Sunday, November 19, 2006
American Gods
I'm rereading American Gods by Neil Gaiman. It's even better the second time around, and it was darned good the first. Some time after the first reading, my husband and I were in conversation and I said, "Do you remember that movie with the guy hanging from the tree?" He looked at me like I had two heads. That's when I realized I was talking about American Gods and that the writing had been so well done that I had envisioned it as a movie as I read it.
The second time through, I'm catching subtle things I didn't at first. I'm more keenly aware of the language. Gaiman's good with the metaphors and other literary devices. His tales are mythic, but with that sense that myth is a part of everyday life. I like that. I wonder if he believes in the supernatural. If he doesn't, he's doing a good job of faking it.
Back to this idea of American Gods as a movie: It'd be interesting if the Coen brothers would direct & produce it because they have a great sense of the quirky. I've been mentally trying to cast the piece, but the only character I can place an actor with is Mr. Nancy. I'd like to see him played by the guy who used to do the 7up commercials - the guy with the island accent, and the shiny white teeth that stood out against his dark skin and matched his white, white suit.
I can't figure out who should play Shadow, the main character. The best I can come up with is that he should be played by an unknown, because anyone else would be too recognizable to be a shadow.
The second time through, I'm catching subtle things I didn't at first. I'm more keenly aware of the language. Gaiman's good with the metaphors and other literary devices. His tales are mythic, but with that sense that myth is a part of everyday life. I like that. I wonder if he believes in the supernatural. If he doesn't, he's doing a good job of faking it.
Back to this idea of American Gods as a movie: It'd be interesting if the Coen brothers would direct & produce it because they have a great sense of the quirky. I've been mentally trying to cast the piece, but the only character I can place an actor with is Mr. Nancy. I'd like to see him played by the guy who used to do the 7up commercials - the guy with the island accent, and the shiny white teeth that stood out against his dark skin and matched his white, white suit.
I can't figure out who should play Shadow, the main character. The best I can come up with is that he should be played by an unknown, because anyone else would be too recognizable to be a shadow.
Labels: american gods, coen brothers, husband, movie, myth, neil gaiman, shadow, supernatural, writing
Saturday, October 28, 2006
Morganatic
I was flipping through my dictionary, making sure mythologize was truly a word, when I came across this gem:
which means "of, relating to, or being a marriage between a member of a royal or noble family and a person of inferior rank in which the rank of the inferior partner remains unchanged, and the children of the marriage do not succeed to the titles, fiefs, or entailed property of higher rank." (Merriam-Webster's Colliegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition)
I did not know such a thing could be summed up in just one word - and quite an interesting word at that.
Morganatic
which means "of, relating to, or being a marriage between a member of a royal or noble family and a person of inferior rank in which the rank of the inferior partner remains unchanged, and the children of the marriage do not succeed to the titles, fiefs, or entailed property of higher rank." (Merriam-Webster's Colliegiate Dictionary, Eleventh Edition)
I did not know such a thing could be summed up in just one word - and quite an interesting word at that.
Labels: dictionary, myth, word
Mythologize
I got a chance to write today. Everyone was efficient about pitching in on housework today, so all the everything that had to be done got done and I had some free time. Natch! I'm working on a new short story. When I'm working on a story, I try not to divulge the details before I have it done - ideally. If, however, it takes a while for a story to work itself out of me, then I'll let pieces out to a handful of trusted souls. The story I'm working on is too new, so, sorry, nothing to report yet. I can tell you this much . . .
(What follows relates. Trust me on this.)
I'm interested in the concept of mythologizing people. This idea came to me while crossing the river bridge some time in the past six months. I've been studying the history of the county for the last ten years through my job and the sheer repetition of particular details helps things stick. This led to that and that led to this, and then this happened, which changed everything, but not really. As I was driving across the river bridge, it dawned on me that the town was mythological in some sense. Myth arises from forgetting. Tell the story, but leave out some details. As the story gets handed down through time, only the striking parts of the story are left. In essence, the myth.
I've started seeing myself through this mythological lens. The glossing over, which we're all guilty of if we're honest with ourselves, leads to the myth of ourselves. I've written an essay about myself in the third person and, wooha!, does that make me feel strange. But it was fun, too.
So, this story I'm working on . . . it's my attempt to mythologize another person. That's all I'll say for now.
(What follows relates. Trust me on this.)
I'm interested in the concept of mythologizing people. This idea came to me while crossing the river bridge some time in the past six months. I've been studying the history of the county for the last ten years through my job and the sheer repetition of particular details helps things stick. This led to that and that led to this, and then this happened, which changed everything, but not really. As I was driving across the river bridge, it dawned on me that the town was mythological in some sense. Myth arises from forgetting. Tell the story, but leave out some details. As the story gets handed down through time, only the striking parts of the story are left. In essence, the myth.
I've started seeing myself through this mythological lens. The glossing over, which we're all guilty of if we're honest with ourselves, leads to the myth of ourselves. I've written an essay about myself in the third person and, wooha!, does that make me feel strange. But it was fun, too.
So, this story I'm working on . . . it's my attempt to mythologize another person. That's all I'll say for now.
Labels: bridge, essay, myth, river, story, writing
Friday, October 27, 2006
Fragile Things
I don't know what to write . . . I don't know what to write . . . I don't know what to write. I knew what I wanted to write yesterday, but the yester has passed and I didn't post then because I'm being strict about not spending every living moment in front of a glowing screen. Blogging has made me much more fond of pen and paper. Easier on the eyes, easier on the neck and shoulders.
Speaking of neck and shoulders, I finally found a new chiropractor who adjusted me the way my old chiropractor did - tweaking every little bone and joint - putting my ribs back into place (yes, ribs can go out) - loosening up my locked shoulder. After the adjustment, I just wanted to sleep. Haven't done that yet, although I did doze while reading Neil Gaiman's new collection of short stories, Fragile Things. Trust me, it wasn't the book that made me doze. I was fighting adjustment-induced sleepiness in order to finish reading a story. Gaiman's a fine writer. I love the tenor of his stories - all the mysticism, myth and creepiness, but not malicious in the way slasher films are. Gaiman has another collection of short stories, Smoke & Mirrors, that I equally enjoyed. He gives a brief explanation to each story in the intro. I find myself reading the explanation right before I dive into a story, which gives me a nice background to keep in mind - a frame of reference, if you will. Author explanations are fun. Period.
I aspire to Neil Gaiman's ability. Perhaps it will come to me as I dream . . . .
Speaking of neck and shoulders, I finally found a new chiropractor who adjusted me the way my old chiropractor did - tweaking every little bone and joint - putting my ribs back into place (yes, ribs can go out) - loosening up my locked shoulder. After the adjustment, I just wanted to sleep. Haven't done that yet, although I did doze while reading Neil Gaiman's new collection of short stories, Fragile Things. Trust me, it wasn't the book that made me doze. I was fighting adjustment-induced sleepiness in order to finish reading a story. Gaiman's a fine writer. I love the tenor of his stories - all the mysticism, myth and creepiness, but not malicious in the way slasher films are. Gaiman has another collection of short stories, Smoke & Mirrors, that I equally enjoyed. He gives a brief explanation to each story in the intro. I find myself reading the explanation right before I dive into a story, which gives me a nice background to keep in mind - a frame of reference, if you will. Author explanations are fun. Period.
I aspire to Neil Gaiman's ability. Perhaps it will come to me as I dream . . . .
Labels: fragile things, mysticism, myth, neil gaiman
