| Author | Message | ||
     John Forth (John) Username: John Registered: 05-2008 Posted From: 82.24.1.217 |
Has anyone seen this? In 1963, a 16 year old kid wrote to around 50 contemporary authors with various questions regarding symbolism in their work. Most of them, including Bradbury, Asimov, Fritz Leiber, answered, and now scans of some of the responses have been put up online. It's interesting an interesting glimpse into the tempraments of several of the authors. Bradbury is helpful and encouraging, and obviously just coming off the back of writing his screenplay for Moby Dick. Ayn Rand and Jack Kerouac come across as prickly and dismissive. But at least they responded! Link below. http://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2011/12/05/document-the-symbolism-survey/ | ||
| Pete_a (Pete_a) Username: Pete_a Registered: 07-2011 Posted From: 75.85.10.161 |
That was fascinating, John. Thanks for posting the link. I love the fact Bradbury 'dated' his response "Guy Fawkes' night" -- a nice nod from the King of Halloween to a UK holiday most of his countrymen are unaware of. [Tiny quibble -- and please forgive the pedantry -- it was actually nearly a decade since Mr. B had written the screenplay for Moby Dick, so he was hardly "just coming off the back" of it.] | ||
| Gary Fry (Gary_fry) Username: Gary_fry Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 86.27.9.228 |
Fascinating, I like the way Norman Mailer's response to say he doesn't have time to fill in the survey is longer than a few others who do. Most - eg, Ralph Ellison and Bradbury - say what King says in On Writing: draw out the symbolism if it's there, but otherwise just get on with the story. Priceless comment by Bradbury: "a lot of critics are trying to find the man under the old maid's bed".  | ||
| John Forth (John) Username: John Registered: 05-2008 Posted From: 82.132.139.38 |
it was actually nearly a decade since Mr. B had written the screenplay for Moby Dick Of course, you're quite right, Pete! Wee bit slack with my dates there... | ||
| Protodroid (Protodroid) Username: Protodroid Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 147.252.230.148 |
"I like the way Norman Mailer's response to say he doesn't have time to fill in the survey is longer than a few others who do." Blaise Pascal has a response to that. | ||
| Stevie Walsh (Stephenw) Username: Stephenw Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 194.32.31.1 |
I'm a fan of Norman Mailer. He's one of the ballsiest authors of the 20th Century, imo, who's never afraid to call a spade a spade. His response was an uncharacteristically polite way of saying "give my head peace, you pompous git" that shows his restraint when faced with earnest youth. | ||
| Tony (Tony) Username: Tony Registered: 03-2008 Posted From: 81.132.169.227 |
I thought Norman Mailer's letter was fine. I was born in 1963, anything from that year fascinates me. Thanks for this. | ||
| Stevie Walsh (Stephenw) Username: Stephenw Registered: 03-2009 Posted From: 194.32.31.1 |
Have you read any Norman Mailer, Tony? I really can't recommend 'The Naked And The Dead' enough. The greatest novel about war and what it does to those who fight it ever written, imho. |