I remember that Hahn once said: Don't write down anything I say. Just listen.
After my father died, a year after John, I found his notebook of his work for John's creative writing classes. He took the class in 1983-1984. I was nine. My father's notebook is about two inches thick and contains every scrap of paper that had anything to do with the class. There's a years worth of dream interpretations; poems and short stories; handouts; and extremely detailed notes of John's lectures. His handwriting is very tiny and, like my own, the letters join together making the words unintelligible. It's going to take me a while to decode what he wrote. But the following I have managed to work out. Lecture 1-31-83 Abstract---divorced from physical reality [a happy face] All look at same world, but all see it differently Ignorance is the grease of civilization most people want an easy life and use the "grease" to alleviate problems---never say what they're thinking Life is not a popularity game---people who communicate [unknown] aren't very popular with others Popularity is the name of non-communication---being vague The truth hurts---lies don't Telling the truth is a full time job People talk like newspapers and TV/parrot media jargon and cliches If you are not reacting to emotions, you are not a human being
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John Hahn
Statement of Intention
This blog is about all I can remember about John Hahn, who taught creative writing at Rio Hondo. He died in 2006 and this is my way of remembering him. If anyone else remembers him, please comment or contact me. Archives
July 2015
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