The "Those of us who frequent this forum" thread

[speed]

The more literature I read, the more I realize that wordplay is trivial; style is temporary (and ages quickly); and the art of prose is only useful toward an end. It's the same way with metal -- Necrophagist is extraneous shit, where Atheist is profound. It's not skill that distinguishes them, but something less quantifiable.

I hate most postmodernism, but I like where it is profound. In the cases of The Crying of Lot 49 and Naked Lunch (and perhaps White Noise) it is profound; not surprisingly, those books resonate the most with readers. Literature is a poeticization of truth; style is only poetic when it has something to say.

O'Neill is good, but honestly, that pseudo-Freudian shit bores the hell out of me. It's well-done, but so far, I've had little need for it; too much investment into the individual becomes drama with no end, no philosophy, no idea.

I've also come to detest Italo Calvino and some of Borges. I like Marquez for this reason.

Right now, I'm reading The Secret Sharer again for a technique study. Before that? Agatha Christie and Ian Fleming.

One of my favorite books is Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. I'm also fond of Jane Austen and William Faulkner. I don't think my reading is characterized by period or literary type, but by the properties of the artist's perception; I like transcendental, insightful, philosophy yet poetic stories.

I'm not too fond of Thus Spoke Zarathustra or other "philosophical novels," which are generally boring as shit and have little philosophy.

I do however like to read garbage like Ian Fleming, Dashiell Hammet or The Turner Diaries.

Well I really dont get what makes it to that special poetic place for you. It seems rather arbritrary and subjective based on these comments. However, I have noticed that most you list, place plot and storytelling above all else in my opinion.

Also, it seems you are like the poster boy for the modern American literature academic: with your love of Frankenstein (a godawful and overanalyzed book to me--opinion of course) Faulkner, Fitzgerald, and the fact you are reading a book on technique study. I dont see how one can learn anything as a writer by reading about the craft of writing. One should read other authors works, and should--if they are any good--to be able to create their own style. I dont know of any great or middlingly good author, who has read works on style and technique etc. But I am autodidactic, with a hatred of institutionalized thinking; so...

I suppose I am the poster boy for the modern literary dilettante. Haha.

But this thread has got me thinking, and I've realized every single author and book I love, is both poetic, yet savagely satirical at the same time. I guess its a personality thing.

 

[infoterror]

I feel much better with the "A-Z of sexual murderers" sitting on my shelf now

Not familiar with that, but I'd buy it for the title.

If you pick up any Hammet, I really <3 "Nightmare Town" - short stories - wow!

 

[infoterror]

However, I have noticed that most you list, place plot and storytelling above all else in my opinion.

Yeah. For me, the wordplay is easy but bending the instrument to the task is harder, and having something insightful to say is the hardest of all -- and the most rewarding.

That's why Frankenstein, Moby-dick and Naked Lunch share places on my shelf.

Storytelling is a good way to tell it. I love stories. Otherwise, I'd read non-fiction exclusively.

WHAT A NERD

 

[infoterror]

Just out of curiousity how long do you guys (speed and infoterror especially) dedicate to reading each day?

As much as I can, but it's not an every day thing.

Some days, I just troll the internet in my "free" time

 

[LORD_RED_DRAGON]

this is a PHILOSOPHY forum
yeah, i know this is on a MUSIC message board
but this is STILL a philosophy forum
and i STILL think that ALL references to MUSIC (in philosopher's forum) should be restricted to a special MUSIC THREAD

 

[speed]

Ah, I've dabbled in my fair share of 'trolling' too. (It's a shame that I have to label the act of expressing an opinion that isn't held in common with such a derogatory term)

I see one problem with 'trolling' and internet message boards in general - they're damn hard to give up. Once you've done it for most days of your life over a period of a few years, even for a short time each day, it becomes a habit. I find it to be a big distraction these days. But, as you can see I'm still here 'wasting' my time due to a lack of willpower in being able to curtail the desire.

Maybe you don't see it this way, though.

Edit: Not to say that expressing opinions on a forum doesn't help improve your understanding of topics and writing skills. It's better than not thinking at all.

Oh, and take a look at my question in the 'Black Metal... as art' thread if you don't mind.

I understand where you are coming from. I actually find reading this board to be quite beneficial most days. If I spend too much time on this board, I think of all the other things I could've done. This is the only forum I post at.

And dont worry about your opinion; we have a somewhat diverse off the wall bunch I think.

 

[LORD_RED_DRAGON]

for me posting on ultimatemetal became an addiction after mere weeks not years

 

[Horus]

For me, I got hooked after like 2 days.

 

[infoterror]

Ah, I've dabbled in my fair share of 'trolling' too. (It's a shame that I have to label the act of expressing an opinion that isn't held in common with such a derogatory term)

I see one problem with 'trolling' and internet message boards in general - they're damn hard to give up. Once you've done it for most days of your life over a period of a few years, even for a short time each day, it becomes a habit.

I agree. Like anything with immediate feedback, it can weaken willpower. Hence inconsistent trolling

 

[Demiurge]

I see you've been hard at work tonight.

 

[LORD_RED_DRAGON]

For me, I got hooked after like 2 days.

yeah
i think it happened that quick for me too
now that i'm really thinking about it

 

[derek]

Me also.

I got hooked on several forums, met some amazing folks...and cannot stop coming back.

dammit.

 

[Øjeblikket]

now... quality symbolism [is] meaningful to me.

I was lucky the other night by watching a program on the canadian broadcast channel that my local to seeaturtle cable provides, which dealt with the Canadian poet Al Purdy.

some of his work may be read here:

http://www.library.utoronto.ca/canpoetry/purdy/poem1.htm

The still grey face and withered body:
without resistance winter enters in,
as if she were a stone or fallen tree,
her temperature the same as the landscape's -
How she would have complained about that,
the indignity of finally being without heat,
an insult from the particular god she believed in,
and worse than the fall that killed her -
Now a thought flies into the cemetery
from Vancouver, another from Edmonton,
- and fade in the January day like fireflies. [...] A. Purdy, an excerpt from At Evergreen Cemetery

the televised program dealt tastey poetry, whether it was Purdy's or not I do not know, but I am in agreement with the merit of symbolism.

 

[infoterror]

Hmm -- seems inspiring. To me symbolism is at its highest in metaphor, and the metaphor gets more intense the more it is contextually supported, like a trellis of metaphors. It's what James Joyce sought but couldn't find, but William S. Burroughs did.

Naked Lunch PDF etext

 

[ARC150]

This is a great photograph (I should mention I love music photography).

What kind of music does your band play? Looks pretty energetic.

Dig.

We play death/grindcore (You can click on my sig for our shitty webpage or, if you do the MySpace thing, check out our shitty MySpace page.

If you want to see some great Seattle metal photography, check out the pic's author Creatrix777 or Chris Slack.

 

[Horus]

If we're on the subject of poples' bands, anyone here listn to Progressive Metal at all?

 

[proglodite]

Most definitely, hence nickname. I prefer Progressive death or prog-power metal, anything from Symphony X to Cryptopsy (who I saw tonight! ) I'm not a fan of Dream Theater or their clones tho.

 

[LORD_RED_DRAGON]

Most definitely, hence nickname. I prefer Progressive death or prog-power metal, anything from Symphony X to Cryptopsy (who I saw tonight! ) I'm not a fan of Dream Theater or their clones tho.

sorry i'm not familiar with any of these bands

 

[proglodite]

Not familiar with Dream Theater? I thought they were really well known. Unless you jest?

 

[Horus]

Dream Theater = GODS!!! They're my #2 favorite band of all time.

But anyone who likes good Prog/Power Metal, click the link in my sig. "Once Beyond Purgatory". That's my band. We've got some live recordings up, but nothing studio done yet. Although we do plan on doing some after we get some more songs down.