Posts
I previously blogged of cell phone novels, a huge micro-fiction trend in Japan, in which novels are thumbed into being 140 characters at a time, from subway cars and other waystations of once-wasted time.
There are two Web sites in the United States I'm aware of that have attempted to export the trend: textnovel and quillpill. Cell phone novels seems like a counterintuitive topic for a site about typewriters, ephemera, and paper-based pursuits, but it's all part of the overall evolution of the act of writing. In this spirit, I am going to give writing one a shot. I don't expect anyone to necessarily join me in this act of thumbscribery (Nanothumbmo, anyone?), but if you do, please give me the details.
Postscript
In a prior post, I was strongly advised against mentioning my interest in a certain anachronistic writing machine in an admissions essay for graduate school. I would like to hereby formally announce that doing so will not necessarily impede your acceptance. So, do not be afraid to litter future resumes, CV's, and loan applications with ample unhinged screeds about the joy of typing on your Smith-Corona Clipper. It worked for me.
reflections on Bond Day
4 hours ago
8 comments:
WHAT? Dude! You got accepted!!?? My toasting glass is raised in your honor, so unless I'm misunderstanding, it's time for a swig, eh? Woohoo!
I did, yes! Even in spite of blathering about typecasting in my admissions essay. I gotta be me!
As long as you didn't mention the ceramic clown collection, you should have been a shoo-in. :-)
I think the cell phone novel is a perfect illustration of what Richard Foreman called "pancake people." It seems an appropriate medium for new trends in modern fiction. I was introduced to the term in an interview with Nicolas Carr (IT Doesn't Matter) in the latest issue of the The Sun. In that interview he discusses how technology, specifically Google and the Internet, is bringing such a wealth of knowledge within such easy reach of us, that our brains adapt and are unable to seriously and deeply contemplate literature on a single book basis.
People often have cursory knowledge of many books but no down and dirty larger understanding of something singular. The cell phone novel is just a natural extension of the depleted attention span of the modern mind.
I'm not saying it's bad. It's just different. It's a change. Literary work in such a compressed space will likely become less philosophical and reaching. It'll tend toward the emotional flash more than the studied appreciation of something.
Thanks for the links to the sites. I'll certainly check them out. I look forward to reading about your endeavors in this medium.
Big congrats on getting accepted! And best of luck.
I'm pretty sure this is one of the four horses of the apocalypse.
But good on you for trying it out so the rest of us don't have to.
And, of course, congrats!
Congratulations! I pounded my way through a master's degree with a Smith-Corona back in the early 80's. Press on and keep banging away at those keys!
Thanks again for the congrats, let's hope I survive grad school without my head exploding.
Brad, I've read a few issues of the Sun, I need to check it out again. I remember it was always interesting.
Currently I have a small part of a cell phone novel written, which I realized I hate. Crud.
Post a Comment