Dash it all!

I keep forgetting about the blog. Maybe I've been slipped some foxglove tea without my knowing. Hopefully I won't find myself in any awkward reenactments of a story I can't remember. The thought does highlight one of the aspects I appreciate about Ford's work though, namely the power of perception. Oftentimes the narrative deals with an experience that ends up an illusion, such as the hallucinatory rescue of a little girl, the dubious existence of Bolukuchet, or the entire life of an aspiring pianist. Memory and perception play a vital role for many of the characters, rendering their everyday life into something fantastical, or providing a key to understanding their own narrative. Again and again when memory or perception fail, the characters also meet their downfall, such as in A Man of Light, where the inability to remember ultimately leads to death. Other times, the lost memories of the past lead characters to new adventures as in Boatman's Holiday and Giant Land. I think I'm most intrigued by the fact that memory seems to act as an anchor to reality. The less control one has over one's own mind, the more fantastical the adventures become. Seems like a steep price to pay to enter the fantasy world.

The Green Word, revisited

So, when class ended today, everybody was pretty much ready to be done discussing things and was (myself included) ready to get out of there. However, I must say that even though we talked about how cute The Green Word was and what a classic fairy tale it was, and even giggled a little about how the Mandrake root came into existence, the conversation was concluded with a discussion of illustrations and cover art. Don't get me wrong, I like taking a break from fantasy to talk about the artwork of the story as much as the next person, but I think that a lot was left out in the discussion of the story of The Green Word, namely, the ideas presented in the character of the king as an antagonist to the people of the trees.

The reason that the king is having so many of the witch's followers executed is because they refuse to convert to the faith of choice of the king and his subjects. Those who refuse to convert represent the bigger notion of resisting the protocols brought on by society in order to stand up for one's own beliefs.

One must take into account the differences between the views of the tree people versus those of the rest of society, to which the tree people are being made to adhere. It's almost as if in executing those who believe in the many gods of nature, the kingdom wishes to squash every trace of fantasy in the story and replace it with good, old-fashioned, boring reality. The king's main goal is to convert all of them to an organized religion which, in the story, is viewed as fairly secular by the tree people who are all about free spirits and becoming one with nature. A symbol of the secularism of the king and his followers appears when the king and his philosopher are meeting in the pleasure garden (an enclosed, artificial form of nature) and the philosopher shows the king the model he has created of the supposed universe, in which everything, the sun, planets, even the stars, revolve around the Earth, which is, of course, the center of everything (Ego? What ego?). The king's society thrives on being the center of attention and having control over everything, even the balance of that which is completely separate from their world. The king himself is overwhelmed with a feeling of power when he is offered the chance to control the universe, even though it is only a model.

When the king sees for the first time the heart of Vertuminus, the witch's tree child, the blue skin of the fruit reminds him of the Earth in the center of the model of the universe. He only becomes more interested in obtaining it when Vertuminus equates the green word with the word of God. Hoping to gain power and perhaps to become holier, maybe to guarantee his passage into Heaven, Pious plucks the fruit from its branch, not even pausing to think what may happen to the warrior with whom he dines. When he has two of the mysterious blue fruit, he offers one to a prisoner to see its effect on her. It grows into a tree and helps the prisoners escape, for the girl who eats it is faithful to the witch and to the gods of nature. The king takes the other blue fruit and eats it, supposedly gaining everything he could ever desire, devouring the world in a few juicy bites. However, because the fruit contains the green word, the magic of the tree people, the king's plan is foiled. He turns a leafy green and his palace is overrun with the makings of a forest. Those who remained true to their beliefs prevailed in the end.

So, any comments? Anything to add? This was just a random rant, I probably forgot quite a bit. Paper topic, perhaps? The secularism and authority of organized religion, a la Church of England, perhaps? No stealing. :)

I have the flu :(

So, I tried to get up and take a shower in order to go to class, but I failed and almost blacked out. I hate the flu, ugh. Hopefully, I can lead my story from here.

I had "The Annals of Eelin-Ok," and I must say, it was definitely a delightfully refreshing story from Link's stories. However, I'm glad we started off with Link because in reading her stories, I had to think a different way in order to interpret them, which I applied to Ford as well. This particular story wasn't just about faeries and how cute they are, living in our sandcastles; on the contrary, I believe Ford wrote this in order to capture human beings' most basic needs and instincts. It's true that little Eelin only lived for about a day, but in that day, he experienced what most humans go through their lives trying to explain. The following is going to be a list of traits we humans share with the faeries, with the page numbers:

• pg. 7, Eelin creates things out of his surroundings
• pg. 9, he questions his purpose in life and wants to assign a meaning to his existence
• pg. 11 his need for companionship is satisfied
• pg. 12 he has an innate sense to protect his territory
  
• pg. 12 Eelin and Meiwa take on to the traditional man/woman roles; he provides and she is delicate and sweet
• pg. 13 Pleasure, imagination, carnal desires are obvious when Eelin wakes next to Meiwa and eats the delicious berries (which only taste better because of the circumstances)
• pg. 14 he realizes the true impact of death, and thus destroys the watch and "time"
• pg. 14 he accepts how weak he is to the forces of nature "I realized that my heart was a castle made of sand"
• pg. 15 His dreams are similar to ours, in that we hunt for our desires and goals.

Well, I hope you guys have a fun class :( See yall next week.

I love, love, love, love, love Ford. It may just be because I didn't feel a real connection with Link's stories, but Ford's stories are the kind you lay in bed all day and enjoy! Reading these stories (well, most of them) didn't take the least bit of effort at all! And you get to go back and really think about them after you've finished reading them which is not something I felt I could do with Link's stories. By the end of Link's stories I was always irritated because of the lack of closure, and with these stories, I'm not.

My favorite was definitely The Green Word, though. It gave me the "warm, fuzzy" feeling that you get when you read a good book. I really liked the battle between "good" and "evil', and the end when you find out the The Green Word is love. It made me think that although the king thought he was right to get rid of the people in the forest, they were promoting love of all people...I think. Either way, I liked it a lot!

Finally!!

YES!!!

I GET IT!

I actually read a story.....and knew everything i needed to know about it so that it made sense! I read actual tales....it was amazing....

I really really enjoyed Ford's stuff so much more than Link's work. I guess I just don't have a head for her writings. Ford's style was so normal...I'm very happy....

P.S. Boatmans Holiday....I feel a paper brewing somewhere involving that story....I claim dibs....

The Words are in My Brain

I have really enjoyed reading Ford's stories. Every single one ends in such a way that I find myself thinking about the characters and their world's long after I put the book down. If you read the story notes at the end of each story Ford makes a comment about his inspirations for the story. Many of these are drawn from his own personal experiences. As much as I find myself day dreaming about his characters I wonder if he really did meet a man who could hide words subconsciously.

As others have mentioned, Ford does not leave as much of the interpretation of his stories to the reader as Link does. He fills in plot details while leaving just enough room to make one wonder about the rest of the world his characters live in. These details bring his stories to life for me. I love how he draws me into his world then just before the story finishes he writes something that leaves me with chills. I must say that I like the way things are going with these readings now.

Words are more than just a pretty face

Ford has an excellent gift for description, I think.  Whereas Link's style took on a dream-like quality of image after image, developing a crazy-good story, Ford's style often has the ability to paint gorgeous portraits of his characters, worlds, et cetera.  His description  of Hell within "Boatman's Holiday" is a perfect example of this.  Depending on what I'm in the mood for in reading, I find it difficult to choose between the apples and oranges of Link and Ford's respective creations.  That said, I felt that Ford's ideas in his stories were excellent, especially his opinions on art and more specifically, the use of words.  "Boatman's Holiday" underlines the fact that existence comes from thoughts and memory, which is preserved through the written word.  In a more obvious example, "The Weight of Words" engenders the idea that words written in a calculated manner can have an unimaginable effect on the manuscript's readers.  The thought of a mathematical formula designed to "weigh" the value of words intrigued (and somewhat frightened) me.  But my mind drifted to an actual example of weighted words and texts being measured.  Microsoft Word!  Ever take a look at the Flesch-Kincaid Readability Score after you check for spelling errors?  I wondered how my computer measured the readability and grade-level of my writing and it turns out THERE IS A MATHEMATICAL FORMULA!  True, it isn't nearly as outlandish as Ford's theoretical formula, but the fact it exists, that words are components of a formula and everything may, in fact, be calculated mathematically, is still downright creepy.  There is probably a formula out there for the perfect piece of art, based on materials, colors, size, etc.  I don't think I like math having that kind of control...

Like the rest of the people who have posted so far I also enjoyed The Empire of Ice Cream. I like how Ford writes in a very realistic fashion, the magical elements just kind of sneak there way in. Oh, so you eat coffee ice cream and envision a girl? But you're also a piano genius so of course you're a little quirky. I must disagree on one thing though: I thought Link was sooo much better. Completely subjective, I know. Maybe I just like her style better. Ford approached his stories like they were traditional novels: rising action action, climax, falling action, conclusion. Link was surprises on every page. Even though I was irritated at the way she left me hanging, I also appreciated her ability to do so. Not to completely rant, I did like Ford. He's very clear and develops his characters quite thoroughly and extensively (helloo Botch Town). He is more subtle which can be tough to do. Kudos Ford! Also, I couldn't help but to notice comparisons between the two authors as I was reading. Both loop their stories back into each other and some of the same names and places recur in different stories- for Ford Higbee Lane was in at least two pieces. My favorite? A Night in the Tropics hands down. Amazing!!

SNACKS.....

Just a reminder....

Amy you signed up to bring cookies to class today....


Courtney....you and I are signed up for next week....


And the rest are as follows....


Feb. 13th: Erica Minelin

Feb. 20th: Jessie Foster

Feb. 27th: Laurie

Mar. 5th: Crystal Ellis

Mar. 12th: Renee Rivas

Apr. 2nd: Kalen Berry
Susan DeLeon

Apr. 9th: Laura Bass
Ellie Killian

Woot!

So, I have decided that I adore Jeffrey Ford. And not just because the title of his book is about ice cream, although that is a fine point. His writing style is amazing!!! Ahh! I loved every story he wrote. Okay, so the story I was assigned was Giant Land, which I really enjoyed. The female character was fascinating, and I enjoyed how the tale looped around itself, always using the same characters over and over, even when you think that their part in the tale is over. I will think of questions for this tale soon, but I want time to reflect on what I just read. Truthfully, my favorite story is Botch Town. I adored this story! It was one of the longer of Ford's stories, but I was entranced the whole way through. I love the characters and the fact that the devil was walking on earth driving a white car and stalking around. I was somewhat reminded of a favorite novel, Good Omens, a collaboration between Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett, except that Good Omens is somewhat more humorous. Okay, that's all I really wanted to say, and I'm late to class, so I must be off! I will see everyone tomorrow, and I will arrive on a white steed (well, really my purple bike) bearing delicious cookies!!!! Which are delicious, as I have previously stated!!!

P.S. I have decided that I want to do my paper on how the devil (or something to that effect, perhaps demons in general or something) is represented in fantasy, so claim!!! I am using Botch Town, obviously, maybe Lull, I don't really know. Either that, or I will be using the figure of death in general, of which I have many ideas but I'm not yet sure on that either. But basically, I claim death/devil for my paper. Love you all! Okay, I'm done.

Foxglove Tea

I have a question for all of you...

You know the tea in Jupiter's Skull, does it remind you of anything? If any of you have pot-smoking friends, that might help. I have so many friends that say how great ideas pop up while they're high, but as soon as it's over, they forget everything they talk about. hmmmm.... maybe the author was a stoner. jk. Just thought it was interesting. Now, if smoking makes you have adventures like Jonsi and Maylee did, maybe I should take up the habit. jk again.

Delicious and Chilling

Reading this story, I entertained a lot of empathy for the narrator, because every spoonful of "The Empire for Ice Cream" was blissfully rewarding, but ultimately resulted in cataclysmic headaches.
Oh WOW.
I don't even know where to begin.
Personally, I adored this convoluted story, but I don't want to give away anything major. Since I'm supposed to discuss it on Wed., I figured that I would present a set of questions that I scooped out of this tale:
1. How do you feel about the narrator throughout the story?
2. Why does the flavor of coffee call up his hallucination?
3. What comments does this story make about the nature of art?
4. So what is William, anyway, and what is his fate?
5. Did the ending make you CRY? Cuz I practically melted. Seriously.

*SPOILERS BELOW*
The way Ford presented art as a sentient creation was simply staggering. It made me think about god and the general nature of the universe (even though I don't think there are any overtly religious tones in the text). Synesthesia, I believe, symbolizes artistic creation. In order to be an artist, you have to take something, take the color purple for instance, and transform it into something else, like a nauseating odor. The musical composition has color; the painting sings notes. This is the very basis of metaphor: transformation. To a true artist, a river isn't just a river: it's the creative process, innocence, a memory. That's a terrible example, but whatever.

Fairy Tales

Right. So, I totally saw a huge connection between Link's stuff and traditional fairy tales. I know we touched on this in class, but I really think it's interesting how she changes and morphs such traditional ideas into something new and exciting.

Thus, I will post a very useful link to a huge fairy tale archive!
Folklore and Mythology: Electronic Texts
The website holds tons of fairy tales and the numerous variations on them. My personal favorite is the Irish version of Cinderella (Fair, Brown, and Trembling), which mixes a traditional Celtic based story with the rough outline of Cinderella with Catholic influences. Oh, it is so weird! Some parts sound like Cinderella, others sound like they came right out of the Ulster Cycle. And there's a whale!

Anyway, I definitely dug how Link wove in the gruesome with the unknown and mysterious. Very Grimm. That skinless dog was excellent.

The Empire of Ice Cream

So, I just finished reading the first story in The Empire of Ice Cream... and already, I've fallen in love with the book. I'm not sure what exactly what it was about Magic for Beginners. It's not that I didn't really like it, per se, I just didn't understand most of it. And it was very dark. I don't think I'll ever look at rabbits the same way again. They give me nightmares now. It was just so refreshing to read a story that was supposed to have faeries in it and actually find faeries in the plot. If "The Annals of Eelin-Ok" is any indication of how good the rest of the book is going to be, I think I'm in for a treat.

Plus, I've always wondered about the existence of sand castles and who they were originally built for. Now, I know.

Reminder: Jan. 30 story presenters

Jessica Trevino, “The Annals of Eelin-Ok”
Laura Bass, “Jupiter’s Skull”
Renee Rivas, “A Night in the Tropics”
Casey Sloan, “The Empire of Ice Cream”
Ellie Killian, “The Beautiful Gelreesh”
Janessa Hogans, “Boatman’s Holiday”
Laurie Skelton, “Botch Town”
Crystal Ellis, “A Man of Light”
Courtney Watts, “The Green Word”
Amy Jensen, “Giant Land”
Kalen Berry, “Coffins on the River”
Susan DeLeon, “The Weight of Words”
Jessie Foster, “The Trentino Kid”

Last Thoughts On Kelly Link

So I know that today was pretty much our wrap up of Link for a while but I just thought of a couple of last minute things. We talked today about Shelley Jackson's illustrations for Link and what they meant but I have read a couple of Shelley Jackson's works (Half-life, Patchwork Girl) and I see so much of their writing styles in each other. I am not sure of who inspired whom because I don't know the respective dates of their works but each other incorporates the surreal and fantasy, if you will, with as much relative ease as talking about a toaster. When I was reading Link I found it so much more adorable if I read her work in a Jackson-like manner: just take what she says at face value and then let it absorb after you finish the story. If I focused too much when I was reading on the details of plausibility and even possibility then I lost the magic of the story, but if I waited until the end to ask all the questions then I wasn't so irked. Both authors just leave me with such an intense feeling of knowing their characters and stories that at the same time I felt as if I could have opened the book at any random page and quit at just as random a page and still have gotten the same amount of understanding of the plot had I read it sequentially, I was still so satisfied at the end. So basically, I am a total Link convert. Thanks Andy!

Fandom!

I think "Magic for Beginners" was my favorite story, and it would have to be because of the fandom component. They have costume parties, online communities, and can constantly reference things in the real world to some aspect of their favorite show. Maybe this is a silly reason for liking this story so much, but it was the one with which I could most identify. The story itself was just fun.

What TV show?

I noticed that several people really liked Magic for Beginners. In my opinion, it was one of the lesser "wacky-off-the-wall" Link stories, but even after reading and re-reading it, I still have no idea who is on The Library and if Jeremy actually is on the show, how is he also watching it with no idea about the writers or characters or anything else. I know this is fantasy, but shouldn't it at least make some sort of sense? I really enjoy Link's highly descriptive and detailed style, but when the details do not seem to agree, it drives my logic-driven brain insane. That said, I thought that the parts about Jeremy's imperfect family life were touching and very realistic. I would leave my hubby for a good long break if he wrote a book in which my child died. And the way Jeremy and Kyle talk about their crushes is also completely normal. Link seems to try to balance out the nonsensical with some very down-to-earth interactions and problems, and I'm not sure whether or not I like it. It's just hard for me to constantly switch back and forth. So does anyone have an answer as to how Jeremy is on the show while he's watching it?

Lull

After finishing the entire book, I decided that Lull was definitely my favorite (which is also why I chose to discuss that one in class). When I re-read it, and thought about it some more, I was a little confused as to why it became my favorite, and I still haven't really figured out why I like it. I found it interesting that it was a story, within a story, within a story, and I thought it was hilarious that none of the stories had endings (just like all of Link's other stories). Something was different about this one, though. I didn't mind that I was left hanging by Starlight, by the cheerleader, and by Link all in the same story. Does that mean I've accepted Link's style of writing?

I can't decide.

Maybe I liked that I was given some closure at the end of it. Link told us exactly what was going to happen 5 minutes after we finished reading - Ed is going to call Susan back. Now that I think back about it, though, maybe we're supposed to think back to the cheerleaders story once we get to the end. Maybe Susan really is going to contact the Aliens and try to make a new Andrew like in the cheerleader's story! If that is the case, we would still be left hanging by the cheerleader at the end of the story which fits with all of the other stories in the book. Just a thought.

There is Hope for Fantasy in my Life!!!

I have found that I have fallen "in like" with Links writing style. I say "like" because I am still open to being swept off of my feet by some other fantasy writing author; ) I cant give me heart to one writer just yet! So anywho... the fact that her style is so unpredictable makes your efforts to put down the book almost impossible (notice I said almost:). Her story "Some Zombie Contingency Plans," to me, has the most unexpected ending that you would likely expect to see in one of her stories. The amazing part is that for all of her stories it seems like she never runs out of things to pull out of her bag of originality! When I signed up for this class I didn't know if I would really find the stuff that we read interesting but now because of Link, I am looking on the optimistic side : )

What? "Normal storytelling?" Link, is that you?

There's something about Link's writing style in a few of these that soothes me after I get upset yet again at the lack of explanation, resolution, etc. You can't stay mad when someone gives us a t-shirt that says, "I'm so goth I shit tiny vampires."

Her voice is so conversational, so confident. She's omnipotent in her tales, and boy, does she know it. She can maintain a sense of humor that keeps me laughing out loud. ["...as if the couch had just escaped from a maximum security prison for criminally insane furniture."] In stories such as "Some Zombie Contingecy Plans" and "Magic for Beginners," she is the girl who just gets everything weird about the world, and is artfully summing up whole novels or universes to you right before class starts.

That being said, I really liked "Magic for Beginners." I think. There are normal troubles within a suburban family going on through the story (Jeremy is a misfit, loves his not-perfect family, etc.), which is a bit unsettling after reading her other works. I thought Link's tales focused on enigmatic people or the state of relationships that are doomed to never be normal (by human standards, I mean)? But this was a pretty normal story. Except as we move toward the end. The drop-off ending still gives me a little bit of an upset stomach, though, even after our class disscussion. Like, I fell asleep while reading a normal teen-angst novel, and had a kooky dream about it. But I woke up waaaaay too early, and now I just want Link to let me go back to sleep and see more. Link is all about secrets, and some part of me feels this short story was a let-in on a secret, somehow. "Want to see exactly how your hero from a television show I created was saved from certain doom, since the plot holes never told? Well, it's an interesting story, actually. It involves that kid, Jeremy Mars. I think you have English class with him..."

Zombies

I really liked the short story "Some Zombie Contingency Plans". Soap was always talking about the Zombies and how he thought people did not take them seriously enough. He was always saying people needed to plan for everything. Well it seems to me that the girl in the story was not vigilant enough.

Soap seemed to be a Zombie himself. Here he was with no real life just walking into random parties and making himself at home. He was just like the walking dead. Its like prison was his death and now he is left to wonder the Earth. If the girl had a Zombie contingency plan she would not have just let this guy who was a confessed felon in her house. As for the other posts talking about links between the stories I just don't see it with this one. Perhaps the death theme that seems to go through them all but that would be the only connection I see. What does everyone else think?

Links Throughout Link

Each and every story in this collection is worth looking at individually, but what about the book as a whole? I don't know about you guys, but the way Link wove all of her stories together really caught my attention. The reference to "The Cannon" in "The Hortlak" (remember the talking zombie?) and the way "The Faery Handbag" was mentioned in one of the later stories (sorry, I can't recall which one) were really interesting. I'm sure there are more direct allusions that I've missed (maybe you guys could fill in some gaps with comments, huh? huh?). I get the ominous feeling that Link has this huge, sweeping plan for all of her stories and someday they will all be published in a complete collection called THE ANSWERS. After talking about how "The Faery Handbag" was a great portal into Link's stories, I think the placement of "Lull" at the end is equally brilliant. "Lull" itself is a story contained within a story contained within a story, and so on and so on, in a very Borges-esque manner. Really, having "Lull" at the end makes the reader feel trapped in a cycle. "Lull" isn't the final story in a linear collection; it's a part of a gigantic ouroboros. Finishing up with this story made me want to go back and examine all the other tales again. I almost felt like I could understand them better. I felt like, since I'd read through the collection, I had all the puzzle pieces. This was an interesting notion to entertain. I don't often finish short-story collections feeling like the whole thing was a spider web I got stuck in.

I also got the HIDEOUS, TERRIBLE, KEEPING-ME-AWAKE-AT-NIGHT notion that the narrators for all the stories were somehow related, because they all had this secret-keeping thing going on. Maybe it's just Link's authorial preferences shining through. She obviously doesn't like telling people things.
: D

Cookies are delicious...

Okay, so I'm an awkward person, I know. The only thing that cookies have to do with this post is that I'm eating a cookie right now. And, ohhhh, it's so delicious! Have you ever had a moment while eating something where you want to do the Homer Simpson moan, you know, the one he does while eating donuts (and sometimes drinking beer). Yeah, that's what I just wanted to do. Okay, but on to the real reason for this post.
Lull was by far my favorite. The reason I liked it was because it was a bunch of stories within stories. Very cool. I read another book that did that, called On a Winter's Night a Traveler, which was the same concept, with one story leading to another. I also thought the stories in and of themselves were interesting. My favorite was definitely the story about the cheerleader and the Devil. I really have no good reason for this being my favorite story. It just was. I really liked all the stories, actually. I really didn't have a problem with the fact that the stories didn't make any sense. I just went with it. So, yeah, all the stories were interesting. I'll admit to being a little perturbed by the zombie story, with the kidnapping and all, but other than that it was a good story.
So, now I'm off to make popcorn with lots of salt because it is delicious and do homework and watch Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends, which is a really fun show that is also fantastical. So, yeah, see you all tomorrow. And Casey, don't forget donuts!!!

the 2nd half

After the discussion we had last Wednesday, I decided to read the other stories with different views and expectations. And to tell you truth, I really liked them. My favorites were Lull and The Great Divorce. They were so different, yet I could understand the characters. On the other hand, Zombie Contingency Plans infuriated me. Did he really kidnap her little brother? I'm sure the story meant something else, symbolically, but I couldn't stop thinking about how stupid that girl was. She told her whole life to this stranger, who had been in jail, and she fell asleep while he was in the bedroom with her and her little brother. She was so naive!!! The Great Divorce was very interesting in the way the dead are still alive and part of their everyday lives. But Lull was beyond good. There were stories inside stories, inside more stories. It was great. The first setting was about a group of guys who lives were so miserable that they had to call a sex (sorta) hotline in order to escape a little. And then, just the way the next story unfolded, about how time moved backwards and you knew everything that was going to happen already -- it was genius. I wouldn't necessarily like that applied to my life, because then, life would absolutely be ruled by fate, no question about it. I want a little mystery behind what I'm doing. It's what drives us forward. There might be something better lurking around the corner, you never know, and that's the best part. Somebody should base a movie behind that idea though, and then the end could be a complete twist by changing an event, so it wouldn't be fate, and it in turn, changes all of the future, or the "past". Anyways, I'm rambling. I enjoyed it. I hope I didn't ruin the stories for anyone who hasn't read them yet.

Seriously??

Okay....

So I realize it's a Saturday night and according to the official college kids handbook I should be out making some bad decisions right now, but because I am sick (and a loser) I've been reading, and can I just say....what the hell?? These stories make no sense....

I mean....is it just me?? It CAN'T be just me.... I KNOW I'm not the only one who thinks that there's something just not right about these stories.... I mean really....would it hurt to give me just a LITTLE bit of clarity? I don't want to have to read the story nine times and think about all the historical and philosophical and mythological and whateverolical meanings it could contain....

Tell me a story about a kid on a bike....tell me how the bike is a magic bike that flies him to another world where he meets talking trees. Then tell me how he flies the bike back home and no one's the wiser. THAT I can follow. Don't tell me a story about some dude who steals a painting...goes to prison....is scared of zombies and snatches some little kid from his home. I don't get it. What's it all MEEEEAAAANN??


Help.....

Also....I'm very sick and I'm high off nyquil....many apologies if this post makes no sense...whoop...

Henry and Catharine- DECODED!

So I wiki-ed 'Henry and Catharine' and came up with something pretty interesting and possibly pertinent to STONE ANIMALS. Turns out that Henry VIII's pretty young wife Catharine Howard cheated on him with some dude. Then he executed her for treason. Rabbits were involved. Nah, I'm just kiddin'. There were no rabbits. That would be WAY to convenient. Here's the link, for anyone else obsessed with feeling smart:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catherine_Howard

With our Powers Combined...

I was working my way through a long, involved comment about superheroes (in response to Susan's post) when a new thought struck me. Going through a mental list of all the superheroes I could think of, I remembered Joseph Linsner's Dawn comics. His stories basically revolve around Dawn, the goddess of birth and rebirth, lover to the god of death. I haven't really read the comics, but they do make me wonder if texts focusing on spiritual characters such as gods and angels and the like can be considered part of the fantasy genre. Obviously, if anyone's seen the proportions of the Dawn character, they will see just how fantastical these particular comics are. So, what do ya'll think? Gods as fantasy?

Did I make It?

Alrighty.  Well, I'm going to be candid, and hopefully no one will shun me because of it.  I really wasn't that into the fantasy genre as a kid.  Yeah, I know.  I was a horrible person.  I was more for logic.  If it didn't make sense to me, such as magical wands without explanation, or new worlds that definitely weren't one of the (then) nine planets, I felt the book or movie wasn't worth my time.  *sigh* My name is Susan and I had no imagination...

It wasn't until I was older that I learned there was a whole other world out there... and it was more beautiful than the one that did exist.  I have JRR Tolkien to thank for that.

Fantasy to me is, well, as just about most of you said.  It's a world other than our own.  But it thinks its real.  Or maybe it *is* our own world, with an inexplicable twist.  Fantasy is an encouraging, inspiring tale, that can allow you to leave the confines of that icky logic.  It has the power to portray the reader as their hearts with they were externally: couragous, lucky, powerful (even if that power was hiding within all along), and most of all: free.  Fantasy is freedom from everything.

And I may be wrong, but I've been doing a lot of thinking.  Fantasy is a story.  Andy asked us that, and people were reluctant to admit whether story was or was not an important ingredient to the Fantasy.  I truly believe it is.  Dali's work has fantastical elements, I think, but a fantasy is more to me than symbols; those just happen to be really good icing on a really good cake most of the time.  Or maybe paintings like those of Dali do tell a story to some people, the way a dream is nothing but images until you apply your own feelings.  Wow I talk too much sometimes.  See everyone in class!

P.S. What do people in this class think of superheroes as Fantasy?  Not talking like Superman, that's easy.  What about Batman etc.?  Just curious.  I mean, Gotham isn't exactly our world, and the idea of Bruce Wayne running around and fighting crime with nothing inexcplicable except sheer awesomeness?  Just  a split-second, random thought.

Kelly Link and Karen Russell

So, as I was reading the first bits of Link's Magic for Beginners, I was struck by its resemblance to another collection of short stories I recently read. Has anyone here ever read or heard of Karen Russell's St. Lucy's Home for Girls Raised by Wolves?

If not, I find the feel of Russell's work to be in the same line as Link's... only with more of a Floridian-Southern-Swampland aesthetic. Ghosts, giant sea shells, phantom limbs, and people who dream the future in past-tense... you know.

So, what I'm getting at is: if you like Link's stuff, you should definitely check this Russell lady out.

Yes, I too forgot about the blog...

Right. So. Fantasy. About that...

My experience with Fantasy began in my early childhood years (say between 4 and 6?) with my parents reading The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of The Rings as bedtime stories (my mother does an excellent Gollum voice FYI). Obviously, it made an impression on me. I was that girl in the tattered fairy wings left over from Halloween running around her backyard waving a wand-sized stick. My bike's name was Shadowfax. The myriad of My Little Ponies in my bedroom waged epic battles against evil teddy bear tyrants. I was hooked.

And ever since, I've been interested in the genre. Most of the books I read for pleasure end up containing some fantastical element or another. Favorites from now and then include: Patricia C. Wrede's Enchanted Forest Chronicles, Pullman's His Dark Materials, The Lord of the Rings, The Bartimaeus Trilogy, Madeleine L'Engle's The Time Quartet, Terry Pratchett's The Wee Free Men, and many others...

As far as a definition goes, I will transcribe what I wrote in class:
"The genre of Fantasy can be defined as a [text] occurring within a world that does not follow the conventional rules of the 'real' world. OR a [text] that occurs within 'reality' as we know it, but the normal rules of this reality are warped and changed into a new set of rules."
This is probably too concrete, and needs to be abstracted more... but it's a starting point right?

Just as a side note:
Yeah... I was totally with Jessie at Dragon Con at least two out of three times.

My definition of fantasy...procrastinated version

I don't know how good I am at this, but I suppose I'll give it a try. I'll just type what I wrote verbatim.
"Fantasy is the exploration of that which only exists in the imagination. It is a genre that creates lands, characters, and concepts not familiar to this world. Many types of fantasy focus on some supernatural power, such as magic. Also within the realm of fantasy is the creation of different races and/or species. The Lord of the Rings trilogy is one of my favorite tales of fantasy. The fictional races of elves and dwarves play prominent roles in the story, as do the Hobbits and the magic of wizards."
Unfinished, yes, but I don't want to repeat too much of what people have said already (especially since this post is so late).

On the subject of the stories we read for class...what exactly is a Hortlak? I got frustrated when I attempted to try to decipher that dark, freakish story only to never be told the meaning of the title.

Fantasy where to begin?

What is fantasy? Who ever thought that I could take a literature class on such an interesting topic?
Defining fantasy is about as hard as defining religion because every time you have a concrete definition someone always comes up with an example outside of your definition. It never hurts a guy to try though. Fantasy is an altered state of existence experienced through literature or the minds eye that defies the conventional rules of reality. Fantasy can describe the fluffy things bouncing around in our heads or magical kingdoms stacked side by side on a library shelf. Because fantasy is not held by any natural laws, it has no limits.

Some examples of fantasy include: books or movies whose storyline is not confined by reality, video games such as EverQuest or World of Warcraft, and even dreams.

My experiences with fantasy began a long time ago in junior high with a Terry Pratchett addiction. From there I fell in love a variety of other series such as the Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan, Sword of Truth novels by Terry Goodkind, Dragonlance chronicles by Weiss and Hickman, and any book written by Terry Brooks. I love it all and wish I had more time to read these days. It took every bit of self control I possessed to not buy Terry Brook's new books describing the disaster that created the land of Shannara. Alas there is too much work to do these days for me to spend two days without sleep.

Let's talk about bags bay-bee....

Soooo......the story I chose to talk about today in class (and here on the blog apparently) is "The Faery Handbag" which I'm assuming everyone's read by now. I'm not assuming however that everyone's read Catskin.....c'mon....it's the last story....we're college kids.....we procrastinate.....but anyway....back to what I was saying....

I volunteered to do this story for one, because it was the first one and I thought it'd gimme some good brownie points to go first, and for two, because the name really intrigued me...I love faeries....alot....I'd like to BE a faery.....but alas....I'm too tall.....(and too round)....

The story itself was sort of a disappointment to me. I found the idea of a secret people and a magic handbag and wonky time passage pretty entertaining, but I really wish the story wouldn't have just stopped. It was like by the time I got a grasp on the story and the characters, and could finally settle on a way to pronounce Baldeziwurleki in my head, it was over. No conclusion....just left me hanging. It was sad.

Anyone else feel this way?

Any other random comments?


POST! :-D

oh yeah.....we do blogs in this class....

Yeah....so I pretty much dropped the ball on this one....but I suppose doing it now is better than not doing it at all...

I'll make this very short and sweet because i'm sure no one really wants to read something that's been posted ten other times....

What is Fantasy?: I said (and I quote)-- "Media forms [books, movies, art] that contain unreal (or exaggerations of 'real') characters, objects, or storylines that are not explained away in terms of science and technology."

Examples of Fantasy: Harry Potter, Chronicles of Narnia, Alice in Wonderland, various other Disney films.

Personal Experience: Movies I've seen and books I've read. Not to mention all those times I played "pretend" all alone......by myself..... Yes....I was a lonely child. Ha.

better late than never

Well, I certainly need to be sure to post sooner next time, because I'm about to reiterate what most everyone has already said. Nevertheless, the defining point of fantasy seems to be the inexplicable -- a point in the narrative that the accepted conventions of our world can't seem to handle. Thus, we have wonderful fantastical creations, from whole new worlds (Middle Earth, Midkemia, Narnia) to little blue men in kilts (yay! I love Terry Pratchett!!). The genre itself is virtually inexhaustible, as limitless as the imagination.
I've already revealed some of my favorites in class, but for the sake of posterity here they are again: the films Willow and Labyrinth; works by Terry Pratchett, Raymond E. Feist, J.R.R. Tolkien, and J.K. Rowling; and the art of Brian Froud and Tony DiTerlizzi.
Like most of my classmates, my experience with fantasy hearkens all the way back to childhood. I've been the death of several tapes of Willow and Labyrinth, along with other classics like The Last Unicorn and Dark Crystal. My grandmother's own love for the fantastical also steered me towards fantasy books. Besides being an avid reader, I've also been drawing since I could wrap my little fingers around a crayon. My subject of choice as a child? Unicorns, mermaids, and other magical creatures of course! I'm still hooked on both fantasy novels and art, which I think spawns my love for children's books. I'm not embarrassed to say I've probably read most of the intermediate section at Books-A-Million. Adult fantasy doesn't seem to appreciate the value of awesome illustrations.
On a final note (as if I haven't already gone on forever), just to add something that no one else seems to have mentioned regarding experience, I've been to my share of fantasy conventions. DragonCon, held in Atlanta every fall, is the best place to see people in costume living out their fantasies. You can get your dork on shame free with hundreds of other fantasy lovers. Anne McCaffrey's Pern novels practically serve as a convention unto itself within the convention.
Meanwhile, see everyone tomorrow in class!

Hello All!!!

Okay, so it took me about an hour just to figure out how to post on the blog. Guess I'm not a natural-born blogger! Well as far as my run ins with modern day fantasy, I feel that I am seriously lacking in that department. This is actually one of the reasons that I chose to take this class. I decided that it would be nice to read something that is not from a scientific standpoint for a change. This class, I am hoping, should expand my horizons towards the world on fantasy! I, like most children, experienced fantasy from the usual bedtime stories read to me by my parents, my adventurous world that I supposedly went to with my imaginary friend and of course the holiday stories such as the recently encountered Santa Claus! As ya'll can see my encounters with fantasy can be considered quite basic : ( However, from my encounters, I realize that fantasy can be seen as a realm beyond our natural understanding. The concept of normal when it comes to fantasy can be completely thrown out the window! Concepts that are readily understood in the fantasy world are seen to us as just plain figments of our imagination. There are no true reason behind why things are in the fantasy world. Everything I suppose just is and should be accepted that way.

What is fantasy...

Hello everyone! This is also pretty much my first time posting on a blog (except for a brief attempt in high school which led me to the realization that I was too private to blog). It took me a few minutes to figure out how to make a new post...haha!

So, back to the purpose of this post. I guess I could say that I was introduced to the world of fantasy just like everyone else through Dr. Seuss, but wouldn't Santa, the Easter Bunny, the Tooth Fairy, and Cupid count too? I think so. I think I'm much more of a novice to fantasy than many of the people in this class, and I hope you all won't hold it against me, but I haven't heard of half of the people we were discussing in class last Wednesday :/. I think that I have quite a bit to catch up on. What I have read; however, I am absolutely in love with! I really enjoyed Bunnicula as a kid, and I'm sure there are many more that I can't remember because I was a complete bookworm back then. I once thought everyone was strange for reading "children's books" when Harry Potter first got big, but once I sat down to read one, I ended up reading the first 5 within two weeks. (That wasn't very conducive to studying for finals my freshman year :/) My current favorite books are Eragon and Eldest, and I was quite irritated at Christopher Paolini when he pushed back the release of the third book. I'm also "addicted" to World of Warcraft (Warcrack), and I finally had to cut myself off because that was also bad for my GPA. I'm going to also add Star Wars in here because I think it's a mix between Sci-Fi and Fantasy, and it's pretty great too!

I think I kind of did this backwards, but now that I've given you some personal experiences, I'll define fantasy. I think fantasy is simply any fictional piece of "art" which allows you to test the limits of your imagination and helps you to extend your mind beyond what is conceivably possible in "real life."

The end.

Hey there

Ok, so this is my first time posting on a blog so please bear with me. :) I read everyone's previous posts and really agree with so much of what you guys have to say. I too started reading fantasy at a very young age but unlike so many of my peers at school I never lost my love for it. I really do think that just about anything in any form of media (movie, book, video game, backyard adventure) can in some way be categorized as fantasy as long as it allows your imagination to take free reign (I guess that's why I tend to merely tolerate non-fiction). I also would like to say that I am very excited about this class. Besides my little brother and I reading every Ann McCaffrey book at the library no one in my close circle has ever really shown an interest in the fantasy genre. And trust me, when I took on the complete Wheel of Time series I would have loved to have had some company! And, at the risk of soundy like complete-nerd-of-the-year, I cannot wait for this class, and especially my classmates, to introduce me to new titles in the fantasy genre for I really do think fantasy is in the eye of the beholder and the believer (or rather maybe non-believer is more approriate). Anyways, this is getting long and my hands are getting tired so: Can't wait! See everyone Wednesday!


Oh and P.S.
Pan's Labyrinth is onsale at Target for $10 as of this past weekend. I totally snatched a copy!!

Quick Important Note!

Andy!!! You should put Howl's Moving Castle (another Miyazaki movie) on the syllabus!! It is one of my favorite movies of all time!!! I truly love Spirited Away, and I'm sad it is no longer on the syllabus, but Howl's Moving Castle is more recent, and just as good!! Actually, it might be the best movie ever. And it's a 2004 movie, which means it fits the 5 year guideline! Just saying...

I hope everyone is having a great weekend!

Howdy! I wasn't there Wednesday, either, so hopefully I'll get to meet all of you next class. I'm so excited about this class, eeeek! Usually I read fantasy to take a break from my other classes, and now, I'll be graded for doing something I always do. LOL

Ok, so fantasy is....

Society trains you to seek for the mainstream values as you mature through life, such as a steady career, a happy family, and helping others. But the side of you that craves for adventure is never really satisfied because you’re too busy trying to attain those values that will appease everyone else around you. You grow tired of living a cookie-cutter life, which is difficult of getting out of the habit of molding. This is where fantasy comes in. You crave for something different, something out of the ordinary, something that you wish you belonged to. That is what fantasy is for me. It is a world I get to escape to, away from reality, regardless of how good it is. There is no fun in simply living one life. Like husbands who lie to their wives to experience a once-a-week, different life by going to stripclubs or playing fantasy football/baseball with their buddies, we fantasy fans imagine a magical world in which we can also belong to.

My experiences with fantasy began in elementary with Ella Enchanted, Bunnicula, Redwall stories (Brian Jacques), and A Wrinkle of Time (Madeleine L’Engle). We had the Accelerated Reader program in our school, and once I got a taste of the world of magic and fantasy, I couldn’t stop. Now, I have explored and discovered worlds of sorcerers and dragons with Harry Potter and Eragon, but also worlds of darkness that satisfy the basic hungers….. It is a world of necromancers, vampires, and werewolves. Charlaine Harris (the Sookie Stackhouse series), Garth Nix (The Abhorsen Trilogy), and Laurell K. Hamilton (the Anita Blake series) weave a life of danger and mystique that completely steal me away from everyday responsibilities.

Fantasy rox.

My first posting of the year!

Hello, all! I figured that I should post, since I tend to leave it til the last minute. So, what do I think fantasy is? That's a touch question, since I've always disliked putting a label on things. However, I would say that fantasy revolves around things that are fantastical (my new favorite word!). Fantasy makes me think of things that cannot be explained by rational thought, such as magic. You just have to accept that something happens because it is magic. There is that element that cannot be explained rationally.
I read a lot of fantasy, starting when I was a child, so I have a lot of examples. Some of my favorite authors include Mercedes Lackey, Tamora Pierce, Piers Anthony, Raymond Feist, Amelia Atwater-Rhodes, Laurell K Hamilton, Philip Pullman, etc. One book that I love that has a lot of fantasy is Dracula! It has so many spinoffs, it's crazy! My favorite fantasy movie is certainly the Labyrinth, but that could be because I love David Bowe. I don't care how old he is!! There are certainly a lot of animes that fit the fantasy genre, if we are going there (I blame Casey for starting this one). Inuyasha, Bleach, Escaflowne, Weiss Kreuz (my personal favorite!), Fruits Basket, Yu Yu Hakusho are some examples. Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle, and other Hayao Miyazaki movies all have a strong basis in fantasy. Okami is the best fantasy video game ever! Oh, and television wise, Xena: Warrior Princess is the coolest!!
I have been addicted to the fantasy genre since I was really little. I started in kindergarten, with Dr. Seuss (and no one can say that Dr. Seuss isn't fantastical), and was hooked ever since. I love to read, which is something I do often, and fantasy is still my favorite genre. I watched the Labyrinth every time it came in the Disney channel when I was in elementary school, which was often. So yeah, lots of experience.

Michael Dirda on John Crowley's Aegypt

The American Scholar has a long essay by Pulitzer Prize-winning critic Michael Dirda on the just-concluded four-volume Aegypt series by the great fantasist John Crowley. Dirda calls the "1,700-page masterwork"

at once a work of realistic fiction but also a kind of romance, one where the outer world becomes a spiritual proving ground. Such forms of the fantastic or symbolic power much of the world’s art and literature -- think of myths, fairy tales, Arabian Nights-entertainments, Celtic romances, philosophical fables, travelers’ tales, much poetry, and all kinds of stories of what doesn’t exist but might or should or maybe could. More and more, many of our most admired contemporary novelists have been turning away from strict realism to offer instead counterfactual history, Borgesian fables of identity, even out-and-out science fiction. Like Michael Chabon or Cormac McCarthy, John Crowley is describing the labyrinth of this world -- love affairs, custody battles, parties, the usual joys and heartaches of ordinary people as they try to make up their lives and create their own histories. Everything is precisely what it is, yet also something more, something fateful and significant.

Dirda concludes:

With Little, Big, Crowley established himself as America’s greatest living writer of fantasy. Aegypt confirms that he is one of our finest living writers, period.

This week's fantasy best sellers ...

... as compiled by the invaluable Locus Online include Patricia Briggs, Junot Diaz, Terry Goodkind, Stephen King, Dean Koontz, Gregory Maguire, Anne McCaffrey, Stephenie Meyer, Christopher Paolini, Terry Pratchett, Philip Pullman, J.K. Rowling, R.A. Salvatore, Dan Simmons and J.R.R. Tolkien. One of these authors is even on our syllabus!

One for Sorrow wins Crawford Award

The International Association for the Fantastic in the Arts reports on its newsblog that Christopher Barzak's novel One for Sorrow (Bantam Spectra), about a ghost-haunted high-school student, has won this year's Crawford Award for best first fantasy book. Runners-up include Laird Barron's story collection The Imago Sequence (Night Shade); Ron Currie Jr.'s novel God Is Dead (Viking); Ellen Klages' story collection Portable Childhoods (Tachyon); and Ysabeau Wilce's young-adult novel Flora Segunda (Harcort).

Portable Childhoods includes Klages' story "In the House of the Seven Librarians," which is in our Year's Best Fantasy & Horror volume; Flora Segunda is set in the same world as Wilce's story "The Lineaments of Gratified Desire," which is in our Year's Best Fantasy & Horror volume as well; and one of this year's Crawford Award judges was Kelly Link, author of Magic for Beginners and a co-editor of our Year's Best Fantasy & Horror volume.

A good reading list (once you're done with this semester's texts, of course) is the lineup of past Crawford Award winners, here at Locus Online. The 2007 winner, not let added to this list, is M. Rickert's story collection Map of Dreams. (A Rickert story is in our Year's Best Fantasy & Horror volume, too.)

Obligatory intro post :)

I was also absent the first day of class (not that I didn't want to be there!), and so I thought I'd go ahead and say hello here.

I'd have to go with the short route with my ideas on fantasy and say that it is a genre where the author can write almost anything they want as long as it has some element of the weird in it. Fantasy can be an AU on our current history, have mythical beings, creatures/ people with magic, and doesn't require an explanation.

I can't say for sure when I started to have an interest in fantasy only that it was sometime in my childhood. Though to be perfectly honest, I'd have to say that a great deal of children's books are fantasy. I mean what else would you call a story that has talking animals? Or Dr. Seuss, the Magic School Bus, and many of the Disney movies? I'd almost say it was natural to continue to be interested in the same in adulthood. You don't stop having an imagination after puberty after all.

For a short list of people I'm likely to read: Jacqueline Carey, Terry Pratchett, and Rachel Caine.

Greetings from an Invisible Student!

Howdy, strangers!

Sadly I had to miss the first day of class, ( *sniffle*) so only a few of you will recognize my name. (YO Janessa and Amy!) Despite my lack of attendance, I guess I'll go ahead and break the blog ice.

In my temperate opinion, Fantasy, as a genre, is an art form only slightly more specific than the general label of 'fiction.' It encompasses anything involving worlds with altered natural laws from our own. This includes but is in no way limited to: other universes where magic is quite normal; our own world, tweaked so that supernatural laws actually exist; historical fiction dealing with mystical happenings; and this world bordering (and sometimes overlapping into) a fey realm. Wow. Just trying to define this genre makes it painfully obvious how incapable I am of doing so. Artists dealing with Fantasy can create their own rules about the way their crafted dimension works. This allows them to explore anything from obscure philosophical notions to just how outrageously fun the human imagination can be.

Some examples of said genre ( a drop in the proverbial bucket ):
George R.R. Martin's A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE, Jim Butcher's THE DRESDEN FILES and CODEX ALERA, Greg Keyes' KINGDOM OF THORN AND BONE, Terry Pratchett anything, SOME Anne McCaffrey (other McCaffrey slips into Sci-Fi), THE LORD OF THE RINGS, FINAL FANTASY games, Naruto (go ahead and laugh at me. I didn't start watching it of my own free will), Dungeons and Dragons role-playing games, THE CHRONICLES OF NARNIA, WILLOW... I think I'll stop there before I hurt myself.

My experience with Fantasy started long ago and hopefully won't end any time soon. Being a nerdy kid looking for some Freudian Escapist way to ignore the fact that I didn't have many friends in elementary school really helped me discover a love of reading. And what did I love to read, you ask? Why, Fantasy! I answer. Despite the fact that I have added social activity to my repetoire, I've never given up that childlike love of anything out of the ordinary. I'm currently on pins and needles waiting for the completion of about five fantasy series, and I still occasionally play D & D with some other geeky Blount kids.

I'll see you guys in class!

Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows

Val Lewton: The Man in the Shadows is a new documentary, produced and narrated by Martin Scorsese, on one of the most influential fantasy filmmakers of the 20th century. It premieres Jan. 14 on Turner Classic Movies, followed by a Val Lewton movie marathon that includes Cat People, I Walked With a Zombie and The Seventh Victim. A blogathon will accompany the revels, of course. Pan's Labyrinth and other Guillermo del Toro movies owe a lot to Val Lewton. Maybe one of y'all will write a paper on that topic sometime.

Curt Schilling, gaming magnate

Boston Red Sox pitcher Curt Schilling says his next career will be computer gaming, in partnership with novelist R.A. Salvatore and Spawn creator Todd MacFarlane. In the meantime, during the off-season, he's playing Tabula Rasa, World of Warcraft, Guild Wars, Hellgate: London and EverQuest 2.

Spring 2008 syllabus

UH 300-022
Magic for Beginners: 21st Century Fantasy
Spring 2008
2-4:30 p.m. Wednesdays
Teacher: Andy Duncan (e-mail)
All students in this class must be enrolled in the University Honors Program.

Texts:

Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke (2004; Bloomsbury, 2005)

The Year’s Best Fantasy and Horror 2007: 20th Annual Collection ed. Ellen Datlow, Kelly Link and Gavin Grant (St. Martin’s Griffin, 2007)

Pan’s Labyrinth, a film by Guillermo Del Toro (2006; New Line Home Video, 2007)

The Empire of Ice Cream by Jeffrey Ford (Golden Gryphon, 2006)

Magic for Beginners by Kelly Link (2005; Harvest, 2006)

Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett (2003; HarperTorch, 2004)

Handouts, online materials or reserve-room materials TBA.

Course Description: As a literary genre, fantasy includes Harry Potter, fairy tales, ghost stories, Dr. Seuss, The Wizard of Oz, The Lord of the Rings and Dracula; small wonder Brian Attebery calls this ungainly, ill-defined assemblage of texts a “fuzzy set.” In this interdisciplinary class, we will investigate the possibilities of the impossible in the new century by focusing our crystal ball on a few fantasy texts published since the year 2000.

Course Objectives: By semester’s end, students will be more sophisticated consumers of fantasy, better able to discern the taproots of Story that underlie the hype; they also will be able to talk and write about it with more critical insight. No previous experience with magic is required.

Attendance policy: Attendance and class participation (in class and online) are required. After two absences, your final grade will be lowered one letter for each subsequent absence. After five absences, you will receive an F for this course. Arriving late or leaving early counts as half an absence. In case of illness, injury or crisis, let your teacher know as soon as possible. Don’t just vanish.

Papers: You will write two non-fiction papers, each at least 2,000 words long, on topics of your choosing that are approved in advance by your teacher. Papers should pertain to one or more of the fantasy texts being discussed in this class, but they may extend their focus beyond those texts as well. You will do a five-to-10-minute class presentation on each topic as you are working on it. Papers handed in late will be docked one letter grade for each day they’re late. Format requirements: Both your papers will be handed in electronically. E-mail them as PC-compatible Word attachments to this address. Papers must be in 12-point Times New Roman, double-spaced, with ragged right margins and page numbers in the upper-right corners. Papers that don’t fit this format will be returned unread for correction.

Blog: Each of you will receive (and accept) an invitation to join Blogger and the class blog at http://magicintro2008.blogspot.com. Here our class discussions will continue beyond Wednesday class meetings. Participating on the blog – through original posts and replies to others’ posts – is an important part of your semester grade, so get in the habit of visiting daily and contributing frequently. The minimum class requirement is three posts per week per student, at least one of which must start a new topic or thread, and at least one of which must be a response to a classmate’s post. More frequent posts are highly encouraged. Also chiming in from time to time may be invited guests from the world of fantasy publishing (as opposed to the fantasy world, which we all inhabit).

Other assignments and expectations: You will keep up with all the reading and will participate in all class discussions, orally and online. You will lead at least one class discussion of a text that has been assigned you.

Grade formula:
Two 2,000-word papers @ 20% each: 40%
Two 5-to-10-minute paper presentations @ 10% each: 20%
Blog participation: 20%
In-class participation: 20%
We will follow the UA guidelines for plus-minus grading.

Disabilities: In accordance with the federal Americans With Disabilities Act, your teacher, the University Honors Program and the university are committed to providing appropriate support for students with disabilities, including learning disabilities. Any student who wants to request disability accommodations need only contact UA’s office of disability services at 348-4285 and get the paperwork to me.

Academic misconduct: Academic misconduct includes all acts of academic dishonesty and any knowing attempt to help another student commit academic dishonesty. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to: (1) Cheating – using or attempting to use unauthorized materials, information or study aids. (2) Plagiarism – representing words, data, works or ideas as one’s own when they are not. (3) Fabrication – presenting as genuine any invented or falsified evidence. (4) Misrepresentation – falsifying, altering or misstating the contents of academic documents such as schedules, prerequisites and transcripts. Cases of academic misconduct will be turned over to the University Honors Program for disciplinary action that could be as severe as suspension from the university.

Schedule of class meetings, reading assignments and due dates.

All readings will be discussed on the days listed. This is a living document, subject to change.

Jan. 9: Getting acquainted.
Jan. 16: Link, Magic for Beginners.
Jan. 23: Link, continued.
Jan. 30: Ford, The Empire of Ice Cream.
Feb. 6: Pratchett, Monstrous Regiment.
Feb. 13: Paper presentations.
Feb. 20: Stories from The Year’s Best: Ford, “The Night Whiskey”; Klages, “In the House of the Seven Librarians,”; Wolfe, “Sob in the Silence”; Di Filippo, “Femaville 29”; Rosenbaum, “A Siege of Cranes.”
Feb. 27: Del Toro, Pan’s Labyrinth. First paper due.
March 5: Stories from The Year’s Best: Schoffstall, “Fourteen Experiments in Postal Delivery”; Sherman, “La Fee Verte”; Pratt, “Cup and Table”; Rickert, “Journey into the Kingdom”; Hirshberg, “The Muldoon.”
March 12: Stories from The Year’s Best: Ryman, “Pol Pot’s Beautiful Daughter”; Rowe, “Another Word for Map Is Faith”; Sher, “Lionflower Hedge”; Kang, “A Fearful Symmetry”; Lanagan, “Winkie”; Wilson, “Directions.”
March 19: No class; spring break.
March 26: No class.
April 2: Clarke, Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell.
April 9: Clarke, continued.
April 16: Clarke, continued.
April 23: Paper presentations.
April 30: Final class. Semester wrap-up.

About your teacher: My collection Beluthahatchie and Other Stories (2000) won a World Fantasy Award, as did my story “The Pottawatomie Giant” (2000). My novella “The Chief Designer” (2001) won the Theodore Sturgeon Memorial Award for best science fiction story of the year. I contributed essays to the Hugo Award-winning Cambridge Companion to Science Fiction (2003) and the Stoker Award-winning Horror: Another 100 Best Books (2005). With F. Brett Cox, I edited the anthology Crossroads: Tales of the Southern Literary Fantastic (2004). I have taught at the Clarion and Clarion West writers’ workshops (2004 and 2005, respectively). My latest book, non-fiction, is Alabama Curiosities (2005). My latest stories are “A Diorama of the Infernal Regions, or The Devil’s Ninth Question” in the anthology Wizards, edited by Jack Dann and Gardner Dozois (Berkley, May 2007), and “Unique Chicken Goes in Reverse” in the anthology Eclipse One, edited by Jonathan Strahan (Night Shade, November 2007). My personal blog is http://beluthahatchie.blogspot.com.