3/8/2005

Today we began with a discussion of the ESSENTIAL elements that should be included in our epic odes of our classmates.

1) There must be a central subject. This subject will be a member of this class. Your "soulmate".
2) The following elements should be present in the composition of the poem: repetition, epithets (blue-eyed, fleet footed, wily) rhythm, invocation to the Muse, major achievement, hyperbole, metrics and meter.

Consider adding the following: hardships on the road to achievement, birth place, family.

Next we had a discussion of our impressions of Salman Rushdie's lecture and how it relates to our study of the Oral Tradition.
-he mentioned right off that the oral tradition is "alive and kicking in India"
-his presentation had a definite rhythm to it. He knew when to speed up and when to slow down for effect and in response to the audience.
-he discussed the tension between the oral tradition and the novel but we all think that in his novels he has done a great job of balancing the two.
-he discusses the novel as a vulgar form, it arises with the middle class. Novel accepts the language and speech of real people in real places and real situations.
-he believes that the stories are the important part. Religion boxes us in while stories free us up.
-"Cleanliness is next to fascism"...a little dirt and digression is wonderful.
-Rushdie's storyteller persona emerges greater than anything.
-he discussed the distance between fiction and reality.
-Root stories are the most important
-one cannot let anything get in the way of one's writing.
-he mentioned the power of the writer, the novelist, the artist and us. We all make a difference!

Rushdie rocks!