RE: The World According to Walter

From: Yocum Daniel GS 21 CES/CEOE <daniel.yocum@Peterson.af.mil>
Date: Tue Oct 29 2002 - 15:02:18 EST

Look into house building, it is not very complicated at all. It takes very
little knowledge, in fact many home builders (at least in the west) aren't
engineers just experienced people. Most of them don't know or use any more
math than basic algebra and trig. The modern building code safety check
comes from the permit review. So you could become a quite succesful builder
with little if any theoretical knowledge. Now other structures are custom
fabricated for economy and require an engineer but that is the point, when
do I really need an 'engineer' and what is the value added? In house
building the theory becomes the 'irrelvant details' for the most part, now
say if I were developing a whole literary theory then the 'details' aren't
irrelevant, but then how many of us are developing theory? I am certainly
not. 'Some proffesors and some grad students' certainly do enjoy reading
but they enjoy it for very different reasons. I enjoy reading and I enjoy
discussing/musing over what I read (speaking of fiction) but not infitesmal
quantatised parsing of what I read. I get that 'need' fulfilled in other
aspects of my life and some have no 'need' for it at all. Again, Critique
away but and I don't find that qualittative activity adding significant
value. Again, I am not talking about speculative (fun) musings I'm talking
about the eloborate philisophical approaches to 'meaning' and 'intent', it
seems that anyone can say anything about 'meaning' and 'intent' without
opening the whole can of worms of what is 'good' and 'bad' criticism. Sure
critics say interesting stuff sometimes and even valuable stuff but how much
do I have to invest to get into the game or buy Jim's 'toolbox'? The
"Franny" and "Zoey" topic illustrates my point, sure this ambigous intent
issues but how much do the change the stories one way or the other? Not
much for me. I find it interesting but interesting enough to write a peer
reviewed dissertation? Not me, for yoy? not your self out but don't expect
to grab the hearts and minds of the book buying and reading public at large
(I could always be wrong).

If Literary theory is an attempt at a scientific understanding or
rationalizing literture (fiction) then I think it is barking up the wrong
tree. It is like quantativily analyzing a painting, yes I can calculate the
suare inches of burnt umber but does that really say anything about the
painting and does everything (in total) said about a painting needed to
appreciate it? I know I am probably beating the thoroughly decayed carcass
of a horse here.

I propose an experiment.

Hypothesis: Authorial Intent is knowable and directly relates to meaning.
        Definition: Intent: the ideas and concepts the author is trying to
communicate.
                        meaning: the idea and concepts the reader percieves
when reading.

Method: Several authors among the list (number TBD) compose fiction pieces
and at the same time record intent in sealed enevelope to be held by
designated judge. Readers among the list read and compose a one paragraph
(200 word max) essay on meaning of all submitted fiction pieces. At the
completion the judge will compare the meaning essays to the presealed intent
disclosure. A statitical summary shall be compose by the judge.

Assumptions: honesty of all participents as to intent and meaning.
Notes: Agree to all definitions prior to commencement of expirement.

Daniel

-----Original Message-----
From: Matt Kozusko [mailto:mkozusko@parallel.park.uga.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, October 29, 2002 10:06 AM
To: bananafish@roughdraft.org
Subject: Re: The World According to Walter

Yocum Daniel GS 21 CES/CEOE wrote:

> The last thing you
> would need for actual design and construction is a boorish civil engineer
> ragging your ear on all the structural theories involved and discussions
on
> the irrelevant arcane methods of construction.
 
An infelicitous metaphor, I think. One of the things you'd need most
would be someone who could tell you whether your house might cave in on
you, or whether it was properly designed for not-so-contingent
contingencies like weather and settling.

Presumably, the amateur reader doesn't take the sorts of risks an
amateur house-builder might take by not seeking professional guidance.
But if your metaphor says anything, it isn't that professionals are
boorish nags overconcerned with irrelevant details.

Otherwise: you're still singling out even "some" professors and grad
students and suggesting they alone are peculiarly unable to enjoy
reading as all other readers can enjoy it. I'm suggesting that you're
categorizing professors and grad students way too casually.
   

--
Il n'y a pas de hors texte,
Matt
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Received on Tue Oct 29 15:02:43 2002

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