Sometimes I come home to find something foreign in my home. Usually that means my father is in town. The grandfather clock he dragged from my neighbor’s garage sale on a dolly is–less a found object than–a “how’d-you-get-that-around-the-neighborhood-and-into my-house object?”
When I give writing workshops, I love to throw paper bags on tables filled with curious and questionable objects. Perusing for Friday Photos I tripped over this pic I’d recently worked up for Craigslist… (another story), and it reminded me of where the brain goes with found objects.
Taking in the grandfather clock’s carved exterior, press-wood face-plate, German mechanism and secret storage compartment, I wondered what stories this clock would tell.
Who built it? Who designed it? Who put together the parts for the reproduction kit? What kind of day did the line-worker have when she or he assembled the kit? Why wouldn’t the faceplate seat into the hole, for which it which fit?
What inspired the late 1970s craze for the DIY-er to build a grandfather clock at home? Was it the Bicentennial with its clothing, movie, book, etc. movement?” Were kit clocks the economic alternative to expensive, hard-to-find antique clocks?
What inspired the moon and stars motif? And what–pray-tell–differentiates grandfather clocks from grandmother clocks?
What had the clock witnessed from its stately pose in another home? Or homes? How many children had schooled by in its sentient shadow? Why should it matter?
unpackedwriter 
I love the idea of beginning with a research question v a thesis statement. There’s a sense of movement and possibility right from the beginning. A sense of moving forward, rather than backward, to uncover what’s lurking inside your imagination. Brilliant!
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The research question idea is the brainchild of my First-year Composition Director, Dr. Michael Stancliff. Likewise, he encourages something I’ve always let my students do: select their own topics about which to write. Students are far more passionate and invested that way. More work for me… but I LOVE seeing students interested in a required class!
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There are some wonderful articles out there written by research librarians on this, since students have too long suffered under “Thesis Tyranny” – I think that’s the title of one of the articles!
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Walking on the beach in the Queen Charlottes where things wash up on shore from Japan, I found one rubber glove in the sand. Not too far away was a white plastic helmet, and I wondered where the body of the fisherman was who had lost these things. Some distance farther along I found the clue – an empty bottle of Suntory (Japanese) whisky.
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OH Anneli- this sounds like the start of a mystery novel. You done with it? i’m up for reading more!
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It would make a good one, I think!
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indeed!
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Great idea, I make found object art and write, but have never thought of mixing the two.
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It’s fascinating that you’d join the conversation today since I am literally combing my book manuscript for found objects of a sort… those symbols that show up without us knowing it in literature… such as rocks, ravens, water, fire… these are almost timeless in human archetype and they exist to tell something about us… so keep finding and DO mix the two… you will find yourself a pioneer of sorts! For example, you could create an interactive book with smart phone links to show the found art objects about which you write on line… so readers have organic experience of “finding…”
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Wow, that is a great idea. I am working on a piece(object) made with things I find in books, and I write poetry so am very familiar with your ‘hunt’ through your manuscript. I have just started a FB page about found object too, not nearly as swanky as your smart phone idea though, great to chat with you! happy hunting, Abby
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Abby, I look forward to checking out your work when I come up for air here. Take care, Renee
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You too, Renee 🙂
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