An ambitious laziness

I finished 1Q84!

Early on, in the first pages of this book, perhaps even when I started to think about reading the book, I remember reading a brief bio about how the author was a marathon runner. He had even written a book on the subject. The bio also mentioned his belief in a daily regiment of writing, exercise, and reading. This fact struck me as I began to work my way through the large tome that is 1Q84. It is a lot like running--the repetitive rhythms broken up burst of action, followed by long, slow stretches where all you can do is put one foot in front of the other, praying for the finish line coming into view.

Another thread that floats through 1Q84 is that of music. I recall, perhaps it was just a dream, the author menitioning in an interview that the book's inspiration was a piece of music. An orchestra piece by the polish composer janacek call the sinfetta. I listened to the piece and wonder if perhaps the novel was writing music through plot and language. A sort of narrative representation of what music as a story/slice of life. This paradigm explains the repetition and the cycles of words, plots and places that thread through the novel like a melody or harmony. Phrases acting like chords and dialogue as chapters acting as movements. Both metaphors elude to the surreal which is entwined with stunning normality(as an aside, I'm not sure how one can write about the surreal without a boring reality to contain it).

despite this thinking sparked by the book, I don't think I can recommend it. There's a sense of laziness in the book. The unnecessary passages of Dickens without the clever wit of Dickens. Long chapters that build nothing and are not entertaining enough to warrant their inclusion. This was beyond killing one's darlings but a question of editing. The word "like" was used everywhere to give a forced metaphor or simile. The characters felt unloved and inconsistent in composition.

I am hesitant to get into specifics, as any reveal of the plot will take away interest in the book, but I will say that it's resolution left much to be desired.

to be honest, I have a sense that my biggest walk away is that I know the truth of the book. I will not be tricked in dinner conversation when someone talks excitedly about the book. I will know they have only read the reviews and have not wrestled with the book. Even a poor book challenges the mind, it was unfortunate that this particular one had to be so long.

One final thought. Having finished the book, I found myself sitting and thinking about re-writing the book, to make it tighter and stronger. Invoke the character Tengo work in the novel to re-write the story of Fuki-erai. As though the novel's central question is "how can a story be told better?". I don't believe this was the author's intent.

sitting on a deck

It a rare moment of calm, I find myself sitting on my brother-in-law's backyard. The weather is just right. I'm full from an excellent meal. Settling down after a fun day outdoors at Bronte creek. An evening calling me to relax.

The kind of moment you blog about so you don't forget in later more hectic times. Sorry to be completely self serving.
:)

The bird and the cat

The past week has seem to involve discussions about animals. The main agent of these ecological seminars is my three tear old daughter. She is working through the behaviors of animals, which ones eat plants, which ones eat garbage, and which ones eat other animals.

In other, older, circles, the theme of animals have come up as well. At my work there has been a lot of discussions of peregrine falcons who inhabit the building across the way. I was able to attend part of the tagging ceremony and was impressed with the dedication of the volunteers working to recover a species. They even have a webcam.

I say this as someone who isn't really a birder and when considering our feathered friends, I prefer water fowl.

The other animals this week is my friend Becky starting to explore the video features of her camera. She made cats the focus of her experiments. See results below.People getting excited about cats. What's not to like.

 

Finally, I have been delving into web series with pa tv and geek and sundry. Felicia Day's the flog is a new thing for me and in the first episode I watched she had a link to baby animals in her favorite five things of the week.

Leaves me wondering what next week's theme will be.

 

Getting to the eternal question

The oldest question that is ever present.

I have just finished the last season of the new Doctor Who (that being the oldest question apparently, closely followed by "who is this God person anyway" to steal from D Adams).

The next series does not start until the fall, giving a moment to ponder what has been seen while the TARDIS hums quietly in the background.

Overall I have enjoyed the relaunch of doctor who. The work they have done over the past seven years and three lead actors efforts to recreate the adventure atmosphere of the original have been quite successful . I am hesitant to choose a favorite doctor as they truly play to different elements of the mythos, using a diversity of role models and stressing particular aspects of the how's history. I have also enjoyed the writing for the most part.

That said, it is a children's show. The pacing is often odd as the logical conclusion of violence or complex dialogue is withheld due to the target audience. The darleks are an example of a failure in writing. They just don't seem scary enough. The show's simplictic view of world politics is a bit offensive at times as well.

The main problem for me is that it is not particularly science fiction. More of a fantasy with scientific dressing. The history is very cliche and shallow. I never really sure what this epic storytelling is speaking to but it doesn't move me too much. Perhaps it isn't meant to.

Still this is spoken with love. The little moments that speak volume, set the mind on fire. Despite all its cliches doctor who is about glimpses of the different and weird. Now what is wrong with that.

S

The lens poetic

There is a moment when the clouds clear and the body doesn't notice the dampness of the world. Simply glad that the rain has stopped. Savor and smile are the only orders of business, before life starts again.
If life was made of such moments alone it would be a great loss, and yet ever song is shaped by its silences. The pause between the note.
These are the thoughts at the end of rain before the sun comes out.

No spring in one's step

Someone in the elevator up to work today commented that everyone seems worn out this spring. I confessed to having a child, but that didn't apply to everyone else at work. I wonder if it has something to do with the weather. We never really had a proper winter this year, but one really long fall that is now turning to spring. T is also raining a lot.

Summer is fast approaching so hopefully that will get rid of the blahs going around (as foul moods are contagious in my not the least bit scientific analysis). I intend to enjoy the summer (Z is easier to get ready to go somewhere as there are fewer layers involved when it's warm) and get some outdoor swimming in.

Big notes I know, but it's a Tuesday. Never got the hang of Tuesdays Or Thursdays for that matter.

S

That linking feeling

One of my goals this year was to blog more. Mostly to get my head into a writing space, thinking about composing my thoughts and perhaps give them a more rigorous test then they would if they remained idle thoughts in my head. I believe I have been successful in getting my fingers on the keys to get the dreams out and the content made. One should celebrate victories, no matter how small.

Looking over the past month and a half of blog entries, I noticed my abandonment of hypertext, aiming to just get the words out. In business lingo, I am not providing that value add services that establish my brand in the market place of ideas (I don't know which rhetoric bothers me more, capitalism or socialism. God, I am become an old liberal).

Joking aside, I really should incorporate more links. As much as my words should do all the heavy lifting, there are items and elements I discuss that would benefit from a quick pop out to the Internet. One cannot change the past, but I can make amends for the future. I don't plan on making everything a link, but I will try to highlight elements more with the internet's assistance.

In light of this I have put together a couple of links on subject matters that have been I rattling around in my mind. Enjoy!

Gaiman talking about writing: one of my favorite authors, Neil Gaiman has recently running a sort of series on writing questions. He answers questions then advises he will be compiling it into a mega blog post on writing. I assume the intention of it being the ultimate go to place for questions about writing and allows him to stop worrying he is repeating himself or getting annoyed about being asked to repeat himself, but I digress. I feel for the man because writing advice is either overly general/obvious (finish what you start, submit it to people who will publish that sort of thing, work on your grammar, etc.) or really specific (word order, paragraph structure, what to cut or keep, i.e editing). I can't imagine how Gaiman will satisfy the questioners without becoming their editor, which really isn't his job.

Art & Letters Daily have had a couple interesting articles about the nature of culture. They curators of the site have a low opinion of the instutionalization of writing. The concern that all writing is becoming separated from the world with writers writing for other writers. I must confess that I am in the middle ground of this argument. Or rather when I think about it I keep coming back to the same thought. We need both, writers professionally trained, but also interesting people who take up the pen to write their story or bare witness to one. I wonder if the problem is that readers are not omnivores. They find what they like and don't really challenge themselves. I may challenge myself with philosophical texts, but I like philosophical texts, but I loathe the thought of reading a modern romance

They also had a cool article on what a foreign reporter carries with them.

I have been enjoying the developments at Penny Arcade as they slowly become a very impressive web-based company. Also I feel that the flourishing partnership with Scott Kurtz has been great. The web television is quite cool.

I have been following some comics, some epic, some silly, some odd

Finally there be board games

Later

S

Bike trail madness

Okay, this will be a short one, probably more worthy of tweet than a blog entry (I really need to get my head around Twitter. Although I feel that it will prove I'm not as witty as I think I am. A function that this blog is already fulfilling at a higher word count).

This past weekend I rode up to work on my bike. Other than confirming I need to exercise more, I also discovered the piece meal nature of our bike trails in Toronto. I had to back track three times because the trail either ended for no apparent reason or the section was clearly noted as being "not for bicycles".

Honestly, if linking up these trails would get me off the road and peddling to work. If you love cars, isn't that what you want? More bikers on dedicated trails would mean emptier roads ( well for three seasons of the year I guess). Actually I was struck by the thought that maybe we should have more dedicated bike trails and freeways around the city as long as it supports large pedestrian only zones. By the time I got to work i was going old school (as my old school was in urban planning).

This all ended when I remembered I lived in Toronto where we don't plan any transit, let alone a multi channel one. It reminded me I should be thankful for any trails that keep me off the busy streets. Hope springs eternal that I will be proven wrong.

At least I got a good morning and afternoon of exercising. Plus the Toronto ravine park system is quite pretty, even in early spring. A perfect place to people watch as well. So in the scales of my life, the day was a good one.

S

Book Victory

I have been having a lot of trouble focusing on reading lately. A conspiracy of distraction, by visible and invisible agents, has left my patience and ability to focus in shreds. I am running out of bookmarks for my unfinished projects.

I really need some book victories. Not just for the satisfaction of checking off another book, but more for the feeling of thought, the mind at work. To hear the gears running, going beyond cramming the mind with facts.

I had a minor victory in the completion of book club book today. Wind, sand, and stars is a short poetic reflection on the world through the eyes of a pilot in the early days of aviation. It is a french author, which in my experience is a struggle between narrative, philosophy, and poetry.

I was surprised it was not better enjoyed at book club. Mood seems to play a role. Not everyone enjoys wrestling with contrary thoughts (the author was a libertine aristocrat), preferring different battles in their books. It also doesn't hurt that the book was romanticizing logistics; near and dear to my heart.

Still one book down. Hopefully more to come.

S

Harnessing the hardware

Over the past year (roughly), I have come into possession of a number of new devices. They came as surprise gifts as I always assumed that people will give me a video game or book. They seem more affordable then hardware. But, software isn't as exciting to watch someone unwrap I guess ( and digital books even less so). But I digress.

As of right now I own an iPad 2, a kobo touch, a psp go, a Samsung galaxy. If I am fully honest, I really only brush lightly against the functionality of these devices. I'm not sure whether it is a tribute to the devices' complexity or their generality that I use only a small percentage of these 21st century wonders.

My desire to master these devices varies. The kobo's online rewards (to post on Twitter or Facebook) are frankly insulting; why should I want people to know why I choose to read? All mightier award indeed. Apart from the games to finish, the psp is rather clunky to do anything other than play video games. I tried to use it once as a calendar organizer to great frustration. Have to wait for the next model I suppose.

The source of that "not living up to one's potential" comes from the iPad and samsung galaxy. From my reading I can compose a symphony, run a website (or web business), write a novel, make movie, record a podcast, conduct an interview, paint a sunset...anything. These devices can enhance almost any profession, or start one.

The whole thing is rather daunting. It makes one feel that to simply use the device to check email is beneath it. As I type a text, I can almost feel the device judging my digital lifestyle (or the lack of one). If You Tube is any indication, I am not alone in my feeling. And the take away is one must be willing to tinker, commit the time, and choose your battles.

Time, time, time, plagued with the lack of it. It seems I write in circles. I need to fix that.

S