I've been thinking a lot lately about stories and narrative, without
coming to any clear conclusions about any of it. Basically I agree
with Dominic, that what is at stake is the protocols of narration, and
that narrative itself is a far more complex beast than some of these
arguments allow. The simplest kinds of story telling (oral tales, say)
are often far too fragmentary to be "linear". And even an
old-fashioned 19th century novel - a form of which I am very fond -
moves forward and backward in space and time in ways that are not
straightforward at all.
One assumes an audience always, I think, even if it is only one's
inner self. That audience is basically the same for me as a writer
whether I am writing epic novels or lyric poetry, however different
they might be in fact. (Or in number. I do appreciate the irony that
my most widely read poetry - by hundreds of thousands of readers - is
the poetry that I've written for the fantasy novels). Narrative as
conventions of story, plot and character for me fits most comfortably
with prose, which perhaps sits more humbly with grand objectives. I
like making up stories, and they always end up in prose; I like
stories because they are a way of making meaning, and also because of
that idea of delight, which is much underestimated. If I'm writing for
theatre or writing poetry I am much less interested in story, and much
more interested in other things - a narrative of feeling and ideas,
perhaps.
I don't know about speaking for or to a tribe. One never knows, when
one is actually writing, whether one is speaking to anybody. Unless
you are directly writing for actors. And whether one can presume to
speak for anyone is another kettle of fish altogether. That's
something you find out afterwards, if people actually read what you
write, and it's something other people have to decide. Because they
decide if it belongs to them, and if they do, it doesn't belong to you
any more.
xA
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Editor, Masthead: http://www.masthead.net.au
Blog: http://theatrenotes.blogspot.com
Home page: http://www.alisoncroggon.com
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