Monday, January 6, 2014

I got up at 5:30 with the assumption that today would be another regular Monday but no: steady freezing rain, ice everywhere, school canceled. Maine just can't get a weather break these days, though things are working out nicely for the school kids.

But since I'm awake now, I have to find something to do, so I'm going to share a little comment from Baron, who read yesterday's review/essay on his novel: "For my part (and you know we are purblind about our creations), I agree with the musical analogy. I'm a poet. Bits and riffs of time make sense to me." This pleases me because I was beginning to feel I might have climbed out on a critical limb, inventing an after-market rationale for something that never existed in any corner of the creator's imagination. [In other words, I have edited way too many English professor dissertations. It seems that one can easily get a degree and even tenure simply by wasting hundreds of pages on thin, repetitive, {fill in academically stylish subject here}-based guesses fleshed out by means of jargon and wallowing passive voice sentences and footnoted with postmodern non sequiturs.]

Ugh. Does anyone want to come over and fill my woodbox for me?

3 comments:

Carlene said...

I ordered Baron's book yesterday, based on your commentary. Not that I wouldn't have gotten it anyhow (given my fondness for the author!), but I don't want to wait until June to read it now. =) I am teaching AmLit this coming semester, and it occurs to me that this novel may well find itself into my curriculum, perhaps paired with the film The Butler. And certainly, with other pivotal informational texts and the music of the times. Thanks for all you do, and the kind attention you give to words of human creation.

And I'd fill your woodbox, if I were closer. Just because I know afterwards, there would likely be good coffee, conversation, and a cozy woodfire. Have a great day!

Dawn Potter said...

When it comes right down to it, I wouldn't want to stick any other human being with the sucky job of filling my woodbox during a freezing rain/iced-up-woodshed-path event. Even the ever-enthusiastic dog said no.

Ruth said...

Well, I'm iced in myself or I'd come for coffee!! Notice I didn't volunter to fill the woodbox. I've spent way too many years doing that!! I am none too impressed weather-wise with 2014 so far; however, I wish you a happy year and will see you in June