Author Archives: susan

LITERATURE: S/Z – Sarrasine

Honore de Balzac’s Sarrasine is quite the story.  A petulant, passionate young sculptor is taken with the beauty of the singer, La Zambinella only to find that she is a he, and he is killed by her/his protectors.  But this … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Confrontation No. 86/87 – Style and Reader’s Rights

There is one story in this issue, Losing the Dog’s Paddle by Miah Arnold, that deserves some thought on style.  It is a nine and a half-page sentence.  The story is told in 2nd person pov, but of course, because … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Confrontation No. 86/87 – A Few Goodies

This particular issue is blessed with twenty stories, and a few are really worth remarking: On Impulse by Bill Lamp is third person pov but is so deep into the character’s head that a day or two after reading it … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: S/Z – Manner of Reading

Got through the first part of this essay by Roland Barthes, losing my way many times; but then, that’s what Barthes is saying, no?  It is reading in my own manner, my own (in)experience that brings out the meaning.  But … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Confrontation – No. 86/87

This issue is actually Spring/Summer 2004, but I was too embarrassed to put that fact in the post title.  I know that I’d started this way back then–there are a couple of bookmarking slips of paper within the pages, which … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Prairie Schooner – Summer 2006 Finale

Good reading, but nothing very unusual.  One thing that is unusual is that four out of the six stories are written in first person pov, something that many readers simply do not like.  I don’t mind them and enjoy the … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Prairie Schooner – Summer 2006

Well, that didn’t work. The plan was to catch up on some of my backlog of lit journals since a) I tend to read all the short stories–there’s usually six of ’em max, and b) the novels I’ve been reading … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Beloved – Stream of Consciousness

I was going to put some Faulkner in here because I suspect that that is why I’m disappointed in Morrison’s use of it.  It just doesn’t appear to further story, nor provide useful insight into the characters, even with this … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Beloved – More on Narrative Structure

Hmmm.  The very next section is from the pov of Denver, Sethe’s daughter.  It tells us nothing new, not really.  It seems that Morrison is now indeed repeating the story, calling up things we’ve been told in the rolling out … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Beloved – Narrative Structure

Morrison has played nicely with time, getting in backstory through the 3rd person multiple pov and flowing from related incidents seamlessly while jumping around in time.  However, I’ve come to a point in the story where I’m not really comfortable … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Beloved – Ways of Reading

Tending towards following story and ever-mindful of writing style and use of language, I’ve learned as well to find metaphorical meanings and symbolism withing fiction.  Last night at our writers group meeting I’d asked a member what he was planning … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Beloved – Writing

This is perhaps the easiest reading of the novels I’ve been through lately, and I believe that’s due to Toni Morrison’s writing style that I can totally appreciate as both reader and writer. It went on that way and might … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Beloved – Ghosts in Realism

Sethe’s little girl, Beloved, had been sent ahead with her two boys to safety at Baby Sugg’s before she herself escapes the slavery of Sweet Home.  She is pregnant and safely delivers another little girl, Denver, before she reaches refuge, … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Beloved – Language

Morrison’s narrative story, her use of language is both stark and colorful.  It seemed as though the reading flowed on language, causing me to stop and marvel, but driving me onward with story.  Something like this: How Sethe was walking … Continue reading Continue reading

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LITERATURE: Beloved – Character & Story

Realized that I’ve reached page fifty and haven’t written anything about this Toni Morrison novel yet.  It is because I was into the story, the writing, the people so deeply that I didn’t want to stop without finding out more. … Continue reading Continue reading

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