Comments on: The Mythology of the Modern World: Why can we walk past beautiful artwork without noticing it?

By: The Mythology of the Modern World: Why is there a disconnect between Art and Industry? — Banter Latte

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 06:27:41 +0000

[...] It’s a good question, and one I’m happy to answer. It also leads us to our first myth callback, because we actually touched on this, at least briefly, back on July 9, when we answered the question Why can we walk past beautiful artwork without noticing it?. [...]

By: Centurion13

Centurion13 — Wed, 18 Jul 2007 03:38:47 +0000

I sometimes shake my head when I read things like this. C.S. Lewis addressed these matters a long time ago, and he was right, on that as on many other subjects. I simply sit back, slack-jawed with amazement as I watch yet another good man reach for….

….for…

….For *something*. He knows not what, but he definitely know it is there and no one, NO ONE, is going to deny him.

No one.

The Need is there, and it is not a quirk. If hunger for a thing exists, than the thing hungered for must exists.

The best of them, such as Mr. Burns, recognize this need, know it is *not* just a matter of ‘personal taste’ and have the words to describe it without actually putting the Name to it. I find this story refreshing. It inspires me to continue my own writing, though Mr. Burns might not understand why.

Your ‘mythology’ may be closer to reality than you think, Eric. History has too many who agree with what you have written here for it to be otherwise.

Regards,

Cent13

By: Nate

Nate — Mon, 16 Jul 2007 17:19:28 +0000

If the ethereal world is such a bureaucracy, the obvious answer is to reclassify spectacle as art. :)

By: Thomas Blight

Thomas Blight — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 22:49:52 +0000

A scaly, green figure sits comfortably in the armchair across the table. He sips espresso out of a mug, savouring the taste and aroma, cradling the mug gently, lightly caressing the china with his claws. It is the Snarkasaurus, and he smiles at you innocently, but with a look in his eyes that betrays wisdom and knowledge beyond his years. He begins to speak.

“Have you ever wondered why things are this way?” he asks, calmly and with an intimate tone. He knows your response already, and before you speak, he continues.

“Well, let me tell you…” he says, and his tale begins.

By: Eric A. Burns

Eric A. Burns — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 19:45:51 +0000

Needless to say, I’ll try to be more conscious of length and digression on the next one. Though some of the asides and digressions are part of the point, the question is deciding between necessity and indulgence in them. ;)

(Insert family guy/manatee reference here.)

By: hirkeukvic

hirkeukvic — Tue, 10 Jul 2007 05:19:41 +0000

I must say, I like the idea of expressing opinion in the form of short story, but I have to agree that this one was too long. I hate to criticize other writers–I don’t want to be pretentious–but the interconversational regions do drag a bit. I can understand rambly dialog, as conversation does tend to take time, and I can understand that you want to develop your eudaemon/kakodaemon character sets, but … hmm … nope, I’d sound stupid if I suggested solutions, so I’ll shut up.

On the other hand, I like the way you played out the dialog, especially in the way that you follow the problem-solving process the characters work through. Keep writing, sir. I’ll be listening.

By: Michael Weaver

Michael Weaver — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 19:23:36 +0000

… It should not have taken me that long to catch that. :P

By: Eric A. Burns

Eric A. Burns — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 19:06:39 +0000

I’ll confess, I just wanted the Spectacle secret to be discovered by a fox named Rupert. ;)

By: Michael Weaver

Michael Weaver — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 19:02:57 +0000

I liked this little myth (though “little” might be the wrong word). It’s definitely set up a cosmology for itself, and one with classical inspiration. I especially liked the Law Bringer character and the office scenes.

I have to admit, though, this was a bit long. I can’t pinpoint the places it seemed to drag, but it just felt too slow in spots. I still got through it in good time.

I also have a problem with the fox daemon, but it’s tiny. The five/six tails thing; I know where it came from, and it makes sense, but it just doesn’t feel right. For the same reason that people in feudal Japan shouldn’t have red hair. I liked the role Rupert played in the drama, what with the discovery of spectacle (with a literal train wreck!) so this is probably just a nitpick anyway.

I’ll be back; I still want to see where this thread goes.

By: Alexandra Erin

Alexandra Erin — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 12:31:07 +0000

Well, I know that a vignette will, of a necessity, be shorter than a… uh… vign. :P I’m just saying, it wasn’t just shorter, but more effective… and I couldn’t say that the length is the reason for certain, but I can say that it would have lost some of its effectiveness if weighed down by a lot of side points. Of course, you can (or should be able to) expect the audience to have a certain familiarity with Benjamin Franklin, the war for independence, etc., which makes that kind of thing easier. In all fairness, maybe somebody less steeped in the world of muses and daemons wouldn’t have felt as much like they were wading through this story as I did.

I don’t want to sound like I don’t enjoy these stories… I did, but I know you’ll get plenty of other people telling you that they did, so I might as well talk about what the sticking point for me is.

I also certainly wouldn’t go so far as to say that a short story can’t be as rambly as this was and still be effective. Considering that this is supposed to be mythology, and is written in a fairly informal style, I’d say a certain amount of ramblosity (I didn’t want to say “rambliness”, because of course, that’s not even a word) could actually add to its charm, if it’s made a part of its charm.

So, rather than trying to trim the branches off the tree, I’d say just make sure the branches are green and leafy… one reason I think the tale of Starbuck worked a little more for me than this one was that the writing seemed steeped a bit more in the style of the folk tale, the methods of the oral tradition. The more of a folksy, Alan-a-Dale-the-Rooster-type bent you can give to a myth-making story… the more the audience will not just forgive multiple digressions, but actually expect them. I know you’re a literary type, but the oral tradition is the native home of the myth, and where it’s most comfortable.

And, I’ve got quite a bit rambly here myself… but it’s 7:30 in the morning on a Monday and Monday’s the one day where I don’t normally have to get up before… Tuesday. So, I’ll try to sum everything up concisely:

Give us really good oral, and you can go as long as you want. :P