Writers as Performers: Some thoughts by MLHolton

Instagram: @thelesliejordan

Over the last few months, as a result of the COVID19 pandemic, everyone is adjusting as best they can through the proliferating portals of #screenculture.

... Some are more adept at adapting than others ... 

Many have jumped onto ZOOM, Facetime or similar video platforms to compensate for the current lack of 'LIVE' social interactions. This phenomenon is especially evident on Facebook and Instagram where short clips are shared by nearly everyone - including a larger array of professional and amateur actors.

As a result, some surprising 'old school' performers are experiencing sudden break-away 'social media' success, like former B-List actor, Leslie Jordan, (Instagram @thelesliejordan), who has sky-rocketed to 4.9 million followers (!), with his quaint and amusing 'pillow chats' ... A close second is Sir Patrick Stewart (of former Star Trek fame) who has begun a series of Shakespeare sonnet readings under the hashtag #ASonnetADay on his Instagram feed @sirpatstew.

Instagram: @sirpatstew

... It got me thinking about this whole idea of PERFORMING ... of going 'LIVE' .... 

For those who are introverted by nature or unaccustomed to 'acting' for a living, all this jumping on the 'New Normal' screen-culture bandwagon is a somewhat bewildering twist on Everyday Reality ... I mean, must we all become part of the BORG now? 

I, personally, am not comfortable 'performing on-demand' for anyone. Not family, not friends, and certainly not a bunch of unknown strangers from anywhere on the planet ... It's just not the way I want to engage with people, near or far.

Still, during this unprecedented pandemic, 'Necessity has become the Mother of Invention'.

Recently, I was invited to read for the Oakville Public Library's Author Series. The following video was the result...


Sigh. And Arg. ... Let's not kid ourselves. I am not a very comfortable or an inspiring 'performer' ... Why? Because I am a WRITER, not an ACTRESS!!! -  And yet, such is the Nature of the Beast these days. Acting - aka selling - is not just a requirement anymore, it has become a Necessity ... 

#Bookem Hostess with the Mostest

The following link is from an writer I very much admire, Veronica Cline Barton. Veronica has stepped into this Brave New World by recently launching, with two other women writers, a YouTube book channel, #Bookem, to promote their writing as well as written works by others.

Is dear Veronica a 'good actress'? In truth, I think that depends a great deal on what one might expect from someone not trained in the discipline, (like me!), but who clearly understands the Necessity of self-promotion.

I think it safe to say that my darling friend is no Katherine Hepburn ... BUT - Veronica is very much her Self. And, at the end of the day, surely that IS the greatest of accomplishments. Veronica is very much, and authentically, her Self.  

In the following clip, Veronica  offers a very kind and generous shout-out for my 3rd novel, TRILLIUM.  There is a curious moment when she slides from 'performing' to 'thinking aloud' at the conclusion of why I undertook this latest work ... WATCH it HERE. 

It's a revealing little tidbit. Because, for all her effervescence, tiaras, bright lights and southern charm, Veronica is clearly a thinking writer who is working very hard to fit in with the never-ending array of Hollywood/YouTube/Facebook/Instagram and TikTok performers. To my mind, it is brave and a courageous undertaking. It is a fearless 'get-it-out-there' endeavour ... And it deserves the greatest respect from this admittedly performance-shy author ... Thank you V! 

p.s. Amazon link for TRILLIUM