Continua
I make it no secret that my book is powered by continua. Though as a possessor of opinions, and a left-of-leftist when politics come up, I’m invested in conclusions – when I’m working with process, I’m much more interested in questions. And continua – gradients – turn questions into literary mechanics.
Cradle Will Capsize
Did you know “Rock-a-bye Baby” was a Native American song? Not only was the song poorly translated, but lacks a few critical details of the original, and all its attendant cultural symbolism. Damn it, Puritans. Again, with the bed of lies.
We Are Not Children
A lot of radicals talk about a deeper eye-opening than the standard liberal affair. My whole life, I’ve been a dyed-in-the-wool leftist. But, now, as this research takes me just past the surface, and into first-hand accounts of US governmental brutality, I… well, I don’t know what to do.
The Purpose of Stories, 3
Let’s take this discussion back to the book. I’ve thought a lot about portability lately, and even about ownership of words. Maybe the only way the story I’m writing will survive its bookness is for me to release it entirely. My version of the story is just one. Yours will be next.
More on Ishmael
As the book relaxes on its haunches a little, several things are still bending my head back: Quinn’s a product of colonial culture, discussing conquered cultures. His take on Genesis and the Garden is healing my childhood. And his narrative powers are probably the most important craft I could study right now.
Mother Culture Croons All Night
This weekend I began recovery from reading Ishmael. It’s hard not to wonder how we’re supposed to move forward from this damn book. Quinn himself, in an author’s note at the back, refers to it as much more than a book.
Keep On Dredging