“But I believe that in most every intellectual endeavor, the extremes of its work come from an unteachable dark.” -Galchen
In an attempt to explain how writing can/cannot be taught, Galchen introduces this idea of the “unteachable dark” in reference to what we might consider natural talent. The idea intrigues me because the suggestion is that in order to reach “the extremes” (i.e. success/fame) one must tap into this unknown realm of greatness.
It seems that the conversation is always driven to the extremes. As if a simple understanding of how to write will never be sufficient through the eyes of the successful. As writers, we hold ourselves in such high regard. We talk about “the craft” and “the art of writing” like our shit doesn’t stink. But it does. It smells like shit.
I guess what I’m getting at is that the idea of teaching writing and the idea of teaching greatness are often blurred. Students who HAVE to learn to write are completely uninterested in “the unteachable dark”. We (teachers of writing and creative writers) look at writing under a microscope and often forget to take our eyes off the lens and adjust back to the world around us. I think that often we become part of the problem in allowing students of writing to tap into their own “darkness.”
INFORMATION OVERLOAD!!! Focus on your thesis! What’s with all the comma splices? Did you address the prompt? Dude, this isn’t 5-6 pages…
What I’m getting at is I don’t think we allow ourselves, at times, to step back and observe “the process.” Part of me (perhaps the cynical man I’ve become over the years) feels that the quality of writing will inevitably improve/diminish regardless of how much attention/feedback I give to the individual student. The other part of me (perhaps the writer that holds “the craft” in such high regard) wants to coddle each student and show them the intricacies of what they are doing right/wrong. But, either way, it is not within my power to access the “darkness” within them, if it exists at all.
Still not sure I’m doing this right…
“Still not sure I’m doing this right…” You mean writing here? Yes! You’re doing it right.
So, there may be a “dark,” but I’m not sure if it’s unteachable. My thinking is that perhaps we should take a look at what happens in the dark and bring it into the light. If writing isn’t such a mystical thing, then we can figure out how it works for some people and translate/display the process for others to see more clearly.
That’s way reductive, but it’s useful for me in my brain-wrapping endeavors.