B2MEM: Because it needs to be said...

[ramblin_rosie]

... because Eliot's essays are driving me batty:

"I think 'criticism'--however valid or intellectually engaging--tends to get in the way of a writer who has anything personal to say. A tightrope walker may require practice, but if he starts a theory of equilibrium he will lose grace (and probably fall off)."--J. R. R. Tolkien to C. S. Lewis
That's probably why I tend to write comparative papers rather than critical ones. *nods*

Yesterday after class, the two physics majors and I got to talking Tolkien briefly, and one said that the thing that always bothered him was the fact that there are no stories about the Seven and the Nine. I was about to say that that's why there's fanfic when the other guy said, "Yeah, the stories of all the different kings and how they fell...."
Me: I'm actually working on one!
Him: Really?!
And I explained briefly about the Witch-king story (which I am working on, BTW), and he said he wants to see it when it's done.
Hee. I think I'm about to convert another one to fanfic!

And before it's too late, happy birthday to my favorite fuzzy one on the end and fellow Tolkienista, Micky Dolenz!

Comments

[ramblin_rosie]

Huzzah! :)

[boz4pm.livejournal.com]

Eliot knew what he was talking about. As one who waded through more lit crit than she cares to remember as part of her degree, I concur completely. Objective, dry, 'sitting on the fence' critical analysis has its place, perhaps, but its boring as heck to read. Art is emotive, emotional and appeals to the emotions. To try and treat it like some sort of mathematical problem does not really truly engage the full critical powers nor a reader trying to fathom what you are saying about a piece.

Woot for another fanfic convert, though. :D

Did you ever read my Witchking Daughter's MST? Because that fic is STILL ongoing (60 chapters or so now) and is all about the Witchking and how he fell. I could only get up to chapter 10 or so before I had to stop with the awfulness of it all, but if you ever get the sick urge to take a squint I will happily give you the link.

[ramblin_rosie]

Eliot does have a point about bad criticism, yes. But I think Tolkien has a point, too. (And at the moment I'm also annoyed with Eliot for taking a halfway swipe at Chesterton.)

No, I haven't. I'm not as morbidly curious as some of our compadres. :D But hopefully my own story won't be that horrid... will treat some dark subjects, but I'll try to do it right.

[boz4pm.livejournal.com]

Ack - sorry. Misread your post. I thought the quote was Eliot's. *facepalm* Sorry. I was agreeing with JRRT, then, in that case. Good man, JRRT. My Anglo-Saxon tutor at Oxford had been a student of his, and spoke in glowing terms of him as a prof and a person.

Oh, I have no doubt your story will not be horrid at ALL. I just thought, given you are thinking along these lines whether you had been tempted to see the ideas seriously butchered, that was all. ;)

[ramblin_rosie]

Ah, gotcha. I wondered whether you were confused, 'cause you sure confused me. :D And yes, I hear JRRT was a wonderful human as well as a great scholar.

No, not really. I'd rather see someone else do them well--after I've done it myself. ;)
Thanks for the vote of confidence, though. I appreciate it, what with delving into unfamiliar territory and all.

[mumstheword54.livejournal.com]

Lit Crit is one of the reasons I stopped loooving poetry. And lost all confidence in my own writing. Boo Hiss!

Great analogy -- makes me wonder about golf books as well. ;-)

Yay for converts! (At least they've read Tolkien and have VALID ideas!)

And speaking of physicists, Happy birthday, Circus Boy!


Hugs,
Mum

[ramblin_rosie]

We had some fun at the critics' expense yesterday when we were talking about Charlotte Temple. The article that got the best reception, even among those of us who hadn't read it, was the one titled "What's Wrong with Charlotte Temple?"--includes the great line that Charlotte's destiny is "determined by her center of gravity." :D But the one everyone had to read kept trying to make a connection between the author and Puritan homiletic style, even though all the evidence suggests that Susanna Rowson was a thorough-going Anglican.