An update from our sixty-sixth Writing Workshop with Conner Bassett and special guest Emma Catherine Hoff A summary of the workshop held on Saturday, May 6 This week, winner of the Stone Soup 2022 Annual Book Contest Emma Catherine Hoff instructed the workshop. To start, Emma told workshop participants that ekphrasis is “when you write a poem or story about or based on a work of art.” Then, we looked at three examples of ekphrastic poetry (“The Man with the Blue Guitar” by Wallace Stevens, “Hunters in the Snow” by William Carlos Williams, and “Edward Hopper and the House by the Railroad” by Edward Hirsch) and talked about them. Emma explained that there were different ways to write an ekphrastic poem or story; one can describe the painting, or use it as a way to develop one’s own ideas. One can even place the artist in their piece! The Challenge: Write a story or poem using ekphrasis based on one of three paintings: The Peasant Wedding by Pieter Bruegel the Younger, The Football Players by Henri Rousseau, or Coffee Table by Ernst Ludwig. The Participants: Anushka, Yueling, Liesl, Philip, Ananya, Seva, Josh, Stella, Aaron, Catherine
ekphrasis
A Secret Beauty (Mona Lisa): A Series in Ekphrasis by Ella Yamamura, 14
I was tired of convincing Lisa to smile. Every time we sat down with her, she simply crossed her arms and stared at me through a set of deep, solemn eyes, her mouth refusing to curl into a smile. It was a shame, really. She had a plump figure and a lively blush on her cheeks that suggested she was really someone enjoyable to be with, however, her permanent frown told otherwise. I tapped my foot impatiently on the intricately designed carpet, frustration slithering around in my head like a serpent. Lisa was yet again assuming her position with her crossed arms and her defiant gaze. I refused to give up. I wanted nothing more than to paint her wearing a smile. I was confident that I could create a masterpiece out of her—A Secret Beauty—only she didn’t realize it yet. “Miss.” I fidgeted with my paintbrush as I looked into her serious brown eyes. “If you would just smile a little–” “I’m quite alright, thank you,” Lisa said, and her fingers twitched in irritation. I shut my mouth immediately and gave a single nod. “That’s fine,” I replied in disappointment. I started mixing my colors, glancing back at her hopefully as if suddenly she would change her mind and turn towards me with a bright smile on her face. It didn’t happen. “Exactly how long will this take?” Lisa asked impatiently. I stayed silent, not wanting to answer her question. In truth, it would take several years to paint a masterpiece. I would have to request a sitting with her multiple times just to accurately paint her features on canvas. “Not long,” I lied. She clearly saw past my lie as, several years later, she grew tired of listening to me pestering her for another sitting. “I-It takes a while, Miss!” I repeated hastily, “I’m almost done.” And it was true. I was indeed almost done. In fact, everything from her mane of dark oak-colored hair to her crossed hands was painted to perfection. Everything…except her mouth, that is. Where her mouth was supposed to be was a stretch of blank canvas. I refused to paint her in a frown. It just seemed wrong, but convincing Lisa to smile was not an option. “Look this way please,” I asked Lisa who had turned her attention to a stray strand of hair. Lisa nodded curtly and I began planning out my approach. It turned out beautifully. I found myself staring at the portrait several times. Her eyes seemed to follow me everywhere I went. Even Lisa had been taken aback when I had showed her the portrait—the portrait of Lisa. Lisa with her crossed hands and serious eyes and smile. The smile that seemed to hide something. Like she knew all the secrets in the world. A Secret Beauty.
How Stories Work—Writing Workshop #40: Ekphrasis (Revisited)
An update from our fortieth Writing Workshop with Conner Bassett A summary of the workshop held on Saturday, June 4 This week, Emma Hoff, 10, led workshop with her own interpretation of ekphrasis, a favorite topic of the Stone Soup workshops. For the workshop portion, Emma presented us with the following three paintings and their accompanying ekphrastic interpretations. The Old Guitarist by Pablo Picasso — “The Man with the Blue Guitar” by Wallace Stevens. These two are different in that Stevens’ poem speaks of a blue guitar yet the only thing that isn’t blue in Picasso’s painting is the guitar. This is because Stevens speaks of a symbolic blue. Both works express modes/moods of sadness, or blueness. Hunters in the Snow by Pieter Bruegel the Elder — “Hunters in the Snow” by William Carlos Williams. WCW literally describes the painting, even references the painter. How does his reference of the painter affect the poem? Well, like the painting, which is crammed with details, William Carlos Williams crams his poem with details. House by the Railroad by Edward Hopper — “Edward Hopper and the House by Railroad” by Edward Hirsch. He, like WCW, is incorporating the painter. Hirsch really gets enamored with the painter. He’s kind of antagonistic towards Edward Hopper. After she’d shown us these three paintings and we together came up with interpretations, she asked us to choose between three more paintings in order to write an ekphrastic story/poem. The Challenge: Write an ekphrasis story/poem about either People at the Zoo, The Dream, or The Peasant Wedding The Participants: Emma (presenter), Lina, Anna, Jolene, Josh, Elbert, Fatehbir, Ellie, Samantha, Chelsea, Alice, Advika, Shiva
