Category Archives: LITERATURE

LITERATURE: The Little Book of Plagiarism – Drawing Lines

Posted on August 30, 2009 by susan

On the subject of plagiarism, Posner establishes the differences between infringement, plagiarism, and fair use. As he states: “Reliance and hence fraud and hence plagiarism are matters of expectation.” (p. 31) Which means to me that there is no clearly … Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Definition?

Posted on August 4, 2009 by susan

Mary Ellen, taking a course called Electric Literature (ain’t that cool?) at Trinity College in Hartford, CT recently brought up the question of defining literature beyond the restriction of the written word. I’ve just started reading Richard A. Posner’s The … Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: The English Patient – Opening Thoughts

Posted on June 23, 2009 by susan

This is embarrassing; I haven’t read except for short stories and poetry in almost a month. And I call myself a literary weblog? But the excuse for not reading is one of the best–I’ve been writing a short story a … Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Voracious Reader . . .

Posted on June 6, 2009 by susan

. . . or ADD? Notice where the bookmarks in each sit. Actually I’ve been writing and playing in hypertext over at the Hypercompendia Flash Fiction site and haven’t been doing much reading lately except for Chekhov and poetry to … Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Chekhov’s Women

Posted on May 31, 2009 by susan

A rather strange little story, I’m not really sure I got the point of it. Two older men are sitting and talking and we see some strange men and some women who have married them–mostly unwillingly–or we see women who … Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Twitter Fiction

Posted on May 18, 2009 by susan

It all started in Japan with technology and a hustle-bustle crowd thirsty for a few words–and no more–of escape into the world of make-believe and vicarious living. Faster than a speeding sudden flash; concise, brief, quick, bold: Twitter Fiction, twillers, … Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Critique & Review

Posted on May 17, 2009 by susan

Writer and literary critic Daniel Green (The Reading Experience) has set up a new website that will offer critical literary essays which, knowing Dan’s work, will offer professional indepth insight into some of the most interesting writings of the day. … Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: House of Leaves – Opening

Posted on May 16, 2009 by susan

Opening the story in the first person pov, we are hearing from a man about an experience in his past that tells us right in the first sentence: “I still get nightmares.” What follows as an introduction is the setting … Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: Up Next – House of Leaves

Posted on May 15, 2009 by susan

This novel by Mark Z. Danielewski has intrigued me for a while but I think it’s something you really have to be in the mood to explore. It’s likely not an easy read, and for once, I’m doing a bit … Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: The Last Days of Dogtown – Finale

Posted on May 15, 2009 by susan

It’s hard to say why this book went from great to mediocre for me but I know that as I neared the ending I lost interest even in the characters that I felt Diamant had built up so well in … Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: The Last Days of Dogtown – Telling Feelings

Posted on May 14, 2009 by susan

Not what I’d expect to find in a bestseller: Easter saw a fellow across the table roll his eyes and realized that she was making a fool of herself. She rushed off to get his tea, redfaced and flustered.  (p. … Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: The Last Days of Dogtown – Motif

Posted on May 14, 2009 by susan

While it would seem that the pack of wild dogs that wander in and out of the story would be one of the obvious motifs in this story of Dogtown, I’d have to say that while Diamant has brought them … Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: The Last Days of Dogtown – Style

Posted on May 14, 2009 by susan

Whether it’s the difference between reading with a pounding headache and reading with a clear head or some other quirk of time and space, I’m finding the writing quality of this novel going steadily downhill towards the end. It feels … Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: The Last Days of Dogtown – Philosophy

Posted on May 12, 2009 by susan

Not thrilled with the writing style the book has taken; it appears to be a lot of telling to inform the reader of the past and to make some progress in the timeline for the characters. There is little of … Continue reading →

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LITERATURE: The Last Days of Dogtown – Narrative Structure and Plot

Posted on May 10, 2009 by susan

It’s a strange setup here where we had a central event in the opening of the narrative that introduced most of the characters and skillfully revealed their relationships and a bit of background as they gathered at Easter Carter’s to … Continue reading →

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