White space, or negative space in artistic compositions, is more than what appears on the page, no? Isn't it also who isn't in a scene or whose perspective is eclipsed, the emotional weight of things, the inhalations and pauses besides exhortations?
Yes, the way I put it is telling a story through "gaps," what is unsaid as well as what is said. It's writing with omission. I separated out some craft elements like that in my book, The Art of Brevity.
A question: Do you consider "breaks" in a piece "white space"? If there are asterisks, or a line of some sort separating chunks of text?
When I read Sandra Cisneros' "Woman Hollering Creek" in grad school I was impressed for the first time at how breaks in the text reinforced the relationship between what is before and what is after the break. Juxtaposition was the main take-away for me with these "breaks."
Do you think the presence of a demarcating image interferes with the ways that pure white space functions within a piece?
Relatedly, I loved this thought:
"Meaning becomes more delicate because it’s loosely connected. It’s floating, unanchored, amorphous, inarticulable. The reader is in a state of unease because the form doesn’t promise a trajectory of fulfillment or arrival. No, instead it promises detours, digressions, perhaps lostness itself."
I'd never really thought of white space as making meaning more "delicate." But I can see what you mean. Perhaps a "break" wouldn't allow for such a dynamic?
Thanks for your thoughtful comments, Marianna. Yes, I consider breaks in a piece "white space." And I think you're right, the breaks heighten the effects of juxtaposition, give it a topography. Breaks are fun to play with, like line breaks and stanzas in a poem. They allow you to shape the contours of your story, give it a trajectory beyond just the text. Or in conversation with the text.
This is lovely. I’m currently on the Central California coast. Standing on a hill, or on a beach, or sitting on the porch, looking out at the water, all reinforce the message of your piece. Observe the silent white space.
Someone impersonating you is sending private messages about making financial investments. FYI. Messaging doesn't work; goes to a profile not available. Hijacked or hijinks.
Love everything about this one, especially--the white spaces that SHOW how white spaces work.
Thanks, Barbara! Substack doesn't make it easy to format white spaces ...
White space, or negative space in artistic compositions, is more than what appears on the page, no? Isn't it also who isn't in a scene or whose perspective is eclipsed, the emotional weight of things, the inhalations and pauses besides exhortations?
Yes, the way I put it is telling a story through "gaps," what is unsaid as well as what is said. It's writing with omission. I separated out some craft elements like that in my book, The Art of Brevity.
A question: Do you consider "breaks" in a piece "white space"? If there are asterisks, or a line of some sort separating chunks of text?
When I read Sandra Cisneros' "Woman Hollering Creek" in grad school I was impressed for the first time at how breaks in the text reinforced the relationship between what is before and what is after the break. Juxtaposition was the main take-away for me with these "breaks."
Do you think the presence of a demarcating image interferes with the ways that pure white space functions within a piece?
Relatedly, I loved this thought:
"Meaning becomes more delicate because it’s loosely connected. It’s floating, unanchored, amorphous, inarticulable. The reader is in a state of unease because the form doesn’t promise a trajectory of fulfillment or arrival. No, instead it promises detours, digressions, perhaps lostness itself."
I'd never really thought of white space as making meaning more "delicate." But I can see what you mean. Perhaps a "break" wouldn't allow for such a dynamic?
Thanks for your thoughtful comments, Marianna. Yes, I consider breaks in a piece "white space." And I think you're right, the breaks heighten the effects of juxtaposition, give it a topography. Breaks are fun to play with, like line breaks and stanzas in a poem. They allow you to shape the contours of your story, give it a trajectory beyond just the text. Or in conversation with the text.
This is lovely. I’m currently on the Central California coast. Standing on a hill, or on a beach, or sitting on the porch, looking out at the water, all reinforce the message of your piece. Observe the silent white space.
Thanks so much, Shelley! Sounds like you're in a perfect creative setting.
Though I’m not doing much creating…:)
A beautiful, quiet reminder of what accompanies the little marks we put on the page and call words.
Someone impersonating you is sending private messages about making financial investments. FYI. Messaging doesn't work; goes to a profile not available. Hijacked or hijinks.