The Crafting Of Literature

    

Tucson Weather Today
 

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I, among others, was recently asked if I had opinions on Experimentalist Short Stories. Although I did not, and still do not remember much about it, I had many years ago read the experimental novel 'Infinite Jest' written by David Foster Wallace and so I responded with a brief opinion.

But then I wondered if my bad experience with that book (wondering WTF it was all about) was perhaps due to my unschooled youth and lack of literary experience.

So I trekked on over to Amazon and bought the Kindle edition of 'Infinite Jest'. I am curious to learn whether or not I have matured enough as a reader (at age 74) to actually understand the author's meanings and even possibly enjoy the 1082 page story.

To read an excerpt go to the Amazon 'Look Inside' page

Throughout all the years I have observed life and studied both the Craft and the Art of writing, I have never found a clear-cut division between the two. This leads me to believe that there is probably no difference, just one invented by pundits to raise their opinions of themselves.

Either that or I am not intelligent enough to grasp that difference.

That could be it.

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TRIVIA

Michael Jordan makes more money from Nike annually than all of the Nike factory workers in Malaysia combined.

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HISTORICAL EVENT

On this day, June 13 in 1983, after more than a decade in space, Pioneer 10, the world's first outer-planetary probe, left the solar system. The next day, it radioed back its first scientific data on interstellar space.

Headed in the direction of the Taurus constellation, Pioneer 10 will pass within three light years of another star -- Ross 246 -- in the year 34,600 A.D. Bolted to the probe's exterior wall is a gold-anodized plaque, 6 by 9 inches in area, that displays a drawing of a human man and woman, a star map marked with the location of the sun, and another map showing the flight path of Pioneer 10. The plaque, intended for intelligent life forms elsewhere in the galaxy, was designed by astronomer Carl Sagan.

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WORD FOR TODAY

experimentalist
noun
Use of empirical or experimental methods in determining the validity of ideas.

Experimental literature refers to written work -- usually fiction or poetry -- that emphasizes innovation, most especially in technique.

"Experimentalist" is also used in reference to a personality type that builds up gradually to a work. Here the term is not limited to science, but is frequently used in relation to artists. Famous "experimentalists" could include Cézanne, Mark Twain or Robert Frost. The opposite of being an Experimentalist is to be a Conceptualist.

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Off Subject Nutrition Note:
Open Access, Peer-Reviewed, Research Article --

Vegetable Cost Metrics Show That Potatoes and Beans Provide Most Nutrients Per Penny.

Excerpt from abstract:
. . . tests showed that beans and starchy vegetables, including white potatoes, were cheaper per 100 calories than were dark-green and deep-yellow vegetables. Fresh, frozen, and canned vegetables had similar nutrient profiles and provided comparable nutritional value. However, less than half (n = 46) of the 98 vegetables listed by the USDA were were consumed >5 times by children and adolescents in the 2003–4 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey database. For the more frequently consumed vegetables, potatoes and beans were the lowest-cost sources of potassium and fiber. These new metrics of affordable nutrition can help food service and health professionals identify those vegetable subgroups in the school lunch that provide the best nutritional value per penny.

Link

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CELEBRITY BIRTHDAYS

Timothy Alan Dick
(born June 13, 1953)

Tim Allen is an American comedian, actor, voice-over artist and entertainer, known for his role in the sitcom Home Improvement. He is known for his starring roles in several popular films, including the Toy Story film series (as the voice of Buzz Lightyear), The Santa Clause film series, and Galaxy Quest. Allen currently stars as Mike Baxter in the ABC sitcom Last Man Standing.

Alexandra Elizabeth "Ally" Sheedy
(born June 13, 1962)

Ally Sheedy is an American film and stage actress, as well as the author of two books. Following her film debut in 1983's Bad Boys she became known as one of the Brat Pack group of actors in the films The Breakfast Club and St. Elmo's Fire. She is also known for her roles in WarGames, Short Circuit and High Art, for which she received critical acclaim.

Paul Edward Lynde
(June 13, 1926 - Jan 10, 1982)

Paul Lynde was an American comedian and actor.

A noted character actor with a distinctively campy and snarky persona that often poked fun at his barely in the closet homosexuality, Lynde was well known for his roles as Uncle Arthur on Bewitched and Harry MacAfee, the befuddled father in Bye Bye Birdie -- both the stage musical and the film-version. He was also the regular "center square" guest on the game show Hollywood Squares from 1968 to 1981 and was the voice of The Hooded Claw in the animated Hanna Barbera series, The Perils of Penelope Pitstop, though never credited.

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen
(born June 13, 1986)

Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen, also known as the Olsen Twins collectively and Mary-Kate Olsen and Ashley Fuller Olsen individually, are American fraternal twin actresses and fashion designers.

Following their acting debut as infants on the television series Full House, the sisters appeared together in a variety of TV, film and video projects throughout their child and teenage years. Through their company Dualstar, the Olsens joined the ranks of the wealthiest women in the entertainment industry at a young age.

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I don't know which is more discouraging, literature or chickens.
--E. B. White