Peter White > Recent Status Updates

“It isn’t changing around from place to place that keeps you lively. It’s getting time on your side. Working with it, not against it.”

“The thing about working with time, instead of against it, he thought, is that time is not wasted. Even pain counts.”
Ch10 stands alone at the top of writing. Perfection.

Chapter 7 brings it all to a head. The climax at Vea’s party, the explanation of confrontation of propertarian, ododian, and temporal morality. Exquisite. The incredible ability of Le Guin to create a coherent seeming theory of physics as the basis for her utopian novel.

The first 40 pages are a brilliant hook, introducing this world that pulls you in with its strong ideals and different cultures. Then the end of chapter 2 begins diving deeper into thematic ideas. What is the role of love and pain in one’s growth and relationships? And what does it mean to be “odonian” or a good anarchist?

p54: You can return home as long as you know you’ve never been there before

Discussion of forms is interesting and I hope to experiment more with what Oliver shows, but the discussion of free verse, perhaps rightfully for a modern poet, I found to be the most interesting. Discussion of Whitmans leaves of grass and Williams red wheel barrow show the absolutely magical world that poetry can create.

The chapter on meter, the longest so far, really struck a chord with me. I think that the previous sections on literary techniques kinda felt like old hat since I have learned about alliteration since I was in elementary school. My understanding of those concepts and how they influence tone feels almost innate. But my understanding of meter and its implications for tone is much less developed. It was stimulating

The quote from William carlos Williams, “No ideas but in things,” really stuck in my mind.

I also enjoy (maybe more than I thought I would) the technical view of language and its components, I do wonder what her thoughts are and if she will share her thoughts on how humans are capable of using these complex patterns and rules very naturally in writing and everyday conversation. A feat I find fascinating.

Comforting. Ideas to strengthen my love of poetry, to deepen my appreciation, without pretentious tone or elitism.

Good quote from art talking to his therapist, from Samuel Beckett “every word is like an unnecessary stain on silence and nothingness.”

My only complaint to this point was Art’s unforgiving treatment of Vladek so it was interesting to see how that guilt seemed to affect him

Halfway thru the final story, honey pie, I feel I’m able to start thinking about the themes carried between stories throughout this book. This story explains it well by saying that understanding and being able to put thoughts into words or symbols. I’ve been thinking about it a lot and I agree with this idea that thoughts are almost corrupted just by speaking them.