Like a good Neighbor

Marc Aramini · 22 Nov 2011, 05:00 · from 2011-November.txt.gz

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From: marcaramini at yahoo.com (Marc Aramini)
Date: Mon, 21 Nov 2011 21:00:20 -0800 (PST)
Subject: (urth) Like a good Neighbor
In-Reply-To: <SNT123-W507D4337D508F3EBC4FB75CFC80 at phx.gbl>
Message-ID: <1321938020.55352.YahooMailClassic at web161804.mail.bf1.yahoo.com>

--- On Mon, 11/21/11, Lee Berman <severiansola at hotmail.com> wrote:

. Anyone attempting
> 
> to investigate the deeper structure of these works was
> quickly shouted down by a chorus of
> 
> Gerry types. 
> 
>  
> 

In theory, I don't mind Gerry's skepticism; everyone has their roles.  

Yet the weirdest accusation was leveled at me today when Wolfe's grocery list came up today: that I would turn potatoes into a left handed socket wrenches.  But Gene DID write me a very simple three word sentence that is a noun, a linking verb, and a predicate nominative, and I, contrary to that accusation, was the only person in the universe to take it at face value instead of taking it as some engineering joke, a metaphor, etc.  I feel like hard nosed metaphorical dismissal of evidence is more like turning a potato into something else - not what I do.  I believe in symbols of course, but those symbols are something more than just useless metaphor, they can be applied to shape character with their hard, defining edges.

Don't you remember the literary technique Severian talked about?  A torturer paid by one side to make it quick, the other to make it painful, and by positioning them just right, he succeeds - thus does Wolfe speak of narrative, and I see it on this board, (until time holds my own severed head up for inspection.)

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