Acetylene Torch Songs: Writing True Stories to Ignite the Soul by Sue William Silverman

A Book Recommendation

Good morning beloved reader,

Perhaps one of the things that motivates me to write about walking the writer’s path is when I’m feeling doubt about being a “legitimate” writer. I guess this is also sometimes referred to as The Imposter Syndrome.

Ten years into this practice of writing, and sometimes I still doubt myself as a writer. Thank God for writer friends, and for us all supporting and encouraging each other. It’s worth noting here that the etymology of the word ‘encourage’ includes the word courage, which is an essential quality needed to walk the writer’s path. I also love that the word ‘encourage’ includes a version of coeur, the French word for heart; and the Old French word encoragier, means “to make strong, to hearten.”

Besides the occasional feelings of doubt that arise, I also feel enormous gratitude for the privilege of getting to work with some brilliant writing mentors. Mentors who have have fully supported me and believed in me as a writer, before I was able to believe in myself. One of whom is Sue William Silverman, who was my 4th semester advisor in the MFA program at Vermont College of Fine Arts. Ironically, even now, by writing about working with Sue, there is still an aspect of me trying convince myself that I am a legitimate writer.

Anyway, in my 4th semester, I remember emailing Sue a draft of my graduating lecture to get her feedback. And when I read her reply — where she gave me deeply affirming feedback — I cried.

I was so deeply moved and felt so seen and valued; it literally brought me to tears to have my voice recognized as significant, by an established writer, author, and advisor whose voice I considered significant. Perhaps as women growing up in a patriarchal culture, it’s all too easy to not feel valued.

And then of course I get to practice valuing myself.

In any case, Sue has just written a new book: Acetylene Torch Songs: Writing True Stories to Ignite the Soul published by the University of Nebraska Press, January 1, 2024.

At times, writers — from the unpublished to jaded lifers — need a fire lit under them to pursue the complex work of self-exploration. Acetylene Torch Songs: Writing True Stories to Ignite the Soul provides that spark for memoirists and essayists seeking mentor-based instruction and inspiration. Acetylene Torch Songs stresses practice over theory, encourages craftiness as well as craft, and urges writers to embark upon emotional odysseys in pursuit of their art. ‘Acetylene’ uniquely illustrates how the writers imaginative spirit comes alive on the page.

It’s true. I have not yet even finished the book, but I feel so enthusiastic about it I want to shout about it from the rooftops.

I believe writers — women in particular — are becoming more courageous. As the patriarchal hierarchies crumble around us, so many women writers are claiming their own truth, which may, at times, be different from the masculine perspective. Women are giving themselves permission to be ALL of who they are, not what some patriarchal authority told them they should be.

Writers — especially women, and some men too — are re-claiming the Divine Feminine that has been suppressed by the patriarchy for the past 4,000 years (to read more, see Anne Baring’s work).

Because Sue teaches in the academic setting of an MFA program, I recognize her immense courage (and I feel proud of her) as she writes about “the soul” in a book about the craft of writing.

Dinty Moore, the author of many fine books including The Accidental Buddhist: Mindfulness, Enlightenment, and Sitting Still (published in 1997) and another craft book called, The Mindful Writer, and founder of Brevity online magazine, interviews Sue and questions her along these lines:

Moore: …I am struck by your willingness in Acetylene Torch Songs to break out of the familiar box and acknowledge what writers know in their hearts but don’t always bring to the classroom: the more ethereal elements of craft such as risk, desire, vulnerability, and, as you put it, the “spiritual, interior quest” that involves the writer’s soul. This goes far beyond traditional craft elements like characterization, structure, metaphor, and voice. What moved you to tackle these more spiritual facets of what we do as writers?

Silverman: One day, struggling with an essay, I realized what was missing from it: my soul. The words sounded flat on the page. And I recalled how, in workshops and classes, we typically discuss the need to “embody” an experience to make it vivid for the reader. Equally true (more true?) is the need to “ensoul” an experience in order to plumb its emotional depths. The origin of creativity is the soul. So Acetylene Torch Songs examines how this creative soul enhances craft elements such as voice, metaphor, structure, sensory details. The book’s intention is to assist writers to discover their courageous, creative selves—to take risks, pursue their obsessions, embrace vulnerability—follow the soul’s desire on its quest to write with emotional authenticity.

You may read the entire interview here: Exploring the Memoirist’s Creative Soul.

But if you are at all interested in walking the writer’s path and practicing the art and craft of writing — even writing as a spiritual practice in itself — RUN don’t walk, to get Sue’s book. Enjoy!

p.s. I wrote this post several days ago, and this morning I woke up and witnessed the thought:

Maybe doubt is just the ego ruminating, but the soul always knows.