I always look forward to the latest edition of Apostrophe, but lately it's been, for a better word, underwhelming. This latest issue with excerpts from two works (one already published, and one on the way), may have some elements of style but thoroughly lack any creative or novel elements that I'd call original. But then again, Alice Munro's influence runs wide and deep, and I guess if you are going to mimic anyone, it might as well be her. The flash fiction is unique but still memoiresque, and carries the same stylistic elements as the previous two, albeit without the emotional depth. The only truly creative piece, and the type of writing that I believe highlights the potential of the Writer's Circle, is Julian Lyden's 'Paradise Revistited'. Engaging and witty, without relying on Pynchonian slapstick (which seems to be particularly common amongst male writers) or emotional gravedigging (see the two non-fiction pieces), which tend to be common stock these days. I think the Writer's Circle should get back to basics and focus on the craft of story-telling and invest in artists that excite the reader, instead of pushing forward works from the same genre (yes, I realise you consider them different genres, but let's not split hairs here), which you consider to be 'what the readers want'. I guess this is what you get when the main audience is the Writer's Circle themselves, who possibly feel some sort of justification in their own literary craftsmanship; I guess, it truly is a 'Writer's Circle'.
I always look forward to the latest edition of Apostrophe, but lately it's been, for a better word, underwhelming. This latest issue with excerpts from two works (one already published, and one on the way), may have some elements of style but thoroughly lack any creative or novel elements that I'd call original. But then again, Alice Munro's influence runs wide and deep, and I guess if you are going to mimic anyone, it might as well be her. The flash fiction is unique but still memoiresque, and carries the same stylistic elements as the previous two, albeit without the emotional depth. The only truly creative piece, and the type of writing that I believe highlights the potential of the Writer's Circle, is Julian Lyden's 'Paradise Revistited'. Engaging and witty, without relying on Pynchonian slapstick (which seems to be particularly common amongst male writers) or emotional gravedigging (see the two non-fiction pieces), which tend to be common stock these days. I think the Writer's Circle should get back to basics and focus on the craft of story-telling and invest in artists that excite the reader, instead of pushing forward works from the same genre (yes, I realise you consider them different genres, but let's not split hairs here), which you consider to be 'what the readers want'. I guess this is what you get when the main audience is the Writer's Circle themselves, who possibly feel some sort of justification in their own literary craftsmanship; I guess, it truly is a 'Writer's Circle'.