Re: The Mantra of Michael

Matthew_Stevenson@baylor.edu
Sat, 21 Nov 1998 16:32:31 -0600 

point-erin.  a well-placed shot.  indeed--matt.

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

>This is for anonymous, 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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