About ten years ago, my brother told me a story about meeting a famous comedian. During their conversation, he had made passing reference to his favorite bit from one of the comedian’s stand-up routines. The comedian smiled slightly before telling him that it always felt a little weird to be reminded of jokes he’d told years earlier. He’d moved on to new material, after all. But in interactions with fans, he was constantly being brought face-to-face with reminders of what he’d thought was funny
Yes to this, Donna: "For me, the scariest part of writing and publishing is putting a piece of myself out into the world and waiting to see if it resonates with people." I can definitely relate. Sometimes I even wonder: why would they want to hear any piece of myself!? I don't even want to. Lol! Thanks for this piece (and the bravery), Donna-
I love this, Donna. Our obsessions can be mistaken for the only thing we're interested in (aka BRANDING) but I believe/hope the people who find us because of our writing will follow us just about anywhere. I love your curiosity and how your mind works!
the pressure to have a coherent narrative "brand" umbrella is so real. I'm purposely trying to make this newsletter a space where I can be a little more all over the place (hence last week's rant about kid birthday parties!), but I feel you!
I once ran into a friend I hadn't seen since high school completely at random in a different city from the one in which we grew up. I was so weirded out by the conversation. The whole time I was I thinking, why is he talking to me like this? Like I am still the person he knew in high school? Of course, he did nothing wrong and he had no other frame of reference. But to me it felt like meeting my past self. I have also had the experience of a student plagiarizing something I myself had written many years before. That was some cognitive dissonance as well!! It actually took me a minute to realize what was happening as I was reading it.
Yes to this, Donna: "For me, the scariest part of writing and publishing is putting a piece of myself out into the world and waiting to see if it resonates with people." I can definitely relate. Sometimes I even wonder: why would they want to hear any piece of myself!? I don't even want to. Lol! Thanks for this piece (and the bravery), Donna-
I love this, Donna. Our obsessions can be mistaken for the only thing we're interested in (aka BRANDING) but I believe/hope the people who find us because of our writing will follow us just about anywhere. I love your curiosity and how your mind works!
the pressure to have a coherent narrative "brand" umbrella is so real. I'm purposely trying to make this newsletter a space where I can be a little more all over the place (hence last week's rant about kid birthday parties!), but I feel you!
Totally agree. We should be able to be all over the place!
I once ran into a friend I hadn't seen since high school completely at random in a different city from the one in which we grew up. I was so weirded out by the conversation. The whole time I was I thinking, why is he talking to me like this? Like I am still the person he knew in high school? Of course, he did nothing wrong and he had no other frame of reference. But to me it felt like meeting my past self. I have also had the experience of a student plagiarizing something I myself had written many years before. That was some cognitive dissonance as well!! It actually took me a minute to realize what was happening as I was reading it.
Whoa, to encounter your own plagiarized work!!
It was surreal. And the student refused to admit it, which just added to the cognitive dissonance. I mean, the proof was there in black and white!
please tell me the student got a 0 or else there is no justice
Oh for sure. Definitely a zero!!