1 The Creative Arts on Practice, Making & Meaning (Dryad Press) is an interesting compendium analysing the intersection between the creative arts in all its forms. How did you and Sally Ann Murray, poet and academic, conceptualise this?
MB: The idea to create a book composed of a selection of essays by various academics was something I conceptualised over 18-24 months ago. I wanted to stretch Dryad Press and begin to publish work that was outside the realms of what we normally publish, which is poetry collections. I have a personal interest in books of essays, Adrienne Rich, Louise Glück, being among my favourites - but I had never come across a selection that featured South African writers. The form and shape of the book was discussed with both Sally Ann Murray, and I moulded and developed the idea in a 2023 funding application to the National Arts Council. Sally Ann supported the funding application with appropriate reference letters. In the first quarter of 2023, I received news that the funding application was successful, and work on the book began in earnest.
2 Visual arts, music, literature, podcasting, performance, dance, WhatsApp as teaching tool. How does this shed light – as you write – on the relationship between imagination and “discipline”?
MB: Imagination provides the inspiration and originality required to produce creative work. It ignites the “spark “ required to conceptualise works of art across any artistic genre. But it is discipline in practice, that channels the creativity into measurable or tangible outcomes. It is a symbiotic relationship, where creativity and imagination and discipline work together, enhancing and complementing each other, in order to produce meaningful and impactful expressions of human experience.
3 Please comment on the riveting work of cover art by Henrietta Scholtz (On Humankind i) – walnut ink and charcoal on paper.
MB: When I sat down to conceptualise the cover, I engaged with Ashraf Jamal (a visual arts critic and lecturer who wrote an essay for the book on the life and work of Ernest Mancoba) on his thoughts on an appropriate artist for the cover design. He intuitively suggested Henrietta Scholtz. Henrietta is a self-taught visual artist based in Johannesburg, who has exhibited her work in many group shows and festivals. The work on the cover is part of a two-part meditation on what it means to be a ‘self’ within a body created by those who have come before. It is an archaeology of the self, influenced by the Cradle of Humankind. In Henrietta’s words, “we are process as we live and breathe everyday within our bodies, communities and geographies. We are renewing and regenerating and decaying. From flesh to bone to dust, we continue the creative process of the physical, historical, geographical, ancestral and temporal.” Immediately I saw Henrietta’s artworks, I knew that they would meld intimately with our thought processes for the book itself. And they do that in a uniquely meaningful, soulful and human way.
4 In your book we see the names of T. S. Eliot and Helen Vendler. John Hollander alongside Taylor Swift. Carol Ann Duffy versus Robert Lowell. I view this as meta-modernist approach and the incessant search for a new discourse blending the popular with the old school. Comment.
MB: there is an interesting trend in contemporary literature – a fusion of traditional and popular elements - that creates a dialogue between the past and the present. An inclusivity. This blending of cultures (or what you refer to as a meta-modernist approach) reflects a cultural landscape where boundaries between different forms of expression are becoming increasingly blurred. This idea is embraced in the book when you read essays like that of Stephanus Muller, who writes on the collaborative nature of artistic practice and the benefits that can be harnessed by embracing a collaborative approach - the juxtaposition of styles and perspectives that each person brings to the project allows for a more dynamic and creative end piece that also appeals to a larger segment of readership or viewership.
5 David Lehman who wrote a wonderful essay on postmodernism is quoted as well. This book reflects the movement to meta-modernism and serendipities.
http://jacketmagazine.com/04/lehman-postmod.html
Simon van Schalkwyk reflects on the writer as reader and all the different reader discourses (reception theory).
In his conclusion he states that he recognizes the slippery significance of Language (Derrida) versus the referential aspect of language (Eco). (and draws his own conclusion : language thrown back at its abusers as looking through a glass darkly …)
Did you intend to make readers aware of the problems theorists are grappling with at the moment?
MB: In approaching various writers to contribute to the book, we created a detailed brief with suggestions as to what form, broadly, the essays should take and the general focus area of the transformative nature of creative practice. We made suggestions as to what might be of interest to various authors based on their own focus areas of work and research. However, the ultimate format of the essays and the detailed content of what was covered in the essays was left to each author to develop. In so far as Simon’s essay was concerned, we knew that he would be tackling the difficulties of reading the avant garde, but the theoretical framework that was ultimately tackled in the essay, was Simon’s own creation.
6 The refrain of uncertainty and pain is apparent post-Covid in most of the texts. Meg Vandermerwe and Annel Pieterse reflect on new teaching practices. How do you see the interplay between teaching and research?
MB: Teaching and research have a somewhat symbiotic relationship: essentially, teaching involves imparting knowledge while research focuses on creating new knowledge. In order to enrich the learning experience for students, lecturers incorporate research findings and methodologies, which equip them with critical thinking skills that they can then impart to learners. Innovation and creativity are driven by research, which influences and affects how new teaching practices mould and develop.
7 The book also reflects on political and social issues, for instance, podcasts and storytelling (Annel Pieterse) and the arrest of Willem Breytenbach after Deon Wiggett’s podcast. Here creative work touches on the complex issue of the social sciences and ethical issues when a controversial “text” is published or broadcast.
The role of Pieterse as mentor here re-defines the role of mentor and mentee, supervisor and student. Will we have to re-define these roles?
Any comments?
MB: the publication of controversial texts within the social sciences often raises complex ethical issues that require navigation. Authors and learners/students have a responsibility to ensure that their work is presented ethically, respecting the rights of individuals and communities and adhering to professional standards and guidelines. Annel’s essay addresses many of the issues a student may encounter in producing work of this kind: race, gender, sexuality and religion are all factors that must be carefully balanced and respected during the production phase of a podcasting project; upholding standards of accuracy and fairness when discussing controversial issues is key to contributing to responsible and constructive exploration of complex issues and the teacher as mentor in addressing these aspects is central to Annel’s essay.
8 writing queerness by vangile gantsho is extremely relevant. Please comment on the new pronouns in queer writing.
MB: The emergence of new pronouns in queer writing is reflective of a broader movement towards inclusivity and recognition of diverse gender identities outside of the traditional binary “male” and “female”. For me, it highlights the dynamic nature of language and the ability of language to evolve in order to remain relevant. It offers validation to those who identify outside of the realms of traditional gender stereotypes and provides an opportunity for a more inclusive and approachable space for all people, regardless of their gender identity. vangile’s essay is a must read for anyone interested in the evolution of queer theory and her reference list in particular, provides a unique opportunity to access relevant and authoritative texts in this area.
9 Ashraf Jamal writes on the life and art of Ernest Mancoba. Making the invisible visible.
And understanding yourself (self) through the life of another. Comment please on this excellent text reflecting on erasure and liminality.
MB: One of the aims of this book is to invite the reader to engage with the aspects of the essays as they may relate to their own experiences, and in this way gain deeper insight into their own identity. In the case of the Jamal essay, Ashraf challenges the reader to re-examine conventional notions of identity and belonging: expand your understanding of diverse experiences (in this case the life and art of Ernest Mancoba) argues Jamal, and in this way confront your own biases regarding the invisible visible (to borrow from your phrase). So one begins to appreciate the transformative power of art in shaping perceptions and narratives. For myself, the writing in this essay as it applies to aspects of erasure (of the self) are vital and profound.
10 Lliane Loots writes on the dance curator as archivist. The curator as mediator and collaborator. Phillippa Yaa de Villiers escapes through dancing, drama and poetry from the betrayal of her parents who lied about her adoption. And Masande Ntshanga reflecting on the dystopian past, present and future.
Will we ever heal in this broken country?
MB: Loots’s essay on the curating in the field of dance and its wide ranging impact offers to the reader an opportunity to understand the impact of curatorship. However, its content applies not only in the field of dance, but to many aspects of curriculum curation across the university. Decolonisation of the curriculum has become a common term that many do not fully grasp. Many of these essays in this book, come into their own when read alongside the valuable and informative bibliographies that follow the essays. For a deeper understanding of curation, refer to the references in the Loots essay of Ben Okri and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong, amongst others. For any reader wishing to delve deeper into queer theory and the Black Divine, consider vangile gantsho references to bell hooks and Audre Lorde, or on poetry, read Vonani Bila’s references in his essay to Augusto Boal and Angifi Dladla. One of the means of healing is possible through the development and refinement of knowledge, and this is offered through the associated texts referred to in almost all of the essays in this book.
Please comment.
11 Any views on the loneliness of the long distance editor and proofreader?
MB: The editorial process is by its nature, lonely and this provides unique challenges for any editor. It requires long hours of focused concentration and fine attention to detail - many hours poring over detailed manuscripts or, in this case, essays, without the benefit of real time or face-to-face input. It requires making judgement calls on aspects relating to grammar, clarity and coherence and a certain amount of grappling with ambiguity and subjectivity in the decision making process. However, over time, this self-reliance moulds into strength and a deep ability to trust one’s instinct and judgement on a text. This is uniquely exhilarating. Also, the satisfaction of contributing towards the production of meaningful content and the dissemination of knowledge and ideas is unique to the editorial process and something I value deeply.
Michèle Betty
29 August 2024
Joan Hambidge
16 May 2024