The Value of a Broken Pot
I recall that during Walter Hyleck’s pottery classes, he
selected pieces from student collections and culled them from the better work.
In breaking the pots against the wall, students could see where the pots were
too thick or thin or irregular. As a writer who has tossed several novels to
get to the one I want to keep, I see the value in the pots that are broken and
never sent out into the world. In the attic and in old boxes, the many pages I
have written over the years constitute the learning experience that has brought
me skill. Our best work requires us to look at our own work with a critical eye.
I think I would like to contribute something to the firing this month, maybe a
lot of old pages that I can let go off now. Some of the ash of my words can
glaze the pots. I think we are ready to
light up the sky at Bobtown.
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