Comments on: Corn http://montrealserai.com/2009/09/26/corn/ Poetry, Politics, Arts, Reviews and More Wed, 10 Mar 2010 17:11:39 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7.1 hourly 1 By: Naomi Lewis http://montrealserai.com/2009/09/26/corn/comment-page-1/#comment-2710 Naomi Lewis Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:29:52 +0000 http://www.montrealserai.com/wp/?p=1157#comment-2710 This is a short story, not a legal argument. Sandra isn't a stand-in for "these women," and Chris not a type. They're characters in a story. I think it's missing the point of the art form to ask questions, positioned as critiques of the story, such as "why do women do this" (why indeed! stories are meant to raise questions) and "why isn't this story about something else"? It's about Irene and Sandra, and their conversation. Does it work as a story and are the characters believable? Do the action and themes hold our attention and provide some insight into humanity? Those are the relevant questions, I believe, and my answer to them is yes. This is a short story, not a legal argument. Sandra isn’t a stand-in for “these women,” and Chris not a type. They’re characters in a story. I think it’s missing the point of the art form to ask questions, positioned as critiques of the story, such as “why do women do this” (why indeed! stories are meant to raise questions) and “why isn’t this story about something else”? It’s about Irene and Sandra, and their conversation. Does it work as a story and are the characters believable? Do the action and themes hold our attention and provide some insight into humanity? Those are the relevant questions, I believe, and my answer to them is yes.

]]> By: george farkas http://montrealserai.com/2009/09/26/corn/comment-page-1/#comment-2410 george farkas Thu, 05 Nov 2009 05:08:16 +0000 http://www.montrealserai.com/wp/?p=1157#comment-2410 The hero, Irene, says: "I don’t know how corn cob sucking leads to panic, but it’s Sandra’s story to tell in her own way." She is a good person, who is trying to help her customer, her friend. (Note: Her customers are her friends.) And she gets Sandra to tell her story. Unfortunately, it is too common a story. Her question is "why are others not more like her, what makes some people rush to save others and what makes others molest others. Maybe in another story, she would ask about why the rich screw the poor and why people go to war. I don't think so, unless it came to her in the guise of a customer/friend who came to Marjorie's Lingerie and told Irene that different story. Yes, people are different and they learn and empathize (even protest) in different ways. The power of this story is revealed only when and if we listen to Irene listening to Sandra. The hero, Irene, says: “I don’t know how corn cob sucking leads to panic, but it’s Sandra’s story to tell in her own way.” She is a good person, who is trying to help her customer, her friend. (Note: Her customers are her friends.) And she gets Sandra to tell her story. Unfortunately, it is too common a story. Her question is “why are others not more like her, what makes some people rush to save others and what makes others molest others.

Maybe in another story, she would ask about why the rich screw the poor and why people go to war. I don’t think so, unless it came to her in the guise of a customer/friend who came to Marjorie’s Lingerie and told Irene that different story. Yes, people are different and they learn and empathize (even protest) in different ways.

The power of this story is revealed only when and if we listen to Irene listening to Sandra.

]]> By: Rona Altrows http://montrealserai.com/2009/09/26/corn/comment-page-1/#comment-2407 Rona Altrows Thu, 05 Nov 2009 02:05:35 +0000 http://www.montrealserai.com/wp/?p=1157#comment-2407 Dear Mr. Winspear, Sorry you didn't like my story. That's your right. But please be assured, I do not consider the behaviour of the violent man in this story to be "typical guy behaviour." I don't really believe in the concept of typicalness. I think it is dangerous. Why would any person stay in an abusive situation? Well, it is not an easy question, is it? We could get into quite a discussion. It's too bad you don't seem to have much use for the short story as an art from. You're missing out on a lot of good stuff. -Rona Altrows Dear Mr. Winspear,
Sorry you didn’t like my story. That’s your right. But please be assured, I do not consider the behaviour of the violent man in this story to be “typical guy behaviour.” I don’t really believe in the concept of typicalness. I think it is dangerous.

Why would any person stay in an abusive situation? Well, it is not an easy question, is it? We could get into quite a discussion.

It’s too bad you don’t seem to have much use for the short story as an art from. You’re missing out on a lot of good stuff.
-Rona Altrows

]]> By: doug winspear http://montrealserai.com/2009/09/26/corn/comment-page-1/#comment-2090 doug winspear Wed, 14 Oct 2009 05:17:07 +0000 http://www.montrealserai.com/wp/?p=1157#comment-2090 I don't like to have to say this, but I found the story a bit "corny." You might as well ask, how could a species produce a Buddha or a Gandhi, as well as Hitler and Bush. Since the woman in the story wasn't a prisoner at Abu Ghraib, the question is why would she have stayed with "Chris." Why are women attracted to these men? Why do we treat men returning from a military occupation, where they've been murdering, raping people, like heroes? Why is violence rewarded when it's directed at strangers half way across the world, but it seems shocking and disgusting when it's in our own back yard? From the short short story, I almost had the impression that the writer considered this "typical guy behavior". But, my feeling when I read this was, why did this woman have such a low opinion of herself, that she would have been there to begin with? But, again, it's a short piece, so we can't expect a lot of character development. And there are broader questions that can't be addressed in a few words. We have to see the bigger picture, we're living in a society based on social darwinism. The so-called law of the jungle. That strong prey on the week, the rich screw the poor in a million ways. Next door, here in Mile End, there's six hundred geeks locked in their cubicles ten hours a day, working on military training videos for the Pentagon. I guess as long as violence is highly profitable, and as long as we worship money, things will stay the same. But, what do I know? I came of age during the hippy era, you know, make love not war, and so we tried to embrace a different kind of call to arms. I don’t like to have to say this, but I found the story a bit “corny.” You might as well ask, how could a species produce a Buddha or a Gandhi, as well as Hitler and Bush. Since the woman in the story wasn’t a prisoner at Abu Ghraib, the question is why would she have stayed with “Chris.” Why are women attracted to these men? Why do we treat men returning from a military occupation, where they’ve been murdering, raping people, like heroes? Why is violence rewarded when it’s directed at strangers half way across the world, but it seems shocking and disgusting when it’s in our own back yard?
From the short short story, I almost had the impression that the writer considered this “typical guy behavior”. But, my feeling when I read this was, why did this woman have such a low opinion of herself, that she would have been there to begin with? But, again, it’s a short piece, so we can’t expect a lot of character development. And there are broader questions that can’t be addressed in a few words. We have to see the bigger picture, we’re living in a society based on social darwinism. The so-called law of the jungle. That strong prey on the week, the rich screw the poor in a million ways. Next door, here in Mile End, there’s six hundred geeks locked in their cubicles ten hours a day, working on military training videos for the Pentagon. I guess as long as violence is highly profitable, and as long as we worship money, things will stay the same.
But, what do I know? I came of age during the hippy era, you know, make love not war, and so we tried to embrace a different kind of call to arms.

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