Things That Happened Today
Jul. 12th, 2011 12:40 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
jhameia1) I had a meeting with my supervisor today. I'm getting myself re-organized for my project. She had a few problems:
a) my argument of steampunk as aesthetic. Essentially, the problem with arguing with steampunk as aesthetic is that it indicates that steampunk is depoliticized, whereas I'm arguing that steampunk absolutely has politics. And I need to clarify this. Mike Perschon has told me before, "steampunk is an empty vessel" which I agree with in general, but only because I think steampunk would be incredibly easy to resignify, if folks weren't so resistant to the idea of it. So I need to make sure I have a clarification that this is part of my project; that I'm calling out the dysconsciousness that way too many steampunks exhibit and I want to put a call for resignification of the aesthetic into something politicized, radical, and really alternate.
A
b) how I was discussing the texts. Basically I was kinda just listing out stuff that made up the elements of steampunk without actually bringing out a cohesive argument on what all this stuff meant. Talking about technology and thinking through technofantasy yesterday has helped me a great deal in figuring out how the steampunk elements, as a toolbox work together to really create an alternate politics and an alternate vision of the future. And I realized I was kinda of discussing the elements ass-backwards.... I was listing off how technofantasy manifests in the texts, because really, that's first we notice in the steampunk visual culture, the alternate history 'cos that's the next thing we notice, then how the past is evoked. However, for a more coherent argument, it makes more sense first to talk about the choice of history to use for the story, followed by the injection of tech into this kind of history that lends itself to the alterity (or alternateness) that comprises this steampunk story. And we see that the way we generally do approach this form of creation is that we end up replicating forms of commodity fetishism and whiteness, which calls into question whether or not we're REALLY doing alternate history in steampunk. Which is cool stuff yea?
c) and of course the fact that certain things I was talking about, such as POV protagonists and language, are general writerly concerns, not steampunk-specific things. However, I still feel really strongly about language, and supervisor said that, maybe language could be a thing that evokes the past (one of the elements, as in Peshawar Lancers and a ton of steampunk performances) or technology (which I think is a really strong argument to be made for Gaslight Dogs). I'll have to think on this more, though. I really do think language adds to the framing of the texts, especially in Gaslight Dogs, where Sjenn's language is absolutely imperative in understanding how she relates to her Dog (which I argue is the technofantasy of the piece).
So, major writing of new material, and then a decision to be made on how to restructure stuff, if indeed I need to do a major restructure overhaul. I've decided I'm going to unpack the different elements as in #b but I'm still going to treat its text as its own thing, rather than slotting in discussion of texts into the discussion of the elements. I think it'll be more sensical that way to show how each other uses the elements.
But I find it very difficult to go in piece by piece, and often I have to start from the beginning again and blaaaahhhh.
2) I went to get the keys to Vinh's apartment and sign the lease for September. I put in a request to have the benches in the kitchen repainted because white is just an awful colour for wood, and I think I'll ask if the same can be done for the kitchen cabinets. Kitchen's a lot smaller than I thought it'd be, for some reason. But the rest of the apartment is gloriously huge. And the kitchen table is SO NEAT. I could do a ton of writing work there, and it's just so cozy to have a friend or two over for dinner. I'm keeping Vinh's bookcases, couch and coffeetable (which I could use as a TV stand) (if I want a TV). I'm trying to make a decision here on whether or not to keep the landline and television service, or give up on television entirely. I should have asked how the doorbell works because I know it's tied to the landline somehow, but I can ask tomorrow. But anyway, I should ask Bell if there's any way I can skip out on August payment, because I just ain't going to be around. I better call tomorrow.
3) I got my right-side fourth lobe hole re-pierced, with a shiny 16-gauge rainbow CBR in it now. Maybe someday I'll take it out. I'm really digging having the horseshoe earrings in my first and second holds, but my third lobe hole appears to hate 16g? I'm not sure what its deal is. But it sure is irritating. The first lobe hole is quite well-situated and needs no encouragement to stay open, just the last two.
4) I went for a walk much later today, 8.30 instead of 8 as usual, but man, that was a good thing. Around 9-ish while I was headed back (it takes me about half an hour to reach Sanctuary Park, at which point I turn back) I saw fireflies! I thought it was just a trick of the light when I saw my first one, but a few minutes later, I saw so! many! fireflies! So pretty! And I kept seeing them! Even in my front yard! And right by my apartment door! I am so much more positively inclined to this place now except I am moving away. And it is still fucking cold in this basement. It'll be nice to move to somewhere where I can get a breeze that won't freeze.
a) my argument of steampunk as aesthetic. Essentially, the problem with arguing with steampunk as aesthetic is that it indicates that steampunk is depoliticized, whereas I'm arguing that steampunk absolutely has politics. And I need to clarify this. Mike Perschon has told me before, "steampunk is an empty vessel" which I agree with in general, but only because I think steampunk would be incredibly easy to resignify, if folks weren't so resistant to the idea of it. So I need to make sure I have a clarification that this is part of my project; that I'm calling out the dysconsciousness that way too many steampunks exhibit and I want to put a call for resignification of the aesthetic into something politicized, radical, and really alternate.
A
b) how I was discussing the texts. Basically I was kinda just listing out stuff that made up the elements of steampunk without actually bringing out a cohesive argument on what all this stuff meant. Talking about technology and thinking through technofantasy yesterday has helped me a great deal in figuring out how the steampunk elements, as a toolbox work together to really create an alternate politics and an alternate vision of the future. And I realized I was kinda of discussing the elements ass-backwards.... I was listing off how technofantasy manifests in the texts, because really, that's first we notice in the steampunk visual culture, the alternate history 'cos that's the next thing we notice, then how the past is evoked. However, for a more coherent argument, it makes more sense first to talk about the choice of history to use for the story, followed by the injection of tech into this kind of history that lends itself to the alterity (or alternateness) that comprises this steampunk story. And we see that the way we generally do approach this form of creation is that we end up replicating forms of commodity fetishism and whiteness, which calls into question whether or not we're REALLY doing alternate history in steampunk. Which is cool stuff yea?
c) and of course the fact that certain things I was talking about, such as POV protagonists and language, are general writerly concerns, not steampunk-specific things. However, I still feel really strongly about language, and supervisor said that, maybe language could be a thing that evokes the past (one of the elements, as in Peshawar Lancers and a ton of steampunk performances) or technology (which I think is a really strong argument to be made for Gaslight Dogs). I'll have to think on this more, though. I really do think language adds to the framing of the texts, especially in Gaslight Dogs, where Sjenn's language is absolutely imperative in understanding how she relates to her Dog (which I argue is the technofantasy of the piece).
So, major writing of new material, and then a decision to be made on how to restructure stuff, if indeed I need to do a major restructure overhaul. I've decided I'm going to unpack the different elements as in #b but I'm still going to treat its text as its own thing, rather than slotting in discussion of texts into the discussion of the elements. I think it'll be more sensical that way to show how each other uses the elements.
But I find it very difficult to go in piece by piece, and often I have to start from the beginning again and blaaaahhhh.
2) I went to get the keys to Vinh's apartment and sign the lease for September. I put in a request to have the benches in the kitchen repainted because white is just an awful colour for wood, and I think I'll ask if the same can be done for the kitchen cabinets. Kitchen's a lot smaller than I thought it'd be, for some reason. But the rest of the apartment is gloriously huge. And the kitchen table is SO NEAT. I could do a ton of writing work there, and it's just so cozy to have a friend or two over for dinner. I'm keeping Vinh's bookcases, couch and coffeetable (which I could use as a TV stand) (if I want a TV). I'm trying to make a decision here on whether or not to keep the landline and television service, or give up on television entirely. I should have asked how the doorbell works because I know it's tied to the landline somehow, but I can ask tomorrow. But anyway, I should ask Bell if there's any way I can skip out on August payment, because I just ain't going to be around. I better call tomorrow.
3) I got my right-side fourth lobe hole re-pierced, with a shiny 16-gauge rainbow CBR in it now. Maybe someday I'll take it out. I'm really digging having the horseshoe earrings in my first and second holds, but my third lobe hole appears to hate 16g? I'm not sure what its deal is. But it sure is irritating. The first lobe hole is quite well-situated and needs no encouragement to stay open, just the last two.
4) I went for a walk much later today, 8.30 instead of 8 as usual, but man, that was a good thing. Around 9-ish while I was headed back (it takes me about half an hour to reach Sanctuary Park, at which point I turn back) I saw fireflies! I thought it was just a trick of the light when I saw my first one, but a few minutes later, I saw so! many! fireflies! So pretty! And I kept seeing them! Even in my front yard! And right by my apartment door! I am so much more positively inclined to this place now except I am moving away. And it is still fucking cold in this basement. It'll be nice to move to somewhere where I can get a breeze that won't freeze.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2011-07-12 07:52 am (UTC)Anyhow, perhaps this will spark something -- a verb I wouldn't have been so quick to pick, I suppose, in a steam-oriented world -- for me it's lost its connection with its roots in fire (it's been deracinated) and totally co-opted by the running dogs of internal combustion...
All the best,
John
(no subject)
Date: 2011-07-12 07:11 pm (UTC)