anthology of writers & artists, including David Amram and Bill Persky
cover artwork “Pegasus Rides” by Ali Lebow
 

                       INTRODUCTION                                 

       PART 1
           RIDING BAREBACK ON A FLYING HORSE 
               WITH NINE MUSES AND ONE MOOSE  

The Muses are best left to speak, sing, play, dance, paint, laugh, cry, recite (the list goes on) for themselves, or rather, through those who become so inspired.

However, since a brief introduction is in order..
     I invoke their blessings and guidance
     so that this book may shine forth
     with the fount of inspirations such as attributed to
     ancient Greece at least as far back as 700 B.C.E.

Oftentimes, The Muses will choose someone to deliver a
message, before that person has ever heard of a muse or even considered him/herself an “artist.”
 
Before a look at the traditional Muses, however, we must ask:
what is a muse?

If you’re a careful reader, you will already have noticed that “a muse” without the space would read “amuse.” That’s certainly one of the things a muse does, but by no means all!

While a child might accurately call it an “invisible friend” (though perhaps “visible” in dreams and visions), artists mostly refer to “the muse” as some sort of mysterious energy or spirit-presence that guides the creative process. Essentially, they are Guardian Angels of the Arts.
Even without knowing much about a muse or The Muses, one can still cultivate creative expression via three basic areas:

1) The techniques and skills of a particular craft.

2) Observe society, the universe, yourself... because by doing so you build up an innate store-house of images, ideas, feelings, facts, metaphors, insights, and so on, that will be ready to pour forth at the appropriate time: Memory (or Mnemosyne) on tap!

3) Learn about The Muses from ancient Greece, as well as
nurture any connections you have with a personal muse.

Various cultures have their gods, goddesses, and divine creative inspirers to look to if you are drawn to a particular culture or time period. Ancient Egypt? India? China? Taoist poets living in the mountains? The Australian aborigines? They each have some sort of deity, dream-time or mythology that might help stir your creativity, envisioning, and heart-felt expressions. All this,
however, is a way of saying that: the Muses are not the ONLY link to the arts and sciences, though they are perhaps the most well-known and relatable.

In any case, nine names have been kept alive and continue to impart their various attributes. What has changed over the years is that the Arts have been categorized and separated, where once they were considered as   
     One...
     a band of nine sisters, dancing in a circle... said to be
     born in Pieria, a region of Macedon, near Mount Olympus,
     daugthers of ZEUS “father of the gods” and 
     Mnemosyne “Memory,”
     granddaughters of Uranus “Heaven” and Gaia “Earth,”
     and under the guidance of the three Elders:
     MELETE “meditation, or practice of an art”
     MNEME “memory”
     AEODE “song”
     and another three, Nete, Mese, and Hypate,
     representing 3 strings on the lyre.


Nowadays we call gatherings of more than one type of artist or art form “collaborations,” “craft fairs,” “multi-media,” “awards shows” and other such nomenclatures. Much like astronomy, whose ‘parent’ is the oft belittled astrology, or chemistry, whose ‘parent’ is the oft fabled (though not forgotten) art of alchemy, the Arts have become bastard specializations. Of course, one
may specialize and excel at poetry, or music, or painting, yet a closer look will show their connectedness.

After I heard Shinnecock artist and poet David Bunn Martine read the following lines from his poem “Shinnecock Whalers,” it dawned on me that what most westerners and 'educated folk' call metaphors or fanciful imagery are actual realities for people who respect their craft, tools, and the visible and invisible forces that hold the earth, sky, and all else together. Truly, a boat
well-made IS made of wood AND dreams!

         Into canoes of tulip and oak
         Shinnecock men navigated the stroke.
         Through wave and shoals, they pulled the trees
         Finely carved vessels of wood and dreams.

Although the Muses naturally muse together (with as much
energy as a teenage slumber party), this book features artists who have, what I consider, an accentuated affinity for a particular Muse or Muses, although their self-definitions may not be so
limited.

To actually meet The Muses you might invoke them, pray to them, make offerings of milk, honey or water (as is reported from ancient Greece), become inexplicably inspired, or by various other ways.

Since many artists have been known to indulge in alcohol or drugs for their creative sustenance, it needs be said that, while such substances CAN have a positive effect, one does best to avoid reliance on an outside stimulant to provide what a Muse can provide for free! Writing, for example, is a ‘natural high’ whenever one taps into the sheer force of creative energy.

So, while you’re preparing for their arrival, study the nuts and bolts of your craft AND observe the wonders of the spectacular society around you AND of the wonderful universe within you.. because when Pegasus lifts you on his back, the faster you can perform your skills, the better. (There will be time for editing, touching up, and the more routine nature of art later on.)

The writing process is, for me, much like riding a horse... I hear a line in my head, get an image or phrase that won’t let go, and, without thinking it all through, have instinctively disciplined myself to stop what I’m doing (whenever possible), hop on the horse and go for a ride, ultimately discovering and learning on the journey.

“Did I write that?” writers often say when describing the process of re-reading their words.

One teacher and friend of mine wrote that writing, among other parts of life, can be inspired and guided by a “genie or “jinn.” Another friend called the Muse “the Moose,” and used to say: “When the Moose grabs you... you gotta go with him.”

So with that in mind.. grab your good-luck charm, give it a rub and.. are you ready for the ride?

       PART 2
                             MOUSAI (Muses)

As to the order in which The Muses (Greek Mousai) are presented here, Kalliope is considered head of the Muses, so she is first. After that they are in the order I consider (typically) the most inspiring and essential to my writings. Of course, ask another artist, get another answer.
 
KALLIOPE - eldest and head of the muses: epic poetry and
                   eloquence
OURANIA - heavenly or cosmic overview, astronomy
EUTERPE - music, the song, lyrical
THALEIA - the idyllic or pastoral, humor, festivities
ERATO - love in all forms
KLEIO - history: people, places, and she loves “quotes”
POLYHYMNIA - hymns, many voices, choral
TERPSIKHORE - dance and dramatic chorus, choral song
MELPOMENE - songstress of tough stuff, life lessons and   
                       tragedy

Though one must ultimately find one’s own way of relating with a muse or muses, this book reveals many common threads in the process of Inspiration.

The unique feeling one has with a muse is perhaps best summed up by what James Thomas Romano calls: The Muse as Lover. The common threads, however, are seemingly the mystical qualities with which the Muses are woven together... “such stuff that dreams are made on,” according to Shakespeare. Or, like
dandelion seeds, as perceived in the following:

           poem by Younghee Lee Kim.

                         By the Steam of the Breath

             When the light green becomes green
             as green as can be,
             the seeds of the dandelion start on a
             journey that even they can’t know about.

             It was just a little while that they were
             being together as a beautiful shape on the
             top of the stem.

             Now, they have to leave with just great memory,
             even by the steam of the breath of a little girl,
             even by the gentle breeze in spring.

             But, they are not asking or complaining
             why should they leave,
             why do they have to be so light...

             Because they know all of us have to
             leave in due time too.
             Just there is a time difference.

             There is yearning in that place
             when they left.

Poetry is noticeably attributed to more muses than any other art form, but remember that in those days poetry was also deeply connected with history, theater, hymns, music and philosophy. Thus, what might be called “pure poetry” was extended into those various forms, and has been extended even further into the relatively modern novel, short story and essay. Yet, ALL of these forms can be categorized as STORYTELLING. As well, a symphony tells a kind of story without words; opera uses lyrics; and epic poetry is certainly a story and a history.

Many modern feminists like to use the word “herstory” and although I empathize with their sentiment, I still feel “history” is appropriate and do not use the term with any sense of male superiority. (The Greek word-root actually means: inquiry, knowing, learned, or, to “see” for one’s self.)

Seeing for yourself is essential since you may need to play
editor or director with your own creations if all The Muses happen to start vying for your attention.

Hang on! Before even getting to The Muses in further depth, here are a few more general creative guidelines, because The Muses tend to show up on their own schedule and one must be prepared to start creating without them!
                                     PART 3
                       STARTLED BY THE MUSES

     DISCOVERY
From a writer’s vantage point, much is discovered WHILE writing. There is some sort of magical creative spring or geyser akin to what Bob Dylan mentioned when asked about the writing of his songs with free-flowing lyrics.
             "Try to sit down and write something like that.”
             (Interview with Ed Bradley, CBS 60 Minutes, aired 12/5/04)

In other words, let it flow.. don’t try so hard.

Insights and unique phrases ‘simply happen’ while writing. I could start writing about the sunrise, then suddenly the sun is an egg yolk, and dawn is an eggshell, and the crack is the remembering of dreams, and so on..  discovering an image for what I never consciously thought of: remembering dreams is like going along the edge of a cracked shell.

Perhaps all that was somewhere in my memory-banks, i.e., Mnemosyne, Mother of The Muses, or something I once ‘mused’ upon. Whatever the case, by now I’m having another coffee and thinking, ‘eggshell crack.. dreamworld memory.. pretty nifty image. Thanks, Muses!’

As far as the different approaches among artists, Vivina Ciolli said to me: “Similar process, different medium, media, and Muses.”

     CRAFT CHECKPOINTS
Writing, for me, is a combination of Discipline and Inspiration,
Conception (thinking of topics) and Spontaneity.

There is also an ongoing Socratic dialogue of question-and-answer about what I want to write, what I’m writing, and what I’ve written, with a list of checkpoints. Before considering a piece ‘done,’ I re-read what’s written for: sound, images, mood, what’s being said/not-said, punctuation, grammar (or deliberate lack thereof where appropriate, especially with poetry), clarity, do the metaphors work? how would a reader read this? what kind of reader? and so on.. until I’m satisfied that I’ve fulfilled enough requirements AND satisfied the higher purpose of The Muses.

     Inspiration, Influence, Imitation and IMAGINATION
As to anyone’s personal style, there are four “I”s worth being aware of.

Inspiration is the point of inception from whence comes the sudden urge to write, dance, paint, etc.

Influence is the combination of artists (people, places, etc.) whose styles have rubbed off on you.

Imitation is a more specific category of Influence and one that needs to be limited (or at least spread out) lest one neglect discovering one’s unique style. A big influence on my poetic word-play and the sounds my poems make is Gerard Manley Hopkins. I’m careful to only have a few words or brief phrases be Hopkins-like, otherwise I’d be over-Imitating!

Most art IS imitation, however. Painting captures a ‘likeness,’ although Abstract Art and Surrealism bend that likeness on its ear, or more accurately, eye. Music imitates many sounds. Comedians do impressions. Writers often capture the dialect of the times.

Overall there is a mosaic or museaic that we each tap into. Poet, peacemaker and former National Goodwill Ambassador for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, Mattie Stepanek knew well the power of this mosaic, as shown in his Heartsongs series of poetry books.

The best advice I can give about IMAGINATION is, “Use yours!” IMAGINATION (made of “images”) is often the source for all
manner of inventions, innovations, problem-solving and creative
vision. Rather than waiting around to be inspired, some artists
simply use their imagination to begin the creative process.

     My Muse is smarter than I AM
Oftentimes I ‘hear’ words in my head (at least it seems that way) as I’m writing. Sometimes I’m not sure what the words mean, so the dictionary is a frequent companion. Almost all the time I use the word that I ‘heard;’ this makes me sound smarter because I
wasn’t trying to use a big word.

“Nomenclature” (used a bit earlier in the introduction) is one of those words I ‘heard,’ and thus decided (or more like ‘agreed’) to use.

Some might consider this process of creativity as akin to channeling. Although there is an element of that, in most cases the experience is more like that of being a secretary. I’m typing away, using what skills, experience and education I can muster, when... in pops the ‘boss’ to say “nomenclature.”

“Yes, boss,” I reply, quickly typing nomenclature and carrying on with the writing, until there is a pause and time to think: ‘what exactly is nomenclature?’ So I look that up, discover the meaning and word-roots, see the appropriateness and smile in recognition of this unseen energy that has abetted (there it is again) the
writing of this piece and given me several more paragraphs to describe the whole process, plus the images “wheels within wheels” and “a mirror facing a mirror.”

Sometimes the energy can be so strong that it is like channeling, with little or no thinking and only the words pouring forth, the fingers moving as fast as they can to put those words on computer screen or paper, sometimes like a trance, a state of rapture, or a “spiritual possession,” as Joseph Langham describes.

...Now that the brief orgasmic-ness of creative energy has quieted down, I remember to look up “abet,” only to find that it means to “encourage,” from an Old French root “to entice,” from “to bait” (that’s how I’ll remember: “a-bait”), or “to hunt or harass with dogs.”

Well, if a horse can have wings, a dog can too, for I do feel much like a hungry dog going after his food when I’m on a roll writing. Yes, the Muses abet! They will entice you to create when you least expect to.. if you pay attention to their signals. And they may even inspire (breathe into you) so that you can manifest some form of artwork.

(My editorial-self suggested I leave out the “on a roll,” but then we agreed that the reader would enjoy a pun.)

That AGREEMENT is part of the dialogue with The Muse(s). Allowing what ‘comes through you’ PLUS a bit of work/research can heighten and improve your skills. One of my ‘agreements’ with The Muses is: if I wake up much earlier than planned and feel a certain restlessness.. I drag myself out of bed (make coffee) and start writing; the early awakening typically signals some unplanned creative output!

Make your own ‘agreements’ and follow them through. If in doing so you are rewarded with a new bit of creative output, consider yourself as having a relationship with The Muse(s)!

     ARTS, ARTISANS, & SCIENCES
The classical Muses are said to rule both the arts AND sciences. What those sciences might have encompassed in ancient Greece is not this book’s topic; however, science certainly plays a role in the arts. Free verse aside, there are many poets who count the exact meter of each line, map out the rhyme patterns, lines per stanza, etc. Thus, there is a science to poetry! Painters are well aware of the color combinations required to make ‘new’ colors. Science again. And musicians with the scales would do well to know (if they don’t already) that Pythagoras (another ancient Greek) taught how the musical scale corresponds to the parts of the human body via energy-centers called chakras, with the scale C-D-E-F-G-A-B corresponding to chakras 1 to 7, as well as the rainbow of colors RED–ORANGE–YELLOW–GREEN–BLUE–
PURPLE and ROSE-VIOLET. This is one reason why music has such a strong influence on the emotions, and has even been documented to help or hinder the growth of other living beings (see The Secret Life of Plants). The actual vibrations of music (along with those of light) can actually assist healing, increase learning ability, and, as playwright William Congreve wrote:

     Music hath charms to soothe the savage breast,
     To soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak.

Ask an actor or comedian about timing, and as much as they might tell you of its innate nature, they will probably also tell you that counting the seconds or ‘beats’ gives one a knack for timing. Science is a built-in aspect of the Arts!

As for artisan (that antiquated sounding word), the dictionary tells us: “skilled manual worker, craftsperson.” The distinction between artist/performer/entertainer and manual worker was not as clear-cut long ago. The arts and society merged when a blacksmith pounded metal like a manual worker, yet shaped that metal into a lovely door-handle like an artist. My local mechanic didn’t know what a Muse is, but after I told him, he said: “The artist is in a maze, and I’m in a muse all day long, trying to catch up with my ass!”

Nowadays... mechanics, sandwich makers, cake decorators,
culinary artists, seamstresses, etc., are all artists in their particular fields. Someone who rips people off is a “con artist,” while some people are said to have mastered the Art of Life!
                                     PART 4
                   THE BIG GUY: ZEUS THE MOOSE

If you think that a muse is purely female, think again.

Neal Cassady has been called Jack Kerouac’s muse. Shams of Tabriz, a wandering dervish, was the inspiration and guiding force for Rumi’s poetry. For certain, many a male teacher, friend or artist has inspired others. The feminine-nature is typically associated with the “graces” and adornments of life, yet not all art is ‘pretty,’ and sometimes it takes a tough man (perhaps with a hammer and chisel) to make a tender sculpture!

So there rides Zeus with all manner of disguises, adorned with a lightning bolt (Pegasus has been called the “thundering horse of Jove”) and a no-nonsense, free-wheeling, thunderbolt-mad, rain-bringing, lord-of-the-sky style of creation.

A friend of mine, with a big heart and mountain-rough, though poetically-tender hands, called the muse “The Moose”.. and so I have adopted that imagistic pun (in memory of him) as a remind-er that creativity is not always ‘lady-like.’

Zeus, of course, is not associated with a moose, but he would surely ride or turn into one if given the chance. Zeus slept with Mnemosyne (“memory”) for nine successive nights, and their union mythologically gave birth to The Muses. Try working on an idea or exploring your memory for nine days - and nights - and see what you ‘give birth’ to.

Since rhyme is a key tool for memory.. Zeus the Moose! However, Zeus goes far deeper than mere wordplay; for me, he is the guy (like a father) who truly sees how all this art-stuff is interwoven with life. He will help me write a poem, but he will sometimes whisper: “Hey kid, why are you trying so hard to create something new? There’s a world out there too!”

As father of the gods, goddesses and mortal heroes, Zeus helps us to serve the highest essence of the Arts. The word-root given for his name is dyeu- meaning “bright, and also sky, heaven, god;” also connected with deity; Sanksrit deva “a divine or guiding spirit;” and Spanish dios “god.” The Roman Jupiter equates with prayers to Zeus: “Zeu pater” a.k.a. father Zeus. And perhaps, Jesus, “Hey Zeus.” In his grandeur, Zeus is a Mighty Stillness.

You can find whatever male, female, or androgynous deity that suits you so as to bring forth your creativity. Wherever you feel at home, wherever your muses give you the energy of a flowing stream, bubbling spring or spurting geyser, stake your claim and happy ejaculating! (which, by the way, means both: to exclaim or utter suddenly with emotion, and to discharge or eject seminal fluid. Women are, in fact, capable of the genital ejaculation of a
substance known as amrita, a Hindu term for “nectar or ambrosia of the goddess.”)

Some artists are known for a large body of work, while others only a small output. Quality over quantity is a nice rule, though oftentimes quantity helps one to arrive at quality. Beginners (or even Masters), by cranking out a poem a day, would not expect every poem to be top quality, yet within those pieces may find bits of potential poems.

Each artist has their ‘hooks’: word-association, listening to music, contemplation, excitement; and I once read where novelist Tom Robbins suggested looking at porn in order to get all ‘worked up,’ but then channeling that energy into the creative process.

As editor, I’ve written a brief introduction to each section, though as you’ll see, the pieces truly speak for themselves in a variety of styles and voices.

Well, our saddlebags are packed and here we go in search of mountains, geysers, fountains, and all manner of inspiration...       
-- Mankh
                                                   [Note]  
For several of The Muses’ names, I have chosen to use the word-root spelling. Parentheses indicate commonly used equivalents.

 2021-2023 by Walter E. Harris III.