Archive - Mar 14, 2015
Just the Right Word
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sat, 03/14/2015 - 21:05I pause
motionless
looking out the window
searching for that word
as if it would float by
or the different view
would allow it to re-emerge.
What is that word,
that idea,
of waiting
for a thought to come.
If it were on the internet,
la song streaming,
which then paused,
I’d know what to call it.
Buffering.
But my own thoughts?
I glace over to the rocking chair
with my daughter’s book bag
currently sitting in it.
Nothing.
I glance around the room
at clutter on the piano bench
or the kitchen table.
If I sort through this pile of papers,
or this collection of knick knacks,
will I find the word I am looking for.
As I try to conjure up the word,
I think of a grandfather that had Parkinson’s
or an uncle with Alzheimer’s.
But I’ve always been absent minded,
too easily distracted,
always searching
for just the right
word.
Which Irish Writer are you?
Submitted by Aldon Hynes on Sat, 03/14/2015 - 10:43Okay, friends, help me out here. I’m sure you’ve all seen all those various quizzes out there, Which Arthropod are you? Which Minor Character in an Ayn Rand novel are you? Which slain young black man are you? Such quizzes are normative. They try to fit us into four or five social norms.
Normally, I attempt to resist the normative pressures of these quizzes, posting as a response to What Girl Scout Cookie are you, that I was channeling Rush Limbaugh and got Evil Lesbian Abortion Witchcraft Promiscuity cookies, or when asked what character I am in some show or book, responding with the most interesting yet very obscure character.
As we approach St. Patrick’s Day, we are seeing another stereotype presented, the drunken Irishman. A friend shared a post, Irish American buys all of Walmart’s offensive t-shirts, will return them March 18, about one person challenging this stereotype.
Instead of focusing on the Drunken Irishman, I thought it would be useful to create a quiz, “Which Irish Writer are you?” So far, the only thing I’m come up with is
Would you rather
Wander around Dublin all day?
Wait for someone who never shows up?
Study Irish Fairytales?When you think about the end, do you :
think about an Irish wake with lots of multilingual puns?
think about an Irish airman?
describe the end of a game in French?
Of course, this focuses on three of the best known Irish Male writers. While it may be useful in reframing the discussion from liquor to literature, it still promotes a narrow view.
So, my question to all of you: If you were creating a “Which Irish Writer are you?” who would you include in the quiz? Are their female writers that should be considered? How about philosophers?
