Re: RARA-AVIS: Daniel Woodrell on "Noir"

From: davezeltserman (davezelt@rcn.com)
Date: 31 Jan 2009

  • Next message: Brian Thornton: "Re: RARA-AVIS: Daniel Woodrell on "Noir""

    btw. I'll use an analogy for porn also for defining noir: you know it when you see it.

    --Dave

    --- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, Brian Thornton
    <bthorntonwriter@...> wrote:
    >
    > Thank you, O Sage, O Woodrell, for finally shining the beacon of
    knowledge
    > upon we poor, benighted masses.
    >
    > Authors defining "noir" is sort of like porn actors defining money
    shots.
    > Either you do it, or you don't.
    >
    > Sheesh.
    >
    > Brian
    >
    > On Fri, Jan 30, 2009 at 12:33 PM, Michael S. Chong
    <menglish47@...>wrote:
    >
    > > "I just brought noir back to town, man. Both sides of that story do
    > > exist, the unbelievably generous and kind smalltown stuff happens
    two doors
    > > down from the shotgun shack and the woman who sells her twelve
    year old
    > > daughter for ten bucks a throw. I focused on the noir. Not to start a
    > > fracas, but hardly anything in books or films that others call
    noir would
    > > pass muster as noir by my indices----a saxophone, a blonde and an
    unfiltered
    > > cigarette do not make a thing noir. Pure noir is a direct bastard
    child of
    > > Greek Tragedy, a bastard child that was raised by the bunch that
    would have
    > > it, that being gutterbound underbelly proseteers and their
    disciples. Such
    > > novels are among the few places to encounter the POV of the underclass
    > > expressed as if to other underclass folk-that is to say as
    truthfully as can
    > > be. I am as proud to be considered related to them (I mean,
    Thompson, Cain,
    > > Edward Anderson, Charles Williams, Kromer, James Ross, LeSieur,
    Goodis and
    > > the
    > > rest) as I am to any of the sanctified names."
    > >
    > > From an interview posted at
    > >
    http://www.breaktech.net/emergingwritersforum/View_Interview.aspx?id=18
    > >
    > > Michael
    > >
    > > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
    > >
    > >
    > >
    >
    >
    > [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
    >



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