Monday, January 9, 2012

Vine Leaves Literary Journal and my Vignette

I used to do a lot of my writing in train cars.  The Long Island Railroad and the New York City subway were my usual spots. But I have also written on Amtrak, the Euro Rail and the T in Boston.  When I was not working on a particular project, I picked out a person on the train and began to write short pieces.  Sometimes, I simply described what the person looked like.  Other times, I stole a small moment and slipped it between the lined pages of my journal.  Always, I imagined a life for them and let it breathe.

When I learned about the idea for the Vine Leaves Literary Journal, I discovered that I had been writing something called a vignette.  According to the journal a vignette is:

 a word that originally meant "something that may be written on a vine-leaf." It’s a snapshot in words. It differs from flash fiction or a short story in that its aim doesn’t lie within the traditional realms of structure or plot. Instead, the vignette focuses on one element, mood, character, setting or object. It's descriptive, excellent for character or theme exploration and wordplay. Through a vignette, you create an atmosphere.

Well.  You learn something new every day.

On a whim, just a few hours before the submission window closed, I submitted a vignette to the journal and they published it in their premiere issue.   Feel free to check it out here.  As a tribute to my days writing on trains, it is called The Subway and it's on Page 6.  I like tellng people I'm on Page Six!  But you should read as much of the magazine as you can, such wonderful content there.


15 comments:

  1. Love both your vignette and the idea for the journal. Congrats!

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  2. Congrats - beautiful piece. And I also didn't know what a vignette was, so learning new stuff all around!

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  3. Page 6! Hahahaha :o) Having your piece in the Journal is a huge pleasure!

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  4. I am taking you up the dog named Mojo. You are the COOLEST!!!!!!!!!!! I heart you, pal. You know that??

    Is that Jessica's new online mag? I am clicking over to read your vignette. BTW, I had always heard that word but did not really understand it. You taught me. :-) Hold on. Be right back.

    That was lovely. I mean that. It totally brought me into the empty subway. I could see this couple and you with that coat in my minds eye. I'll read the rest of the journal later. Awesome. :-)

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  5. I'm going there now to read it. Judging from how well you write on your blog posts, I know I'll love it.

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  6. Thanks everyone for reading. And I meant to say (but I am such a dope, seriously) that you should read the entire magazine. Not just my piece. Going to update that now.

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  7. Wow, that's great! Will definitely check it out!

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  8. Congratulations, Melissa! I'm so pleased for you. :)

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  9. This was great. Congratulations!

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  10. Congratulations!!! So very cool. Laurel was in it, too, and this is the first I've heard of Vignettes. I'm afraid I don't really write them, but maybe someday . . .

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  11. Congratulations, and Page Six no less. That's so appropriate for a piece called "The Subway." And, wow, your piece is awesome. Having spent 15 years riding those trains, I felt as if I was there again. Beautifully written. Poetry in motion!

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  12. What a great 'snap-shot' in words. I was watching those people through your eyes. What a lovely piece.

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  13. I loved your piece, and I love that magazine too. That's a really neat concept :)

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