"jon" response

flickr user riekhavoc

So this story was pretty interesting to read. Interesting meaning...I didn't really know what was going on, but I'll give you my take on the story:

So there's all these kids/young adults (the age was never really specified) in this sort of camp where they are told to masturbate, test products, and fill out assessments for them – the products, not the masturbation. Apparently they test a whole range of products from medicine (Aurabon?) to children's toys when they were younger – it seems like they have been here their whole lives. So anyways they go through all these trials like having kids and getting married other shenanigans, and once a day they need to be "plugged in". Into what, we don't really know. In the end the main character eventually makes it out of the camp (I think) and faxes his "wife", who I believe is still in the camp, and they talk about their future lives together, and then it's over.

What struck me about this story wasn't necessarily the plot line, but more so the writing style. While it was a little confusing at times, I thought it had a strong voice and was full of character. I hesitated when discussing the age of the characters because the way the story was written, one would think (or at least I did) that the voice was from a younger person, probably a child. The simple, plain speech with inconsistencies in verb tense and confusing descriptions made me think of a toddler trying to tell a story. Since the characters were probably older than a toddler (they were having kids), this maybe means that they were all suffering some sort of mental disorder? I couldn't really tell. Either way, this story was pretty unusual and interesting, however hard to keep up with and fully understand.

SOUND and STORIES review

flickr user all that improbable blue

So I've been a little bit cynical.

In my weekly review I talked about how radio doesn't really do it for me. I can't seem to focus on it and I don't see the need to. However, I have recently had...a change of heart. I wouldn't say that my opinion is changed completely, but in a way I almost feel bad for radio. It's been through a lot. 

That being said, I guess you could say I have found a new appreciation for radio after reading this piece, mostly because I was looking at it through the wrong lens - radio isn't necessarily about picking up every specific detail, it's just about listening to a story. When someone tells you a story, you might not pick up every word and sentence and intonation they use, and that's fine, because that's life. You can't always be alert to every detail of your life, thank god.

One of the things I liked about this article that I hadn't noticed (mostly because I don't listen to radio very often) is how personal radio DJs make the radio experience. It hadn't occurred to me that when listening to radio, one is often times alone, so being catered to on an individual level is something important for full listening pleasure. By forming questions with "you" as opposed to "all listeners out there", the relationship between radio and its listener is intensified – we're practically dating.

In all, what I generally want to say is that appreciating the difference between auditory storytelling and print/video/other media is important. Each have their own positive and negative qualities, all of which are appreciated in different ways through different lenses. Not everybody can write a broadcast for a radio show that engages, inspires and entertains, but most people would find it easier to write a short story – not that writing is a walk in the park, because it isn't, but something about radio, its relatability, voice, and personal experience takes us to a different place than certain stories can and ever will.

R E A L I T Y H U N G E R : a manifesto

Let me begin by saying that I loved and hated this essay. I mostly hated it because of all the references...I'm glad you're well-read and all, but I'm afraid I haven't read half of the things this man is talking about (maybe that's just me).

I mostly just loved the topic of this essay, which is very well portrayed in the first lines: "The world exists. Why recreate it?" The author does a great job of explaining his views "against" fiction writing - why should we have to make up completely new worlds, stories, and ideas if there's already so much in the world that we already have, and that we haven't discovered yet? While this is a rather limiting thought that I'm not sure I believe in, I think it's a very noble idea to promote and pursue. Sure, there's a lot to be created from what you already have, which is done on a daily basis all around the world. But where's the appeal? Why should we limit ourselves to the things that are inside our realm? Why not go out and invent something completely new from scratch as an escape from the real world? 

This is where I disagree with the writer. Sure, it's fine to make beauty, art, and express yourself from the things you already have, but what about expressing those things through something you don't have, and finding a way to manifest your thoughts and send a message through something you invented? In my opinion, that is one major component of creativity - inventing something that no one else has thought of. Of course, this can be done with the same materials as everyone else, but what about making something different with the same things as everyone else makes it so...well, different? I hope you can follow my train of thought. It's not always easy to, and it's especially hard in writing. 

Something else I noticed in the essay was a sort of stylistic device the author uses to prove his point, and I hope I'm not the only one that picked up on this: in constantly citing things form other authors, the writer uses this essay as a prime example that something completely new can be made out of things that already have been made. Creativity comes from already-established entities that can be recycled into something completely new. When I realized this about the essay, I got pretty excited.  Maybe I'm way off, but I'm still proud of my findings. Good move, David Shields.