Comments on: 3rd and 850 or So http://andersoncreativeonline.com/jmblog/2009/08/03/3rd-and-850-or-so/ Just blowin' through naptime Fri, 28 May 2010 01:14:59 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0.1 By: Jeff http://andersoncreativeonline.com/jmblog/2009/08/03/3rd-and-850-or-so/#comment-6525 Jeff Wed, 05 Aug 2009 16:33:21 +0000 http://andersoncreativeonline.com/jmblog/?p=77#comment-6525 You know, that's a good point--the story about Poor Tony may just be there so that we don't forget about him too much. He was introduced in yrstruly's narration (which is only a few pages back, at this point), but that's an awfully opaque section on first read. We do learn some details that are corroborated in Steeply's story, though: the high heels, the feather boa, the haunt behind the library. I think we're supposed to be able to make a tentative ID here, and your idea that the section's narrative purpose might just be to keep the reader's mental spotlight on Poor Tony long enough to get to his reappearance sounds pretty sound. You know, that’s a good point–the story about Poor Tony may just be there so that we don’t forget about him too much. He was introduced in yrstruly’s narration (which is only a few pages back, at this point), but that’s an awfully opaque section on first read. We do learn some details that are corroborated in Steeply’s story, though: the high heels, the feather boa, the haunt behind the library. I think we’re supposed to be able to make a tentative ID here, and your idea that the section’s narrative purpose might just be to keep the reader’s mental spotlight on Poor Tony long enough to get to his reappearance sounds pretty sound.

]]> By: Infinite Tasks http://andersoncreativeonline.com/jmblog/2009/08/03/3rd-and-850-or-so/#comment-6519 Infinite Tasks Tue, 04 Aug 2009 17:19:20 +0000 http://andersoncreativeonline.com/jmblog/?p=77#comment-6519 I appreciate your helping with the recall of that very dense and abruptly transitioning set of embeds. It was a point in the novel when things appeared to be spinning out of control. Once the later sections begin to emerge (starting with Eschaton, perhaps, but also the congregation of previously introduced folks at Ennet House, and all the goings-on of Y.D.A.U. 8 & 9 November, e.g.), the embedding decreases substantially and the connections between characters intensify, yet you remind us that we should not forget the manner in which these more narrative sections were set up. I'm not entirely sure, but the Poor Tony piece may be a "set piece" (good in itself) with little more to add than bringing PT along in the text prior to the powerful withdrawal description. It also weaves tightly the connections between disparate characters (in this case H. Steeply and the Boston addicts), connections that are closing around us at today's spoiler line and will presumably continue to compress (recall that we know from p. 17 that Gately and Hal will join together at some point in the novel). I appreciate your helping with the recall of that very dense and abruptly transitioning set of embeds. It was a point in the novel when things appeared to be spinning out of control. Once the later sections begin to emerge (starting with Eschaton, perhaps, but also the congregation of previously introduced folks at Ennet House, and all the goings-on of Y.D.A.U. 8 & 9 November, e.g.), the embedding decreases substantially and the connections between characters intensify, yet you remind us that we should not forget the manner in which these more narrative sections were set up.

I’m not entirely sure, but the Poor Tony piece may be a “set piece” (good in itself) with little more to add than bringing PT along in the text prior to the powerful withdrawal description. It also weaves tightly the connections between disparate characters (in this case H. Steeply and the Boston addicts), connections that are closing around us at today’s spoiler line and will presumably continue to compress (recall that we know from p. 17 that Gately and Hal will join together at some point in the novel).

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