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June 12, 2006
One Theory of Writing
The author's main purpose in this book is to teach precision in writing; and of good writing (which, essentially, is clear thinking made visible) precision is the point of capital concern. It is attained by choice of the word that accurately and adequately expresses what the writer has in mind, and by exclusion of that which either denotes or connotes something else. As Quintilian puts it, the writer should so write that his reader not only may, but must, understand.
For me Ambrose Bierce was always a mixed bag. Still is. While there is much to commend the opinion above, by its strictures much of what we call literature from the Ancient Greeks to the present day would not exist. The writer writes to be understood, but also to mean beyond the page--one cannot circumscribe the connotations of ever word, and thus there are times when one cannot obey these dictates in their strictest form.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 3:29 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Infinite Amusement with Dan Brown
Closing the book on the lousiest story ever sold : Mail & Guardian Online
The past 10 years of his life had savaged the dilapidated novelist. His cheeks, once chubby and flushed, were flaking onion-skin drawn tight over a mangrove swamp of burst blood vessels; and his eyes -- little round beads that had blinked quizzically from the back covers of 500-million paperbacks -- were useless egg-whites swimming in two oily pans. He sank deeper into his chair, and listened to the indistinct shrieks coming from outside, where his great-grandchildren -- Mary Magdalene, John-Judas Junior, Phil the Baptist and little Gomorrah-Sue -- were sticking knitting needles into a wax effigy of Dostoyevsky.
That Gomorrah-Sue is the real kicker!
Posted by Steven Riddle at 5:13 PM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 13, 2006
The Jane Austen Book Club
Karen Joy Fowler, who has produced some remarkable works of fiction, did not entertain me with this one. I don't like to think of myself as a prude, but I finally got to the point in the book where the scattered but gratuitous foul language so tarnished what meager enjoyment I had from the characters that the better part of valor seemed to abandon th effort. It isn't as though there aren't millions of other books just waiting to be read.
There is no discernable story here. The Book Club is an excuse to tell us about the lives of six characters, and this is a perfectly acceptable set up--it can work quite well when the characters are interesting and the back-story worth telling. In this case neither is particularly try. Fowler's selection of details is such that one ends up saying, "So?" Her delineation of character seems to be centered on the surprise expletive here and there.
The six characters of the novel are, I suppose, meant to have some oblique relationship with the six Austen books of the full canon of that great writer.
My only reaction is, what a shame that such a great writer received so poor a tribute from another very capable writer. Unless you are a die-hard Austenite dead-set on reading every book by and about her, give this one a miss--you'll be glad you did.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 8:31 AM | Comments (1) | TrackBack
The Egocentrism of Reality as Lived
from Deep Conversion/Deep Prayer
Fr. Thomas DubayBut for now we need to emphasize how tenaciously, even stubbornly, many people cling to the preferences and sympathies of their own way of life even in the face of strong evidences against these preferences. Elemental truths, the way things actually are, leave little impact on most persons' consciousness and routine decisions. This is especially the case with moral and ultimate realities. People love their desires. Newman made this point in his usual penetrating manner, but other careful observers have also noted the following common assumptions of egocentrism: "i am right because this is my preference. I need not consider your reasons and arguments seriously." This is why many married couples (say the experts) argue and fight over and over again about the same disagreements and often with no happy solutions and healing. Egocentrism is the main root of human conflicts. Hence, Jesus is saying "love truth, the way things objectively are; do not cling to your preferences when they clash with reality."
Love truth--the way things objectively are. The problem is to see with an objective eye. It is not impossible, for with God all things are possible; however, neither is it easy, for with humanity all things are impossible. Many people, perhaps most people, have a vested interest in reality they way they perceive or rather wish it to be. This is an extremely difficult point. How does one begin to see objectively when one is so allied to the pleasant unreality created by oneself? In one sense, this is the question the movie The Matrix asks--is it better to live in subjectively loveliness or face the truth no matter how unpleasant and ugly?
What most seem not to know is that objective reality, truth, is part of the Platonic triad, a kind of trinity of values that perforce exist together--truth, beauty, and goodness. Thus objective truth, ultimate truth, eternal truth, is objectively, ultimately, and eternally beautiful and good. It can be no other way. There may be additional attributes to the triad, but these three go hand in hand. So, in addition to the hard question The Matrix poses, there is an easier question. Suppose you could wake up from the waking dream/nightmare you have created for yourself by your choices of what to do and believe, and suppose upon waking that you would find yourself in a realm far more beautiful, perfect, and peaceful than any you could imagine--would you choose to wake?
If so, now is the acceptable time. God, patient Father, has long waited for each one to wake and come stumbling out of the bedroom in our "footy" pajamas rubbing our eyes and suddenly seeing that every morning is Christmas morning. Every day, no matter what the course of the day, is a gift beyond measure.
Sleeper awake, for night is flying
the time of the dream approaches the end,
open your eyes, wake up, arise
this waking nightmare shall come to an end.
"Wacheft auf ruft uns die stimme
Philipp Nocolai 1599
tr. Catherine WinkworthWake, awake, for night is flying,
The watchmen on the heights are crying:
Awake, Jerusalem at last!
And at the thrilling cry rejoices:
Come forth, ye virgins, night is past!
The Bridegroom comes, awake.
Your lamps with gladness take;
Alleluia!
And for his marriage feast prepare,
For ye must go to meet him there.Zion hears the watchmen singing,
And all her heart with joy is springing;
She wakes, she rises from her gloom;
For her Lord comes down all glorious,
The Strong in grace, in truth Victorious.
Her Star is risen, her light is come!
Ah, come Thou blessed Lord,
O Jesu, Son of God,
Alleluia!
We follow till the halls we see
Where Thou hast bid us sup with Thee.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 8:39 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
June 14, 2006
The First Degree of Conversion
from Deep Conversion/Deep Prayer
Fr. Thomas DubayThe first degree of conversion, therefore, is a 180-degree reversal:"I renounce my idol, Lord; I want you instead. I am very, very sorry. With your grace I am going to change my life. I freely choose to repent. I shall receive your sacrament of reconciliation." The perfect portrayal of this basic conversion is found in Jesus' parable of the prodigal son (Lk 15:11-32). The fundamental friendship with God is restored.
Some books are not really meant to be read through, even though they CAN be read through quite easily. From the beginning, this book has seemed one of those. One could read it easily, in an hour, perhaps two. But were one to do so, there are a great many things that would be lost and a great deal that could help one's prayer life that would be overlooked.
The passage noted above is fundamental Catholic doctrine; indeed, fundamental doctrine for all Christians worthy of the name. The world is a fallen place, fallen because of our ancestors' sin and each person takes his or her place in that fallen world. Every person who chooses to abandon his or her place in the fallen world and take up the gift of a place in heaven participates in the salvation of the entire world. Such people can say with Paul that they make up in their own bodies what was lacking in the sacrifice of Christ.
Perhaps one can think of it as a shift in the center of gravity. For every person who chooses to take up the Christian life, the balance is shifted toward heaven. Everyone who determines to do more than the mere minimum adds the mass of grace to the position held in the kingdom, the center of gravity shifts more. Those who choose to live truly heroic lives of virtue become so great an attraction that they draw more into the life of grace. The intercession of the saints is an enormous force. There is a constant shifting of mass in this balancing of the center of gravity--writers of old have called this "The War in Heaven," the enormous battle waged for each soul in which all of the might of the Angels and Saints is mustered against the Fallen Ones over each soul. And all of that massing becomes evident in the choice a person makes for or against God.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 8:55 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Something to Consider
css Zen Garden: The Beauty in CSS Design
For all that future spare time I plan to have. Some really startling effects.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 10:48 AM | Comments (0) | TrackBack
Semicolon
I don't know if Semicolon qualifies for St. Blogs, but if you haven't discovered this utterly delightful blog, you owe yourself the treat. Books and faith.
That's it, what more need be said, except that the Blogmaster imagines herself at tea with Tasha Tudor, Madeleine L'Engle, P.D. James and others.
Except that she had a nice long post on the observed differences between her girls and boys.
Except that she really, really, really likes, perhaps even loves books and sharing her reading with us.
I need to visit more often, and I encourage everyone to stop by and say hello. You'll be glad you did.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 11:44 AM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
Charles Kingsley
The Online Books Page: What's New
Probably to celebrate the forthcoming proposal for the Canonization of Thurgood Marshall (see TSO's blog) The On-Line Books page offers us a plethora of Kingsley, sermons, scientific works, Poetry and lectures on Literature. All but Westward Ho! and my personal favorite (I own a first edition) The Water Babies Looks at the entries for June 12, 13.
And here's a link to the Charles Kingsley Author Page, in case you wanted to pursue the novel and other works.
Posted by Steven Riddle at 12:26 PM | Comments (2) | TrackBack
June 15, 2006
Sam's Dance
As Snoopy in Snoopy and the Red Baron--Tap Dance
As Little Boy Blue in Little Boy Blue--Ballet
He really wowed the crowd with his muscle-making and "boy jump" in Snoopy. And he had to do lifts for two of the little girls in the ballet routine. For some reason this really gets the crowd going. He has asked to take Tap, Jazz, Ballet, and Acrobatics next year. I can't see why not after this recital
Posted by Steven Riddle at 12:06 PM | Comments (3) | TrackBack
June 17, 2006
Chronicle of a Medieval Abbey
Medieval Sourcebook: Jocelin de Brakelond: Chronicle of The Abbey of St. Edmund's (1173-1202)
From the Medieval Sourcebook--the Story of the Abbey of St. Edmund by a Medieval Chronicler.