Chapter 1 of The Association (Annotated)
Not sure how this will look on blogger, but I'm giving it a go.
Two figures stood like cameos in the porch light of a house built in another age, their breath visible in the cold air. The house was large and ornate, having been built for one of Baraboo Wisconsin’s most notable citizens as an embodiment of his wealth and prominence. Anyone who once walked past this house would surely have known him, at least through reputation. His name is still to be found about the town, etched upon plaques that attest to his donations of land for parks, additions for buildings, stained glass windows of a local church.But few in the town now have any memory of the man. Even the imposing structure in which he lived seems to have become so familiar with age that it was barely noticed, and the current owner was able to live there in relative anonymity. [L1]Something very large can somehow be unnoticed. A recurring motif. [L2] While I always write from a restricted point of view, I occasionally like to intermingle author Point of View with character POV. Here I try to give it a cinematic effect, having the camera slowly swoop in from an establishing shot into a more personal view. [L3]I appreciate work done not just for a paycheck but done with legitimate passion and pride. And ambition. People seemed to make things with an eye to the future back then, now they make things with an eye towards profit. This is me saying I have pride in what I make, I have an obligation to those who have taught me my trade. Of course, it also applies to the characters in the book, who are looking for a connection to truth and not merely trying to fit in to the environment they find themselves in. [L4]A reintroduction to characters from the last book. [L5]A personal rejection of what is popular in favor of what is enduring. [L6]Like the evergreens, we see something that was once in its prime, yet is still impressive in advanced age. [L7]Magic, a major motif in the book and the series. [L8]A lesser motif (something so big and yet unseen) and a larger motif (magic) merged. [L9]Escape, another major motif, related to magic. [L10]Again, something that is in plain view and should be obvious is not noticed. [L11]I’m not sure why I included this but I liked it. I think when writing, one does not have to know why something effects one the way it does. [L12]The distance that television provides is ? [L13]Russell is the first casualty shown of what can happen to one who strays too far out from the safety of the herd mentality. [L14]I’m not a hundred percent sure if Dave and Mindy should trust Doug at this point. Therefore I’m playing his character as a little vague, and yet always having perfectly logical reasons for his vagueness. [L15]It is so easy for us to find simple answers to complex problems that we don’t want to let go of them even when the answers we hold are not only insufficient but actively harming us. [L16]Unlike typical books dealing with magic, each of the characters in this book have a power that deals only with perception. Nobody can make a twig turn into a snake, or levitate things with their mind. Rather, it is the power we as human beings acquire as a result of seeing life more perfectly. [L17]Seeing beyond the times and attitudes that surround you can give you power that others do not comprehend. It is not in their universe. Plato’s allegory of the cave, which shall be discussed. [L18]Mindy has experienced everything Dave has, but she does not consider the idea that having perceived she too will acquire abilities as a result of perception. [L19]Fear is the natural barrier to understanding. [L20]As soon as we believe we understand a person or an object or an idea, we cease to question it. It has become a static thing rather than a dynamic one. And in reality, there is no such thing as static. Nor is there such a thing as a complete understanding of anything. [L21]After three books, I see that choosing current day oddity of thought might not be the easiest way to get my point across. In my book, Seven Stones, I deal with the same issue in the year 1913, where it is really easy to point out the absurdities that people of a certain era can ascribe to. Unfortunately, it’s easier to see such things in others than see it in ourselves or our times. [L22]Consciousness exists on a group level as well as an individual level. We tend not to admit that. So much of who we are depends upon what the group we are in determines we should be. [L23]A fool’s paradise does not last, and we are all fools compared to a universe as vast as ours. [L24]Group think. Also relates to the idea of ruts from the last book, Perchance To Dream. [L25]Johnny’s opinion stems from the fact that he’s always considered himself an outsider. [L26]How many people have been killed because they happen to perceive the world somewhat differently than the ruling class does? Sometimes those distinctions can be quite tiny. [L27]Our current world is more homogenous than at any time in our history. The reasons for this are: 1. We are more alienated from the natural world, thereby stripping us of the common sense needed to live in that world. 2. The success of capitalism is unlike anything seen before. Never before in our history has so much changed with so little thought. 3. Mass communication has been able to propagandize us in a way before undreamed of. [L28]I don’t think it’s possible to overestimate the power that advertisement has had on shaping our behaviors. The new field of psychology revolutionized propaganda. [L29]The old story of the three blind men describing an elephant by the part they were able to feel. [L30]The mass media does not mention spirituality. Why would it? Who would profit from such a discussion?
Two figures stood like cameos in the porch light of a house built in another age, their breath visible in the cold air. The house was large and ornate, having been built for one of Baraboo Wisconsin’s most notable citizens as an embodiment of his wealth and prominence. Anyone who once walked past this house would surely have known him, at least through reputation. His name is still to be found about the town, etched upon plaques that attest to his donations of land for parks, additions for buildings, stained glass windows of a local church.But few in the town now have any memory of the man. Even the imposing structure in which he lived seems to have become so familiar with age that it was barely noticed, and the current owner was able to live there in relative anonymity. [L1]Something very large can somehow be unnoticed. A recurring motif. [L2] While I always write from a restricted point of view, I occasionally like to intermingle author Point of View with character POV. Here I try to give it a cinematic effect, having the camera slowly swoop in from an establishing shot into a more personal view. [L3]I appreciate work done not just for a paycheck but done with legitimate passion and pride. And ambition. People seemed to make things with an eye to the future back then, now they make things with an eye towards profit. This is me saying I have pride in what I make, I have an obligation to those who have taught me my trade. Of course, it also applies to the characters in the book, who are looking for a connection to truth and not merely trying to fit in to the environment they find themselves in. [L4]A reintroduction to characters from the last book. [L5]A personal rejection of what is popular in favor of what is enduring. [L6]Like the evergreens, we see something that was once in its prime, yet is still impressive in advanced age. [L7]Magic, a major motif in the book and the series. [L8]A lesser motif (something so big and yet unseen) and a larger motif (magic) merged. [L9]Escape, another major motif, related to magic. [L10]Again, something that is in plain view and should be obvious is not noticed. [L11]I’m not sure why I included this but I liked it. I think when writing, one does not have to know why something effects one the way it does. [L12]The distance that television provides is ? [L13]Russell is the first casualty shown of what can happen to one who strays too far out from the safety of the herd mentality. [L14]I’m not a hundred percent sure if Dave and Mindy should trust Doug at this point. Therefore I’m playing his character as a little vague, and yet always having perfectly logical reasons for his vagueness. [L15]It is so easy for us to find simple answers to complex problems that we don’t want to let go of them even when the answers we hold are not only insufficient but actively harming us. [L16]Unlike typical books dealing with magic, each of the characters in this book have a power that deals only with perception. Nobody can make a twig turn into a snake, or levitate things with their mind. Rather, it is the power we as human beings acquire as a result of seeing life more perfectly. [L17]Seeing beyond the times and attitudes that surround you can give you power that others do not comprehend. It is not in their universe. Plato’s allegory of the cave, which shall be discussed. [L18]Mindy has experienced everything Dave has, but she does not consider the idea that having perceived she too will acquire abilities as a result of perception. [L19]Fear is the natural barrier to understanding. [L20]As soon as we believe we understand a person or an object or an idea, we cease to question it. It has become a static thing rather than a dynamic one. And in reality, there is no such thing as static. Nor is there such a thing as a complete understanding of anything. [L21]After three books, I see that choosing current day oddity of thought might not be the easiest way to get my point across. In my book, Seven Stones, I deal with the same issue in the year 1913, where it is really easy to point out the absurdities that people of a certain era can ascribe to. Unfortunately, it’s easier to see such things in others than see it in ourselves or our times. [L22]Consciousness exists on a group level as well as an individual level. We tend not to admit that. So much of who we are depends upon what the group we are in determines we should be. [L23]A fool’s paradise does not last, and we are all fools compared to a universe as vast as ours. [L24]Group think. Also relates to the idea of ruts from the last book, Perchance To Dream. [L25]Johnny’s opinion stems from the fact that he’s always considered himself an outsider. [L26]How many people have been killed because they happen to perceive the world somewhat differently than the ruling class does? Sometimes those distinctions can be quite tiny. [L27]Our current world is more homogenous than at any time in our history. The reasons for this are: 1. We are more alienated from the natural world, thereby stripping us of the common sense needed to live in that world. 2. The success of capitalism is unlike anything seen before. Never before in our history has so much changed with so little thought. 3. Mass communication has been able to propagandize us in a way before undreamed of. [L28]I don’t think it’s possible to overestimate the power that advertisement has had on shaping our behaviors. The new field of psychology revolutionized propaganda. [L29]The old story of the three blind men describing an elephant by the part they were able to feel. [L30]The mass media does not mention spirituality. Why would it? Who would profit from such a discussion?
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