timeline of thoughts while editing and looking for a photo to go with Robert Hirschfield’s ‘Notes on a Woman in Calcutta’ and corresponding with him via Gmai

March 26th, 2010 by David Miller - Uncategorized

please reference story here: Notes on a Woman in Calcutta

10:42 a.m – robert wrote [via gmail] ‘ Re-reading my new story, I feel this is the kind of writing I should have been doing my whole life. As I always say, I am thankful for our chance encounter last year.’

11:44 – david wrote [via gmail]  ‘as far as ‘the kind of writing i should have been doing my whole life’ — i think what matters is that you’re doing it at all.’

11:48  – [after re-reading story for 7th time]: ‘the border I packed without knowing it.’ damn.

11:50  – ‘But she is many women’ should be its own line. an ‘orphan line.’

11: 51 – ‘orhpan’

11:52 – [looking at different photos on flickr]: the woman needs to be looking at you.

11:55  – various thoughts at same time:

  1. this woman is breastfeeding.
  2. in the story it talks about her having a baby.
  3. there is something beautiful about the way she’s breastfeeding, about her breast.
  4. some ppl will think this is ‘dirty.’
  5. the photographer is standing above her.
  6. it’s weird the way she’s holding the bowl of food. what is that?
  7. how could ppl think this was dirty?
  8. in the story it talks about her wearing a yellow sari. that’s a robe, not the headscarf, right? will someone mention that?
  9. what did the real woman who robert saw look like?
  10. i think he would like this photo.

12:08 – is the subtitle ‘the pavement speaks to you’ right? it seems like the idea is that ppl only see certain other ppl as part of the scenery. i think that’s right.

12:15 – [after publishing piece, then reading early comments about picture] – ‘borders.’

3:17 -[finishing writing this] – ‘pageviews, transparency,  hip hurting from sitting down for a long time. damn.’

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  • http://www.deliciouschaos.com/ Nick

    Thanks for sharing this, David, especially after the comments on the original piece. Interesting to see the actual flow of thoughts involved. And written in your inimitable, no bullshit, honest style.

    Damn, I’m gonna have to stop commenting on your work, lest I start to appear sycophantic ; )

    Big respects

  • David Miller

    nick,

    thanks for the comment.

    i think it’s good to be transparent about things that you’re feeling at a certain moment in time.

    i don’t think that’s sycophantic.

    sycophantic is when you’re doing something with some ‘end’ in mind other than just expressing emotion.

  • http://www.expatheather.com Heather

    It was really interesting to read this post after reading the story and commenting about the photo. I definitely didn’t notice the discrepancy between the yellow sari (wrap around garment) and the shalwar kameez that the woman in the photo was wearing. I think the piece and the photo (issues of modesty in different cultural contexts and that whole conversation aside) are both so striking that those details wouldn’t stick out to people.

  • David Miller

    thanks heather,

    yeah, i didn’t think ppl would notice it either.

    it’s interesting, the author and i have had this ongoing side conversation about this piece and reaction to it. i was glad he liked the photo. he described the woman as someone who appears ‘to have taken an amazing inner journey.’