Grey and thick

[itsallovernow]

Headachey. Spent most of yesterday sleeping - around bouts of teaching wherein I did not slap any teenagers. Sometimes, I realize that learning a new language is not a natural state for everyone, and that looking at them baffled and frustrated doesn't help matters. It really isn't their fault.

I love the nuances of language, of all languages, the ways that the words dip and spin, the plethora of meanings and phrases, the way that saying one word with the right upswing makes it dirty, saying if flat out makes it warm. The way that playing with those words on paper brings a whole different meaning to them, that the translation of them silently is something entirely different than having them whispered into an ear, a mouth, along skin, or just said outloud.

Going back to the sex writing, I find it astonishing how much more powerful the words can be, how much sexier it can be to lay them down on paper than to see them enacted. I think it's twofold - the selection of the specific, the diction that's used in order to set the exat mood, the exact tense and rhythm. I tend to find it far more erotic, if you will, than seeing the visual played out.

What I'd love to read is an exploration of this - and it's something some of us have played with, especially in Farscape fic, and I have to admit I don't read enough in other fandoms to know how it's used - but Farscape allows the language dichotomy to get stepped up. The choice of fuck or frell is a great play, the sound of the words so different, even with the same meaning and the discussion, the use of the specific has been played in several places to great effect. I'd like to see further explorations of this, though, especially with a character as verbal and as orally fixated as Crichton.

Went to the Beauty Bar on Saturday night. Sapphire martinis and chrome polish on my nails which I've since scraped off. Entertained M., enjoyed having him with us until we were leaving, and boy +scotch +stupid= the need to start a fight over a dumb ass remark in a far too crowded bar. He had to be escorted out. My temptation to leave his ass there? Oh, so high. Took him home instead. Argh. He woke up yesterday, still convinced that it would have been a good idea, and I lounged on the couch with the cat, napping on and off, and ignoring him. We watched a lot of TV, and I don't really remember any of it.

Feeling very out of touch with the rest of fannishness, normally being able to hang on the fringes as we watch other things, but I've just been so, so swamped that I only get to watch what M. remembers to tape, which fortunately is Jack and Bobby, but I'm missing out on the Lost love because I can't at all get it in gear to set the VCR, and haven't even seen West Wing this season.

Didn't write at all this weekend, which makes me feel guilty and sort of off, like I've already failed at something and that makes me even more annoyed.

There's some great stuff being produced out there, particularly rainer76's Sideways, which is posted at Kansas. Other good stuff too, and I'm drawing a complete blank on the titles. I'll go through later and find them again.

ETA: I meant to send feedback to elliejane's Enough is Enough which is her Evil!John (not evil so much as a Peacekeeper, although he was pretty evil in the first several installments). It's a strong, compelling AU where the characters have flipped roles somewhat. Each segment gets stronger, more sure of itself and I've been incredibly enthralled by the last two chapters.

Comments

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

i tried so hard to learn german. i stunk. just. plain. stunk. i think that my mild case of dyslexia is enough to cause brain cramping in response to new languages learned not early enough in life. *sigh* which is a long way of saying, i would be that dumbfounded student. it used to make me want to pound my head on the desk, because without the facility to learn languages...no archaeology career. blech.

but i love words, and i love the sound of languages. i adore looking at something like cuneiform and imagining the person who incised it into the stone or clay. i love your paragraphs about words and language. and yes, farscape brings a nuance to the sound and feel of a word that is astounding.

sorry about how the night went, sounds frustrating and no wonder you felt the way you did. argh. i hope you get to see 'lost' soon, it's quite interesting. *g*

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

it used to make me want to pound my head on the desk, because without the facility to learn languages...no archaeology career. blech.

Yeah, one of my students honestly can't process the language, and I have to constantly make myself step back, exert patience and understanding. It's the one's who won't study that make me crazy and I don't want him to beat the brunt of that.

And I need to start remembering to tape Lost:)

[jenlev.livejournal.com]

warning, jedi mind trick ahead: "yes, you will remember to tape lost..." ;)

i used to be baffled by the people who had the capacity but not the motivation to study. argh. capacity wasted on the wrong folks sometimes?

i'm thinking more about how words become incredible in farscape. for example the speech john gives standing on the table in season's 4 "we're so screwed". a perfect example of the power of words. *veg*

[elliejane.livejournal.com]

Wow, chrome polish! Sadly, my nails have regressed into teenage-hood, as for some reason during the past month my mouth has decided it's a good idea to bite them (perhaps I too am orally fixated? What does Freud say about this??). Thusly any polish would look lousy at present. (Would LOVE chrome polish though!)

I, too, love words. I use too many of them to say the simplest things. In speech I can become almost incoherent in my adding together strings of sentences, where, really something brief and to the point would have done better!

I view writing as almost as sculpture. Carving away letters and syllables, shifting one word here, another there, molding and smoothing. And never being entirely certain if the whole thing works as a cohesive piece of art.

Writing takes over my brain, I swear, blocking out other artistic endeavours!

(Hey, you wouldn't be available, would you, to do a quick read though of something short for FarscapeFriday would you? Seeing as it does deal with something on the wish list thread ;) No worries if not, I'll go harass some other unsuspecting soul instead..hee.)

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

I view writing as almost as sculpture. Carving away letters and syllables, shifting one word here, another there, molding and smoothing. And never being entirely certain if the whole thing works as a cohesive piece of art.

That's a lovely description of the process!

And send the piece over to my thassalia at yahoo e-mail. I'd be happy to take a look at it!

[rubberneck.livejournal.com]

The way that playing with those words on paper brings a whole different meaning to them, that the translation of them silently is something entirely different than having them whispered into an ear, a mouth, along skin, or just said outloud.

For me there's a real textural component to words, tying in with the nebulous boundary between sound and touch in my brain--words have shapes, textures, curves, corners, nap like velvet or slick like wet pebbles; phrases have rhythm and a sense of architecture or landscape, like divots in a road that bump you in different directions.

The thing is that I have trouble reading silently, I tend to subvocalize as I read, breathing as if I'm speaking and half-forming the words with my throat. I can't not touch them in some way.

Going back to the sex writing, I find it astonishing how much more powerful the words can be, how much sexier it can be to lay them down on paper than to see them enacted.

Both can be powerfully erotic for me, but it takes good writing and good visuals: Ninn Worx (http://www.ninnworx.com/) has some stunning flicks, if a bit on the gothic side. Well-photographed and lit, a distinct lack of clinical angles or pink lipstick, and a lot of sistahs doin' it for themselves, instead of faking it from a few licks and a slap. The director seems to have learned a lot from the erotic photography folks about what looks good. But yeah, I agree that most porn is unappetizing and ridiculous.

I think it's twofold - the selection of the specific, the diction that's used in order to set the exact mood, the exact tense and rhythm. I tend to find it far more erotic, if you will, than seeing the visual played out.

Visual porn suffers from being too specific, it's at the mercy of time, any particularly erotic moment is fleeting. In text it can reverberate, for the character as the scene progresses, or for the reader as they slow for a paragraph, or return to a piece of dialogue, or pause to really see it. More playback options, in essence. And while visuals and sound can be enjoyable, text allows the reader to feel, not just the physical particulars, but also the emotional content of a scene. There's a reason why most internet smut is written about known characters. The story-context and character-depth of fic allows for a much greater erotic potential than watching strangers hook up and thrust.

Also? In text you have more possibility. In visual porn, you know that scene will always progress along a series of events until all the participants have achieved some kind of release (genuine or theatrical).

In text, anything can happen.

It can be interrupted, it can go badly, it can stop and start and sputter along until the characters finally do connect (in some more vital way than tab A and slot B). It can end in tears, or laughter. This cannot happen in porn, because for all it's explicit bawdiness, it is very strict in the story it's telling. Smut can tell other stories, that also happen to have sex. It can tell us more about the depth and breadth of sex than porn can ever do.

This does not discount the hotness of a pretty cock, by any means. It's just a different thing, is all.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

We're gonna work backwards, because I have to wipe down the monitor from the coffee first:)

This does not discount the hotness of a pretty cock, by any means.

No, no it doesn't.:)

And yeah, the visual can be stunningly beautiful, when it's done well, done with compulsion, and a tease, and a nod to possibility.

And I think this:n visual porn, you know that scene will always progress along a series of events until all the participants have achieved some kind of release (genuine or theatrical).

In text, anything can happen.

Goes a long, long way towards explaining my reactions. Because I certainly react to compelling visuals:) But it's why I get hot and sweaty watching the scene from Suns and Lovers in the airshaft, and mostly get bored watching straight porn. It's the play, and the possibility, and the knowledge that there's no map to the end:)

And text allows that in a way that standard porn visuals don't. You can linger, you can hint, you can be explicit all at once, playing with things that it's near impossible to put on the screen.

For me there's a real textural component to words, tying in with the nebulous boundary between sound and touch in my brain--words have shapes, textures, curves, corners, nap like velvet or slick like wet pebbles; phrases have rhythm and a sense of architecture or landscape, like divots in a road that bump you in different directions.

Hee - how wrong is it that hearing you talk about words is like porn for my writing brain:) Because yes too all of that. And I think a good director, a good visual artist can hit those tones and nuances with light and shadow, the right play of hands on skin, the right sort of intent. But it doesn't happen often. But a good writer can hit nuances in the build up and the act itself that just linger, and work, that keep going with you far after the visual has faded.

[raithen.livejournal.com]

For me there's a real textural component to words, tying in with the nebulous boundary between sound and touch in my brain--words have shapes, textures, curves, corners, nap like velvet or slick like wet pebbles; phrases have rhythm and a sense of architecture or landscape, like divots in a road that bump you in different directions.

The thing is that I have trouble reading silently, I tend to subvocalize as I read, breathing as if I'm speaking and half-forming the words with my throat. I can't not touch them in some way.
aside from being a lovely way of saying it, this statement reminds me that you and Thea both would probably enjoy Daphne Marlatt's novel Ana Historic which is as much about poetry as it is about storytelling.

[kerlin.livejournal.com]

D'you want episodes of Lost? I've got all of them and can burn and mail, just let me know.

And isn't Jack and Bobby just wonderful? It's my new season love.

[thassalia.livejournal.com]

Oh, you are a darling. I'd love the eps of Lost!!

And yeah, I grow more fond of Jack and Bobby weekly:)