Subject: Perspective
From: Steve Gallagher (sgallagher@lasersedge.net)
Date: Thu Mar 13 1997 - 19:26:58 GMT
Though this isn't at all related to JDS, it mirrors recent discussions on this list quite
well. It made me laugh. Chalk it up to perspective.
Steve.
>This assignment was actually turned in by two English students:
>
>Rebecca <last name deleted> and Gary <last name deleted>
>English 44A
>SMU
>Creative Writing
>Prof Miller
>
>In-class Assignment for Wednesday
>
>Today we will experiment with a new form called the tandem story. The
>process is simple. Each person will pair off with the person sitting to
>his or her immediate right. One of you will then write the first
>paragraph of a short story. The partner will read the first paragraph
>and then add another paragraph to the story. The first person will then
>add a third paragraph, and so on back and forth. Remember to reread what
>has been written each time in order to keep the story coherent. The
>story is over when both agree a conclusion has been reached.
>
--------------------------------------------------------------
-- > >At first, Laurie couldn't decide which kind of tea she wanted. The >camomile, which used to be her favorite for lazy evenings at home, now >reminded her too much of Carl, who once said, in happier times, that he >liked camomile. But she felt she must now, at all costs, keep her mind >off Carl. His possessiveness was suffocating, and if she thought about >him too much her asthma started acting up again. So camomile was out of >the question.>Meanwhile, Advance Sergeant Carl Harris, leader of the attack squadron >now in orbit over Skylon 4, had more important things to think about than >the neuroses of an air-headed asthmatic bimbo named Laurie with whom he >had spent one sweaty night over a year ago. "A.S. Harris to Geostation >17," he said into his transgalactic communicator. "Polar orbit >established. No sign of resistance so far..." But before he could sign >off, a bluish particle beam flashed out of nowhere and blasted a hole >through his ship's cargo bay. The jolt from the direct hit sent him >flying out of his seat and across the cockpit.
>He bumped his head and died almost immediately, but not before he felt >one last pang of regret for psychically brutalizing the one woman who had >ever had feelings for him. Soon afterwards, Earth stopped its pointless >hostilities towards the peaceful farmers of Skylon 4. "Congress Passes >Law Permanently Abolishing War and Space Travel." Laurie read in her >newspaper one morning. The news simultaneously excited her and bored >her. She stared out the window, dreaming of her youth -- when the days >had passed unhurriedly and carefree, with no newspapers to read, no >television to distract her from her sense of innocent wonder at all the >beautiful things around her. "Why must one lose one's innocence to >become a woman?" she pondered wistfully.
>Little did she know, but she has less than 10 seconds to live. Thousands >of miles above the city, the Anu'udrian mothership launched the first of >its lithium fusion missiles. The dim-witted wimpy peaceniks who pushed >the Unilateral Aerospace Disarmament Treaty through Congress had left >Earth a defenseless target for the hostile alien empires who were >determined to destroy the human race. Within two hours after the passage >of the treaty the Anu'udrian ships were on course for Earth, carrying >enough firepower to pulverize the entire planet. With no one to stop >them they swiftly initiated their diabolical plan. The lithium fusion >missile entered the atmosphere unimpeded. The President, in his >top-secret mobile submarine headquarters on the ocean floor off the coast >of Guam, felt the inconceivably massive explosion which vaporized Laurie >and 85 million other Americans. The President slammed his fist on the >conference table. "We can't allow this! I'm going to veto that treaty! > Let's blow 'em out of the sky!"
>This is absurd. I refuse to continue this mockery of literature. My >writing partner is a violent, chauvinistic, semi-literate adolescent.
>Yeah? Well, you're a self-centered tedious neurotic whose attempts at >writing are the literary equivalent of Valium.
>You total $*&.
>Stupid %&#$!.
-- Steve Gallagher sgallagher@lasersedge.net http://www.lasersedge.net -_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_- - To remove yourself from the bananafish list, send the command: unsubscribe bananafish in the body of a message to "Majordomo@mass-usr.com".
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