[This post will be revised as the novel progresses. BTW, Maria is a Cozumel friend.]
Dear Maria,
Well, you are the first among friends and acquaintances in a long time who has hit upon the nexus and sensed, for some reason, what I might be interested in and shared it. A special moment for me. Thanks.
That nexus is where I spend my writing and personal time, which is basically all of it--24 by 365, and then some.
You have hit upon the theoretical foundations of what I have come to call noematics, briefly characterized as "noema externa--understandings--partial, fleeting . . . something like sculpting jell-o", or making phenomena, always experienced and understood internally, external (noematics.blogspot.com). Thank you for the article, A True Story, or, The Truth about Story. [http://www.class.uidaho.edu/narrative/theory/true_story.htm]
In short, I use the insights and approach that the author, Brian Clark, does, but my application these days is that middle ground between story and theory, between the etymology of words and their present-day yet intentional use to convey rich(er) meanings. Have a look at the site above to get some crude examples.
Because I have just broadened my interests into giving a novel a try, something I have never approached before, I can relate quite well to this article. In writing about my own venture into fiction, I am discovering more fully the difference between purposeful (premeditated) pieces such as poems and essays and writings where imagined characters take over by virtue of the ground they walk and the frictions they inevitably encounter there and with others. It is an exciting time for me. And I don't know if I am one of the characters in my novel or not. And more precisely, is it my novel?
As to Clark's essay. It is what I would call meta-hermeneutics. By that I mean his writing is first of all a story about re-membering from the original contexts and meanings of words, historically-oriented hermeneutics. Then it is about stories as a subject and the language we use to talk about them. He uses the etymology and roots of words to deconstruct and thus somehow to make sense of what and how we talk about these things called stories.
Some of what he says I would have to check--I need to see references to do this. But I am sure he is mostly on the mark from what I know and have read in this field. Idaho seems to be more and more interesting intellectually, as it always has been if you have been interested in the anarchists and crazies who have gravitated towards that and neighboring states.
Not finally (you see, even this--my--story is partial), the bit about language teaching and speaking in groups . . . here is the opening, at the end of his essay, to more and other important topics. In this instance, "where two or more are gathered, there I am." Heidegger and Christ and eastern traditions share the same ground. The subject of spirit is next in line for Clark, or his students or readers. He has overtly opened this door by talking about Aum and its origins and relations to his topics.
By the way, the book you wanted to borrow from Arnon addresses this spectrum, from the physical ground to ground of being--spirit. I recommend it highly, and the book Arnon has is a good first-time encounter with and take on these things.
Now, do I go off and try to pick up where Clark left off, and relate spirit to language teaching? or have you already made this connection?
Thanks again,
kevin
PS I did my dissertation on Jung's synchronicity, more specifically meaningful coincidences. Is it a meaningful coincidence that you have given me a copy of this article just at the same time that the next development of the lead female character in my novel, D, has decided to continue her studies in "talk and how talk organizes and creates our world" by studying language and linguistics in graduate school? This after taking a course from Professor A, who I will kill off in the last chapters, before he completes his newly-begun narrative/descriptive project--because coincidentally he is at an age or stage where he just wants to observe and try to discover and understand but not be involved with anyone, not even his students. He is tired of the gatherings per se but not of human development and the grounds of our being.
This last question is for me, of course, but although it appears coincidental, we can see that you have caused a bit of friction . . . life is so interesting if we just look around a bit and wonder.
