Victor D. Infante's Blog, page 169
July 24, 2012
Scavenger Hunt on Infinite Earths ... THE UPDATE!!!!
Okey-doke. It looks like we have enough tentative interest out there to play! So what follows is a guideline as to how SCAVENGER HUNT ON INFINITE EARTHS will work. I say "guideline" because, really? The rules here are pretty amorphous. As I've said before, it's more Calvinball than anything else. What follows is some Frequently Asked Questions, which I will add to as questions get asked. So ask away!
What is Scavenger Hunt on Infinite Earths?: SHOIE (Wow, that's a lousy acronym!) is a role-playing game, of sorts, wherein each player takes on the role of a character from fiction, history, real life or, in some brave cases, simply themselves. The conceit is that the characters are gathered by a cosmic force (who is almost certainly not the goddess Eris in disguise!), split into teams and sent on a quest across the multiverse to gather up items of historical, cosmic and, in some cases, inexplicable interest.
When will the game take place?: The game will begin on Saturday, August 4 and end Sunday, Sept. 2. You have until right up when the game starts to declare a character.
What skills will be helpful to play? Writing, first and foremost. It's a game about storytelling, after all. A working knowledge of pop culture, literature and/or cinema will be handy. You're split into teams because no one knows everything, so you can split up duties, which means a certain degree of being able to work with a group is helpful. Lastly, social media skills can bring you great advantages.
How do I choose a character?: You can play any character you wish. The previous incarnation of this game had characters from comic books, television, Greek mythology, anime and more. Want to play Wonder Woman? Sure! Want to play the Christopher Nolan version of Batman? Go for it! Want to play your favorite deceased U.S. president, William Howard Taft? I can't think of a reason why you wouldn't! Want to play esteemed Ohio poet and organizer Scott Woods? I have no problem with that, as long as A.) Scott's not in the game and playing himself, and B.) You're not doing anything to make Scott angry. There are really only two rules when it comes to choosing a character: 1.) There can be only one in the game (so you can't, say, play the pre-"Flashpoint" version of Batman if someone has already claimed the Nolan version); and 2.) You cannot libel the living. We're doing this for fun, not to be horrible to anyone. Even if you find libel fun. Characters can be claimed on a first-come basis, beginning NOW. If you want to claim a character, leave a comment on this post, identifying who you are, and who you're playing. As you have probably figured out by now, it's not necessarily an advantage to play the most powerful character. Someone playing Gregory House is just as likely to win as someone playing Thor. Go with whomever you think you'll have the most fun playing.
Can I play an original character?: Certainly. Just do us all a favor and give us a little bit of background, so we have an idea what we're in for.
Can I play more than one character?: Let me get back to you on that. It depends on how many players it looks like we have.
How is the game played?: Early on Aug. 4, the Moderator will post an introductory post either here or on a designated blog (not sure yet, but the link will definitely be here) which will set the scene and provide the first list of items for the quest. (Supplementary items may appear as the game goes on.) Players will kibitz with their teams, split up duties, and then proceed to tell the stories of their character's quest for random strange objects.
How and where do I tell stories?: There is no proscribed location or format for the how or where the story is told. You can write it on your own blog. You can create a blog special for the purpose. You can put it on a note in Facebook. You can do it in a series of Tweets. It doesn't matter. All that matters is that you tell the story, and then post a link to the story in the game's central "treasure vault," which will be revealed at the game's start. So, if you're playing Harry Potter, and your character is seeking Darth Vader's light saber, you can create a blog for Harry, and tell that story there, or you can create a Twitter account, and describe the event in capsules, or just write out the thing on your personal blog.Whatever you're most comfortable with. Caveat: If you post your story somewhere you have no control over, say, the comments section of the Washington Post, and a moderator there either deletes it or declines to allow it to be published to the Web, you're out of luck
Won't there be random passers-by and commenters in some of those places?: There will indeed. Treat them as a natural hazard. You can either interact with or avoid the world at large, at your choosing.
Can I use a character from a game I'm already playing?: Yes! In fact, you can even have your posts for this game inside another game! The only caveat to this is: DON'T MESS UP SOMEONE ELSE'S GAME! If you annoy the mods at, say, some of the more popular DC and Marvel Comics-based games, I'll probably never hear the end of it. On the other hand, most of those people have pretty good senses of humor, so if you give them a heads up, it'll probably all be fine.
How is the game scored: Each team receives 10 points for each item found. 5 points will be deducted for shoddy storytelling. NO points will be given for ABSOLUTELY lame story (the, "I bought the Infinity Gauntlet at Target" scenario.) An extra 5 points will be awarded for exemplary storytelling, and lastly, an extra 10 points will be awarded for pulling off something UNBELIEVABLY cool. (For example, if your character's quest is to find Buffy the Vampire slayer's stake, and you somehow convince Buffy creator Joss Whedon to post a brief YouTube video explaining that your character, let's say Katniss Everdeen, won the stake by beating Buffy in an archery contest, then you will receive the maximum score of 20 points. Because let's face it. that would be awesome.
Can players collaborate with each other?: Yes! In fact, it's encouraged! You can either work together on a short story, or interact through Livejournal posts, or anything else more creative that you can think of! In fact, creative methods of collaboration may result in the Exemplary Storytelling Bonus!
Can my character start with any of the items on the list?: No. In fact, if they normally would have the item, it's gone missing, and they'll have to tell the story of getting it back. So there.
Who decides the points? The moderator (me) and possibly a panel of Super Cool Cosmically Aware judges. We're working on that.
What do I get if I win?: Uhm ... uhm ... love and admiration? The respect of your peers?A righting of the cosmic balance? We'll think of something.
In short: You can play (almost) anybody. You can play (almost) anywhere. It will be utterly madcap. Worlds will live. Worlds will die. The Internet will never be the same. It's gonna be awesome.
Got anymore questions? Leave a post! And again, feel free to reserve your character now.
What is Scavenger Hunt on Infinite Earths?: SHOIE (Wow, that's a lousy acronym!) is a role-playing game, of sorts, wherein each player takes on the role of a character from fiction, history, real life or, in some brave cases, simply themselves. The conceit is that the characters are gathered by a cosmic force (who is almost certainly not the goddess Eris in disguise!), split into teams and sent on a quest across the multiverse to gather up items of historical, cosmic and, in some cases, inexplicable interest.
When will the game take place?: The game will begin on Saturday, August 4 and end Sunday, Sept. 2. You have until right up when the game starts to declare a character.
What skills will be helpful to play? Writing, first and foremost. It's a game about storytelling, after all. A working knowledge of pop culture, literature and/or cinema will be handy. You're split into teams because no one knows everything, so you can split up duties, which means a certain degree of being able to work with a group is helpful. Lastly, social media skills can bring you great advantages.
How do I choose a character?: You can play any character you wish. The previous incarnation of this game had characters from comic books, television, Greek mythology, anime and more. Want to play Wonder Woman? Sure! Want to play the Christopher Nolan version of Batman? Go for it! Want to play your favorite deceased U.S. president, William Howard Taft? I can't think of a reason why you wouldn't! Want to play esteemed Ohio poet and organizer Scott Woods? I have no problem with that, as long as A.) Scott's not in the game and playing himself, and B.) You're not doing anything to make Scott angry. There are really only two rules when it comes to choosing a character: 1.) There can be only one in the game (so you can't, say, play the pre-"Flashpoint" version of Batman if someone has already claimed the Nolan version); and 2.) You cannot libel the living. We're doing this for fun, not to be horrible to anyone. Even if you find libel fun. Characters can be claimed on a first-come basis, beginning NOW. If you want to claim a character, leave a comment on this post, identifying who you are, and who you're playing. As you have probably figured out by now, it's not necessarily an advantage to play the most powerful character. Someone playing Gregory House is just as likely to win as someone playing Thor. Go with whomever you think you'll have the most fun playing.
Can I play an original character?: Certainly. Just do us all a favor and give us a little bit of background, so we have an idea what we're in for.
Can I play more than one character?: Let me get back to you on that. It depends on how many players it looks like we have.
How is the game played?: Early on Aug. 4, the Moderator will post an introductory post either here or on a designated blog (not sure yet, but the link will definitely be here) which will set the scene and provide the first list of items for the quest. (Supplementary items may appear as the game goes on.) Players will kibitz with their teams, split up duties, and then proceed to tell the stories of their character's quest for random strange objects.
How and where do I tell stories?: There is no proscribed location or format for the how or where the story is told. You can write it on your own blog. You can create a blog special for the purpose. You can put it on a note in Facebook. You can do it in a series of Tweets. It doesn't matter. All that matters is that you tell the story, and then post a link to the story in the game's central "treasure vault," which will be revealed at the game's start. So, if you're playing Harry Potter, and your character is seeking Darth Vader's light saber, you can create a blog for Harry, and tell that story there, or you can create a Twitter account, and describe the event in capsules, or just write out the thing on your personal blog.Whatever you're most comfortable with. Caveat: If you post your story somewhere you have no control over, say, the comments section of the Washington Post, and a moderator there either deletes it or declines to allow it to be published to the Web, you're out of luck
Won't there be random passers-by and commenters in some of those places?: There will indeed. Treat them as a natural hazard. You can either interact with or avoid the world at large, at your choosing.
Can I use a character from a game I'm already playing?: Yes! In fact, you can even have your posts for this game inside another game! The only caveat to this is: DON'T MESS UP SOMEONE ELSE'S GAME! If you annoy the mods at, say, some of the more popular DC and Marvel Comics-based games, I'll probably never hear the end of it. On the other hand, most of those people have pretty good senses of humor, so if you give them a heads up, it'll probably all be fine.
How is the game scored: Each team receives 10 points for each item found. 5 points will be deducted for shoddy storytelling. NO points will be given for ABSOLUTELY lame story (the, "I bought the Infinity Gauntlet at Target" scenario.) An extra 5 points will be awarded for exemplary storytelling, and lastly, an extra 10 points will be awarded for pulling off something UNBELIEVABLY cool. (For example, if your character's quest is to find Buffy the Vampire slayer's stake, and you somehow convince Buffy creator Joss Whedon to post a brief YouTube video explaining that your character, let's say Katniss Everdeen, won the stake by beating Buffy in an archery contest, then you will receive the maximum score of 20 points. Because let's face it. that would be awesome.
Can players collaborate with each other?: Yes! In fact, it's encouraged! You can either work together on a short story, or interact through Livejournal posts, or anything else more creative that you can think of! In fact, creative methods of collaboration may result in the Exemplary Storytelling Bonus!
Can my character start with any of the items on the list?: No. In fact, if they normally would have the item, it's gone missing, and they'll have to tell the story of getting it back. So there.
Who decides the points? The moderator (me) and possibly a panel of Super Cool Cosmically Aware judges. We're working on that.
What do I get if I win?: Uhm ... uhm ... love and admiration? The respect of your peers?A righting of the cosmic balance? We'll think of something.
In short: You can play (almost) anybody. You can play (almost) anywhere. It will be utterly madcap. Worlds will live. Worlds will die. The Internet will never be the same. It's gonna be awesome.
Got anymore questions? Leave a post! And again, feel free to reserve your character now.
July 22, 2012
The return of ... SCAVENGER HUNT ON INFINITE EARTHS!?!?!?
Attention: fan-fic writers, role-playing gamers, writers willing to spend some time being silly and good-natured folks of all strips up for a lark.
So ... it's like this. In 2005, I perpetrated the silliest thing I have ever done on the Internet. In the Internet community Sages of Chaos, which is one of those online role-playing game communities, where people play a wide variety of fictional characters, I set the players out on a game called Scavenger Hunt on Infinite Earths , wherein people playing characters such as The Black Panther, Bill from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Deadpool, The Shade, Milk & Cheese and The Cheshire Cat from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland scoured the the multiverse for a number of rare items, including the contents of the lost Library of Atlantis, on microfiche; A compression coil for a Firefly class transport vehicle and the original text of the Shanshu Prophecy. They were set off on their quest by The Monitor, from DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths, who was revealed eventually to be the Goddess Eris, in disguise. It was all very silly. There were more than a thousand posts, all told. It was much, much fun.
At the time, I said I'd do it again someday. And ... well ... I'm kind of up for it again. But Sages of Chaos seems a bit quit these days. But I think it can still be done, just as ridiculous as the first time, but maybe with a tad more structure. (Which is to say, some structure.)
I've got ideas. If I can get a dozen people that are interested in playing a silly game that will involve some rather outlandish storytelling, I'm willing to do it again.
Still sketching out rules, but here's the rough outline:
1.) Characters: Players can play any character from fiction or real life, including themselves or a character of their own invention. Once we know who's playing, they'll be split randomly into teams. (Real-life characters may be disallowed if it appears there is an intention to libel living people.) THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE OF EACH CHARACTER IN THE GAME. So one Buffy, one Doctor, one Harry S. Truman. Whatever. First come, first serve. Claims can begin NOW.
2.) The Quest: Players will have to write out a story of how their character obtained the item on the scavenger hunt list. That story will have to be posted SOMEWHERE on the Internet. It doesn't matter where. They can create a blog for their character, post it in an open Facebook message, put it in a series of Tweets. Doesn't matter, so long as it's somewhere anyone can read it.
3.) Keeping score: Players will post a link to their narrative of their character in a designated blog post. The moderator (me) will keep a running tally, and post the scores per team once a week. (This time around, I figure it'll take about a month, so no one has to rush through writing things. Remember, the more you write, though, the more points you score.) Extra points will be awarded for particularly excellent storytelling, whether it be hilarious, gripping or whatever. Likewise, points will be deducted for lameness. (Writing, "I walked into Target and bought the Infinity Gauntlet" will get you no points, whatsoever.) I may enlist judges toward these last goals. Or possibly just take opinions. We'll see how it goes.)
All in all, it's meant to be fun, nerdy and silly. It's an exercise in both individual and collective storytelling. There will be an overarching narrative that will make less sense than a Rob Liefeld comic.
So. Whattaya say? Anyone up for some silliness?
So ... it's like this. In 2005, I perpetrated the silliest thing I have ever done on the Internet. In the Internet community Sages of Chaos, which is one of those online role-playing game communities, where people play a wide variety of fictional characters, I set the players out on a game called Scavenger Hunt on Infinite Earths , wherein people playing characters such as The Black Panther, Bill from Bill & Ted's Excellent Adventure, Deadpool, The Shade, Milk & Cheese and The Cheshire Cat from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland scoured the the multiverse for a number of rare items, including the contents of the lost Library of Atlantis, on microfiche; A compression coil for a Firefly class transport vehicle and the original text of the Shanshu Prophecy. They were set off on their quest by The Monitor, from DC Comics' Crisis on Infinite Earths, who was revealed eventually to be the Goddess Eris, in disguise. It was all very silly. There were more than a thousand posts, all told. It was much, much fun.
At the time, I said I'd do it again someday. And ... well ... I'm kind of up for it again. But Sages of Chaos seems a bit quit these days. But I think it can still be done, just as ridiculous as the first time, but maybe with a tad more structure. (Which is to say, some structure.)
I've got ideas. If I can get a dozen people that are interested in playing a silly game that will involve some rather outlandish storytelling, I'm willing to do it again.
Still sketching out rules, but here's the rough outline:
1.) Characters: Players can play any character from fiction or real life, including themselves or a character of their own invention. Once we know who's playing, they'll be split randomly into teams. (Real-life characters may be disallowed if it appears there is an intention to libel living people.) THERE CAN BE ONLY ONE OF EACH CHARACTER IN THE GAME. So one Buffy, one Doctor, one Harry S. Truman. Whatever. First come, first serve. Claims can begin NOW.
2.) The Quest: Players will have to write out a story of how their character obtained the item on the scavenger hunt list. That story will have to be posted SOMEWHERE on the Internet. It doesn't matter where. They can create a blog for their character, post it in an open Facebook message, put it in a series of Tweets. Doesn't matter, so long as it's somewhere anyone can read it.
3.) Keeping score: Players will post a link to their narrative of their character in a designated blog post. The moderator (me) will keep a running tally, and post the scores per team once a week. (This time around, I figure it'll take about a month, so no one has to rush through writing things. Remember, the more you write, though, the more points you score.) Extra points will be awarded for particularly excellent storytelling, whether it be hilarious, gripping or whatever. Likewise, points will be deducted for lameness. (Writing, "I walked into Target and bought the Infinity Gauntlet" will get you no points, whatsoever.) I may enlist judges toward these last goals. Or possibly just take opinions. We'll see how it goes.)
All in all, it's meant to be fun, nerdy and silly. It's an exercise in both individual and collective storytelling. There will be an overarching narrative that will make less sense than a Rob Liefeld comic.
So. Whattaya say? Anyone up for some silliness?
July 15, 2012
Ch-Ch-Ch-Changes ...
Heat and humidity usually completely demotivate me. Cleaning, on the other hand, tends to help me snap out of lethargy. Frankly, the act of, say, cleaning out my office, tends to make me feel like a healthier human being. It's probably a ritual thing, where throwing out accumulated garbage and putting my personal space in order helps me do the same to my head. Something like that.
Right now, the heat is doing a number on me, motivation-wise, so it's probably a good thing that the newspaper is moving next week. It's forced me to clean out my desk, and that's proven to be pretty damn cathartic. I move on Tuesday, but I did most of the packing Friday, throwing out years of paper and junk. I actually feel ready for a fresh start, and maybe this move will provide that. Or maybe not. Sometimes, change is just change.
In any case, here's a pic I took of the new newsroom, when I was over there the other day:
Admittedly, it's not very exciting. Still, it's clean and bright, and there are rather a lot of windows, which is nice. Right now, it's empty and sterile, but it's also a blank canvas. I'll miss the old place, with its odd caverns and nooks, but I'm hoping that, once we're in and everyone's back in the groove of putting out a newspaper, and the office is filled with the energy that comes with that sort of mania, this will eventually begin to feel like home. One lives in hope ...
June 29, 2012
The Pushcart Prize vs. The Internet: A Primer
It was the barf heard round the World, or at least around Facebook and Twitter. In the introduction to the 2012 Pushcart Prize anthology, publisher Bill Henderson wrote:
I have long railed against the e-book and instant Internet publication as damaging to writers. Instant anything is dangerous—great writing takes time. You should long to be as good as John Milton and Reynolds Price, not just barf into the electronic void.
Which, of course, caused a bit of a stir among electronic publications, with some deciding to abandon the Pushcart Prize, and others deciding to stick around and fight. Here's pretty much the key blog posts in the discussion.
Luna Park was probably the first to comment on the Pushcart introduction, responding with the sympathetic but concerned, "Is Something Missing from the Pushcart Prize?"
Then, things got serious, when in reaction to Henderson's remarks, Fox Chase Review declared, "We Will No Longer Nominate to The Pushcart Prize." This one went everywhere, and was the one that got people talking.
November Sky Poetry responded with, "Publish online and kiss your Pushcart goodbye." PoetCore responded to Fox Chase's walking away from the Pushcarts with "Why Does Pushcart Hate the Internet?"
Meanwhile, a number of us who edit and publish online literary journals were seriously considering following Fox Chase's lead. Indeed, I'm sure a few will, although I've found no real public declarations to that effect. Sometimes folks just leave quietly, without making a scene.
My style, of course, is to stay and make a scene anyway, which is what I did with "They Got the Guns, But we Got the Numbers: Why Radius Will Continue to Submit to the Pushcart Prize." Staying wasn't an easy decision. A lot of my instincts were screaming to chuck it all, but you know ... I've been finding myself on the opposite side of these "Establishment vs. X" squabbles for 20 years now, and I'm a little tired of it all. Anyway, it's all in the essay. And I mean it's all in the essay.
Most recently, the extremely talented Leslie McGrath has waded into the kerfuffle over at the Best American Poetry blog, where she's got a few words to say in defense of electronic publishing in, "Tart Pie Filling: The Pushcart Prize and Online Literary Magazines."
And that's about where we stand, although I suspect we've far from heard the last on the subject.
I have long railed against the e-book and instant Internet publication as damaging to writers. Instant anything is dangerous—great writing takes time. You should long to be as good as John Milton and Reynolds Price, not just barf into the electronic void.
Which, of course, caused a bit of a stir among electronic publications, with some deciding to abandon the Pushcart Prize, and others deciding to stick around and fight. Here's pretty much the key blog posts in the discussion.
Luna Park was probably the first to comment on the Pushcart introduction, responding with the sympathetic but concerned, "Is Something Missing from the Pushcart Prize?"
Then, things got serious, when in reaction to Henderson's remarks, Fox Chase Review declared, "We Will No Longer Nominate to The Pushcart Prize." This one went everywhere, and was the one that got people talking.
November Sky Poetry responded with, "Publish online and kiss your Pushcart goodbye." PoetCore responded to Fox Chase's walking away from the Pushcarts with "Why Does Pushcart Hate the Internet?"
Meanwhile, a number of us who edit and publish online literary journals were seriously considering following Fox Chase's lead. Indeed, I'm sure a few will, although I've found no real public declarations to that effect. Sometimes folks just leave quietly, without making a scene.
My style, of course, is to stay and make a scene anyway, which is what I did with "They Got the Guns, But we Got the Numbers: Why Radius Will Continue to Submit to the Pushcart Prize." Staying wasn't an easy decision. A lot of my instincts were screaming to chuck it all, but you know ... I've been finding myself on the opposite side of these "Establishment vs. X" squabbles for 20 years now, and I'm a little tired of it all. Anyway, it's all in the essay. And I mean it's all in the essay.
Most recently, the extremely talented Leslie McGrath has waded into the kerfuffle over at the Best American Poetry blog, where she's got a few words to say in defense of electronic publishing in, "Tart Pie Filling: The Pushcart Prize and Online Literary Magazines."
And that's about where we stand, although I suspect we've far from heard the last on the subject.
May 27, 2012
Happy Birthday, Lea!
I have been blessed to have spent the past 16 years with the smartest, funniest, most incredible person I have ever known. Happy birthday, Lea, and may your year be filled with love, art, adventure, great friends, good food and all the many little things that have made our life together so amazing.
May 24, 2012
Help Support the Best of Indie Literature New England
All right. This has been in the wind for a while, but here's the deal: The editors of a great number of New England-based indie lit journals, including Radius: Poetry From the Center to the Edge, Printer's Devil Review, Amethyst Arsenic, Meat for Tea, Naugatuck River Review, The Inman Review, Interrobang and Salacious, are working together to create an anthology showcase of the best of independent New England poetry and fiction. It's an amazing project, but to get it off the ground, we're going to need some help. Please, take a look, and if you're inclined, please use this as an opportunity to reserve your copy in advance, or if you can, throw in a little extra to help support independent literature. These are all journals that work without corporate or institutional backing, so every bit helps! If you have any questions, please feel free to ask!
To learn more and to donate, please visit our Kickstarter page!
To learn more and to donate, please visit our Kickstarter page!
May 20, 2012
If You Make Art of Any Form, You Need to Watch This Video
I know it's everywhere, but Neil Gaiman's commencement speech to the Philadelphia's University of the Arts is essential viewing. It is everything I wish someone had told me when I was starting out, and everything I need to remind myself of constantly.
I nearly cried at points. Seriously. At times, I think he's describing my life. And then I realized that he's describing everyone's life, especially those of us who write or sing or paint for our living. I could go on, but between this and watching a particularly inspirational set by Regie Gibson down in Boston last night, I'm feeling energized and positive. Save it to say, sometimes I lose sight of the mountain. I don't want to do that anymore.
I nearly cried at points. Seriously. At times, I think he's describing my life. And then I realized that he's describing everyone's life, especially those of us who write or sing or paint for our living. I could go on, but between this and watching a particularly inspirational set by Regie Gibson down in Boston last night, I'm feeling energized and positive. Save it to say, sometimes I lose sight of the mountain. I don't want to do that anymore.
May 17, 2012
My wife is awesome
Lea has a short essay on
Poetry in Fairy Tales
up on the Penumbra blog, and you can read her poem
The Red Shoes
in Penumbra's latest electronic edition!
May 15, 2012
Culture as Word Association: Avengers Edition
In the wake of Avengers, and to a lesser degree, Cabin in the Woods, there's been a great deal of interest in what both Joss Whedon and Marvel studios will do next. Looks like Joss will be back for Avengers 2, and of course he has Much Ado about Nothing coming out soon, but already people are speculating what his next project will be. That doesn't surprise me, nor does it surprise me to see a new rise in interest in his older work, such as
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
. Whedon's the big deal right now, and the success of Avengers will likely lead a bunch of people back to his rather interesting body of work, all of which they can find easily enough these days, with the help of only Wikipedia and Netflix. No, none of this much surprises me.
I am, however, beginning to note the uptick in the number of conversations I've had recently about the unrelated British TV show, The Avengers, featuring spies Emma Peel and John Steed. (Indeed, a thinly-veiled Steed recently in the rocking little miniseries, Avengers: 1959. And now, I see Penelope Houston, of the legendary punk band called -- wait for it -- The Avengers -- has a new solo album out.
Coincidence, certainly, but people are funny creatures. Our line of attention is far more associative than it is linear. We suffer a trauma as a child and, by happenstance, there is a spider on the wall when it occurs. The spider played no part in the trauma, and yet, we end up with lifelong arachnophobia, because the brain works through associations. This is, in a lot of ways, how art, particularly interpretive arts such as poetry and painting, work, where the symbols and metaphors trigger a series of cultural and personal associations. But we do it all the time, with just about everything. Culture is a giant game of word association, and if that means a strange, circuitous boost for Ms. Houston's work, than I'm completely all right with that.
I am, however, beginning to note the uptick in the number of conversations I've had recently about the unrelated British TV show, The Avengers, featuring spies Emma Peel and John Steed. (Indeed, a thinly-veiled Steed recently in the rocking little miniseries, Avengers: 1959. And now, I see Penelope Houston, of the legendary punk band called -- wait for it -- The Avengers -- has a new solo album out.
Coincidence, certainly, but people are funny creatures. Our line of attention is far more associative than it is linear. We suffer a trauma as a child and, by happenstance, there is a spider on the wall when it occurs. The spider played no part in the trauma, and yet, we end up with lifelong arachnophobia, because the brain works through associations. This is, in a lot of ways, how art, particularly interpretive arts such as poetry and painting, work, where the symbols and metaphors trigger a series of cultural and personal associations. But we do it all the time, with just about everything. Culture is a giant game of word association, and if that means a strange, circuitous boost for Ms. Houston's work, than I'm completely all right with that.
May 13, 2012
Drive-by post ...
Listen to my wife read "Reunions with a Ghost," then read her thoughts on the poem on Radius!
