I've decided to change the focus of this blog to be just about reading and writing.
My previous posts that were not about reading or writing I moved to one of my other blogs.
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I am currently reading Ulysses. I'm up to the part where Bloom is on his way to Dignam's funeral.
Most "How to" books on creative writing, always emphasize the importance of selection, not only of scenes, people, but of words. The books usually say things about don't put in things that aren't relevant to the point of the story. It seems to me that James Joyce in Ulysses does entirely the opposite. He put in every little tiny thought the person is having, which most of the time has nothing to do with what is going on in the story. If the guy sneezes or takes a leak, he puts it in. Most writers don't put in when the person goes for a leak, because they figures it's understood that's what people do. People will be talking to someone and at the same time thinking about something that was on TV last night that has nothing to do with anything. That seems to me how our minds work in real life. Joyce would put in everything about the man's thoughts on TV last night as well as what he is now saying. The importance of this, it seems to me, is to show how the mind works with extraneous thoughts. Of course, Bloom in this book, has thoughts that seem irrelevant at the time, but later it is shown that they didn't come from no where, but from something in his mental background. All of these tiny details that Joyce put in his book are pertinent to his main point--I believe. Which is that every second of our lives means something.
Whenever I start reading this book, I suddenly feel like going out to an Irish Pub and having a pint.
I can understand Joyce's mixed feelings towards the Catholic Church. I think they are very similar to my own, although I'm not a Catholic, but I went through one period of my life, back in the 70's, when I thought of becoming one and even took classes to prepare me to become a Catholic; but after the classes I hadn't any desire to become one. The classes only made me realize what a total Protestant I am. I'm attracted to many of the main idea of Catholicism. I think lots of what they say is true, but at the same time the authoritarianism of the Church I find unbearable. The only thing that I think we should look up to as an authoritarian figure is God. Now, I'm more religious than ever, but I'm really against organized religions. I think many people have to belong to groups in order to feel safe. We are suppose to feel safe in God. He is our protector, Not the Group. I think belonging to a Church group adds structure to one's life, but I also feel that structure should come from God not from something so external as a having to belong to a group of people. Although, I do admit that I occasionally go to Church, and even feel better for maybe a couple of hours afterwards, but I feel just as good as when I pray for an hour by myself at home, and I think the prayer at home does more long-term good. Many people, if they didn't belong to a church wouldn't have any religious life whatsoever. They have to belong to a group. I remember once taking a writing class. One girl in the class said that she could only write if she were taking a class. I think that's the same with most people with religion.
I have another post called "Ineluctible Modality of the Visible" on another blog of mine that you might find interesting. In it I try to explain what I think that phrase means.
I have another post called "Ineluctible Modality of the Visible" on another blog of mine that you might find interesting. In it I try to explain what I think that phrase means.
Source: fuckyeahmanuscripts.tumblr.com
Vladimir Nabokov’s map of Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus’s routes around Dublin in James Joyce’s Ulysses
via Gayle on Pinterest
Vladimir Nabokov’s map of Leopold Bloom and Stephen Dedalus’s routes around Dublin in James Joyce’s Ulysses
via Gayle on Pinterest