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Thumper
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 03, 2003 - 10:52 pm: | 
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Hello All,
The origin of this thread started in our new discussion board, in that big a-- thread with 120+ posts. Some one, I forget who, started comparing authors. I don't see a harm in it. I say this because I just compared one author with another. In my review of Seed, a crazy-excellent novel by Mustafa Mutabaruka, I said that Mutabaruka reminded me of Gayl Jones. Mutabaruka voice is definitely as masculine, as Jones' is feminine, and as equally unique. Should we compare? I don't see a problem with it. |
Kola
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, April 03, 2003 - 11:58 pm: |
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I always thought Gayl Jones's writing, compared to other women authors, was quite masculine and very bitchy.
Of the writers I myself have been compared to (Zora and Alice Walker mostly)...I really do think that my work is masculine, though woman-identified and very confrontational--which is not like Zora or Alice's work at all. I've never, however, had a college Professor or "sociologist" compare me to Gayl Jones, who I feel much more kinship with. She's also, by press accounts of her private life, slightly INSANE as I too have been accused of being.
I loved "Eva's Man" and "Corregidora". I tend to prefer Gayl's early novels, which were just so incredibly raw and unapologetic and "beautifully" tragic. I love her work.
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Bayou Lights
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Friday, April 04, 2003 - 02:57 am: |
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Hey, All
I actually love when book reviews and discussions include the work of other authors. I learn about new books that way and I appreciate the themes discussed in the comparison. Yes, I say keep it up. Always a treat when the comparisons are insightful and based on the writing.
Bayou Lights |
Troy
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, April 05, 2003 - 04:54 pm: |
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I was read someplace where John Keene's book Annotations (http://authors.aalbc.com/john_keene.htm) was just like Jean Toomers Cane (http://authors.aalbc.com/jean.htm). I the reason I picked up Keene's book WAS because of the comparison and I'm glad I did. I doubt if I would have read Keene's book otherwise.
I intend to re-read both books. Cane was the first book on our reading list back in July of 1998 (thanks for introducing the book to me Thumper).
Peace |
Wanda Toby
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, April 07, 2003 - 08:42 pm: |
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I think it's great when authors are compared to each other with supporting information. It's not enough to say that Author 1 is like Author 2 and leave it at that. It's especially helpful to a me as an avid reader because I may want to check out the other author's works.
On the other hand, when comparisons are made without any basis or just at a glance they can be worthless. I think some authors though don't want to be compared. They may feel like it takes away from what they are trying to accomplish with their writing.
Lastly, I don't think comparisons can be helped because everyone steals a little bit of something from others. Writers, IMO, have to find their voice and sometimes it may start in imitation which is not neccessarily a bad thing. |
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