muz·zle·flash·ing \ˈmə-zəl-fla-shiŋ\ verb - activity comprised of taking a photograph with one’s cell phone and composing a seventeen syllable haiku-like poetry response
I go everywhere with my phone and, like most everyone else’s phones these days, it has a fairly decent camera. I like to take quick photographs of the random things of life – from the usual and everyday to the ridiculous and inane. I don’t consider myself to be a photographer in any sense of the professional connotation that is attached to that term, but I do like to catalog the images that jump out at me throughout the day. I like to collect stuff, and cell phone photographs don’t have all the unpleasantries of physical clutter.
I am particularly fond of the concept that some in the literary world refer to as the “economy of language.” One of my favorite poets, Ezra Pound, epitomized this idea in “In a Station of the Metro” when he scaled a 30 line poem down to 2 compelling lines to capture what he considered to be the most important image/idea; Pound was emulating the same concepts that define the Japanese haiku. I also find Hemmingway’s “Iceberg Theory” to be a particularly powerful concept in writing; he believed the writer should only show a few specific details (the tip of the iceberg) while omitting the other big details, strengthening the story and forcing the readers to connect the dots themselves. I often struggle with wanting to “overwrite”, and the simple idea of economically choosing my words has definitely made me a better writer.
The idea behind “muzzleflashing” was to marry these two simple concepts. A muzzle flash is the explosion of light emitted from the barrel of a gun when a shot is fired. The term “flash” has been used to describe extremely short writing (i.e. “flash fiction). I “shoot” quick photos with my phone and then compose a 17 syllable haiku-like response later (also, usually on my phone). It is important to note that while I’m using the 5/7/5 syllable format often attributed to haiku (although haiku’s actually use 17 “on” or “morae” which are not actually syllables at all), I am not sticking to the traditional haiku format which typically focuses on the juxtaposition of two distinct images or ideas.
So…my wife told me that I should also have to write this “about” section in 17 syllables as well. Here goes:
[muzzleflashing] cell phone photograph / and seventeen syllables: / a moment captured
Clark Wilson lives in Rancho Cucamonga, California. He fiercely loves Jesus Christ, Nicki (his wife of 14 years), and Eliot (his dog). His official career is a high school guidance counselor/speech & debate team coach, but he is also an active musician, frustrated writer, and hack graphic artist.
I love muzzles. Especially the one on my dog. I don’t love flashing. You can get arrested for that.
Hi Clark,
This is pure awesomeness!
Finally, there would be some good photography to see.
Best wishes
Mihir
Thanks, Mihir!
Great idea! Your “Jilted” haiku is really great. Maybe justice really only exists in comic books…
This is a great idea for a blog. It has everything I like. I’ll be checking it regularly.
Thanks, Jared! I appreciate you stopping by! =)
Truely cool compositions you have here with the haikus!
I nominated you for the versatile blogger award–your posts are always delightfully insightfully superb.
Geesh. That’s awfully nice of you! Thanks! I’m honored…
If you are on facebook (can’t find you amongst so many Clark Wilsons) you might like to join Haiku on Friday. We’d love your talents there!
Thanks for the head’s up. I just asked to join…
Clark,
You’ve created such a creative and interesting concept I have nominated you for a Versatile Blogger Award: http://wp.me/pxjrA-lZ
Geesh! Thanks! I’m humbled.
Glad you visited my blog, I think I’ll enjoy following your escapades. I’m a big fan of Hemingway’s Iceberg Theory as well when writing, though I’ve never considered cutting my stories down to 17 syllables.
Thanks for returning the compliment! I really enjoyed your poetry and I’m looking foward to seeing more. I hope you do enjoy my MuzzleFlashing escapades. =)
Hi Clark! I nominated your blog for a “Beautiful Blogger Award.” It’s for “creativity, originality, and contribution to the blogging community.” Yey for obscure, feel-good awards!!! Read about it here: http://jennifaye.wordpress.com/2012/06/04/beautiful-blogger-award/
Wow! Thanks! I’m humbled and appreciative.