From: word_chemist@hotmail.com   
      
   "Martha Bridegam"  wrote in message   
   news:vSAXf.65501$dW3.15059@newssvr21.news.prodigy.com...   
   > ROBBIE wrote:   
   > > "Martha Bridegam"  wrote in message   
   > > news:B0gXf.62285$Jd.31648@newssvr25.news.prodigy.net...   
   > >> ROBBIE wrote:   
   > >>> ...But don't you   
   > >>> think that your infallible reading of literature as wish   
   > > fullfillment/porn   
   > >>> is a bit fallible?   
   > >>>   
   > >> Huh?   
   > >   
   > > Your critiques often include a suggestion that the whole text is a sort   
   of   
   > > jack-off for the writer; take violence, if someone gets hit or one of   
   the   
   > > characters goes to bed with, say, a certain type of woman, then you   
   rapidly   
   > > come to the conclusion that the writer of the text is a connoissueur of   
   a   
   > > certain type of woman and who, deep inside, would like to go around   
   punching   
   > > people. Having considered this I think it's highly fallible. Take my   
   book,   
   > > Death or Bongo, which you very kindly read (and thx again), after the   
   > > appearance of couple of dopehead Australian women you gathered I liked   
   > > dopehead Australian women 'who'll try anything once'.   
   > > OK, if I got talking to one in a bar and if she floats my boat, fair   
   enough   
   > > BUT your reading and conlcusions made a talisman/fetish out of it which   
   > > wasn't the correct conclusion. I thought about this recently (just   
   popped in   
   > > my head). The reason they were there was to a) drive the plot on and b)   
   to   
   > > kind of show up the contorted, whey-faced lives the two protaganists   
   were   
   > > living.   
   > > Looking at other writers' writing about their writing you often see how   
   > > infuriated they are about 'models' for characters and general   
   motivation. I   
   > > suppose I could have saved the last paragraph by writing: sometimes a   
   cigar   
   > > is just a cigar.   
   > >   
   > > Cheers!   
   > >   
   > > ROBBIE   
   > >   
   > >   
   >   
   > Umm, no, what I couldn't understand about the Australian   
   > woman in the novel was her motive for sticking with the   
   > other characters all the way through their crazy adventure   
   > and letting them mess up her car.   
   >   
      
   *That's* what Aussie dopehead women are like!   
      
      
   > Since you ask, I do think an awful lot of your stories   
   > involve a physical injury as the turning point of the plot,   
   > but maybe I've read an unfair sample.   
      
   I wouldn't say an 'awful' lot. It does happen but then in the period I've   
   been writing I have been struck by the amount of casual violence around me   
   and I have no 'secret' desire to do it - but you have to take my word for   
   it.   
      
   >   
   > Re: influences, dunno, it helps to know some biography to   
   > understand some fiction. For example, I think you've been   
   > the one in the past to quote Anthony Burgess' descriptions   
   > of London wartime details that Orwell probably wrote   
   > straight from life into *1984*. Tobacco falling out of   
   > cigarettes, for example, which probably amused Mr.   
   > Roll-yr-own. And knowing about Sonia does add some depth to   
   > Julia, even though they weren't the same person -- doesn't it?   
   >   
   > /M   
      
   Maybe. But then as Dave Lawrence liked to say: trust the tale not the teller   
   etc...   
      
   ROBBIE   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)