Monthly Archives: December 2005

LITERATURE: An Essay on Cannery Row

Posted on December 31, 2005 by susan

It doesn’t look like I’ve done much yet, but I don’t have a written outline–that’s not my style of writing–so I just started from point A and with the help of my notes, will continue on from there.  But, just … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Aristotle on Steinbeck

Posted on December 31, 2005 by susan

This post started out as a comment in response to those by Steve and Mark at this post of mine, but in my usual rambling manner, got too ungainly to fit into one of those little comment boxes: I think … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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REALITY: The Law

Posted on December 31, 2005 by Susan

So I’m sitting here reading Aristotle and Steinbeck and watching "Down to Earth" with Chris Rock and you know how some of those commercials come on and are repeated all night?  Well I just saw one that caught my eye … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Cannery Row – Aristotle on Plot – (Just a Beginning)

Posted on December 30, 2005 by susan

Yes, story is important, although it need not be epic in nature, just something that touches the heart or stirs the mind to interest.  For me, the enjoyable journey through a story is fed by good writing.  I can’t get … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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WRITING: Climax

Posted on December 30, 2005 by Susan

For almost two years now I’ve been searching for a climax, a major trauma plopped into the orderly lives of a seemingly perfect family kept orderly by a guilt-ridden and overachieving mother.  It has to be more than what I … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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WRITING: Point of View

Posted on December 30, 2005 by Susan

I’ve heard it said that there seems to be an extraordinary amount of first person POV fiction written these days.  I’ve heard students in writing classes say that first person is the easiest to write.  Personally, it took a while … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Cannery Row and Poetics

Posted on December 29, 2005 by susan

A most interesting development in the reading… For many chapters, Mack and the boys have been planning a party for Doc just to show their appreciation of him.  Well, it starts out as they need to make money to be … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Cannery Row – Character as Statement

Posted on December 29, 2005 by susan

When a writer wants to express more than a story, when he wants to reveal not just a personality but a human trait, one of the best means is through one of the characters in a segment of story.  Steinbeck … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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WRITING: Overwriting

Posted on December 29, 2005 by Susan

Shoot.  I think I had it and now I’m wrecking it.  I need to turn ruthless and slash my way through, so for now, Big Tim Dawson is off the platter of Spinning and and I’ll do some severe workshopping-style … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: A Journey

Posted on December 29, 2005 by Susan

Both my reading and writing habits started out under the horror genre, after the first Nancy Drew Mysteries and the Hardy Boys, that is, which immediately followed the Golden Books, Aesop’s Fables, Grimm’s Fairy Tales, and some poetry books that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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WRITING: Fiddling

Posted on December 28, 2005 by Susan

I’ve got to keep my hands off Tim Dawson.  I’ve been playing with him for about a month and his story’s been cut, changed, but is now growing into long story format at close to 5,000 words.  I keep thinking … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Cannery Row – Imagery

Posted on December 28, 2005 by susan

There are several forms of imagery:  simile, metaphor, solid description.  Steinbeck uses them all to best advantage, but in his description he is concise, that is, using many words perhaps, but each word is strung in a list that results … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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REALITY: Philosophy & Belief

Posted on December 28, 2005 by Susan

Or, I suppose it should be "Philosophy OR Belief."  Anyway, the dark garage is slowly regaining its power of inspiration, reflection, and silly ideas.  I find this weblog intriguing:  Without Gods – Toward a History of Atheism, set up as … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Critical Theory

Posted on December 28, 2005 by Susan

While I’ve skirted the issue by hiding behind a declarative mask of grassroots, gut-level analysis of the books I am reading, I realize that the lack of confidence in myself as an adequate literary critic cannot really slide me by … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Cannery Row – And Suttree

Posted on December 28, 2005 by susan

I’m sure the comparison has been made, not only in the writing styles of Steinbeck and McCarthy, but in these two novels in particular. Each holds a treasure box of character, history and a hard look at a society that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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