Tracking Song and The Call of the Wild

Daniel D Jones · 15 Jun 2007, 11:19 · from 2007-June.txt.gz

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From: ddjones at riddlemaster.org (Daniel D Jones)
Date: Fri, 15 Jun 2007 07:19:11 -0400
Subject: (urth) Tracking Song and The Call of the Wild
In-Reply-To: <E1Hz6MJ-000MCR-Om at oceanus.uk.clara.net>
References: <39ed084f0706141512x204452b3s4a0f10a6c9ad62f5 at mail.gmail.com>
	<E1Hz6MJ-000MCR-Om at oceanus.uk.clara.net>
Message-ID: <200706150719.11877.ddjones at riddlemaster.org>

On Friday 15 June 2007 03:36, Andy Robertson wrote:
> Does anyone ever suspect that GW might not know what he is writing or (to
> be more precise) exactly how each bit of each story fits in to the overall
> pattern he is trying to weave?
>
> That writing might sometimes be a purely instinctive thing, grasping at
> vague mad visions??
>
> That GW might sometimes be as surprised by what happens and as ignorant of
> the "real" meaning of it as you or I?

I think there's probably a bit of truth to that in that we (his readers) 
sometimes over-interpret his works.  I don't think it's humanly possible to 
put the thought and emphasis on every word when writing that we tend to give 
when reading.  So I think we sometimes "find" implications and 
interpretations and links and allusions that Wolfe never intended.

But I don't think that by any means accounts for all or even most of the 
complex pattern Wolfe weaves.  Although we sometimes see shapes in the 
shadows, Wolfe isn't merely a verbal Rorschach test.  He's more akin to an 
optical illusion.  Both the vase and the kissing couple are there - because 
Wolfe put them there.  So's the werewolfe howling in the background.  But 
that smell of oranges?  That's probably just your imagination.

Probably.

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