Whistler’s Mother: How picking up the cornet
suddenly improved my whistling technique
– p.k.
A Haunting Melody, A Phantom Trumpeter:
The Gift of the Glyph in ‘Godfather Waltz’
July 24, 2018 – This month I was thrilled to see a piece published in The New York Times ‘Metropolitan Diary’ that I had held onto tightly for six years while I submitted other work. Headlined ‘Godfather Waltz’, it appeared online the evening of Monday, July 2, and in print (without the headline) the morning of Monday, July 9.
I had been haunted by a moment I experienced in 2012. I knew the moment was worthy of a Diary piece, and I could not risk dashing off a trifle that would get lost, dismissed, or brushed aside. I set myself to my usual task: Crafting it into a composition that surpassed anything I had yet written, to such a level of quality that I was personally convinced an editor could not ignore it. It sounds lofty, even self-aggrandizing, but sometimes you must trust what you know is true and strive to see it become real.
Another lesson learned is to trust my instincts and practice the disciplines I’ve developed as a writer. One such discipline is to not let go of a piece when even one tiny thing nags or bugs me. I must fix it, or let it simmer and stew for a few months, or longer, until I melt it away I can see no flaws.
Another is to not give up trying to convey a moment of beauty (or humor) perfectly, even when stumped. It took me six years kicking this story around, trying to discover a way to put what I heard into words before choosing the moment I disclose it outright to the reader (though the headline writer spoiled that in the online version).
In May I found a graphic I created in 2012 as I began the challenge of telling this story. I had written out the melody in musical staves. I abandoned the graphic approach and reached for words, the only thing the column publishes. Well, words, plus a sprinkling of punctuation.
Putting bar lines into the phonetic melody was, I don’t mind saying, a ‘stroke’ of genius, but it was also an enormous risk. The symbol known as the vertical bar, or pipe ( | ) is rarely used by The New York Times (or any publisher or writer of non-fiction) in any format, Web or print. By employing this glyph I risked having one of my most treasured stories, one I absolutely believed in, getting rejected (though I prefer “passed over” or “not selected”). Even after hearing from the editor that it was accepted, silly me, I considered for a moment telling him he could substitute a slash ( / ). I came to my senses. He had accepted the piece! Why was I second guessing myself, and him?!
Still, when I saw the pipe “ | ” in the online version, it only barely sunk in that there was my melody, complete with bar lines. In print, I finally accepted it was real, and strange as it sounds, I am almost as proud of getting an arcane and specialized math, physics and computing symbol into a piece of breezy, creative non-fiction as I am of the piece itself. (Yes, even more than the parenthetical exclamation point (!) in ‘A Practice Nook in the Subway.’)
In the end, however, after all the personal pride and joy, the satisfaction of getting published, and the ecstatic reception by readers, the only thing that matters is that a moment of exquisite beauty was now set to words perfectly and shared with the world, for its beauty alone. That is the only thing I really ever wanted, and judging by the thoughtful online comments, I “nailed it.”
Dear Lord, how grateful I am that in Your tender and forgiving and eternal love, You have comforted me with a moment I couldn’t forget, blessed me with the gift to put it into words, encouraged me through a friend, and given me the honor of seeing it published.
I pray that when readers enter my story and hear these silvery tones ring through through my block, they get the shivers and sense in it something in their hearts they have yearned for — the presence of the loving, beautiful, mysterious Holy Spirit of the God of this world, floating across the bricks, up the fire escapes, through their open windows and into their hearts.
Let those who have ears, let them hear.
– Paul Klenk
Fosse: 1999 Broadway Tribute (FULL VIDEO)
PBS’ Great Performances: Dance In America
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To the Editor: How learning to write letters to editors
is expanding my range, skill, and publication credits
May 20, 2016 – I made an amazing new friend in November 2014, via our mutual passion for writing. Talking frequently about craft and “inside baseball” by phone, between New York and Los Angeles, has also helped both of us fuel our writing activities more. We met for the first time recently when he visited New York, appropriately, in the New York Times building.
[SEE PUBLISHED WORKS BELOW]
My passion, at least with respect to published works, has been creative non-fiction, and my friend David is a prolific writer of letters to editors. He writes and submits letters frequently and in great numbers to newspapers, magazines, journals and other publications. His list of published works is endless, his scrapbooks are numerous and thick, and he is appearing in new publications regularly.
So now, with his example and guidance, my passion is extending to this genre (yes, it really is a genre). There are concrete, specific skills one can acquire to get published by any journal, even the most prestigious and exclusive.
I’ve decided to start journaling what I’m learning, and document my published items in the print and online editions of journals. David, a retired librarian, has helped me appreciate the print medium, due to its physicality, permanence, and beauty. Getting a letter on a publication’s Web site is an achievement, but to make the print edition is harder, decidedly more prestigious, and very satisfying once you see your work on a printed page over your byline.
Here is the start of my log of published, pending, and unpublished letters:
THE ECONOMIST | This prestigious weekly newspaper dates to 1843 and, I am told, is very hard to crack. I learned of this paper last year, and sent Editor-in-Chief Zanny Minton Beddoes two pieces in one weekend relating to articles in their Feb. 14th, 2015 issue. I did not follow up, and discovered purely by accident 14 months later that one of them was published! Lesson learned: It takes skillful writing and persistence to crack such a journal, and anyone is capable of it. Track your submissions. Try, and keep trying.
- “Money for something” (March 7th, 2015)
THE NEW YORK TIMES | Although I have had nine items published in the Metropolitan Diary, my recent attempts at sending letters have not yet resulted in getting a letter published. I have a lot to learn; it has been a fun process writing, sending, failing, and learning. When I met Letters Editor Mr. Feyer and his staff recently, he gave me advice and encouragement that sparked new efforts. I look forward to getting my first credit as a letter writer, and many more. And the great thing is, The New York Times has many columns and sections that invite letters, not just the Opinion page.
Unpublished: 5.
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH | A tribute I wrote after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and sent to four or five of Ohio’s major newspapers was published by one of them, resulting in a life-changing story you can read here.
- “New York firefighters seek anonymous helper” (Sept. 27th, 2001)
- The New Yorker
- The Financial Times of London
- The New York Times
- Vogue
- Vanity Fair
- People
- Time
- Sports Illustrated
- Cosmopolitan
- Smithsonian
- TV Guide
- NRA’s American Rifleman
- Newsweek
- Bon Appetit
- Rolling Stone
- Popular Science
- Field & Stream
- Popular Mechanics
- GQ
- Forbes Fortune
- Wired
- Mad Magazine
- Town and Country
- Cigar Aficionado, Wine Spectator, and other publications of Marvin Shanken
- National Geographic
- Readers Digest
- Major U.S. newspapers such as The Washington Post, Washington Post Magazine, Washington Times, New York Times Magazine, Boston Globe, Boston Globe Magazine, Los Angeles Times, Boston Herald, Miami Herald, Houston Chronicle, San Francisco Chronicle, Chicago Sun-Times, and others (including smaller newspapers)
Britten’s exquisite English art song cycle,
“Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings”
March 16, 2013 – Here are the lyrics and a YouTube audio of Benjamin Britten’s song cycle Serenade for Tenor, Horn and Strings (Op. 31). The poems are by Cotton, Tennyson, Blake, Jonson, and Keats, as well as the unattributed verse known as the “Lyke-Wake Dirge.”
This 1971 Angel recording features tenor Robert Tear and horn player Alan Civil, with the Northern Sinfonia Orchestra conducted by Neville Marriner. Enjoy!
PROLOGUE (instrumental)
This post is dedicated to my new friend Elliott, for these last rare views of the sunset through the interlacing branches of Harlem’s winter trees. – p.k.
THE FRONT PAGE at www.paulklenk.us
The Front Page is published weekly on Mondays.
Recent articles...
- Enjoy John Singleton Copley’s Watson and The Shark, and other art, on the Virtual Museum Tour. Links to the Met, MoMA, Whitney and NGA are updated.
- Give new ESV Bibles to your friends and neighbors for as low as $2 – or even $1 – apiece.
- My sister recently introduced me to an easy, yummy Chicken Stuffing Casserole.
- “Ricky Jay and His 52 Assistants,” performed by the legendary sleight-of-hand artist under the direction of David Mamet, is this week’s Feature Presentation in a 6-part YouTube playlist.
- Like Scrabble? My new list of playable given and proper names may surprise you.
- My short items in The New York Times’ “Metropolitan Diary” are linked on one page.
- Hear Tim Keller’s sermon, “Injustice: Hasn't Christianity been an instrument for oppression?”
- Many links and tools throughout the site are now refurbished and updated.
$2.99 Bibles available for $2 apiece, and as low as $1
Crossway’s affordable ESV Economy Bible |
Everyone should have a Bible, and every Christian should be prepared to give a Bible to anyone who wants or needs one. This can be done economically. Crossway, the publisher of the ESV, has made giving Bibles much easier by publishing the most affordable edition of the Bible on the market, called The ESV Economy Bible.
Crossway calls these “outreach editions,” a trade paperback designed specifically for giving away in small and large quantities. By producing them inexpensively, they can be purchased in cases of 48 by churches and even individuals, at a low price. Crossway’s outreach editions are lovely to look at, with very elegant typesetting (a feature I have always loved about their Bibles), and are easy to carry and read. Some are full Bibles (Old and New Testaments), and some are New Testaments only. They have NT editions with both Christmas- and Easter-themed covers, priced at $1.00 and perfect for use in inviting your neighbors to holiday services.
ESV Outreach Bible, Blossom Design |
For an even more amazing price, you can purchase 5 cases at $48.00 per case; this is 240 Bibles for $240.00, or $1.00 apiece, an ideal price and quantity for churches. Shipping for 5 cases is $98.01, making the per-unit cost $1.41.
Remember, this is a full Bible, not the New Testament only, in an edition less than 1" thick that includes an article on What the Bible is All About, a Reading Plan, and a Plan of Salvation.
Follow these links to learn more about the translation philosophy of the ESV, its team of translators and its editors, and the history of translations leading to this version. An excellent study Bible is also available, complete with an amazing interactive digital version on the Web which allows you to bookmark pages, highlight passages, and even make notes in the margins, just as you would with a paper Bible.
– p.k.
Cooking for Non-Cooks: Chicken Stuffing Casserole;
Revised to reduce sodium for a better-tasting dish
February 10, 2011 – Chicken Stuffing Casserole is a tasty and hearty “homemade” dish that is easy for non-cooks to make. It is guaranteed to satisfy everyone, from finicky children to grown-up foodies. It will get gobbled up at potlucks, and freezes well if you like to stock up on homemade meals. Read more »
“Household” names, playable in Scrabble
February 4, 2011 – One of the delights of playing Scrabble is learning unusual and arcane words. Recently I was surprised to find that the first names of two of my siblings, Laura and Timothy, are actually playable words. Read more »
My pieces in The New York Times Metropolitan Diary
Revised July 2, 2018 – Welcome, New York Times readers and fans of the Metropolitan Diary! If you followed a link to this site from David W. Dunlap’s fine article about the column’s history, you can read more about our November 2016 anniversary celebration here.
Below are my Metropolitan Diary items, and my thoughts about the column. If you enjoy them, I’d love to hear from you.
Illustration by VICTOR KERLOW |
“Godfather Waltz” (tinyurl.com/ddtrumpet) | A haunting melody heard through the courtyards. | July 2, 2018
“A Stranger in the Building on Official Business” (tinyurl.com/ddbadge) | At first, he thought maybe the woman in the elevator was from a utility company. Then things got interesting. | April 13, 2017
“Ivy Hears Me in the Hall” (tinyurl.com/ddivy) | A poem about a neighbor’s sweet potato pie. | October 13, 2016
“A Practice Nook in the Subway” (tinyurl.com/ddpassage) | A singer found a great acoustical cul-de-sac in a Midtown station where he could exercise his scales. | April 16, 2015
“A Reader at Home in Middle-Earth” (tinyurl.com/ddillustrated) | With his scruffy beard, ginger hair and eyes matching those on the dust jacket, the subway rider looked like the Tolkien characters he was reading about. | January 21, 2015
“A Busker Counts His Coins” (tinyurl.com/ddgrateful) | An occasional subway performer reflected on how people’s gratitude for his singing meant more to him than the money. | August 24, 2014
Illustration by LARS LEETARU |
“A Misunderstanding at the Starbucks Counter” (tinyurl.com/ddblackguy) | A customer hears what he thinks is racially offensive coffee terminology. | May 22, 2012
“The Motormouth” (tinyurl.com/ddmotormouth) | A memorable quip from a hilarious cabby. | March 29, 2010
“The Lollipop” (tinyurl.com/ddlollipop) | A sweet but sticky subway situation. | May 5, 2008
“The Goose” (tinyurl.com/ddgoose) | A cabby and his passenger kick off the holidays together. | December 19, 2007
“The Tourists” (tinyurl.com/ddtourists) | Visitors to New York City get an exciting firehouse tour, but no pole dancing. | March 19, 2007
“The Everything Bagel” (tinyurl.com/ddbagel) | My first Diary piece, about an unintentional quip that never fails to make me smile. | May 29, 2006
– Paul
Each Monday in its print edition, and each weekday online, The New York Times publishes reader submissions about life in New York City in the much-loved and widely read “Metropolitan Diary” column. It’s a day-brightener of anecdotes, cute stories, overheard conversations and acts of kindness which reflect the city’s unique signature. The Diary was edited and curated by Michael Pollak during most of time I have contributed; since the fall of 2016, Ed Shanahan has been at the helm. The column has run since November 1976 (bit.ly/1stdiary).
I look forward to submitting more work for consideration, keeping my fingers crossed each time I hit the send button, and joyfully sharing my pieces when they appear in the column.
In the future, I plan to coordinate gatherings here in NYC for other Diary contributors, for fun, support, and the joy of sharing our experiences with each other over lunch. If you are a published Diary contributor and wish to receive invitations to these private gatherings, contact me at paulklenk@gmail.com.