/

Josie Alford - Features Writer Josie is 21 and lives in Bristol after finishing a degree in English Literature. She writes poetry and is saving money for a masters in creative writing. Her blog is full of all of her poetry and she aims to get into more performance poetry – follow her on twitter for updates!

Twitter: @AlfordJmo

Features Writer

http://thefaultymanufacturing.blogspot.co.uk

E"eMay - Features Writer Elle May lives in Lancashire but her heart is travelling around the world. She lives with her parents, sister, and any visitors who extend their stay. She spends her days quietly thinking or loudly voicing her profound thoughts hoping someone will understand what she is saying. http://masiejane.wordpress.com/ 

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MINI MASTERCLASS with Elle May IN MY LAST TWO ARTICLES WE LOOKED AT CREATING A CREDIBLE WORLD AND FILLING IT WITH DYNAMIC CHARACTERS. THIS MONTH WE WILL LOOK AT THE ‘STORY’.

THE THOUGHT OF PLOTTING MAY THROW YOU INTO ANGUISH AND SHACKLE YOUR CREATIVE MUSE, BUT DOING SO WILL HELP CREATE A COMPELLING STORY. A PLOT IS LIKE A MAP WITH KEY DESTINATIONS MARKED OUT, THE STORY IS THE JOURNEY YOUR CHARACTERS WILL TAKE GETTING TO THOSE DESTINATIONS. WITHOUT A MAP TO GUIDE THEM THEY COULD END UP ANYWHERE. PLOTTING HAS NEVER BEEN MORE IMPORTANT THAN WHEN WRITING A CRIME NOVEL.

Crime novels account for 30% of all books sold so competition is big but also widely diverse.

Modern crime stories need to be accurate to today’s police and forensic procedures so more research maybe needed. Whodunits, where the suspects are gathered together and the murderer revealed, need careful planning to keep the reader guessing till the end. Psychological thrillers need conflict to keep the pages turning.

Same old story The same plots are recycled for a good reason, they work. What makes your novel different is YOU wrote it in YOUR voice. Broken down to its simplest form there are 4 plots (for commercial purposes).

Antagonist versus protagonist - Two or more characters at odds with each other, or the ‘Good vs Evil’ story. Who the goodies are and who the baddies are depends on whose side you are on.

Crime stories fall into this plot, the

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detective vs the criminal, one of them has to lose.

Protagonist versus nature - The universe challenges the protagonist(s). It is a search for inner strength and confidence, The Life of Pi is a perfect example.

Protagonist versus self – The protagonist must discover and overcome deep, dangerous flaws or emotional issues. It works well as a subplot and a general theme for romance, horror, comedy and other emotional fiction.

Protagonist versus man’s work – A typical Sci-fi plot, manmade disasters or creations gone out of control. It focuses on morality issues.

The end Sometimes it helps to know the ending and work backwards, especially with a crime mystery. Decide who will be the victim, who will commit the crime and why, and who will solve the crime. It doesn’t have to be murder, there are many crimes to commit (e.g. robbery,kidnapping, terrorism, blackmail), but there has to be a relationship between the criminal and the victim. This will add conflict. Love, money/power and revenge are the three most common motives.

Make the rules Now you have an idea of your world, figure out all the details. What are the laws or rules of this world for Society and nature? Is there a class system? Is there religion? What about magic and/or technology? What do people do for leisure, where do they meet up? What do they eat? Impose limits, if everything is

possible there is no room for story conflicts.

The usual suspects If you’re writing a mystery, plenty of suspects with plausible motives will keep readers guessing till the end. Make sure all the clues add up otherwise your readers will be disappointed. A good mystery is when the reader thinks ‘Why didn’t I see that!?’ Strong characters are just as important as a strong plot; they will add conflict and drive the story forward.

Plan your journey You can plot your novel using an arc. It should begin with a conflict, escalate throughout the main bulk of the novel, climax near the end, and end quickly.

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Stick 'em up

Mark the turning points of your story on the escalation of the arc. You should be able to state your plot in one or two sentences. Plot is action and simple, story is emotion and complex.

Post it notes or index cards are also a good way to plot. Write a couple of sentences about each chapter and stick them on a board, rearrange as required and add more if needed. You can use this method alongside plot arcs and character maps. It can also help if you are stuck midway through a story by clarifying where you are and where you are going.

Plot Arc 5

2.5

0 Conflict

Escalation

Climax

Write your story A plot will guide you through your novel but your characters will write the story. A character map will help show how your characters react to plot events and whose POV would best benefit the story. When shown on a graph a character map will be up and down according to how an event affects them. Some events will have a positive effect for one character and a negative effect for another; strong conflicts between characters will develop your story further. (Graph below is for an example, 0 = emotional low, 5 = emotional high)

Plot Arc

Character 1

Character 2

Character Arcs 5 4 3 2 1 0 Conflict

Escalation

Climax

Write a detailed synopsis of your book using some or all of the

above methods. Have a clear

outline of the events in your book.

Read it out loud to a friend or the

cat (a terrible critic), this will help

pick up on any plot-holes,

unconvincing storylines,

inconsistencies and loose ends.

There’s nothing ‘new’ in JK Rowlings Harry Potter series, but the familiar is mixed up to create something different.

Keeping it real Research police procedure, criminal investigation techniques, and forensic science. If your crime is set in another era make sure details are accurate. Fictional whodunitsand CSI style crime mysteries are not always correct to police procedures. A good place to start is the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE). The Codes of Practice is a guide on how a police officer’s powers under PACE should be exercised. It’s available from law bookshops and can be downloaded from the Home Office Website. Get procedures right and the law correct to make it your story credible but don’t bog down your story with too much technical information.

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Breaking the law Amateur and private detectives are not governed by these guidelines, but there are consequences if your detective interferes with an official investigation or breaks the law while pursuing their own lines of enquiry.

Too many red herrings ‘One must not put a loaded rifle on the stage if no one is thinking of firing it’ Anton Chekhov. Objects, people, events, details, if you are not going to use it lose it.

Sub-plots and the big plot Sub-plots can work well when writing a series so long as it’s kept simple and works with the main plot. Many crime novels have sub-plots involving the detectives’ personal life which can be carried on and developed throughout several books. The ‘big’ plot works well for an epic series like JK Rowling's Harry Potter books, each one is a separate

story and the Harry vs Voldemort plot unfolds throughout the novels

Unresolved sequels As a reader, one of my pet hates is the unresolved sequel. Whichever genre you write in the main plot of story must be resolved in first book. Secondary plots or the ‘big’ plot can be carried on to the next book.

Plotting takes time and effort but it's time well spent. Your characters and their world are your raw materials; the plot is the foundations. Like building a house, if the foundations aren’t solid your story will crumble and fall down.

NEXT MONTH I WILL LOOK AT HOW TO WRITE A PAGE TURNING THRILLER AND HOW TO KEEP THE PACE

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Book Of The Month

The Invention of Wings

by Sue Monk Kidd Published by Tinder Press, RRP £7.99

ISBN 9781472212771

Reviewer Richard Southworth gives his thoughts on a historical novel with roots in real history There’s no shortage of historical novels which feature real-life historical figures as prominent characters; but there are also those which go a step further and actually make a real person the protagonist of what is, in fact, still a novel. The author has to get into the person’s head, take what historical records exist and create a character that fits them; they may also take some artistic licence here and there, modifying how things actually happened for the sake of a better story, which does at least cement the work more firmly in fiction. The Invention of Wings, based on the life of American abolitionist Sarah Grimke, is one of these stories.

Beginning in 1803 and continuing up to 1838, the story alternates between the perspectives of two

characters: Sarah Grimke, and her (fictional) slave girl Handful, who live in Charleston, South Carolina. Sarah is given Handful as a birthday present, and is practically forced to accept HER despite being strongly opposed to slavery: a strong bond develops between the two, even though they spend much of the novel apart. We follow Sarah as she grows older and tries to find her place in the world, and Handful as she continues to work on the Grimkes’ estate, while getting involved in various activities that range from frowned upon to outright forbidden for slaves.

I can’t claim to be an expert on the time and place depicted in this novel, but Kidd does a very good job of creating a particular atmosphere and zeitgeist for the period. The characters are very much products of their environment; in the beginning, slavery is an accepted fact

Kidd does a very good job of creating a particular atmosphere and zeitgeist for the period

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of life for almost everyone. With the story taking place over 35 years, however, we see how views change gradually; by the end, there are still many people in favour of slavery, but their defences have become rather weak. As well as this, it’s not all ‘for slavery’ and ‘against slavery’: there are intermediates. Some characters don’t like slavery but still promote it because it directly benefits them; others are simply unwilling to take action due to the risk of being ostracised.

Sarah and Handful’s respective sections are both in first person, and Kidd successfully gives them very different voices, not just because of their vocabulary but the subjects they think about. Kidd is also very economical as she switches between perspectives; we hardly ever witness the same event first-hand twice, though Sarah and Handful will talk about it. Ultimately, it’s Sarah whose sections are more interesting, partly because she is able to roam around more over the course of the story. She starts out headstrong but very naïve, believing she

can simply free Handful with the right document, or failing to recognise that her desires to become a jurist are not actually taken seriously by her family. Her world view becomes far more complex as time passes, and she learns what can realistically be done about the issue of slavery – but all the way, she has to battle against social norms.

She may be from a respectable family with quite a bit of power, but she’s still a woman in a man’s world. What I liked best about Handful’s sections, meanwhile, is how complex the slave characters are. We certainly get to see how terrible slavery was – particularly with the punishments involved – but the slaves do have their own lives, and rebel in their own subtle ways.

Other reviews I’ve read call The Invention of Wings a powerful story. I’m not quite sure about that; I emphasised with the characters a lot, but it wasn’t quite emotional enough to stir strong feelings in me for the most part. I would, however, call it an intriguing story: I learned a lot from it, though Kidd does describe the artistic licence she took in her author’s note. And perhaps more than anything else, it’s an inspiring story: it presents a true tale of people who kept trying even when everything seemed to be against them, and in the end, did play a significant part in bringing about great change and accomplishing what they wanted.

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What is Poetry?

by Josie Alford This month’s article is the first in a series that will attempt to explore and explain how to write poetry. Over the next few months I will explore rhyme, rhythm, figurative language, and conventional forms of poetry but I thought I would start the series by attempting to define what it is.

I spent a long while thinking about how to structure this series, so much so that I am writing to you from the past just four days before the deadline with the seemingly unanswerable question of “what is poetry?” hanging over me. This is not an easy question to answer as it might at first seem. Poetry cannot be defined or simplified down to one thing; it is many things ranging from what one might consider the classical or quintessential poetry of Keats, Milton and Shakespeare, to the simplistic style of William Carlos Williams or the spoken word of George the Poet.

First, I turned to the dictionary to ascertain the simplest definition and according to my Collin’s Dictionary a poem is an “imaginative piece of writing in rhythmic lines”. Though this seems straight forward, I disagree with the terms “imaginative” and “rhythmic”. I would argue that not all poetry is imaginative and not all poetry has to have rhythm. Williams’ “This is just to say” is neither of those things. It is rather short and takes the form of a note left on a fridge apologising for eating the plums.

On the surface it seems rather mundane and there is no discernible rhythmic pattern. Personally, I like the poem as it invokes an air of domesticity and closeness. I am sure that any of my fellow literature students might cringe at the thought of having to analyse his other poem The Red Wheelbarrow – there is only so much one can glean from the colour red, although our lecturers would have taken issue with that! [note from ed *shudder*] Next, I turned to Reading Poetry by Furniss and Bath, a text book from my first year which has proved useful to me ever since. Within its pages I learnt that poetry is often defined by what it is not.

According to Furniss and Bath this occurs in three ways; genre, language and layout.

As a genre it is different from prose and drama through narrative or occasional lack thereof. Poetry sometimes uses language differently to other pieces, usually with a higher concentration of “poetic” or figurative language such as metaphors or similes. Coleridge described prose as “words in their best order” whereas poetry is “the best words in the

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best order.” Perhaps Coleridge has a point, poetry differs from prose in that words are chosen carefully and arranged in such a way that produces a more concentrated meaning or effect than prose ever could. Finally, poetry differs in its layout on the page, through its lineation. The lines in a nonpoetic piece of writing are irrelevant to analysis because they are dictated by the font size and width of the page – just as this article is. However, the lines of a poem are significant in that they are decided by the poet and often serve to create meaning or emphasis through enjambment or rhyme.

It is also worth considering that poetry, perceptions of poetry and thus the definition of poetry has changed throughout history. The definition of poetry in Ancient Greece would be different to Elizabethan England just as they are different now. As various movements in art and culture come to pass so does the purpose and form of poetry. In his introduction to Lyrical Ballads in 1798, Wordsworth writes that “Poetry is the spontaneous overflow of powerful feelings: it takes its origin from emotion recollected in tranquillity.” Just over 200 years later in the 1909 play The Madras House, Harley Granville-Barker wrote that “Rightly thought of there is poetry in peaches… even if they are canned.” These two quotes show the

changing attitudes towards poetry over time. Wordsworth and the other Romantic generally seemed to believe that poetry was inspired by nature in all its glory and that it gave insight into such things as human nature.

Later, people sought to subvert this assumption, instead choosing to find poetry and inspiration in everyday objects such as tinned peached or red wheelbarrows.

After looking into a number of sources to find an accurate definition of poetry, it seems increasingly difficult to pin down the term because it is so broad.

Poetry can be anything, about anything and by anyone. It seems the only water tight characteristic of poetry is that it involves some form of lineation. However, an old teacher of mine once told me that poetry is the crystallisation of emotion and I am inclined to agree, whether that emotion is despair at the human condition or a fascination for garden tools – poetry crystallises it. Over the next few months I will explain to you different techniques and conventional forms that might help you in writing poetry. The point of this article was to show you that poetry is whatever you want it to be, you don’t have to follow anyone else’s rules or write about conventional topics; I myself wrote a sonnet about earwax recently – you can find it on my blog: thefaultymanufacturing.blogspot.co.uk

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WHAT WE’RE RESISTING Mac Stationary. Whether it be notepads, pens, box files, pen pots. I have umpteen unused notepads sitting on my desk but I still find reason to buy ‘just one more’. And second hand books. I always manage to find a bargain that I didn’t know I was looking for.

There’s nothing better than finding a never read book in a sad abandoned ‘everyone £1’ box.

Human beings are slaves to their passions, and there are some things we just cannot say no to. This month our contributors tell us about the temptations they cannot resist.

Richard I happen to work in an office where people bring in treats of various kinds on a regular basis. If some biscuit or piece of cake or little sweet gets offered, I can very rarely say no whatever the circumstances. Also, don’t let me anywhere near Twiglets or popcorn - one bite and you’ll lose the lot in minutes.

Josie I smoke, sometimes I smoke lots, sometimes not very much at all. I say it calms me down when I', stressed but I know it isn’t true. I started because I thought it was cool but society has decided it isn’t. I will give up one day, maybe at the end of this packet, maybe the next one.

Elle May I can’t resist a second hand bookshop. I love the smell of old books and you never know what gems you might find buried in the basement.

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BOOK VS MOVIE 12 Years A Slave by Solomon Northup PITTING HISTORICAL MEMOIRS OF THE SLAVE SOLOMON NORTHUP AGAINST THE AWARD WINNING HOLLYWOOD ADAPTATION, EDITOR MAC CHOOSES A DIFFICULT AND THOUGHT PROVOKING MEMOIR FOR THIS MONTH’S BATTLE

The story

good and bad - hardships and calamities

The date is 1841. Solomon Northup,

before he is reunited with his family.

a free man born in New York in 1808 lives a

The book

comfortable life with his wife and children.

Northup’s style is simple and direct.

A competent violinist, while his wife is

He is very much a working class man,

working away in another part of the county

speaking plainly about the events that have

he is persuaded by two gentleman to

occurred to him. However, his language and

accompany them and work their way across

description is vibrant and brings to vivid

the state. He is offered a handsome wage

reality the harshness of his treatment by the

and will be back by the time his wife

various men along the journey.

finished her own work. However, Northup

I saw the film before I read the

is (lost? sold?) spirited away and ends up for

book, and this actually helped a lot in this

sale in a New Orleans slave auction house.

case. In fantasy books I find it very easy to

There follows 12 years of masters - both

visualise characters and imagine the wild,

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exciting settings. Memoirs, however,

of scenes. Lupita

often forget about the world building

Nyong’o as fellow

because it just isn’t necessary. While

slave Patsy is

Northup clearly describes the men and

deserving of every

places he sees, having a visual of someone

award she received -

helped me place the different masters a little

her scenes were some

easier.

of the most sickening Despite knowing the end of the

Despite knowing the end of the book there is no shortage of tension throughout

to watch and she

book (it’s written by the man himself, so of

played the part with the utmost sincerity.

course he makes it through) there is no

Truly heartbreaking and wonderful together.

shortage of tension. The other slaves he

Praise must also be given to Benedict

meets along the way suffer as many, if not

Cumberbatch, who portrays the kinder slave

more troubles than he, and he described

owner William Ford. Ford is a tricky

them all in profound detail. The bluntness

character to play - he treated his slaves well

and simplicity of Northup’s prose is more

(in comparison to some) and was concerned

effective than the most poetic descriptions.

about their welfare. However, he is

The film

unwilling to respond to Northup’s claims he

I struggled from the off with this

is a free man. Cumberbatch does a very

film, and I couldn't tell you exactly why.

good job of showing the man’s difficult

Perhaps because it is so tragic throughout

moral position.

The verdict

that the horrendous instances all roll into one. Perhaps because there is no gradual

If you were ever undecided about

build to brutality, but it is there from about

slavery, especially the slave trade as it was in

fifteen minutes in and does not go away

the nineteenth century, then read this book.

until he steps foot back in New York. By no

Nothing will put you against it more than

means did I think this would be an easy film

one man’s hideous torment at the hands of

to watch, but it was made harder by its lack

upper-class brutality and ignorance.

of story arc - instead it was a steep climb all

This book is difficult and painful to

the way to his rescue, then a sudden crash of

read, but I feel I know a little more about

relief.

what people really went through in that Chiwetel Ejiofor is fantastic as

time. Personally I found the book if not

Northup himself. He is softly spoken and

easier to take, then certainly not as draining

does not overact, even in the most difficult

as the film.

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First line: It was a day like any other for Joe White…

You find your great-greatgrandmother’s diary. On June 16, 1856, she wrote….

Prompts Page Have you hit a dead end? Or just need some new ideas?

Look no further - just choose an image, quote or exercise from the page and start writing. Try experimenting with a form you don’t usually write in.

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ISSUE ONE - NOVEMBER 2014

Those who deny freedom to others, deserve it not for themselves; and, under a just God, can not long retain it.

Abraham Lincoln, from a letter to Henry L. Pierce and others (1858)

I wield the flail of the lashing hail, And whiten the green plains under, And then again I dissolve it in rain, And laugh as I pass in thunder.

Percy Bysshe Shelley From ‘The Cloud’ (1820)

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