Hello, hello! Erin here. I look forward to the future of this discussion unrolling over the next several weeks. I'll primarily be checking this nightly, around 9 PM CST.
To give you some background, I've lived in Texas for six years, though I'm originally from the Midwest and have the Midwest in my bones and autumn for marrow. This especially reveals itself at this time of year when one or two Texas days will echo an Illinois autumn enough that all I can do is smile and walk around in a daze of images of hot chocolate and grilled cheese sandwiches and the sound of leaves under my feet.
Every year, my elementary school music teacher who was also my piano teacher would hang a Tom Dooley (after the murder ballad "Tom Dooley") from a tree in her forested driveway so that, if you trick-or-treated her, you'd have to drive under him. It was great fun, and I recently taught my writing students the song, which meant much to me because of the connections the song has for me to my past and especially my teacher who was a warm and important person in my life. (I bring this up because maybe we could talk about traditional songs and/or stories we heard and still retell. :)
Though here in Texas it's in the high 80s, still damp from rain, and my roses are blooming like madness, Halloween is still approaching, leaves are falling in many areas of the country and world, and our dear Persephone is packing her luggage for the Underworld, so what shall we discuss, readers, since we are fast approaching the best time of year to read under a cover, under a warm light, huddled against the world inside another?
Mensagem editada pelo seu autor, Out 18, 2009, 7:24pm.
Hi, Erin,
Apologies, but I have not read "The Floating Order", but a review I read (see link below) has persuaded me to seek out a copy.
http://www.theshortreview.com/reviews/Er...Reading the review makes me think your stories take the ordinary situation and explore/expose the sinister potential within the situation. Would that be the case? If it is, then I will enjoy your tales.
Your background note touched a chord with me. I live in Dublin (Ireland) and today saw the heaviest fall of leaves this autumn. Given the screwed up weather patterns of the past few years we have had various trees turning brown/yellow/golden/red ahead of others, and for the past two months there has been a light sprinkling of leaves on the ground.
This morning as I left the house and got into the car I noticed we had a fairly deep carpet of leaves and I had similar nostalgic thoughts of autumns past, with bright sun shining at low angles through autumnal coloured leaves.
I look forward to reading your stories.
Peter
Hi Peter,
Thank you so much for this message and for your description of Dublin at this time. Luckily, I've been to Dublin (about a decade ago) and so I can add the leaves to the images I have of it. It's raining here today and the sound of it last night.
I think "sinister potential" would be an apt way of describing my stories, yes, though it seems I have a very hard time ever knowing how to describe my work.
For a long time, if I were working on a story and someone asked what it was "about", I'd freeze up because most of my stories occur after an event has happened rather than being stories of events as they happen (I have a few of those, though they're usually being experienced by the narrator at the moment, so the reader also is asked to experience the event with the same or decreased lack of ability to comprehend or analyze the event).
Probably even what I just said is not an apt description, though I think the critic at the short review did very well giving an image of the stories.
But, here are some links to a few of my stories so that you can testrun them. :)
"Sleight" (not in
The Floating Order)
http://dogzplot.blogspot.com/2008/05/sle..."The Only Child" (in
The Floating Order)
http://www.webdelsol.com/BarrelHouse/chi...Does Dublin have any city events for autumn that you attend? Did you grow up in Dublin?
Cheers,
Erin
Mensagem editada pelo seu autor, Out 21, 2009, 1:12pm.
Hi, Erin,
I just read your two stories, and thank you for the links. I have just ordered 'The Floating Order' from Amazon.co.uk. Unfortunately, the UK postal service is on strike for the next couple of days, so it may take a while before I get to read more "Pringle".
Your writing is very evocative. I saw images and felt emotions. In my mind's eye I envisaged "Sleight" taking place at the Dolphin Fountain at the bottom of the Spanish Steps in Rome. It was a bright sunny day and there were dozens of happy passers-by. Your juxaposition of the happy and severely tragic is very effective. It was softly spoken horror.
You asked about Dublin city events in the autumn. The Dublin Theatre Festival has just ended and I got to Three performances. One was a play called "The Pitmen Painters", and was about a group of coalminers in England who formed a class to study Art. The time span was from just before the second world war to just after it, and the play dealt with several live social issues of the time and the rise of workers' unions and their link with the Labour Party. It was very funny (it was supposed to be) and also carried a strong message.
The other performance was "The Manganivar Seduction" which was a group of 40 Indian musicians playing a piece that reached a hectic climax and left everyone breathless.
The third was a stage performance of Daphne du Maurier's "The Birds" (yes, the same one that Hitchcock directed). It was a difficult story to stage, but they did a reasonable job.
On a more literary bent, if I may use the word "literary" in its broadest sense, I went to Octocon, which is a science fiction convention that runs annually in Dublin. I attended a couple of book launches friends were holding at the event. (R.F.Long's "The Scroll Thief" {Romantic Fantasy} & Derek Gunn's "Vampire Apocalypse:Fallout" {Part three in a vampire series})
Another reason I was at the convention is the fact that, due to a series of unusual, and one unfortunate (death of a friend), events, I have ended up as the chairperson of a horror, fantasy and science fiction convention held in Dublin in March, and was trying to drum up some members. The March event focuses primarily on the written word (a more narrow application of the word "literary") so we don't have films and masquerades and role playing games and etc... But we do have writing competitions and workshops and author panel discussions and etc... You can check it out at
www.pcon.ie Apologies for going on, but you did ask, and you should never ask an Irish person a question unless you're prepared to have them answer it.
By the way, no, I was not born in Dublin. I was born in Belfast and moved to Dublin in 1982.
Getting back to your work, I completely understand what you mean about answering the question, "What's it about?" One of my favourite writers is Iain Banks, and his first novel, "The Wasp Factory", is a great read. Now, I have suggested to many people that they read it, but I have refused to tell them what it is about because when you put it into words it would just put them off reading it, yet they all enjoyed it. (It's a bit noir, but not as subtle as your stories.)
You mentioned rain, and descriptions of Dublin. We have had two fairly dry months to date (September was the driest on record {in contrast, July was the wettest}). Today that all changed. I had to cross the O'Connell Bridge (the main bridge over the River Liffey in Dublin) four times. On three of my crossings, the wind and rain intensified and I got soaked. Ok! Griping over.
There was another autumn event I attended in September. Another book launch. It was "Dracula: The undead", by Dacre Stoker, great grand nephew of Bram Stoker. Billed as the only Stoker Family approved sequel to the original Dracula.
Did you spend long in Dublin on your visit a decade ago? What are your memories of it? Does your name betray a family tie to the emerald isle?
It's been nice talking to you, but I'd better go and let you get some writing done.
All the best.
Peter
Hi Peter,
I was in Dublin in March 2001 for two days; the whole trip was very short, so I have an especially superficial understanding of my trip.
Let's see. I know of the bridge you speak of, and crossed it several times as well. I remember thinking of Yeats while I was in Dublin because in one of my literature courses at the time we had discussed his many architectural ideas for I want to say specifically Dublin, but I may be merging my experience with Dublin with that. The first day was shortened by getting a train ticket to Dingle, and then the second day was returning from Dingle to Dublin. The night of the return (or the day of my first arrival in Dublin--the details are murky, and I fear I'm mixing things up because now I think I was there longer, one night in one youth hostel, and another night in another) I saw a play, a comedy, the title I don't remember though the ticket stub is somewhere, and it was GREAT FUN, and I think my best experience attending a play ever.
One image that I definitely have from Dublin is a small open store (though I don't know if "store" is the appropriate term) as it was sort of a square opening in a solid row of doorfronts, near the Guiness brewery (my fellow traveller wanted to tour the brewery), and in that opening (or, hell, it might have been a narrow alleyway), were gravestone markers for sale, and it was the contrast, I think, that made it so memorable since I didn't see a graveyard while there, and so I just remember dwelling on the sight.
Anyway, it's also interesting to me that you brought up the Dolphin fountain because, during my trip that included Dublin, while I was in London, my friend showed me pictures of his--at the time--recent trip to Rome, and that was one of the pictures (and also the first time I had seen it). . . :)
And of "The Birds", I read the story for the first time last year, and then a few months ago, I finally watched the Hitchcock adaptation; of the adaption I was intrigued by the amount of story he had to fill in since the short story is very minimal.
I had not heard of the Phoenix Convention, but I took a peek then bookmarked the page and will investigate it further. Thanks for that and the Stoker news. I remember reading
Dracula and thinking it quite incredible that Stoker had maintained the level of suspense and density of story for how many ever several hundred pages, before anyone has been bitten.
A feat many writers don't seem to take on presently (though, I would say Stephen King achieves this with
Lisey's Story, which is one of the reasons I enjoy it.
I will check out
The Wasp Factory, though probably not until December when the semester ends, which is also when I'll begin writing again.
As for my name, my mother intentionally named me Erin because of Ireland, as her maiden name is Ryan, and her family traces back to Ireland, though I'm unclear on when immigration occurred, though at least 100 years ago because my grandmother was born in 1913, and I don't think her mother was full-blooded Irish.
I think my mother was in her 50s when she became interested in genealogy, and my brother was about the same age when he became interested in it, so I figure, in about twenty years, I'll be able to answer your question more fully. :)
If you haven't read
'Night, Mother by Marsha Norman, I certainly recommend it; it's a fabulous play, dark and smartly written (and since I've been teaching my students how to increase the clarity of their use of value statements, I should listen to my lessons and explain that, when I say "smartly written" in this sense, I mean especially in terms of language-use). Along those lines,
Buried Child by Sam Shepard, and then one of my great favorites,
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee.
If the conversation doesn't continue, all my best, Peter, I very much appreciate talking to you. It has been a lovely moment-sequence. Thank you for taking the time to read my work.
Cheers,
Erin
Mensagem editada pelo seu autor, Out 22, 2009, 6:27am.
Hi, Erin,
A very quick response (I'm at work) with fuller comments later.
1. I've forsaken Amazon and ordered "The Floating Order" from my local independent bookshop. They say it should be in the shop next Tuesday.
2. It happened again. One foot on O'Connell bridge and the heavens opened.
3. Based on your chronology of people's interests I should be getting into my family tree.
4. I know the tombstone place you mentioned.
Keep well.
Peter
Peter,
I can't wait until fuller comments. You know the place I speak of! How grand!
Also wanted to share the good news with you that a good review of The Floating Order just came out in Texas Books in Review. I got the tear sheet this afternoon after teaching my last class for the week.
It's available only in print, I think, but here's a link to a blurb from it:
http://erinpringle.blogspot.com/2009/10/...Wanted to share it with you because we've been talking because of the book's existence, and. . . well, I thought maybe you'd be pleased, too. :)
Cheers,
Erin
Mensagem editada pelo seu autor, Out 22, 2009, 11:17pm.
Hi, Erin,
You're right, I am pleased, too!
Getting than news must be a great way to end the week. (Of course, I don't finish work for another 1.5 hours, but then who's complaining.)
I'm delighted with the review news for three reasons:
1. I'm happy for you as I appreciate a good review is a great boost to someone involved in what can be the solitary task of writing;
2. Selfishly, it is a vindication of my views which were based on a small sample of your work; &
3. It means my money will be well spent when I get my copy next week.
Ok, so I predominantly selfish.
Great news. I hope you enjoy the weekend, especially given the good start.
By the way, it's a bank holiday weekend in Ireland. That means I have Monday off. :-)
Good luck,
Peter
:-) Have a lovely holiday.
Thank you!
I'll be in touch.
Enjoy your weekend. Have a glass of champagne to celebrate the review.
Hi, Erin,
If you got the train from Dublin to Dingle and Dingle to Dublin, you must have been tired. It’s a fair journey. Not as long as distances in the US, but I’m sure the journey took more out of you per mile than it would have in the States.
I was in Dingle last summer for a nephew’s wedding. We drove down and the roads are worse than the rail tracks.
I didn’t know Yeats was into architecture. That has happened to me a lot. I meet people from the other side of the world on the Internet and they tell me things about Ireland that I didn’t know. There is someone I met from The Philippines and he learned all his Irish history from songs by the Irish singing group, The Pogues. And all his history was right.
I’m glad you enjoyed the play in Dublin. My eldest daughter works in theatre (directing; stage managing; box office – that is her order of preference). She would like to hear good news about the Dublin scene.
You will have to visit Rome some day, the Eternal City. I think it’s nice to visit, but I wouldn’t like to live there. All the main sites are fairly close together. I remember crossing the road at a cross-roads (I suppose that’s an intersection where you come from) and there was a stone fountain on each of the four corners. It suddenly struck me that these were in the order of 2,000 years old. That hit me hard; a real, “Wow!” moment.
I have to confess it is years, nay, decades since I watched the Hitchcock movie of “The Birds”. I bought an anthology of Du Maurier’s stories last year with “The Birds” in it, but, another confession, I haven’t managed to read it yet.
I take it you recommend “Lisey’s Story”. I read “The Stand” last year, the special re-released, extended version. I think they shouldn’t have extended it. The experience made me wary about reading more King, but I am open to being pointed towards the good ones.
Speaking of suspense, I was frightened when reading “The Exorcist”, but not watching the film. The book was much more terrifying. By the way, did you know the character of “Columbo”, the TV detective, was taken from “The Exorcist” novel. When they were making “The Exorcist” movie they had to cut a lot of material and the detective’s character was so rich they cut it and had Lee J. Cobb play a sedate, regular cop.
With Ireland on your mother’s side, and Scotland on your father’s, your Celtic credentials sound fairly secure. You could probably play for the Irish soccer team.
I must check out “Night Mother”, and see what you mean by “smartly written”. By coincidence I met a friend on Tuesday evening (
http://www.brianjshowers.com/) and he told me of an incident last week. He was with friends and he mentioned something about a book being “well written” and he was taken to task to explain what he meant by “well written”.
I’ll let you know how the new “Dracula” compares with the original, and I will definitely let you know how I get on with “The Floating Order”.
On a tangent, I checked out your publisher’s website. They look very interesting. How did you come across them?
All the best for now. I hope you continue to wallow in your new review. When I've read your collection I will review it and spread the good news. I might get it into Albedo1 magazine. (
www.albedo1.com)
Peter
Hi Peter,
I was tired. I think we got off at Killarney then took a bus from there to Dingle. Very windy, narrow roads with a shared bus of schoolgirls singing the theme song to the TV show Cheers.
I do recommend Lisey's Story, though there are several parts that aren't up to par with the rest of it, but certainly only superficial wounds. But I must admit that I have a strong affinity for King because I've been reading him since the sixth grade, so I have a strong affinity for his work (perhaps something similar to watching Where the Wild Things Are two night ago, as I was very sleep-deprived, which meant a highly emotional state, and so, unlike most all movies I see, I bonded with the main character Max immediately and, thus, forgave some of the largest gaps in story logic that I ever have just because of the bonding).
I would say no to Duma Key, definitely no to Cell, very much no to Regulators, but yes to
Everything's Eventual,
Just After Sunset, and definitely
Lisey's Story. I do think that if one reads King, though, with a voice in one's head of doubt and preconceived irritation about his work (as I think happens quite frequently, for I have only one friend and my husband who like his work, and one of my friends despises King, but I don't understand why because I am friends with this friend, after all--he likes my work, he adores Burgess, he'll read every thriller/mystery novel on the shelf, but King he will not accept), then his work will suffer immediately.
But, if one wants to hear a good story, then I think his voice will carry it . . . but I suppose it's that sometimes he changes his voice for the story so sometimes I confront not the storyteller I want to hear; for example, definitely
The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon should have been released as a young adult novel to be the most effective, but it was released as adult fiction.
I stumbled upon Two Ravens Press when looking for places to send my work. When I saw that they made a point to call for "innovative" work and for work that large publishers would deny (not because of quality but the ability to sell quantity), I sent off an e-mail immediately. And so lucky I did, since they wanted my book. I'm having a wonderful experience being one of their authors. They just revamped their website in September, so it's very exciting that you went to visit it because the process, from what I've learned on their blog (
http://tworavenspress.wordpress.com/), has been quite a task.
I haven't read
The Exorcist, but I put off watching it until I was 23, and it shocked me. There are images from it that I'd rather not have; for example, the girl crabwalking down the stairs. Though a well-timed moment, timing isn't what one is thinking about as a viewer!
Even with my parents' names, I have no soccer expertise at all. I could certainly wear a jersey and cheer, though. This reminds me of a Monty Python episode my husband greatly enjoys, one about the philosophers playing soccer (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=79vdlEcWx...).
You will have to tell me what you think of 'Night Mother, as I've taught it for the past six years at least once a year (every year I think, oh, maybe I'll take a break from it, but my students respond to it so strongly that it seems wrong to pick another play that might not affect them), and one of the critical articles that appears in the anthology alongside it is about (now, this isn't a recent essay, I don't think, though I just did a quick search and it's by a woman named Jenny Spencer) the difference in audience reaction along gender lines.
Now, I truly feel nauseous when reading discussions or arguments about men vs. women and
fill in the blank, especially in terms of literature, and especially when one group is characterized as not being able to get it.
I think it's that her argument is basically that men have a lesser, or decreased, amount of empathy for the characters or interest in the play because it's a "female drama" (don't know if she says that verbatim).
I haven't noticed any difference in how my male and female students react to it, but Spencer seemed to be writing in response to the play as staged rather than the play as read, so certainly, one--regardless of gender--may be able to suspend disbelief more when reading than when faced with specific actors who have interpreted the lines for the audience, rather than the audience having a tad more leeway in reading the play. And, there's a film after it, which I haven't seen. Starring Sissy Spacek and Kathy Bates, from what I hear.
How can we exchange e-mail addresses on here? I tried to send you a message but couldn't find a way to do so.
E
P.S. I did delight in the review some today, as my mother read it and e-mailed me that she thought it was good, which I think means that the review cleared up some questions she might have had about some of the stories. Also, I did some heavy editing on a story today, so I'll start my morning by typing those edits in and then off to meet with students who drop by about their papers that are due next week.
Mensagem editada pelo seu autor, Out 24, 2009, 4:32am.
Bus from Killarney would be right. I’ve taken the train to Killarney and it just seems to go for ever.
“Cheers” was one of my favourite shows. It had so many great characters, like, Cliff, Carla and Norm.
I hadn’t heard of “Where the Wild Things Are”, but just watched a trailer and can see how there is a lot of potential for bonding. It looks fun.
I started watching Cell on DVD about a year ago and switched if off after about 5 minutes. It didn’t appeal to me. I think it was just trying to be shocking by being as extreme in its form of cruelty as it could. I would be more in favour of Hitchcock’s approach to horror; don’t show it, imply it and let the viewer’s mind create the terror.
I read “Dead Zone” years ago and enjoyed it. I have nothing against King, it’s just with such a range of novels to his name there are bound to be some not as good as others. What I have lacked to date is a guide to King. Now I have direction from an expert. Thanks!
Reading “with a voice in one's head of doubt and preconceived irritation” is going to colour one’s reading of any author. I must admit to having such an attitude towards the work of Stephen Donaldson, but that is based on having read two of his trilogies, yes, six books; so I can’t be accused of not giving him a chance. One thing he did do for me; he taught me never to waste part of my life reading books I don’t like. I used to be compulsive about finishing any book I started, but he cured me of that about 1980. (A whole lifetime ago for some people.)
Thanks for pointing me to the Two Ravens Press blog. It makes fascinating reading and parallels a lot of the things I’ve been reading on other blogs about writing. I have a background in supply chain management and have always been fascinated by the book supply chain. E-books are really turning that upside down, but I think it’s growing a new market rather than totally cannibalising the physical book market. The woes of the physical book market are due, in my opinion, to the competition with other more immediately gratifying forms of entertainment and distraction. Also, in today’s fast moving world we find less time to read. Perhaps the global recession will change all that. (If we get into this topic here we will go on for ever.)
By the way, I noticed yesterday that “The Floating Order” has come out in e-book. Good luck with that. The two friends who launched books at Octocon had interesting, and very positive, stories to tell about e-books, from opposite directions in each case. R.F. Long has been published in e-book to date and her publisher is now bringing her books out in physical form. Derek Gunn has had the opposite experience, with his novels being brought out on Kindle.
“Shocked”, was the correct word to use about the movie of The Exorcist in my opinion. At one point, when the candles flared up in the attic, I jumped, but that was it. The other parts of the film were just trying to shock and disgust you. I saw it in the cinema with a friend when it first came out. He is big guy and you wouldn’t think he’d be affected by much; however, after the scene about the mind scan, I won’t go into the details, he made his way to the gents. He was gone a long time, so I went to see if he was ok. He’d fainted. (There’s some evidence supporting your views about gender neutral reactions to stories.)
I enjoyed the Monty Python clip. I hadn’t seen it before.
In relation to audience reactions, I suspect gender is given too much of an emphasis as the determining factor. I would suggest that people of differing backgrounds will react in different ways to the same play; book; story; whatever. For reasons I can’t fathom, some people have decided to focus on gender. I feel this is a gross generalisation and is not fair to people of any gender. I’m sure an Irish audience would react very differently to some works in a different way to an English audience, but we won’t go there.
I must admit, however, to being a stereotype male in relation to a book a couple of years ago. It was “Chocolat” by Joanne Harris. My wife thought it was great and used it in a course in pastoral ministry she was doing. Other female friends told me that it was great.
So I started reading it. I got half way through and was commenting on how I thought it was well written, but was a bit concerned that nothing had really happened yet.
Ouch!
That was the wrong thing to say. I was sharply informed that, “No! Nothing does happen. It’s just beautiful.”
I stopped reading. I didn’t get it. Now, I don’t know if that’s because I’m male, grew up in Belfast, have dark hair (well, I like to think at least some of it’s still dark), or because my middle initial is “G”, but there you have it, I didn’t get it.
I may, however, go back to the book. I haven’t seen the film,…yet! I will watch it at some stage. It has a great cast, and one of my favourite actresses, Dame Judi Dench, is in it.
Have you watched many French movies. I have recently started watching a number of French movies and find them very refreshing. Being separate from Hollywood they tend to take a different view of the world. The things I enjoy about them include the atmosphere created; the sense of real life in France; the way they help you get into the characters; the excellent acting; the cinematography; the unique story lines; and; and; and…
One film I saw recently was, “L’homme du train” (The Man of the Train), and it was a very slow moving film about a man arriving by train in a small rural town in France. He has a migraine and seeks out a pharmacy. At the pharmacy he gets into discussion, or tries to avoid getting into discussion, with another man. The film is about these two men and how their lives contrast and how each envies elements of the other’s life. As one reviewer said, if Hollywood had made this film it would have been a violent bank robbery movie with endless car chases. I think the French do with movies, what Two Raven Press believes should be done in literature. (You see, I’m absorbing some of their blog already.)
My French is not strong enough to watch without subtitles, but it doesn’t affect the enjoyment I get.
Of course, there are some awful French movies. They’re not great on comedy.
You asked about exchanging e-mails. There is a feature in my Librarything profile for leaving private messages, but I couldn’t see the same feature on your profile. If you can’t leave a message with your e-mail there, you can leave one on the
www.pcon.ie/contact website on the “contact us” page. The message will go straight to my e-mail and I can answer from there.
Do you write longhand and then type up your work, or type straight onto a laptop?
At the book launch for “The Scroll Thief”, R.F.Long was talking about her mode of writing. She normally uses her laptop, but there is one series of her books which she says she just has to write by hand. She has tried on several occasions to write these on the keyboard, but she says she just dries up and the stories refuse to be written. Then she picks up a pen and, hey presto, no problem. She doesn’t try to offer an explanation, but then it has given her a topic of interest to discuss at book launches.
Well, I must face the chores of the day.
All the best for now. Don’t let those students work you too hard at the weekend.
Peter
Hi Peter,
"One thing he did do for me; he taught me never to waste part of my life reading books I don’t like." I was just talking to my friend on Friday about "The Little Princess", as she's reading it for a children's literature course, and I read it in fourth grade, but it was the first book that I hated. I can't remember if I finished the book, but I think that I didn't, and that was the first book I didn't finish, and the first book that I hated, and it was a very trying experience because I had never encountered that before. And then in grad school while reading
Beloved I ran across several cruel articles about the novel (cruelty for cruelty's sake ~ exactly as we've spoken about The Exorcist film), and that's when I talked to my professor, and she said she didn't see the point in writing about books one loathed. I certainly agree.
There's an article in American Journal of Folklore (2008 – 121:479) by Elliot Oring that you might enjoy, entitled "Legendry and the Rhetoric of Truth"; in it, he applies Ethos, Logos, and Pathos to folkstories, specifically urban legends, in an attempt to show the way stories--true or false--can or will persuade an audience. I think it's especially useful in thinking about narrative in the written form (he focuses on the oral form). I bring it up because I think that, from his framework, one can see that gender lines aren't the dividing line. I would say, though, that if one first stereotypes women then stereotypes men, that it would be easy from that to suggest that stereotypes are more or less persuaded by a work; but, of course, this would also necessitate a stereotyping of the work or maneuvering it into vague themes that may be beneficial to shelving it in a bookstore or creating an advertisement.
In response to my writing mode, I begin by handwriting. I handwrite the entire story and then type it up, print it out, then revise on the page, then I'll handwrite the revision, then type that up, repeat, repeat, repeat. I simply don't feel connected to the computer (but I did buy n old typewriter this summer, and I prefer that to the computer), so I try to stay off it as much as possible in terms of writing a story. I started doing all my revision in handwriting after I attended a poetry workshop and the visiting poet (whose name I can't remember, I think Heather Graham) suggested revising poetry in that way since, in the handwriting revision, the ideas that will appear in the process are encouraged to appear, which I have found to be very true. Also, I often do vast organizational changes (more so in the book I'm working on at the moment) so that's when I get out my scissors and cut up the story and push it around on my table until I can hear where I need to tape it. :)
I have enjoyed most of the French films I've seen, but my excursion into foreign film has rencently focused on Ingmar Bergman whose work shatters me. I'll definitely check out *Man of the Train*. Your description of it made me merge parts of Bergman's *The Silence* with *Wild Strawberries* and Patricia Highsmith's
Strangers on a Train.
Could you recommend some Irish films, as I try again and again to find some when I'm at the movie store here, but the store's search engine is a joke.
My mother read me Where the Wild Things Are when I was a child, and it was a great favorite of hers, though I always loved Maurice Sendak's
Nutshell Library far more--perhaps because my mother told me I needed to learn from Pierre, the boy who, no matter what his mother, father, and later, a lion, ask him, he always answers with "I don't care". Until the end, of course, when he learns to care. But, you see, the problem with this (if one intends to caution children against apathy) is that the book's far funnier and more interesting when he doesn't care. :)
Do you recommend *The Scroll Thief*?
Will you have any kind of celebration for Halloween or how does that work exactly in Ireland?
Cheers,
Erin
While Stephen Donaldson taught me my lasting lesson, there was a book that I did not finish before reading his work. It is “The Patriot Game” by John de St Jorre.
http://www.johndestjorre.com/patriot.htm... Not to be confused with Tom Clancy’s book of the same name, or the film based on Clancy’s book.
The book is about an Irish nationalist in the height of the recent troubles (1970s) who is disillusioned with the way the republican movement in Northern Ireland is breaking into factions and decides to do his own thing. I started reading the book and it opened with the protagonist driving through Belfast describing the scenes he was seeing. I’m sorry, but poetic licence goes so far. He was driving along roads that had been closed off to traffic for security reasons; he was describing things he couldn’t have seen from the location he was in; he had his character stop at the side of the road to have a cigarette – problem was, this is, in reality, the M1 Motorway where stopping is prohibited; he had border guards raising & lowering barriers when there were no such things in the country. Virtually every fact he stated was wrong. He couldn’t even have looked at a map of Belfast or Northern Ireland before writing this book. I physically threw it across the room to get it away from me. It was three weeks before I picked it up and put it I the bin. (Sorry for the rant, but that book has haunted me since. I just had to share! I feel so much better now. Thank you for listening. )
I suppose I broke the concept of not writing about books that I loathed. It reminds me of Thumper in the film, “Bambi”. He said, “My Daddy says, ‘If you can’t say nuthin’ good about somebody, don’t say nuthin’ at all’. A good philosophy, but it leave little room for a damning review of a book
I read “The Little Princess” many moons ago. I don’t think I had any particular feelings about it.
I tend to write a lot of reports. I would type them on the computer, then, like you, print them out to edit manually. (In two of my previous jobs I was known by may team as, “The Red Pen”. Both teams came up with the name independently. I have no idea how that happened.
On the couple of occasions I have written short stories I took to reading them out loud to tape, and listening back to spot places where the story didn’t flow, or sounded wrong. Just reading it out loud often helped without recording and playing it back.
There are some well known Irish films, such as, “Ryan’s Daughter” (which could be yourself, given your mother’s maiden name) which would have been made in the 1960s. It wasn’t one of my favourites, but it was highly praised by the critics.
“The Quiet Man”, starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara, is another old classic. It is a bit stage Irish; in fact, no, it’s very stage Irish, but it is very amusing. It’s about and Irish American returning to Ireland and how he fits into the local community in a very rural part of Ireland.
Coming nearer to this century you have, “Michael Collins”, which is about the Irish civil war, i.e. the internal war after the British had left the twenty-six counties of the Irish Free State, as it was called before becoming a republic.
There is also, “The Wind That Shook the Barley” which won the palme d’Or in 2006. It is probably the most realistic depiction I have ever seen of the Irish war of Independence and the civil war. It was quite heart breaking.
On the funnier side there is “The Commitments”, a film about working class Dublin in the 1980s. One Dubliner decides to put a rock band together and this is the story of what happens. It’s very funny. I believe that when it was shown in the US there were subtitles as the accents are so strong. By the way, the language will be quite strong, so I hope you’re not too easily offended. (It’s very funny.)
While Ireland has been used as a location for film making it has not been making many big films on its own account.
Do I recommend, “The Scroll Thief”? Well, I haven’t read it yet, so I don’t have an opinion. Let me quote the final words on the back cover.
“Warning: Contains scenes of graphic violence and torture, captivating magic and beauty, two dashing heroes, three gutsy heroines, several love stories and a heartbreaking sacrifice.”
When I have had a chance to read some of it I will let you know what I think. The piece Ruth read at the launch was interesting. It is romantic fantasy with adventure in a made up land, and a city based on some of the towns of Malta.
Halloween is quite big here. The children are off school already for what is called half-term break. Traditionally we would have had fireworks on Halloween, but due to various security and safety laws, these are not readily available, legally. Children will call at houses looking for treats. When I grew up it was never called “Trick or Treat” but is now, primarily due to the influence of American TV shows.
Last year a lot of the houses in our estate were decorated for the evening and little expense was spared. I suspect people may not be as lavish this year.
People dress up and have parties and we sacrifice virgins at midnight. (Only joking about sacrificing virgins. We sacrifice anyone who comes along. Bwahahaha…!)
My eldest son is writing a detective scenario for us all to have a murder mystery dinner party on Halloween night after my youngest son returns with his stash of sweets (candies). He is casting us all as famous detectives. My wife is to be Agatha Christie’s Miss Marple, my youngest son will be Horatio from CSI, and I am to dress up as Columbo.
Will you be having a party or other event?
All the best.
Peter
No, no party, and our house is located on a street that causes only three (at the most) trick-or-treaters, so I may stroll once down the main trick-or-treating street to feel like it is a holiday. I have always loved Halloween, and trick-or-treated long past the cut-off age. Now, every year, I try to say I won't dress up, but every Halloween, I find myself drizzling fake blood down my face and becoming a dead *fill in the blank*. I've wanted to go as Rosemary from
Rosemary's Baby for years, but always put it off to the last moment, and so I have no black pram to push, which I think is a necessary prop to pull of the costume. :)
Your party sounds fantastic. :)
Thank you for the list of recommendations. I was going to ask you what you thought of the 2002 film *Bloody Sunday*.
I certainly agree that it's a wonder how people write about locations they've never been to, especially since even looking at tourism magazines provides an incredibly superficial and slanted picture of a location. And to write from that, with any depth, would be incredibly difficult if even possible since the result would be applying what one knows about an actual place to that place, which means assumptions of similarities, etc.
I suppose it's not that a person shouldn't write about books they loathe, but that the person should do it in a way that doesn't draw attention to the loathing. That is, where the person can articulate the loathing without having to say the word or use images of loathing. I think that's what I meant. Ah, where the review of a movie or song or story isn't just the sound of booooooo or thumbs down no explanation as to why. I guess it's that I don't expect that anyone would purposely write a bad song, so even if the song ends up being bad, it will be as shocking the the songwriter as it is the crowd, perhaps. :)
Cheers,
Erin
I also love Halloween. My memories of this time of year include: the days being dry but dull; the atmosphere taking on a spent gunpowder smell; building up my firework collection for the big night; getting a turnip and carving out the centre and cutting a face to make a lantern (we didn’t have pumpkins); setting off fireworks in the back garden; dunking for apples (apples floating in a basin of water and you have to eat them with your hands tied behind your back); eating apples suspended from the ceiling by a string, again with your hands behind your back; fun…
“Bloody Sunday” was a very accurate representation of the real events. James Nesbitt did a great job playing Ivan Cooper. They really captured the era and the clothing was accurate. I don’t feel inclined to show photos of myself from then.
There was part of the film where the local police chief, Chief Superintendent Lagan tried to stop the paras from going in hard. I was at school in Belfast with that policeman’s son and I remember them moving to Derry when his father was transferred.
I think writing about locations one hasn’t been to is a minefield, unless you can do detailed research, or get someone who has been to the location concerned to have a quick read over the work. I know it’s a trivial detail, but when I read something in a book, or see something on the screen, that is about something or somewhere I know, it really distracts me from the story if the details are very wrong.
I must go and do some reading now. I’ve had only 40 pages to read in my book for the past three days and just can’t seem to get to it.
Bye for now.
Peter
Hello to anyone reading this chat! You're more than welcome to jump in at any time if you're up for it. :)
Anyway, I should have shared this earlier, but here's a recent story/poem of mine appearing in Dogzplot; I put it forward since it seems right for the ever-nearing Halloween:
http://dogzplotfiction.blogspot.com/2009...:)
Erin
OK! "The Floating Order" is now in my library. More anon.
:) :)
It's the last day of your chat on Librarything, so I want to say a few words about the stories I've read from "The Floating Order". So far I've read: "The Only Child"; "Skeletons/My Fourth Birthday/Hell is Channel Three"; "Why Jimmy"; "Stay"; "And Yet"; "Rabbits".
I've enjoyed them all, so, anyone reading this can take my advice and go get their hands on a copy of, "The Floating Order".
The common points I have found are: Children (both young and old); The child's point of view; Lateral thinking; Dream like logic and linkages; Darkness; Flowing prose; Good English; ...
Good luck!
Thanks, Peter! And, thanks to ablachly and LibraryThing for having me these past two weeks. It has been a pleasure.
Happy Halloween Peter, and Happy Halloween to anyone else who might read this. :)
And now I must find my fake blood. . .
Cheers,
Erin Pringle
hELLO TO ERIN
THANKS FOR VISITING ME ON MY CHAT LINE.
AND HAPPY HALLOWEEN TO YOU TOO
MY FAVORITE VAMPIRE IS BARNABAS COLLINS OF DARK SHADOWS.
TAKE CARE AND SO NICE TO HEAR FROM YOU
IRENE BRODSKY
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