Ellen Simpson's Blog
January 24, 2016
The More You Know
It amazes me sometimes how the simple difference of engaging prose can make or break a story.
I recently finished The Bone People, which was a good book, but ultimately was not nearly as good as it could have been. The prose was the issue. I couldn't relate to it. It osculated from the first, second and third person seemingly at random, making the narrative difficult to follow and the book a chore to read. While I understand the idea and meaning behind what Keri Hulme was doing with the novel, the prose made it really inaccessible to me as a reader. As did, interestingly enough, the present tense.
Now, I have to admit that I am a HUGE proponent of the present tense. The idea that somehow the present tense isn't accessible to readers really bothers me. I think it's a great way of writing... and then I read this book.
Holy crap I take it all back.
I'm reading Purple Hibiscus now and it's AMAZING how much easier it is to read. Equally heavy subject matter, but man, a consistent narrator and tense choice makes all the difference in the world.
The more you know.
I recently finished The Bone People, which was a good book, but ultimately was not nearly as good as it could have been. The prose was the issue. I couldn't relate to it. It osculated from the first, second and third person seemingly at random, making the narrative difficult to follow and the book a chore to read. While I understand the idea and meaning behind what Keri Hulme was doing with the novel, the prose made it really inaccessible to me as a reader. As did, interestingly enough, the present tense.
Now, I have to admit that I am a HUGE proponent of the present tense. The idea that somehow the present tense isn't accessible to readers really bothers me. I think it's a great way of writing... and then I read this book.
Holy crap I take it all back.
I'm reading Purple Hibiscus now and it's AMAZING how much easier it is to read. Equally heavy subject matter, but man, a consistent narrator and tense choice makes all the difference in the world.
The more you know.
January 9, 2016
Read In 2016
This year I decided to try and challenge what I read. I read a lot of books written by, you guessed it, cis white guys. And while there is nothing actually wrong with cis white guys, I think that we need to step away from them in the big bad world of fiction and literature and give someone else's voice a chance to be heard.
So this year, I'm trying to read books written by LGBT folks, women and people of color exclusively, and I'm trying to diversify from just reading the same old boring western-centric stories. I've got a lengthy list of works by South Asian, East Asian and African authors that I want to check out. I'm especially interested in queer narratives that take place outside of western culture. Suggestions are always wanted and encouraged.
I'm hoping that by reading a more diverse selection of stories will help me to bring a broader perspective to my writing on a whole.
I'm starting The Bone People, which is both challenging in prose and subject matter. Also in remembering that New Zealand is in the southern part of the world so June means winter. That was utterly confusing to me until I was like O H.
Here's to a more diverse 2016.
e
So this year, I'm trying to read books written by LGBT folks, women and people of color exclusively, and I'm trying to diversify from just reading the same old boring western-centric stories. I've got a lengthy list of works by South Asian, East Asian and African authors that I want to check out. I'm especially interested in queer narratives that take place outside of western culture. Suggestions are always wanted and encouraged.
I'm hoping that by reading a more diverse selection of stories will help me to bring a broader perspective to my writing on a whole.
I'm starting The Bone People, which is both challenging in prose and subject matter. Also in remembering that New Zealand is in the southern part of the world so June means winter. That was utterly confusing to me until I was like O H.
Here's to a more diverse 2016.
e
