Re: liberation #1
Camille Scaysbrook (verona_beach@geocities.com)
Tue, 24 Nov 1998 13:55:45 +1100
D. wrote:
> One woman said "I thought this was nothing more than a womans' cat fight
told
> from a man's perspective." My jaw dropped. If that's
> <bold><italic>all</italic></bold> she got out of the story, then either
> a) she didn't read very carefully or b) I failed miserably as a writer.
> Neither thought was (is still) very pleasant to think about.
This is a good point. I had a similar and equally agonising experience at a
writer's festival one time. Luckily I couldn't take the comments too close
to heart because I had already talked to two dramaturgs who *had*
understood what I was trying to say. I guess this is the `dark side' of
reader privilege. And I guess in some ways yes, it does highlight the
limitations of the author. An author wishes to get his or her story out in
the most direct way - that is, losing as little as possible in the
`translation' from writer to reader. But I do think (perhaps kowtowing to
Scottie a bit here!) that people *can* sometimes be so ill-equiped to read
your story as to be unable to interpret your intended message. It's very
difficult to deal with but it does happen. I always think in terms not of
`right or wrong' but `valid and less valid' - the case seems to me to be
one of a `less valid' interpretation.
Happily these people tend to also be the people who didn't enjoy the work
at all. And to those I simply say `go jump' (:
In the light of the reply I made to Scottie's post this may seem
hypocritical, but I think it all has to do with communication and receiving
of communication. Ultimately, there's little way of altering what happens
in between.
Camille
verona_beach@geocities.com
@ THE ARTS HOLE www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Theater/6442
@ THE INVERTED FOREST www.angelfire.com/pa/invertedforest