Guilt, scriptoria, free books, and weevils
There've only been three entries in the haiku-for-a-free-book contest over at the book-blog. This is pathetic, people! Our ancestors copied out manuscripts in scriptoria seventeen hours a day, every day, for every week of their miserable lives, nothing but barley and stagnant water to tame their stomachs, and they were happy to do it! Why? Because it was almost like owning a book themselves! Not that they could afford such a luxury, mind. It was all they could do to keep themselves in weevil-free food. No, they worked their fingers to the literal bone and came home stained with ink, whip marks across their backs if they were caught reading what they copied, half blind from the exertion. They fell to their lice-ridden mattresses exhausted and sick, but with a smile on their faces, because they'd read a few lines of a book that day.
And what about you? You can't find the energy to write a simple haiku, can you? Pathetic lot. I'm ashamed of what humanity has come to....
That said, if this contest can be counted a success, I'll do more of them. Maybe even as much as monthly. If not, well, you lot will be to blame.
I joined in! Glad to have found this blog through the lists...I'm sure I'll check back regularly.
Posted by: Jersey Girl | August 17, 2006 at 12:25 AM
Now aren't we getting testy!! :-)
I've been trying to come up with something, Debra, but the 'muse' has been sadly absent! (That, and I was blown away by Doug's entry...)
Posted by: Susan | August 17, 2006 at 01:21 AM
Not testy, but my own muse called on me to write a completely unhistorical account of our alleged monk ancestors by way of bringing up the contest again.
Thanks, Jersey Girl!
Posted by: Debra Hamel | August 17, 2006 at 10:26 AM
Guilt works! Three new entries this morning, which you can find over at the relevant book-blog post.
Posted by: Debra Hamel | August 17, 2006 at 10:56 AM
Boy, what a crank! Here's the link to my haiku
Well, I don't think that's going to work...at least it doesn't look like it will in the 'preview'. My pitiful haiku is posted on my blog, Debra.
Posted by: Susan | August 17, 2006 at 11:56 PM
I'll go get it, Susan. But just so you know, I've set my comments so they don't take html but they *do* automatically turn any URLs you write into active links. So all you need to do is write out the link. Off to In Over My Head!
Posted by: Debra Hamel | August 18, 2006 at 08:47 AM
I put a 'cutesy' title on the post, then became overwhelmed with self-doubt ('will Debra be insulted?'). I changed the title.
Posted by: Susan | August 18, 2006 at 03:37 PM
I think it would be very difficult to be insulted by you, Susan, because you are generally so well-meaning.
Oh the other hand, you are foul-mouthed....
Posted by: Debra Hamel | August 18, 2006 at 05:58 PM
A blogless young lady named Poppy posted quite a pretty haiku in the comments section on Clare's blog http://keeperofthesnails.blogspot.com/2006/08/haiku-competition.html
It's quite a nice one, worth reading because it has very strong images.
Posted by: Susan | August 18, 2006 at 08:33 PM
Thanks for the heads up, Susan!
Posted by: Debra Hamel | August 18, 2006 at 09:20 PM