The Mantra of Michael

Erin McLaughlin (erinseyes@hotmail.com)
Fri, 20 Nov 1998 09:21:01 -0800 (PST) 

This is for Michael Tipermas, or his ideas, whatever...in reply to this 
post he wrote.

"How can you say the author is just a reader? That is saying that you 
are looking for messages that aren't there.  The author creates the 
character and their actions and their reasons for their actions.  The 
author knows what the character is feeling because he is the 
character(especially in jds case).  I have not said you don't critizcize 
him frequently.  If you read my previous messages you would see that I 
said that you separate the author from the works.  Then you separarate 
the enjoyment of the works and the disecting of the works.  Then you 
separate the author's message from your made up meanings.  Then you 
separate the author as a person from the author as a semi-god.  Then you 
demonize the author as a person, but worship the semi-god author.  Can 
anyone understand what I said?"

I was just wondering, while you were writing that post, could you tell 
us exactly what the meaning is of what you're saying it, why you decided 
to write it in the first place, and then your exact reasons for saying 
what you did. Please be precise. 

Can you further please note what you were feeling, and what gave rise to 
those feelings (just a brief psycho-analysis, if possible)? Since this 
post represents exactly who and what you are, and since you own each and 
every one of those words, I don't want to destroy them through my own 
interpretation, you see.

After I know exactly who you are and what you meant in that post, then I 
will try to enjoy it. It's a marvelous idea! No dissection will be 
necessary, because you, as the all-knowing (dare I say God-like?) author 
of the message will have already explained everything to me. That's 
grand!

No, Michael, obviously I cannot understand what you mean, or what any 
other writing means, unless the author tells me! So really, I'd be 
awfully grateful if you could just include a brief biography with your 
posts from now on, along with a detailed abstract of what we are 
supposed to infer from your words. Then I have a feeling that the post 
will make perfect sense to me.

It's so funny. I used to have this silly idea that once you put words 
out there, they're no longer yours. People can do what they want with 
them. Wasn't that silly?

Yours truly,

Erin

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