Thinking prompt #9: THE MUSIC OF OTHER LANGUAGES

Hi Everyone,

Many of us here speak, or grew up with, another language. For me that language is Spanish, my mother tongue, and I don’t write many sentences that aren’t suffused, consciously or not, with its rhythms and syncopations.

How can you privilege your languages to create new music that inflects and affects your poetry and prose?

Hint:

Spend 15-30 minutes a day reading in your other language(s).

This past week, I’ve started my work days by slowly reading García Márquez’s EL CORONEL NO TIENE QUIEN LE ESCRIBE, often aloud. It’s extraordinary how much of a musical boost it’s giving my writing in English.

Please let me know how this goes!

Abrazos,

Cristina