Category Archives: LITERATURE

LITERATURE: McCarthy

Posted on December 20, 2007 by Susan

In encouraging Bud Parr of Chekhov’s Mistress in his reading of Cormac McCarthy, Mark Allen Cunningham left a link in the comments to this post.  It goes to his essay on The Art of Reading Cormac McCarthy which was published … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: A Death in The Family – Point of View

Posted on December 19, 2007 by susan

It was mentioned as a Note in the beginning of this book that James Agee died suddenly prior to the final draft of this novel.  Some pages that are in the pov of Rufus, the son of Jay and Mary, … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Academic Politics

Posted on December 17, 2007 by Susan

Dan Green (The Reading Experience) has a further take on Jacob Russell’s "What Purpose do the Literary Periodicals Serve?" that pretty much says what we little guys have been thinking and grumbling about for a while. In "Becoming Respectable" Dan … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: A Death in The Family – Tone

Posted on December 16, 2007 by susan

Agee has done wonderfully well at setting the mood and tone of these hours spent with Mary and her family after the death of her husband.  It is still predawn, heading towards early morning, and it’s been a very, very … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: A Death in The Family – Philosophy

Posted on December 12, 2007 by Susan

The question of some form of soul or awareness beyond death always seems to come up when death happens.  And the answer is always the same, for no one knows it.  The handling of the process of reflection and wondering … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE & REALITY: Oopsie!

Posted on December 11, 2007 by Susan

Yeah, yeah, I know; I haven’t been reading and writing about it.  But you must understand, in the shop my fingers are so cold I couldn’t hold the pages open if I even felt like spending time in outdoor temperatures … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE & WRITING: The Bore Factor

Posted on December 8, 2007 by Susan

You can always tell when a story’s just not grabbing somebody.  They find other things to do rather than read it. I’ve been on James Agee’s A Death in The Family for over a month–it’s a short book.  I’ve been … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: A Death in The Family – Comic Relief

Posted on November 29, 2007 by susan

Agee, in his tremendous adherence to realism, knows enough to throw in an offset to the dramatic tension in the scene.  In this case, it is Mary’s mother, Catherine, who is hard of hearing and uses an ear ‘trumpet’ to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: A Death in The Family – Reader Involvement

Posted on November 24, 2007 by susan

I seem to be reading this part of the story in careful, hushed tones.  Has the author, James Agee, brought this about?  Does the reader become funereal with the waiting for confirmation of death?  In preparation for the ceremonies that … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: A Death in The Family – Emotion Level

Posted on November 22, 2007 by susan

So it ended up taking about twenty-three pages to find out that Jay is dead, but there is a building up of emotion–if not tension–Agee does well.  It still seems to be slow, but then again, that may just be … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: A Death in The Family – Drama

Posted on November 20, 2007 by susan

While it looked like i hadn’t been reading at all, I did manage a page or two at a time on this and the fact that I’ve been taken with a hypertext project I’m working on is not totally to … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE & WRITING: Choice

Posted on November 11, 2007 by Susan

With the very best of intentions and a birthday dinner to boot, my neighbor questioned me once again if I’d yet read her gift to me last year, Janet Evanovich’s Three Plums in One.  I could see she was disappointed … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Norman Mailer

Posted on November 10, 2007 by Susan

Sad to hear of the death of Norman Mailer this morning.  He was 84. On my shelf, not read yet, two of his novels.  In pursuing the classics, these writers seem to be falling faster than I can read them.  Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: A Death in The Family – Perspective

Posted on November 8, 2007 by susan

At the end of what evidently appears to be Part 1, we have a chapter again from third person pov, focusing on the child, Rufus.  The scenario is when his mother is pregnant with his brother and we see through … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Catchup on Confessions

Posted on November 8, 2007 by susan

As you know, I’ve been busy writing and haven’t read much in a week or more so Augustine and Agee are still awaiting my return. But thanks to J-Walk, I found a great site to give you a quick review … Continue reading → Continue reading →

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