[Writingworkshop] some randoms

[Daniel Peters]

I love the idea of theatre as a metaphor for metaphor.  And the plectrum,
specifically tightened strings into the pattern that makes a melody.

On 2/20/08, Neale Morison <nmorison at mit.edu> wrote:
>
> The idea sounds a little like the layering thing I think about. You can
> write something with a superficial meaning, and stack up several deeper
> meanings, and the deeper meaning can have a deeper meaning.
> And so on. Dodgy example but the first one that occurred to me: Hans
> Brinker with finger plugging hole in dyke dies of thirst -> you can have
> too much of a good thing, there is paradox  in sacrifice -> the universe
> is cruel in its indifference. By the way, what was wrong with that kid?
> He could have plugged it with something else and kept his hands free for
> the long night ahead.
>
> There's a Stephen King movie, called Cat's Eye, that contains several
> short stories. It's one of the most successful adaptations of his
> stories. King wrote the screenplay. The Ledge is about a guy who is
> forced by a vengeful crime boss to walk around a building on a high
> window ledge. The shape of the ledge, with its angles and easier and
> harder bits, determines the dramatic shape of the action. The ledge is a
> graph of the audience's emotional response. It keeps you on edge, in
> suspense. The ledge is a metaphor for the plot, and at the same time it
> is the plot. Great idea, nice simple realization, ending apt but obvious
> and rather weakly managed. Yes, okay, I was stoned when I saw it.
>
> Similar gag in the name of the movie Cliffhanger. My wife and I saw
> Cliffhanger at the movies together before we were married, and we
> enjoyed it a lot but we both laughed at the credit "Based on a premise
> by John Long". Presumably the title contained the premise. The term
> "Based on a premise" entered our permanent lexicon for anything where
> the idea was perhaps not fully worked out or maybe a little obvious and
> superficial. "It was okay, but it was based on a premise." Anything
> where you can sum up the work in a word. In fact Cliffhanger needs two
> words. Cliffhanger and snowy. There's another party game style
> challenge, to add to the find a metaphor for metaphor challenge.
>
> I see the caipoeira as an example of metaphor. Stylized movements
> simplify and illuminate the movements of fighting, preserving certain
> aspects of interest and leaving out the messy bit. Physical metaphor.
>
> A metaphor for metaphor. A generally understood, possibly simpler, more
> manageable thing that can be substituted for the process of
> substitution, and that gives you insight into the process of
> substitution. It feels very recursive, and my brain is starting to hang.
> The custom of selecting champions to take the place of armies in a
> battle. Does that work? Giving someone an apt keepsake? I have to go,
> but I want you to have my bong. Theatre is a metaphor for metaphor.
> Isn't it? As soon as I start to think about it I lock up.
>
> Good challenge, Daniel.
>
>
> Daniel Peters wrote:
> > Haven't ever got very far with this, maybe someone ideas? I tried to
> > write a poem a few years ago about poetry itself treating metaphor as
> > caipoeira, the brazilian dance fighting art.  So if you had to find an
> > appropriate metaphor FOR metaphor, what would it be?  Does anyone find
> > the caipoeira angle interesting, effective?  I've since felt that the
> > poem never made it far not because of the ideas but my own immaturity
> > as a poet.  Just curious, now that I have the ears of a few more
> > seasoned veterans.......
>
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