Hello Traverse

For those of you who don't understand this post . . . just pretend your name is Traverse.  ;)

Harper Lee Writes a Letter

After learning that the Hanover County School Board planned to pull To Kill a Mockingbird from all their school libraries, citing immorality, Harper Lee composed the following letter to the Richmond News Leader, along with a small monetary contribution:

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January 1966

Editor, The News Leader:

Recently I have received echoes down this way of the Hanover County School Board's activities, and what I've heard makes me wonder if any of its members can read.

Surely it is plain to the simplest intelligence that "To Kill a Mockingbird" spells out in words of seldom more than two syllables a code of honor and conduct, Christian in its ethic, that is the heritage of all Southerners.  To hear that the novel is 'immoral' has made me count the years between now and 1984, for I have yet to come across a better example of doublethink.

I feel, however, that the problem is one of illiteracy, not Marxism.  Therefore I enclose a small contribution to the Beadle Bumble Fund that I hope will be used to enroll the Hanover County School Board in any first grade of its choice.

Harper Lee

The Delicate Art of Critiquing

After reading several book reviews on Amazon, I was surprised by how many reviewers judged books by their covers . . . by their titles even! Some critiques were the written equivalent of walking out of a theater and proclaiming: Wow! That movie really sucked. What surprised me even more was how many of these reviews were written by writers . . .

When evaluating any kind of art, it's essential to look past yourself--your tastes and experiences--in order to evaluate the work in front of you fairly and not personally. When reviewing fiction, for example, the question is not whether you 'liked' the story, but whether the story was good. Not the same thing at all.

Though not specifically prose, let's use the band Journey. I'm not a fan of this type of arena rock. Not a fan of much of the popular Journey catalog. But I'd give the group several stars if I were reviewing them critically. Why? Because their goal--to write and produce memorable pop/rock songs--has been met. Under the banner of arena rock, they are exactly what they're supposed to be with a few extras--Steve Perry's voice and a good guitar player.

Reviewing a novel or short story requires more than the ability to read critically. There must be some attention paid to author intent. In other words, the author wrote a horror novel. Is the novel scary? The author has written a coming-of-age tale set in revolutionary-era Cuba. Do the characters come of age in this Cuba of yesteryear?

When everything is lined up--great prose, believable characters and consistant conventions throughout--the criteria for writing a positive review have been met. And unless you're God or everyman, you have no choice but to give the writer a big gold star even if you didn't like his story.

The land of literary is far more subjective than it needs to be.

Science Fiction Encyclopedia Live!

Whether searching for authors/books or obscure themes within the genre, the SFE offers a huge (and free) database. If you're new to Science Fiction--reading or writing--and don't understand a particular concept, this online reference is a great place to start. Several of the themes and/or keywords can even inspire stories in their own right. Wanna know what a Jonbar Point is? A Kipple?

Check it out writers: http://http//sf-encyclopedia.com/category/themes/theme

So You Want to Write a Novel!

Stephen King Pens a Sequel to the Shining

King talked about the sequel to his 1977 novel The Shining last year, even reading a section from the manuscript during an appearance at George Madison University. The sequel, Dr. Sleep, finds Danny Torrance grown up and working in hospice. One can only imagine what this type of work would bring to a man who shines (has the ability to see the dead or events that have passed away). Danny was only a child during the first book and dealt with things as only a child can--fear and the typical ambiguity during distracted play. I'm curious to see how Danny, the adult, reconciles his shine.

If you haven't read the first book, or if you haven't read it in years, I'd recommend picking up a copy and preparing yourself for the coming Dr. Sleep.