First, if you're curious and haven't heard the news through other channels: I have been accepted into the PhD program here. Rah!
Second, someone forwarded me this unexpected bit of "bad" writing, and it's a treat to read, but of course my response was largely different from the responses of the LJ commentators. I come from a context where people active attempt to write texts that are that disruptive, and would just as soon discard the rest of the "novel" structure, instead of excising this passage from the novel. (And that's why I study medieval stuff, and not poetry; it seems redundant to bring my "largely different" point of view to poetry! And yet, this very blog...)
Labels: bad writing, criticism, me, medieval
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Firstly, congratulations on being accepted to the PhD program. Best of luck with that.
Secondly, regarding the passage that you linked to. It is fascinating. Reminded me of some of Gabe Gudding's work in his "Defence of Poetry" -- the fantastic metaphors, but also, about early epics (Irish?) where though there is a plot, there are often huge lists of a persons qualities. The whole work includes what we'd call prose but also poetry, catalogue, boasting and big lists derived from oral tradition, etc. This kind of thing seems perfectly appropriate for the novel (and, I agree, in breaking with the 'realist' conventions of the modern novel, making it much more interesting and complex in its language use.
congrats on the acceptance. what will your research focus be?
Issues around "Latin as a second language" during the middle ages, and interaction between Latin and vernacular languages.
It's still a little diffuse, which I'm not worrying about just yet.