group discussion
topic:
Welcome >
Orientation
Comments
(showing 105-154)
post a comment »
Hi Nanette, glad to see you over here in Constant Reader. Everyone, Nanette is a poet. In fact, we both have poems in Sugar House Review right now.
Oh, I haven't read literary magazines for a long time. I especially used to like Zoetrope. Dave Eggers has a short story in this week's New Yorker Magazine. And, I did used to love being read to by my sons when they were little.
Thank you, ladies. Right now I'm just kind of hopping around through Charles Mackay's Extraordinary Popular Delusions and the Madness of Crowds. I like literary magazines a lot so I've been perusing the Iowa Review, Lapham's Quarterly and some recent Zoetropes I just finished What is the What by Dave Eggers. Having just started a second job and with my son in his very first year of school I haven't found a whole lot of down time to read lately. The nice thing is now my son is reading to me! Albeit they are picture books, but it's always nice to be read to.
Hey there fellow readers. I'm Heather, joined this forum awhile ago and I'm finally deciding to formally say hello. So, Hello!
And I did it! The luck try is Young MonaLisa by Fernando Botero (also known as Fat MonaLisa) by the way.
No luck with the line Ruth made of "Patchwork Quilt" either. Even with the change Sherry told me to make. Maybe the problem is the MoMa site. I shall try something else...
All right, I am trying to post images. Thanks for putting up with my experiment everyone.
I chose Full Fathom Five, by Pollock, MoMa collection as the guinea pig. Here it goes:
We love having you here, Liz. Just join in when you can. And, as Dottie said, we are always willing to talk more about Anna Karenina.
Welcome to CR, Liz and absolutely come join disucssions. and if you want to say something in response to any of the posts on Anna Karenina -- please do -- I'm sure someone would be glad to respond and talk a bit further.
Hi Liz, we'll be happy to see you whenever you want to join in any of the discussions. Totally Kosher. That's one of the beauties of this group.
I just read Anna Karenina all by myself this last month, but desperately needed someone to talk about it with. So I found your discussion of it and was SUPER impressed. As you said in this orientation, though people disagreed there was no flaming. It reminded me of my old days as an English major (during undergrad). And I realized how much I miss having intelligent discussions about such great works of literature. Though I can't really call my self a "constant reader," I've decided to join the group. I've always wanted to read A Portrait of a Lady and it is coming up in June? I believe I'll join that discussion but can't promise to be active in all the rest. Is that Kosher? And please, tell me if it's not.
I will definitely try to participate for "Ysrael" at the least--I recently read it and am teaching it in my class this semester. It made the cut after combing through PILES of anthologies.
Mention of the short story conference always elicits a comment of encouragement from me since I coordinate and love that list, Sonya. I hope you find time to participate a bit with us there. Currently, we are using the anthology The Art of the Story, edited by Daniel Halpern. But, every third story or so is available on the internet.
Also, we vote twice a year on books for our Classics list and Reading list. I frequently nominate books from my TBR stack.
Thank you, Barbara. I think so, too. I was struck when I saw Don Delillo's "The Names" on the bookshelf here, which I'd just recently read. It's not as well-known as "White Noise" or "Underworld" or "Falling Man" so the group piqued my interest. My nightstand pile is so high that it may be hard for me to keep up with the book discussions, but I love that there is a short story discussion, as well as the other topic areas.
Welcome from me too, Sonya. I took the liberty of looking at your profile. Your favorite books make me think that you are going to love it here.
Hi Ruth,Thanks for the welcome. I'm in the Bronx, NY. And sometimes in Wayne County, PA.
Ruth wrote: "Hi Sonya, welcome aboard. What part of the world are you in?
"
Hello Sherry, what a wonderful group--so well-organized, terrific titles (I love the mix of current, past, and classic). With all the different discussions going, I'm thankful for the easy navigation (not all groups are so user-friendly!). Look forward to participating.
Yoby wrote: "I think that part of the problem with text conversations is that we can't hear the tone of voice the message is written in. I could write something in a gentle calming voice, but if I have ruffled..."
Yes, by all means, post it there. I feel like I am getting cobwevs blown out of my brain by a good stiff breeze.
From Yoby: but some people thrive on a good debate - like playing verbal tiddly winks, nobody changes their mind, but it is energizing and lots of fun.
As a practicing curmudgeon, I must plead guilty to loving a spirited disagreement. I plead innocent, though, to the idea that I never change my mind. I try to be firm in my opinions while being open to counter opinions especially if they are backed up by some kind of factual information.
As a boss of mine once said, "Being flexible is fine, Ed, but don't be a wet noodle."
Yoby,
You're really neat.
" After all, none of us is getting out of this life alive - and we are all so tender, fallible, clod footed."
--Love that--and loved Dillard's quote--
Here's to the iconoclasts of the world!
Yoby yes -- and I would like you to copy the second part of your post into the thread on Creative Non-fiction in the constant Reader folder -- please -- we are continuing that discussion in its own thread there.
I think that part of the problem with text conversations is that we can't hear the tone of voice the message is written in. I could write something in a gentle calming voice, but if I have ruffled feathers, they could perceive it as harsh or as being put down or put in their place. I may be talking across as equals, but another may take it as egotism strutting it's stuff.
I know there are lots of times my feathers get ruffled - whether due to raging horomones or whatever.
I want to be treated courteously even when I sound paranoid and easily hurt, or when I sound like a superior egomaniac. After all, none of us is getting out of this life alive - and we are all so tender, fallible, clod footed.
As for creative non-fiction that used to be labeled "essays" - Zinsser did a series on different forms of writing, and in memoirs, I remember Annie Dillard saying how much you have to lie in memoirs, either by commission or omission, simply because the truth is too bizarre to be believed or too boring to be put up with.
Not on the same level as Frey or Glass, of course, but there is a lot of creative license.
It is how far they are allowed to go that is the problem. If you are describing a community or family or way of life, there is more license than on a political essay where to be truthful is so refreshingly honost.
I am trying to throw some oil on the waters here -
I know I have a hard hard time with strong debates pro or con anything, because I have always lived in such extreme communities and societies that never could comprehend that others might think differently out of true well considered beief and not out of stupidity or rebelliousness.
but some people thrive on a good debate - like playing verbal tiddly winks, nobody changes their mind, but it is energizing and lots of fun.
I do not fall into that catagory,
yet I am also not out to change the world anymore, too tired and did too much of it.
This Is my reward - waiting decades to be able finally to have coversations just like this.
Y
Yes, people here are usually nice. We just have to remember that we are criticizing books, and not each other.
No -- I would agree that this was not an instance of flaming. Nor do I think Jane intended her post to refer to this thread as such. But as Ruth pointed out -- it was a reminder that the group is not one to put up with flaming should it occur. Being a group online and out on the web as long as this group has been, that is something which quickly became policy.
I would actually venture to say that in our time thus far on GoodReads we have experienced fewer incidents than in our past homes where we had less traffic at times than we have had here. Perhaps those who find us dull simply move to another group ;) but whatever the reason -- we are not difficult to get along with -- but we do like calm discourse -- and keep the flame throwers in the holsters -- hee-hee.
Ruth wrote: "Kathryn wrote: "Jane, there has been no flaming. Why is everyone's first knee-jerk reaction to go about tsk-tsking? It never hurts to have an occasional reminder."
As a relatively new member of the Group, I suspect there has been some abuse in the past. Personally, I would not characterize any of the posts in this thread as flaming. In my opinion, there is often a very indistinct line between disagreement and "flaming".
I also discovered in another group that one of my lame attempts at ironic humor was misconstrued as flaming. I think irony is a recognized form of literature and is meant to gently poke fun without being insulting.
If someone needs protection from perceived attacks, I think they should take responsibility and ask for the offender to stop. If the negative discourse goes on, then the monitors can and should step in.
In other venues, whenever I wanted to direct my comments at someone personally, I sent them a message directly to their mailbox and didn't try to work it out on the message board.
We have that option, here in GR.
Kathryn wrote: "Jane, there has been no flaming. Why is everyone's first knee-jerk reaction to go about tsk-tsking? It never hurts to have an occasional reminder.
Kathryn wrote: "Jane, there has been no flaming. Why is everyone's first knee-jerk reaction to go about tsk-tsking?
Dottie, creative nonfiction is loosely defined as the "truth" (as such, when written, aside ..."
I just started a new thread for this under Constant Reader here...
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/9680...
Jane, there has been no flaming. Why is everyone's first knee-jerk reaction to go about tsk-tsking?
Dottie, creative nonfiction is loosely defined as the "truth" (as such, when written, aside from submissions to the court system could ever be defined as absolute ever) as told from the point of view of the writer, about events or thoughts that took place in real life, where the writer is free to tell such truth from his/her POV and imbue such text with said POV, that is, make the POV a part of the story.
Simply put, is is a true story or collection of thoughts about things that are not invented. Another word for it is "essay."
Yoby wrote: "Yes, some of our writing quirks are irritating, but also funny. I sometimes put so many entences within sentences that it feels like I am putting together a set of those Russian nesting dolls. Th..."
Roth made me feel like I was reading a never ending sentence! I had to dig through all the extra words to get to the really good things he had to say.
Oh, by the way, you can find me under Yoby Yoby on MySpace and Facebook - though please remind me where I know you from so I will know to add you as a friend.
Also, on iTunesU they have college lectures from everywhere (have listened my way through Seattle Pacific University and am on Stanford who has great author talks.) You don't even have to have an ipod, but can listen to them right on the computor, and the lectures are free.
Let's add another place just for that, where to listen to our favorite authors online -
and, did someone mention we talk about art on here? Where?
I'm rattling on today. I feel like I just won the lotto or something.
Y (Goodnight)
Yes, some of our writing quirks are irritating, but also funny. I sometimes put so many entences within sentences that it feels like I am putting together a set of those Russian nesting dolls. The ends of my sentences will look like this: }]}]}]}]}]}]))).
I know some writers put stories within stories within sotries - Italo Calvino's On a Winter's Night a Traveler; 1001 Nights; anything by Kurt Vonnegut - but I have yet to find the sentence within a sentence thing except for the very long sentences of Henry James.
We ought to do something on writing/quirks bad habits, and find out which authors we picked it up from.
Probably another thread.
Y
Yoby, I do the parenthesis thing too. It just seems to come natural and unnoticed when I am typing, but I notice it whenever I later happen to read any of my posts and it irks me! But I seem to keep doing it anyway . . .Theresa
Oh my! Now I am afraid I'll mess it up some day soon by shooting off my mouth or quoting the right book but with the wrong title or something that will really make me look like an idiot (do you think if I hurry and do it on purpose it will ward off the evil eye?)
All of you are so nice I'm afraid of getting a big head (did I ever mention my husband calls me punkin head?)
LOL
Y
PS I know I do that parenthesis thing, that is as bad as ee cummings everything in small letters. But it isn't style, just laziness. Need to get out my sentence structure book and get to work.
Yoby said: So, Bother! I'll just be me and quit being intimidated by snobs! Maybe I'm one myself, a snob against snobs, like being prejudiced against prejudiced people.
That made me giggle! And I think Goodreads is full of readers of all kinds -- those with the multiple degrees of higher education and those without but all of those who truly are more interested in the books and talking about them are for me the "bait" in this "trap" (both of those words meant in the best sense, of course). And Yoby, I'm going to risk it and say that in my opinion you are a lively addition to the best group on GoodReads -- I can say that since Constant Reader was my group long before the group came and settled on GoodReads -- and that doesn't mean I haven't found other great groups on GoodReads because I have and I'm very nearly as fond of some of those groups as I am of this one.
I think in the second half of my life, I just enjoy the books. I so wanted to impress people with my ability to keep up with the academics that it became a wall I hid behind with my big secret - It wasn't about being smarter or more intelligent - I just like the damn books. I covet them, lust after them, hide them all over the place like chocolates or secret lovers. My purse is so big and heavy because of all the books and journals, that I have the name of "the bag lady" and have to have an extra chair beside me just for it - like people carrying their babies around in those gigantic plastic car/seat/cradle combos. I've got great shoulder muscles.
I realized I was defensive - because snobbism works both ways, it can come up at you from below with the anti-intellectualists (Levin, for those of you reading Anna) and intellectualists (Levin's older brother)
So, Bother! I'll just be me and quit being intimidated by snobs! Maybe I'm one myself, a snob against snobs, like being prejudiced against prejudiced people.
Believe me, Yoby, I learned far more from independent reading (and continue to do so) than I learned in all my college classes. It can be a bit lonely though. Not here...somebody's always around to exchange view with.
...but right now it looks pretty evenly distributed..Yoby, this is a good thing! You gave yourself a great Liberal Arts education.
I must admit, most of the people whose conversations I have found interesting are because they had More books than I did and had read more than I did were Masters and PHd/s, but around them I felt like a self-conscious syncophant. I think I am just going to have to get over that and figure out what all these years of reading have given me - what my area of expertise is. I guess it would be what I had the most books of - but right now it looks pretty evenly distributed.
You know, that would sound like bragging anywhere else, but I secretly know by all of your bookshelves listed that you are as bad as I am, just don't have as much room to store them, or money over the years, but have read as much if not more than I had.
That has done so much to vanish my feelinng of oddness and loneliness.
thank God!
Wilhelmina wrote: "Yoby, your post was just wonderful! It seems that you have given yourself a far broader education than many people with advanced degrees. I've been a part of this group for less than a year, but it..."I read somewhere that if a person were to read the NY Times from front to back every day they would end up with a better education in four years than if they went to college. I believe that.
unread topics | mark unread
