Writing Experiment (Week 4)

Here are the experiments for this week:

1. Google-Image-ism: First write a 14 line poem (sonnet) OR a paragraph (or prose poem) with 14 sentences (a sonnet?). Then, using just the first line/sentence, type in AS MANY key words into Google Images as you can that will bring forth images. Select any image from the search result and write a new line or sentence that responds to the image (describes, evokes, questions, insinuates, furthers, parallels, or inhabits what you're looking at - anything goes). Repeat this process anew for every line or sentence. Perhaps you could post one or a few of those images to your personal blog in addition (not required).

[You can find and search with Google Images by first going to google.com, and then clicking on the Images link]

OR

2. Time & History: a) Write a poem or a short story where all action/events occur simultaneously, including three events (significant or banal) from today's news.
or b) Create list of dates with associated events, real or imagined or both. (wikipedia is helpful in searching specific years and even days).

Discussion Questions (week 4)

Discussion questions for this week:

• Why does Fitterman's book (according to title) take the form a musical? What is a musical? Does it have multiple definitions? How does this book use/relate to/comment upon music? What's so important (or unimportant) about music?
• What is the book's attitude towards war or "war-time"? How does this attitude manifest itself in the form/forms of the book?
  
• What does the form (or forms) of the book allow Fitterman to say or to do that might not be possible without that/those forms?
  
• Discuss an image, a series of images, or a visual moment that occurs in the book. What is the relation between text and image in this book? Is there a difference here? How can we define or distinguish those differences?. How can we "read" this visual information?
  
• Discuss any two of these concepts in relation to each other and to the book: excess, waste, wealth, changes of time, temporality, rate of information, entertainment, comfort, pleasure, pain, war, distraction, distortion, noise, perspective, size/scale, reproduction, repetition.
  
• What does War, the musical seem to criticize? What does it seem to embrace or endorse? How do we know we're reading/looking at a criticism/endorsement?
• What would you describe as being most complex about War, the musical? as most simple? What do you like most about the book? the least? What knowledge/ideas can you take away from the book as a writer?

Here are some secrets worth knowing:

• The accompanying video and music to War, the musical
• Fitterman interview for an earlier book, still very relevant to War, the musical
• An online book of his, but I'm linking for the small introduction.
• Lastly, for those with **TIME**(!!!), a lengthy essay on Fitterman (worth even skimming)
  

Wings intro

The rain was pounding on the hood of the jeep as we flew down rout 9. We needed to pick up trash bags so that our house would seem less of a shithole if the landlady showed up. Doctor was driving at top speed, his jaw clenched, his knuckles white on the streering wheel, his eyes focused intently on the road, blinking only when beads of sweat rolled in. I have never wished to be sitting in the backseat so much in my entire life. We pulled into the Stop and Shop parking lot, tires screetching in protest around the 60 degree bend. The Jeep skidded to a halt in front of the Bank Of America ATM and Doc jumped out. Jonas joined him, as both of them needed money for booze and the trash bags. I was already covered so I turned on the radio and went fishing for some decent music. I hit Free Bird on 102.1 near the beginning when Doc came sprinting back into the car. "Jonas!" he bellowed. "Jonas! Get the fuck in here!" He honked the horn twice before Jonas got in, calmly smoking a cigarette. "Can somebody open a window please?" he asked pleasantly.

Harold & Maude

A young man infatuated with death, mostly his own
And a fiery old woman with life in her bones
Meet at funerals and in a half stole hearse
Became friends, in good time and worse

War, the musical....

Starting this book with a severe cold is not a good idea. I opened “War, the Musical” and though “What the hell was in my room-mate’s cold medicine?” Once it became clear to me that I wasn’t the fucked up one, it was the book, I calmed down. I’m going to get out from the start, I feel like the author was trying to hard to lose the reader, as if they got an ego boost from confusing a person and making them not only lost in words, but fifteen bucks poorer. The prelude to the book let us know that the author knew how discombobulated the book was and how puzzled the reader would be. Does Fitterman have a complex control issue here? Does he get sick kicks from confusion? Chaos?

notes on war the musical part 1

as i mentioned in class, i think commenting on war, consumerism, capitalism, and american addiction to oil are all cheap shots. any mildly educated liberal goes off on all of these subjects given even the slightest opportunity. and whats the the text? another cheap shot in my mind. i think some of it would be suitable in the graffiti medium, but i found it tedious. im sure the suthor meant something by it, but i found it largely inaccessable.

Sample of creative writing: The Damnation of David Shaw

“I have many names in many cultures. You already have preconceived images of me but they are not true, I assure you. You know nothing about who I really am. I am the archangel Lucifer. Satan, sometimes, and many others.”

He instantly rises and steps back aghast from Lucifer before he can finish.

Shock

Excitement

Intense Fear

Intense Loathing

Lucifer lets it Sink into David.

“Prince of lies… King of Darkness! Demon! Begone from my holy visage! God protects me!”

“I thought this might happen… given your background. That’s why we’re scared for you”

“Scared? What, scared that you would lose me to the arms of God for dispatching you vile children? Scared you might have to battle the forces of good for this righteous crusader?” he wrathfully preaches.

A sigh.

“No… I want you to go to heaven and be with Them.”

“Lies! You’re here to cast me into fire and brimstone!”