Re: two rats

I didn't say that an author's writing was a "clear" reflection of the
author, but a reflection of the author "somehow." There's a big difference
:). I elaborated in that post as well...surprised you missed that.

Levi also seemed to hold to the same distinctions in his examples. To the
extent that writers draw from their experience, their writing reflects (to
some degree) a writer's experience -- even if it's only his or her
experience reading something else. I don't think anyone was arguing you
could reconstruct an author from his or her writing -- Matthew,
interestingly, whom you agree with, seems to come closest to this idea by
saying an author's writing may reflect the most important part of the
author -- his or her ideals, desires, etc.

If there's more truth in fiction than there is in life, there are more lies
as well.

I felt the same way you did at the end of Cecilia's story, by the way.
That's why I initially said it was a good story and still think it is. She
really worked the image...and I liked the image you provided at the end of
your post for the reading experience. Yes, the image stuck with me after I
finished reading -- it Adhered. And yes, most stories don't give you that
much. It was entertaining and gave me something to walk away with :). A
description of the persona speaking the story isn't necessarily a negative
criticism of the story, even if the persona may be limited in some ways.

Jim

Will Hochman wrote:

> >That's what I said, Levi, in the second sentence. "It's always a
> >reflection of
> >yourself somehow."
>
> Reflection? Maybe not as clearly as Jim and Levi are saying above. I
> agree with Mathew in thinking that the relationship between the
> writer and the text is rarely a direct reflection and in many cases
> it can be more of a deception. I don't believe what I write reflects
> who I am nearly as much as stopping to help a skater lace up and
> glide. I care deeply about what I write...it's truth that I want to
> find with words...but that's already a deception because there's more
> truth in writing than in life.
>
> Scottie makes a very cute Seymour move telling Cecilia she's better
> than what she wrote but that's always got to be so to keep writing.
> Why begin or work on something if you think it doesn't have the
> possibility to be something better than what you've done before?
> Sometimes writers need to be told to go back and do it better, but I
> don't know Cecilia well enough to know if she can do it better and I
> don't consider 2 Rats a reflection of her, her talent, or in dire
> need of revision. I'm guessing she will disagree and rewrite with
> Scottie and Jim's energy and that's good and fine with me, but as
> David Bowie once sang, "Ain't no big thing." I thought it was a
> quick, amusing story that resonated with me after I finished. Many
> things I read these days stop with the last word read.
>
> There has been an increasing trend to what is called "sudden" or
> "short short" stories. I've followed this trend along with an
> interest in prose poems. It seems to me that very short prose
> achieves its punch with a an occasional mix of poetry into the
> narrative. That's why 2 rats works for me...it's an unusual image,
> and the context and twisting of it were clever.
>
> I think creative writing on this list can be lively and interesting
> and hope others will share their work.
>
> will
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