Nice idea. It reminds me a bit of the metro poem, an Oulipian invention that involves thinking of what to write between stations, and then writing it down while the train is stopped.
Yes! Completely. Such intense internalisation and almost nomadic displays of territorialisation: on one hand completely public and on the other hand trying to demarcate and construct something private like a makeshift dwelling — hoodies up, headphones in, scarves, snacks, books various means to avoid contact and discourage intrusion into that space. Watching people on trains often feels like you are seeing what they are like in their own homes.
Brilliant! If you've tried it out we'd love to read and maybe publish something like that. Our poetry editor Wystan has a habit of writing small descriptive portraits of passengers while while he's on the train that are quite brilliant. Something about trains that seems so inspiring creatively. Maybe something to do with the peculiar contradictions it's a state of intense movement and a kind of waiting room; time to waste and also a sensory barrage. Might be nice to base a newsletter on Train Writings or something.
Don't forget the fact you're sitting face to face, side by side, with fascinating strangers, each living their own rich interior lives, and yet with whom you must never speak…! Communal and alone
The voice of critic remarking on a imagined piece of work never fails to draw me in and the one here, in the best way possible, reminds of some of the shorter sections in Bolaño's Nazi Literature in the America's. Fantastic
Thanks William! — I haven’t read Balaños but just read the wiki and it sounds fascinating! Though I hope there is nothing seemingly fascist about this piece haha
Nice idea. It reminds me a bit of the metro poem, an Oulipian invention that involves thinking of what to write between stations, and then writing it down while the train is stopped.
Yes! Completely. Such intense internalisation and almost nomadic displays of territorialisation: on one hand completely public and on the other hand trying to demarcate and construct something private like a makeshift dwelling — hoodies up, headphones in, scarves, snacks, books various means to avoid contact and discourage intrusion into that space. Watching people on trains often feels like you are seeing what they are like in their own homes.
Brilliant! If you've tried it out we'd love to read and maybe publish something like that. Our poetry editor Wystan has a habit of writing small descriptive portraits of passengers while while he's on the train that are quite brilliant. Something about trains that seems so inspiring creatively. Maybe something to do with the peculiar contradictions it's a state of intense movement and a kind of waiting room; time to waste and also a sensory barrage. Might be nice to base a newsletter on Train Writings or something.
Don't forget the fact you're sitting face to face, side by side, with fascinating strangers, each living their own rich interior lives, and yet with whom you must never speak…! Communal and alone
Thank you. I haven't actually written a metro poem yet, but I have written an article about announcements on trains: https://open.substack.com/pub/terryfreedman/p/start-the-week-82?r=18suih&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=false
I agree with what you say about train journeys :-)
The voice of critic remarking on a imagined piece of work never fails to draw me in and the one here, in the best way possible, reminds of some of the shorter sections in Bolaño's Nazi Literature in the America's. Fantastic
Thanks William! — I haven’t read Balaños but just read the wiki and it sounds fascinating! Though I hope there is nothing seemingly fascist about this piece haha