RE: JCO: The evolution of Oates writing style

Hi Tanya

I think you are about right with that estimation of what a cinematic form of
writing means. To me, it means that many of the scenes are image based
rather than verbal. It's in a way connected to the plot and how the
atmosphere effects the story rather than a character ruminating on
something.

eric

>From: tanya.tromble@free.fr
>Reply-To: jco@usfca.edu
>To: jco@usfca.edu
>Subject: RE: JCO: The evolution of Oates writing style
>Date: Mon, 03 Apr 2006 09:56:15 +0200
>
>Hi Eric,
>
>No objection to your title change. My attempt at brevity was indeed
>ambiguous.
>It's interesting that you again brought up the idea of "cinematic" novels
>and
>writing. I know we've already discussed this on this list and I've come
>across
>Oates herself using it several times in interviews. I must admit, however,
>not
>to have a strong grasp of what it actually means. Is it supposed to mean
>that
>the writing is more visual and action-based rather than introspective and
>description-based?
>
>tanya
>
>
>Selon Eric Anderson <erickarl78@hotmail.com>:
>
> > Hi Tanya
> >
> > Interesting topic to raise. Although, I hope you don't mind if I
>re-title
> > the discussion because reading "Oates periods" rather sounds like we're
> > discussing her time of the month... or use of that form of punctuation.
>Lol.
> > ;)
> >
> > I've read section of Cologne-Brooks' study of her work and I think it is
> > interesting and broadly correct in categorizing the evolution of her
>work in
> > that way. However, I feel that in tone of voice and style her writing
>has
> > become more private and introspective recently in fact. A lot of it
>seems to
> > be in the first person or from a very first person type perspective -
>like
> > in Blonde where you feel the whole narrative is like a movie playing in
> > Norma Jeane�s head. Oates has referred to this book as a cinematic kind
>of
> > literature and I think this technique has reverberated into other of her
> > novels, particularly the new Lauren Kelly books. However, it�s true you
>can
> > still see the more straightforward dialogue Oates is having with social
> > concerns - particularly in a book like The Falls dealing with a whole
> > community of people who have been deceived and harmed because of
>corporate
> > interests. I�m not sure there are consistent differences that you could
> > point out which distinguish the books she�s published in the 00s
>compared to
> > the work she was putting out in the 90s though. The themes are quite
>varied,
> > though many of course still deal with women who have been mistreated by
> > individuals and neglected by society.
> >
> > Thanks
> > eric
> >
> >
> > >From: tanya.tromble@free.fr
> > >Reply-To: jco@usfca.edu
> > >To: jco@usfca.edu
> > >Subject: JCO: Oates periods
> > >Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 10:49:20 +0200
> > >
> > >Hello all,
> > >
> > >I've recently read Gavin Cologne-Brooks' "Dark Eyes On America" and
>have
> > >been
> > >musing over the timeline he has constructed of Oates's career. He
>splits
> > >it up
> > >into three basic sections. 1964-78, the early part which he feels is
> > >private
> > >and introspective. 1978-85, a middle period of radical experimentation
> > >dealing
> > >with transitions. And 1985 to present, the latter part which he views
>as
> > >more
> > >social and multi-voiced.
> > >
> > >I'm personally tempted to see another split at "Blonde", although I
>can't
> > >quite
> > >put my finger on why. It's quite possible that this idea only has to
>do
> > >with
> > >external circumstances and not with the works themselves. Perhaps
>because
> > >it
> > >was published in 2000, a nice round number, and because it was around
>this
> > >time
> > >that she abandoned her Rosamund Smith pseudonym and switched to Lauren
> > >Kelly.
> > >Or perhaps quite simply that it was around this time that I really got
>into
> > >reading her works.
> > >
> > >What do you think? If my question manages to provoke some thought and
>get
> > >some
> > >discussion going again, I will indeed be very proud. If not, I'll just
> > >give up
> > >on all this thinking and go take a nap!
> > >
> > >Best,
> > >Tanya
> > >-------------------------------------------------------------------
> > >Tone Clusters: The Joyce Carol Oates discussion group
> > >
> > >To send a message to the group, email jco@usfca.edu
> > >To unsubscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: unsubscribe jco
> > >
> > >Celestial Timepiece: A Joyce Carol Oates Home Page:
> > >http://jco.usfca.edu/
> >
> >
> > -------------------------------------------------------------------
> > Tone Clusters: The Joyce Carol Oates discussion group
> >
> > To send a message to the group, email jco@usfca.edu
> > To unsubscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: unsubscribe jco
> >
> > Celestial Timepiece: A Joyce Carol Oates Home Page:
> > http://jco.usfca.edu/
> >
>
>
>-------------------------------------------------------------------
>Tone Clusters: The Joyce Carol Oates discussion group
>
>To send a message to the group, email jco@usfca.edu
>To unsubscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: unsubscribe jco
>
>Celestial Timepiece: A Joyce Carol Oates Home Page:
>http://jco.usfca.edu/

-------------------------------------------------------------------
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To send a message to the group, email jco@usfca.edu
To unsubscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: unsubscribe jco

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Re: JCO: Female of the Species -- WATCH OUT some plots discussed.

I, too, felt the same ambiguity at the end of "Hunger". I felt it was left open
as to whether she would go with the plan to kill her husband or change it to
kill her lover instead.

tanya

Selon NotEnoughKittens@aol.com:

> Cyrano,
>
> I hadn't had a chance to read any of those stories before I bought the
> collection, but you are right-----certainly a strong theme in there that the
> rich
> are cruisin' for a bruisin', as you say. I did wonder about the end of
> "Hunger," which seemed a little ambiguous to me----is she going to let the
> young
> man kill her husband, or is she going to kill the young man, in order to
> free
> herself from him? Either way, though, it certainly doesn't change your main
> point, the emphasis on just how horrible the rich can be.......
>
> Christa
>

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tone Clusters: The Joyce Carol Oates discussion group

To send a message to the group, email jco@usfca.edu
To unsubscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: unsubscribe jco

Celestial Timepiece: A Joyce Carol Oates Home Page:
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RE: JCO: The evolution of Oates writing style

Hi Eric,

No objection to your title change. My attempt at brevity was indeed ambiguous.
It's interesting that you again brought up the idea of "cinematic" novels and
writing. I know we've already discussed this on this list and I've come across
Oates herself using it several times in interviews. I must admit, however, not
to have a strong grasp of what it actually means. Is it supposed to mean that
the writing is more visual and action-based rather than introspective and
description-based?

tanya

Selon Eric Anderson <erickarl78@hotmail.com>:

> Hi Tanya
>
> Interesting topic to raise. Although, I hope you don't mind if I re-title
> the discussion because reading "Oates periods" rather sounds like we're
> discussing her time of the month... or use of that form of punctuation. Lol.
> ;)
>
> I've read section of Cologne-Brooks' study of her work and I think it is
> interesting and broadly correct in categorizing the evolution of her work in
> that way. However, I feel that in tone of voice and style her writing has
> become more private and introspective recently in fact. A lot of it seems to
> be in the first person or from a very first person type perspective - like
> in Blonde where you feel the whole narrative is like a movie playing in
> Norma Jeane’s head. Oates has referred to this book as a cinematic kind of
> literature and I think this technique has reverberated into other of her
> novels, particularly the new Lauren Kelly books. However, it’s true you can
> still see the more straightforward dialogue Oates is having with social
> concerns - particularly in a book like The Falls dealing with a whole
> community of people who have been deceived and harmed because of corporate
> interests. I’m not sure there are consistent differences that you could
> point out which distinguish the books she’s published in the 00s compared to
> the work she was putting out in the 90s though. The themes are quite varied,
> though many of course still deal with women who have been mistreated by
> individuals and neglected by society.
>
> Thanks
> eric
>
>
> >From: tanya.tromble@free.fr
> >Reply-To: jco@usfca.edu
> >To: jco@usfca.edu
> >Subject: JCO: Oates periods
> >Date: Fri, 31 Mar 2006 10:49:20 +0200
> >
> >Hello all,
> >
> >I've recently read Gavin Cologne-Brooks' "Dark Eyes On America" and have
> >been
> >musing over the timeline he has constructed of Oates's career. He splits
> >it up
> >into three basic sections. 1964-78, the early part which he feels is
> >private
> >and introspective. 1978-85, a middle period of radical experimentation
> >dealing
> >with transitions. And 1985 to present, the latter part which he views as
> >more
> >social and multi-voiced.
> >
> >I'm personally tempted to see another split at "Blonde", although I can't
> >quite
> >put my finger on why. It's quite possible that this idea only has to do
> >with
> >external circumstances and not with the works themselves. Perhaps because
> >it
> >was published in 2000, a nice round number, and because it was around this
> >time
> >that she abandoned her Rosamund Smith pseudonym and switched to Lauren
> >Kelly.
> >Or perhaps quite simply that it was around this time that I really got into
> >reading her works.
> >
> >What do you think? If my question manages to provoke some thought and get
> >some
> >discussion going again, I will indeed be very proud. If not, I'll just
> >give up
> >on all this thinking and go take a nap!
> >
> >Best,
> >Tanya
> >-------------------------------------------------------------------
> >Tone Clusters: The Joyce Carol Oates discussion group
> >
> >To send a message to the group, email jco@usfca.edu
> >To unsubscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: unsubscribe jco
> >
> >Celestial Timepiece: A Joyce Carol Oates Home Page:
> >http://jco.usfca.edu/
>
>
> -------------------------------------------------------------------
> Tone Clusters: The Joyce Carol Oates discussion group
>
> To send a message to the group, email jco@usfca.edu
> To unsubscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: unsubscribe jco
>
> Celestial Timepiece: A Joyce Carol Oates Home Page:
> http://jco.usfca.edu/
>

-------------------------------------------------------------------
Tone Clusters: The Joyce Carol Oates discussion group

To send a message to the group, email jco@usfca.edu
To unsubscribe, email majordomo@usfca.edu: unsubscribe jco

Celestial Timepiece: A Joyce Carol Oates Home Page:
http://jco.usfca.edu/