Wiliam: Ambiguity as provocative/heuristic/stimulating/eliciting?
Geoff C
From: William Conger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Reply-To: [email protected]
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: Envisioning
Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2008 21:45:48 -0700 (PDT)
I've said it many times that I use the word ambiguity in its poetic sense,
that is, to evoke the many layers of experience. Metaphor is the mode of
transit from one layer to another. I don't mean vagueness. I think I took
for granted that any sort of ambiguity or metaphor is not necessarily the
mark of greatness but that its use is necessary to greatness (in
literature). That leaves the problem of discerning or conferring quality
to readers-- since quality, like meaning, must be external to the object.
So, finally, greatness is a a type of social approbation but if it actually
has an enciting source it is ambiguity through metaphor (metaphor being a
construct in some medium). Do I still have a problem?
WC
--- On Thu, 10/23/08, GEOFF CREALOCK <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> From: GEOFF CREALOCK <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> Subject: Re: Envisioning
> To: [email protected]
> Date: Thursday, October 23, 2008, 10:33 PM
> William: I think that you might have a problem here. Suppose
> you thought
> that Lawrence Ferlinghett's novel "Her" was
> good fiction. And, further
> suppose that you thought that William James wrote excellent
> novels. I would
> submit that there is some particular ambiguity in
> James' works but a lot in
> Ferlinghetti's novel. So, it might come down to
> ambiguity about what and how
> artfully the ambiguity is applied - not just is there
> ambiguity or not.
> Geoff C
>
>
> >From: William Conger <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> >Reply-To: [email protected]
> >To: [email protected]
> >Subject: Re: Envisioning
> >Date: Thu, 23 Oct 2008 07:55:56 -0700 (PDT)
> >
> >Ambiguity is the answer. Plus an arresting and highly
> visual use of
> >language. Great literature explores the complexities
> and contradictions of
> >the human psyche in action through strongly visualized
> and explicit
> >narratives. That's my off the cuff definition.
> Muddled, I'm sure. But if
> >anything, great literature is great muddlering.
> >
> >WC
> >
> >
> >--- On Thu, 10/23/08, Chris Miller
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
> >
> > > From: Chris Miller
> <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
> > > Subject: Envisioning
> > > To: [email protected]
> > > Date: Thursday, October 23, 2008, 9:39 AM
> > > The more interesting question (for me, anyway) is
> what would
> > > distinguish a
> > > "pretty mundane "True Detective"
> kind of
> > > thing" from a kind of story that
> > > might have great literary merit.
> > >
> > > The basic story line for Clint's
> > > "Unforgiven", for example, would seem
> to have
> > > been much more promising (even if the resulting
> film was a
> > > disappointment)
> > >
> > > My question, of course, presumes that "great
> literary
> > > merit" -- as
> > > distinguished from best seller or box-office hit
> -- is a
> > > concept worth
> > > pursuing.
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > **********************************
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Question for Cheerskep and other writers:
> > >
> > >
> > > I happened to see an ad on a web site for Clint
> > > Eastwood's new movie,
> > > "Changeling" (about a 1920s event in LA
> in which
> > > a woman's infant was
> > > abducted, and when the police return the child,
> she
> > > suspects it's a different
> > > boy). The basic story line seemed like a pretty
> mundane
> > > "True Detective" kind
> > > of thing. But it still got me to wondering:
> > >
> > > What is it about the kernel of a story that hooks
> you? How
> > > do you go about
> > > envisioning a larger story? What is it that makes
> you
> > > conclude that you want
> > > to write the full story (book, play, etc.)?
> > >
> > > I know for myself how this happens when I paint
> or draw a
> > > picture, or even
> > > attempt sculptures. But I don't have a clue
> about
> > > writing stories. Or for that
> > > matter, since I have absolutely no innate talent
> for music,
> > > how a composer
> > > goes about developing a song or longer
> composition.
> > >
> > > Aside from my intrigue with this question, I
> think the
> > > answers can shed some
> > > light on how what we call "aesthetics"
> is
> > > incorporated in the actual making or
> > > developing of a work.
> > >
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