Re: RARA-AVIS: Profesionals and amateurs

From: Kerry Schooley ( gsp.schoo@skylinc.net)
Date: 25 Feb 2003


At 03:59 PM 25/02/2003 +0000, you wrote:

> > Al wrote:
> >
> > >Noir fiction often (but by no means exclusively) has a victim or criminal
> > >protagonist. Hardboiled fiction often (but by no means exclusively) has
>a
> > >detective protagonist.
> > >
> > >You find out if you write a parody (as I've just done) that it's
>difficult
> > >to convince if you write noir from the detective's viewpoint or
>hardboiled
> > >from the victim's. It can be done, of course. But it ceases to be as
> > >convincing a parody. At least, that's my experience.
>
> > Kerry wrote:
> > A double inversion. I dig it. Must do the same thing to a story that a
> > double negative does to a sentence. You protest too much.
>
>The only thing I protest about is the fact that I haven't a clue what you're
>on about. Please explain the "double inversion" and tell me what I'm
>supposed to be protesting about. I thought I was pretty much in agreement
>with Bill, who stated "the hardboiled world is full of professionals", ie
>private investigators (detective protagonists), and "Being swept up in a
>noirish nightmare really only happens to innocents and losers", ie the
>victim ("innocent") or criminal ("loser") protagonist.

It was an aside Al. If I understand correctly, you'd inverted what you feel are the usual viewpoints of noir and hardboil? Second inversion: parody, which uses exaggeration and the inversion of customary viewpoints to achieve humour and revelation. Technically, this should bring us back to where we began, pre-inversion, so to speak. So, to be convincing in this writing challenge, I can see, would be a really, really tough job, but apparently somebody had to do it. I'm just glad it's you.

On the other hand, I could be totally out to lunch, or soon will be, as it's slipping past 1:00 p.m. here in the Hammer.

Best Kerry

------------------------------------------------------ Literary events Calendar (South Ont.) http://www.lit-electric.com The evil men do lives after them http://www.murderoutthere.com
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