Hey gang. Sunday, I jump into the Harvard Classic boxing ring with Ben Franklin, John Woolman and William Penn through:
- Vol. 1: FRANKLIN, WOOLMAN, PENN
Be there or be dense.
Harvard Classics NEXT WEEK!
Lance Schaubert
[ crossing every threshold ]
Filed under literary interpretation …
NYKR Short Stories, HVC & Novel
Several things have been waiting on my list for nearly a month now, but between the Manhattan/Long Island trip, the school load and teaching it’s all backlogged, leaving a void that’s ready to implode like that house. Black critique ink covers the pages of fiction from the New Yorker issues I’ve yet to analyze. Three movies call my name from afar: The King’s Speech, True Grit & Exit through the Gift Shop. In the corner of the house, the Harvard Classics echo that call, begging for May 23rd.
My novel’s at a stopping point (NO it’s not writer’s block… it’s merely a temporary pausal form of the language I’m using… stretched over two weeks). The Cartographer’s Guild encouraged me by praising my map. The Wise Man’s Fear discussion kept me occupied until I picked up A Game of Thrones, then the muse who analyzes literature on the white shores
of my mind went into angsty-conflicted mode and freaked out (explaining the lull in my alchemy posts). The 46 @ 23 poetry thing kept a frequent flow of poetry, but let’s face it – the only people who read poetry, write poetry.
As a result, I’ve posted few quality thoughts of late and this is something of an apology for the handful of you that read this puppy consistently. Ironically, the last few weeks doubled the amount of hits on the site, but I attribute that mainly to the words “sex” and “kvothe” being used in the same breath.
I hope, after the 46 @ 23 gig to get back on pace for the usual, but as for now, suffer through the lull with me. The end is in sight.
With love from your home-grown subversive Literator,
Lancelot.
Kvothe’s Sex Life Part 2: Felurian & The Adem
Well, gang, here we go again. Last time, I talked on Kvothe’s Sex Life, I had only finished NOTW and started WMF. Having finished WMF, I got a flurry of questions about sex and literature and “where do babies come from” and “go ask your parents, they’ll hate me if I tell you” and so forth.
Since then, I keep returning to a handful of themes. (1) Rothfuss, as charitable and joyful as he is, would not call himself a Christian from what I’ve gathered on his blog. Because of this, it’s not helpful for Christians to super-impose theology on his books. (2) However, the man has a robust idea of what redemption is/isn’t and how resurrection plays out. He certainly expresses those opinions in the legends inside his books and in Kvothe in general. Because of this, I learn all sorts of things from him. (3) In light of these two, Christians keep asking me what I do with all the sexuality. Since Literating is a diverse place, I’ll do what I can to hit both sides of the fence, although it’s a sticky question. There will be spoilers, so if you haven’t read the book, you should not Continue reading
Felurian’s Metre
The following poem works backwards from the obvious rhyme schema on page 657 of Wise Man’s Fear, in order to expose the BRILLIANT meter of Felurian’s speech (which Kvothe picks up on later, more as an illustration of his growing understanding of Felurian’s world). I have cut it off before it spoils anything, but if you click continue reading, it will probably ruin something:
would my sweet flame like
a coat? a cloak?
you are not good at keeping
yourself safe, my kvothe.
you are not a fighter.
yet you are all iron-bitten.
you are a sweet bird that cannot fly.
no bow. no knife. no chain.
you are a long walker.
you find me in the wild at night.
you are a deep knower.
and bold. and young.
and trouble finds you
would my sweet poet like a shaed? Continue reading
The Quarterly Q&A Literation!
I love search engines. When I need a good laugh, I just read down through how people got to Literating & let the milk rocket out my nose. Some questions are serious too, so I’ve listed my favorites from the quarter & hope to answer them at least in part, if not with completely fabricated stories and made-up responses. Enjoy!
Free power of myth gift of the goddess summary?
Basically the gift of the goddess comes from the “motherly” side of God. Achilles was dipped in the river of Styx & so received immortality, but also it can come with a sort of weird sexual encounter. Because of this, it exists typically near the bottom of the cycle of the Hero’s Journey with the “Sacred Marriage.” This is either the At-one-ment with the father, the brother battle, crucifixion, or the sacred marriage. It’s the falling in love with the underworld, the affair with the goddess, the gift of divine help in the form of love and affection. Read up in Hero w/ 1000 faces.
The wise man’s fear discussion questions?
Here, though I’m surprised for as popular as it’s been that no one’s posted yet. It’s the quiet-elevator syndrome.
“So after, when he whispers “you love me. real or not real?”
Real.
What did Joseph Campbell believe?
That vague questions receive vague answers, or obscure ones like, “Burritos are good.”
No, smart aleck, did Joseph Campbell believe in God?
Oh, yea… not so much. Check it out.
What does Joseph Campbell say about vanity?
NICE! Vanity = the Anglo vision of the dragon, that hoarder of gold who taunts young warriors and maidens. It tempts as easily as greed and must be slain like Grendle in the deep, dark corners of this terrifying world. DO NOT chase after vanity, says Campbell. Continue reading
Alchemy & Kingkiller: Refining Kvothe
I wondered about the alchemy question when I read the first words of the series, “it was night again.” However, having spent all last year in academic study of Harry Potter, thanks to my long-distance friend & mentor John Granger, not to mention my entire wedding ceremony based around alchemical purification (yes, the video and running commentary are coming soon. . .), I did not want to jump the alchemical gun. (1) I could be wrong. (2) It could ruin the experience. . . emphasis on could. (3) There might be better discussion elsewhere on the Name of the Wind or Wise Man’s Fear.
But then I read the opening lines of Wise Man’s Fear: “dawn was coming.” At first, seeing that WMF’s prologue read as a one-page metaphor of a three-part silence, I thought he actually copied and pasted the whole thing from the first book. I didn’t mind it, in fact it set the tone well for WMF. But then, halfway through the reading, I pulled out both prologues & made a comparison. Here’s the differences between the two, with NOTW on top of each couplet & WMF on bottom:
(1)
It was night again
Dawn was coming
(2)
hollow, echoing quiet
vast, echoing quiet
Kvothe’s Sex-Life…
A friend of mine texted me saying, “The sexual buildup with denna, auri, fela and devi is getting crazy. Who’s he gonna [sleep with] first? Auri? Fela? Devi? Denna?” I’m gonna tackle this as a lit-guy and try to set my moral biases aside. There are some minor spoilers for WMF (at the start) so be on your gaurd.
This question, at its heart, has a flaw.
One could say, “Kvothe’s a fifteen-year-old kid, so he can’t possibly start sleeping around yet,” but this is a bit naive. I’ve heard this used in some other arguments, and people who say things like this aren’t paying attention to the main character or the world around them. Fifteen-year-olds have changed a bit since the last century, but they’ve also stayed the same. Same hormones, greater access to anything they can get their hands on. I discard this objection.
One might say, “Kvothe’s interested in the Chandrian only, he won’t waste his time with trivial things.” Okay, if there is a stoic in NOTW or WMF, it’s not Kvothe. This is a troubadour we’re talking about, one of the passionate Ruh. He might like books, but he’s no stoic or cynic. He’s a beer-drinking, song-singing, who… lady-loving gypsy at the end of the day.
No, instead it has to do with conflict of interest(s).
It won’t be Auri, obviously, because of her innocence. We’re talking about a girl who will run away if Kvothe even speaks during dinner, hiding under the Underthing for days. Remember: food = communion. How a character eats with another character shows their relationship. When they eat together, there’s no words shared. It’s a fun, playful, relationship of mutual acceptance where they’re content to sit in each others’ presence in silence. She’s timid. She’s scared. She’s a little kid in woman’s body. Not Auri.
Devi won’t work. Because she’s dangerous? Yes and no. No, because danger can be a “sexual calling card” for people, as my friend said in a later text, and Kvothe seems to find some mild attraction in that. Yes, because Kvothe’s brilliant and knows how to keep himself out of trouble. The biggest weight on his shoulders during the deal with Devi was his blood. If she got a hold of something else of his, despite her courtesy and honesty, he’d still feel that pressure. Despite the danger, manipulation like that’s a huge no-no for most guys (Kvothe included). Devi’s out.
Fela? This seems a responsible choice considering the encounter at the end of Name of the Wind, but think with a literary mind again. We’re at the end of the coming-of-age book, and Fela stands there as a sign of his childhood passing away. He’s already got a chance for it in Wise Man’s Fear, and said, “it would be like swallowing a rock. I just can’t do that.” While he’s under the influence of a plumb-bomb. Why can’t he? I think because he’s contrasting Fela with Denna.
Denna. Oh Denna. Obvious choice. Obvious love. Obvious insatiable hunger to find her, pursue her, chase her down, hold her hand, even to get one solitary kiss from her. But no, that can’t happen. At least not all the way. Why?
Think of how he talks about her at the beginning, wrestling through how to describe her, about her flightiness, about how it all potentially began with her. These are not the words of someone who simply loved and lost, but someone who loved the one who got away and lost.
My conclusion? There won’t be a major sex-scene or whatever in the kingkiller trilogy that relates to plot or main character.
Looking forward to your thoughts both here, on the post about Rothfuss’ use of “shattered” and for your comments and questions on the discussion post.
Wise Man’s Fear: Rothfuss’ Use of “Shattered”
Well, I broke down and started reading the prologue, then starting reading page one, and we’re off despite my sincerest attempts to procrastinate. Even though I’m still up for collecting discussion questions, I want to start airing my thoughts.
One thing I’ve noticed so far is that Pat LOVES the word “shattered.”
I noticed it first in chapter seven: beginnings of NOTW. He used it twice on the same page to describe eyes. Normally I might ignore it, move on, but it’s the same descriptor for the same body part in the same way. Then, when I cracked chapter one of WMF, it described the sword Folly in a similar manner. We have three options on the frequency of “shattered” over other metaphors:
- sloppy or lazy writing
- an idiosyncrasy that defaults to a favorite metaphor
- an intentional repetition
Anyone else notice this?
we’re still @tweetofthewind
Wise Man’s Fear: Discussion Questions
* UPDATE: Several new posts on Literating, a new discussion board & twitter. Look @ comments below to see!
For those reading the Name of the Wind or Wise Man’s Fear comment below with ANY question you have about the books as you think of them. We’ll put them in que for a discussion board, turning these and other questions into independent discussions. Careful! There’s potential spoilers here…
Make sure to follow @tweetofthewind for updates. Continue reading
Name of the Wind COMIC summary!
Babe, I love you. However, you and anyone who hasn’t read Name of the Wind should not read this. It might spoil something.
Everyone else familiar with the book, Rothfuss just posted this awesome recap of NOTW in a comic form. For those needing a recap from 50,000 feet go to his blog. For others who want a more detailed discussion, post your questions here. Three sample pics below:
If Wise Guys Ran the World: Why I’m Reading Harvard!
Some smart aleck suggested awhile ago for my Harvard Classic search, “Why not check the local library?”
I blew him off, thinking (1) it was too easy, (2) it didn’t show the support a community garners when they come together (3) it was, in the end, a waste of my time (4) the dude was a smart-a… leck and I couldn’t take him seriously. Turns out if wise guys ran the world, I’d already be reading the classics…
Now, with May approaching, I got desperate (I also had a conniption over how to spell “desperate” and “conniption”, still can’t find the latter… ah there we go. Two ‘n’s). I went on www.library.occ.edu/, searched for, you guessed it, “harvard classics” and low and behold! There is a God in Heaven! Jackpot! Cha-ching! Holy-moley-joey-we-got-ourselves-a-ringer-here!
Yeah. I feel dumb, but in an accomplished sort of way, maybe like Brittney Spears or one of the Olsen Twins. So, thanks to everyone who made a donation, and to my membership to the local library (ahem… ahem…) I will venture out to read ALL FIFTY-ONE BOOKS come May. Some of you may be wondering…
- Is this stupid? Absolutely.
- Is it impossible? Most likely.
- How will you find any time to read all the rest of Rothfuss, Martin, McCarthy, King, and every other author you’ve wanted to read? I probably won’t.
- Will we laugh or will it be fun to read and listen in? Good Lord, I hope so, otherwise somebody shoot. me. now (with an airsoft gun preferably. We try to keep it PG-12 here).
- What authors to you intend to read and/or make fun of? All of them. No seriously, all the authors from the classics. This includes, but is not limited to, Benjamin Franklin, Charles Darwin, Walt Whitman, Freud, Robert Burns, Homer, Shakespeare, Bunyan, Augustine and Plato.
- Will I get to see you ever again? No mom, I’ll probably disappear into an underground missile silo and call it “home” or “base” or “home base.” Then the Russians will come get me and torture me for my secret information… via tickling. PG-12! PG-12!
- Will I be entertained at your expense? Yes. For you frequenters of YouTube, reality T.V., people watching at the local mall, and the Wire, you can point and laugh at me all you want. Feel free. You’re my intended audience.
- Can I read along with you? Of course, but it will probably kill you. I’ve lived a good life, but if your bucket list is still pretty full, you might want to reconsider. As I learned the hard way, yet again, you can find The Harvard Classics at your local library.
- Will you die? Like the current death of one of the Fantastic Four, we won’t know until the end…
46 at 23: Ulcers (#43)
Once upon a time, I read that the perfect age for writing quality poetry is twenty-three. Apparently most of T.S. Elliot’s stuff came out then, the rest having to do with non-poetic words. I realized January 19th that I will turn twenty-four in three months, and since I started writing some poems before it’s too late: forty-six poems at twenty-three. I’ll post each Friday until the last week of March, then I’ll post one a day until my birthday on April 30th. Here’s number 43:
Pre-petptic
holes in my insides
drilled by the bits
of things
boss said
Jewelry shouldn’t
kill people like this.
Life has little wonders… Continue reading
Critique the Critics: De Niro’s Acting Career
Let that picture tower over your short-term memory enough to embed it permanently in your long-term. It’s thursday. I’m cranky. This recent trend is ridiculous.
For those of you who saw Little Fockers, you know a hackneyed joke when it hits you in the… well… the place where punch lines go. Of course, if you went to the theatres expecting something other than a worn-out pun, I feel zero empathy or sympathy for you (both of which my copy of Websters explained for me this week. Took long enough). Come on into the ring, critics, the chainlink’s nice and cold for ya.
Here’s the recent trend: Critic watches movie about the Fockers. Critic compares said movie to entire De Niro career. Critic claims De Niro’s a ruddy failure.
Attention aspiring Critics. Here’s four rules off the top of my ruddy head:
- Never use superlatives if you don’t have the personal experience OR your industry to back you up.
- Never slander good history in light of bad recent events.
- Never slander good future potential in light of bad recent events.
- Never, under any circumstances, slander one of the greats while they’re still great.
Hidden Classics
Well between finding a volume hidden, finding three free online, and the mother lode, I’m honing in on having the series for the epic-reading-extravaganza-of-doom. The four I found are briefed first, the others (from Mom & Dad Lang) are listed at the end (more to come!). Two of these I found hiding amid the pile, the other two came free on my kindle:
- Vol. 35. CHRONICLE AND ROMANCE, FROISSART, MALORY, HOLINSHEAD
- Vol. 38. HARVEY, JENNER, LISTER, PASTEU
- Vol. 49. EPIC AND SAGA
- Vol. 21. I PROMESSI SPOSI
Here’s some quick summaries of each:
Vol. 35. CHRONICLE AND ROMANCE — “God has been gracious enough,” writes Froissart, “to permit me to visit the courts and palaces of kings, … and all the nobles, kings, dukes, counts, barons, and knights, belonging to all nations, have been kind to me, have listened to me, willingly received me, and proved very useful to me…. Wherever I went I enquired of old knights and squires who had shared in deeds of arms, and could speak with authority concerning them, and also spoke with heralds in order to verify and corroborate all that was told me.”
38 focuses on scientific papers – medicine and the like – of which I’m disinterested, despite the fact that my man Herodotus kicks off the whole thing.
There’s bound to be a handful of those, but Vol. Continue reading
