Monday 24 June 2024
I knew that BOOK 6 would take several weeks to revise. After all, it is the longest chapter in the manuscript. It narrates the summer abroad trip to Poland and Russia. It dramatizes the awful experience the cadet had in Moscow Metro. That experience was the first realization that the book I was planning to write (a formal, academic book) no longer suited what the book needed to become. At first, that Moscow incident was to be a small “Afterward” in that book that was intended to be strictly academic. At the time, I didn’t realize or understand how important and transformative that experience would turn out to be. Therefore, BOOK 6 needed even more attention. I needed to proceed through the revision, highlighting EMOTIONS. As a result, I pushed myself to the brink. Yes, I exhausted myself. Nonetheless, the added intensity ensured that the writing would move the reader in the same way as it did me.
Sunday 16 June 2024
Father’s Day. No writing but thought about the next sections to revise. Months ago, King Arthur strongly suggested I write new content, adding the visit in Saint Petersburg, Russia to the Siege of Leningrad Museum. The cadets, he, and I had a great experience there because the museum docents were at first skeptical of us foreigners—Americans—walking around; however, they witnessed our genuine interest in the displays and started interacting with us, despite not speaking English. Somehow, with the very little Russian King Arthur and I knew and even using some Polish by me to communicate with one especially kind and warm docent, we created a tender and moving moment for all of us. I have been thinking about how to write about it. No idea. I doubted whether creating this section would “fit” the narrative. Of course, this experience happened but is it relevant to the Katyn story?
King Arthur’s defense was: to show another side of Russia, one that wasn’t antagonistic against us (remember the racist attack on the Moscow Metro) or the Poles (Katyn Massacres). I understand and even empathize with this logic; however, something is holding me from being convinced by it. I feel that it might be a tangent. A beautiful one but still off-track. Right?
I’ve thought about it for several months and especially throughout the revision of BOOK 6. At this point, I decided not to write it—unless my attitude toward it changes later this week. I definitely want to add an experience we had in Krakow, and yes, it is Katyn related.
This time last year when I drafted the original manuscript draft, I intended to include it; however, I think I simply forgot about it, or even ran out of energy to write it. After last week’s emotional writing, I feel I need to create a Krakow chapter because it heightens the emotions… in an unexpected way.
I think… or should I say I hope to finish BOOK 6 this week. It is a central part of the manuscript and I need to deliver on the emotions—all of them.
Monday 17 June 2024
Completed all revision and new content creation for the Russian chapters of BOOK 6. Worked on the Mielec chapter—adding details. At first I was unsure of highlighting, making more obvious the “prodigal son returns” theme; however, after some reflection and experimentation, I think I understand why King Arthur suggested that I develop it.
Speaking of hesitation, I decided not to force the Siege of Leningrad Museum experience. It’s a lovely and tender example of the kindness we experienced inside the museum; however, I feel it’s not part of the story.
Tuesday 18 June 2024
Finished the Mielec excursion section; added details.
Pasted the January revised “It’s Evil” dialogue section in BOOK 6. The hard work was adding more details about Auschwitz, the site that inspired the “It’s Evil” talk. King Arthur strongly suggested giving more descriptions of how Auschwitz looks like… the displays with the hair, suitcases, eyeglasses, etc. As I suspected, it is not easy writing because first, I don’t want to state the obvious.
Wrote about my first visit to Auschwitz—when I was 13 years old, when Poland was a communist state. Wrote about an inmate photograph… of Krystyna Trzesniewska. She was also 13 at the time when she arrived at Auschwitz; few months later, she died. My experience seeing her picture has been a part of me since then.
Wednesday 19 June 2024
Early morning reflection on the Krystyna Trzesniewska section. Having doubts about it. Considering revising it, but how? Why? No writing occurred in the morning, but it’s all I think about.
Played tennis—first time.
The exercise helped to relieve stress from writing and thinking about writing.
Thursday 20 June 2024
First thing that I (re)edited was the Krystyna Trzesniewska section. One sentence made me hesitate—I was even ready to cut the entire piece because of it. I compromised with myself and removed the one sentence that made me question everything about it. I adopted King Arthur’s effective but simple solution to problematic editorial questions: cut it out.
Finished adding new content and struggled with the new ending. Worried whether I overwrote it. Like all other writing dilemmas, I’ll have a better sense of it tomorrow, next week.
YES! Started revision BOOK 7. Moved on from BOOK 6. Progress. King Arthur strongly urged me to make massive cuts—irrelevant passages that don’t propel the main Katyn storyline. Cutting out the command responsibility interview section was easy; however, the chapter on the cadet who died was hard. Back in January, King Arthur and I discussed the possibility of transplanting it elsewhere in the manuscript. He petitioned that I cut that chapter entirely; he compromised, reluctantly. For now, I cut it out. This cadet was to join the summer abroad course, but for one reason or another he didn’t. This chapter meant so much to me. Heartfelt writing. 17 pages. Yes, a major commitment of space.
Friday 21 June 2024
I did it! I cut two sections and shortened a third in BOOK 7—King Arthur urged me to remove all three sections. I see now why he recommended I omit the first two parts because they were so far removed from the Katyn experiences. They’re good, insightful writing but I must be mindful of what’s best for the narrative. Writers do write for themselves. And a writer tries to invite the reader into their minds; however, getting lost or distracted and forcing the reader to persevere through those questionable sections isn’t worth the risk. However, the third section—a piece that sheds some more light on the Moscow subway incident—needed to remain.
One result of these cuts and alterations is I needed to make the transitions work better.
Saturday 22 June 2024
Worked on the transitions.