Dead Crows and Other Mysteries
(Image: Oil Painting by Kirsti Ann Wakelin) The other evening I dreamt I found a dead crow caught behind the cushions of my sofa. Disturbing. How did it get there, in my dream, so concrete and visible? And what does it mean? Carl Jung would have me analyze the significance of this dream as it connects to our collective consciousness. What do crows symbolize in our culture today? Was this a visit from Poe? Has a Haida raven dropped by to keep me on my toes? Or is the recent death of my grandfather somehow "couched" in my internal dialogue? He was a storyteller. Even more intriguing is what happened when I relayed this dream story to my grade 8's. Picking up a new book of poetry and opening it randomly the first poem I fell upon was Jon Silkin's "Carved", the first two lines: Two small dogs stood by a dead black bird And the black bird was very dead. There is no denying death. The dead are dead. As with Silkin's black bird. As with
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(First person to post a comment in English 12 Advance Credit @ Moscrop?)
I don't know exactly how this works, but if my name doesn't show up, its Henry!
And now, the comment on the video:
There are two particular things that I believe in Vonnegut's ways to write a good story are very profound and accurate, as seen in many short stories I've read.. One of them being Number 4, and the other one, Number 6.
Number 4 is: "Every sentence must do one of two things -- reveal character or advance the fiction." This hit me hard particularly because I remember the times when I had to proof-read some of my peer's work, and could not answer him why a part of his writing was redundant or unfitting. If I had to chance again to do the same, most definitely, I would be able to tell him why!
The other one, Number 6, is : "Be a Sadist." I've read many short stories, most of which the main character dies at the end.. which can be debated as the worst thing that can happen to someone. Though there are times when short stories don't resolve in the death of the main character, I'm sure that others would agree that dying is not the most pleasant thing..
Either way, the death of the main character in short stories is very commonly used (I guess?), and the death of the main character concludes "his story", and maybe even "history"! If you see what I did there. ;p
Now.. for all other students who are reading this blog, make a gmail account and start posting! Its not difficult to make, and it would be great if our class could share ideas outside of class as well! (And maybe even some brownie points from Leanne ;p)
P.S.: I really like how Vonnegut says "Your story will get pneumonia." and "Should cockroaches eat the last few pages." I found that really entertaining to listen to while watching.. mostly because of how random it was ;]
According to point three, I like this saying because a character is always there for a certain purpose! Or else, why would the author want he or she be in the story? In a way, it will just be wasting our time.
Point eight I think it is very well said. No one wants to read a story having the plot that moves slowly. This will probably stop me from continuing reading.
I was a bit of surprise knowing one of the advices is to tell us to "be a sadist". For me, I would prefer to read something that is more light-hearted, but a short story is just like a lifelong lesson; we wouldn't be able to taste the sweetness if we've never tasted something bitter! ;D