Plot Plot Plot?

Dave Koch (dkoch@sas.upenn.edu)
Tue, 23 Dec 1997 10:27:46 -0400

<fontfamily><param>Times</param><bigger>Hello everyone.  I think that,
before I get on with my point about JDS, I should probably introduce
myself because it seems (just from my reading of the last two
Bananafish Digests) that you all know each other, or, at least, are
familiar with each  other and, to be perfectly honest, I feel a bit
like I'm barging into a conversation and that probably I should just
hold my tongue a while longer before piping up and being annoying and
generally causing a big commotion where there wasn't one before. 
Anyway, I'm Dave Koch. I'm a senior at the University of Pennsylvania
studying philosophy and creative writing (a bit.)  So pleased to meet
you and all that.


I found this list because, over the break, when I was home for a day or
two and bored out of my mind, I picked up _Franny and Zooey_ for the
first time since high school and, of course, loved it to pieces.  My
immediate reaction was to stop reading new books all together and just
spend the rest of my life rereading this one.  But that passed
(unfortunately) and now I've just read "Raise High" and will get
through "Seymour" today, hopefully, and then onto (re)read _Nine
Storeis_ and it's all wonderful and I'm happy to have rediscovered JDS
and discovered this list &c.


The problem I have, though, with this list discussions (and here
problem is the wrong word entirely because for one thing it's
connotations are far too negative and also because me pronouncing
problems with the discussion before I've even taken the time to
actually participate in it is hopelessly arrogant) is that the focus
seems to be all plot plot plot to the exclusion, it seems, of how
wonderful the <italic>writing</italic> itself is, how Franny's being
pregnant (she's not, of course) shouldn't be the thing that grabs us
the most about "Franny", how we should talk more about the real genius
of writing dialogue as small monologues and the like.


I wonder if anyone has anything to say on the matter.  Hope so.  Sorry
for butting in.


--Dave


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