Gary’s Challenge: Living on The Edge.
I’ve put a capital T in ‘The Edge’ part of my challenge title, and you can make of that what you will, see it as important as you like, but for me it is deliberate on my part.
Although I have lived and worked/studied abroad – Holland, Germany, North America, Australia, to name a few locations – there have been good chunks of my life wherein I’ve hugged close to this wedge of land that is the South Coast of England.
From Brighton to Broadstairs, Hastings to Herne Bay, amidst the Beauty in Decay aspect (as I see it sometimes) of the South East corner; or whether surrounded by the towns/landscapes, or residents/visitors to the area, I’ve shopped, flopped, slept and stressed close to the sea. It’s as if no matter whether in a Love or Hate state, I find solace and a place on the coast. It seems to feed me, and yet to have elements that frustrate me, whilst at the same time an elasticity which allows me/keeps me bouncing away from, or coming back to, The Edge.
By the same token, there are times when I’ve felt quite close to The Edge in both an emotional sense of the word – in Anger or Joy states etc - or at The Edge of really getting somewhere with my life, and then maybe being thwarted, smacked in the face by a big Detour or Stop sign. And of course, there’s an edge to life sometimes, too.
So, in light of the above takes on The Edge, I think there’s every possibility that living where we live and living how we live/have lived, we may all have a story to tell in either one or none of the veins above. And with this in mind, I’ve set the challenge.
NB: a side aspect to this which you may wish to think about, is that as a group we have discussed whether this year’s anthology could include a partial focus on our local area – the South East corner of England - so I thought a challenge that could prompt something around this possibility may be helpful.
Therefore, I’d like to invite you to write your own take on the title, in any way you think fit. Just take the title and run with – in any content, direction or style you choose.
The specifics are as follows: EITHER:
1 poem per person, maximum length (in 12pt) of 2 x A4;
OR:
1 prose piece per person of an absolute maximum of 1,500 words.
NB: If at all possible, unless there is someone in the group who has zero access to the internet (and by this I mean no access in their homes/work/friends/the library etc), I would like all copies electronically by the deadline of midnight on Mon 10th May.
The challenge readings will be on Thurs 20th May, and I will let you know any arrangements for the night/ how much prose per reader etc, a little nearer the time.
I hope you find this challenge a good prompt for your creativity. Good luck to one and all and I look forward to reading your entries.
© Gary Studley (15.02.10)