[stylist] {Spam?} Re: The Neighbors: A Parable

[Miss Thea]

I guess that's what the writers were doing back in that day.
Stories had to have an explicit moral.
Even the Brothers Grimm wrote fairy tales that all had a moral.
I think one of the purposes that L. Frank Baum had in writing the Oz books 
was to get away from the moral, and just tell the story.

It's strange, though. When I read Little Women, I was nine years old, and 
thought it the most romantic thing I'd ever read.
But reading it again in my twenties? I thought it was the most overblown 
morality tale, and didn't like it that much.
Thea

-----Original Message----- 
From: Tessa via stylist
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2016 10:55 AM
To: Writers' Division Mailing List
Cc: Tessa
Subject: [stylist] {Spam?} Re: The Neighbors: A Parable

agreed, I liked the story but the philosophy was a bit much for me.
I'd have to reread it and I'm not sure I'm up to that LOL.
Thing is so many modern books reference many of the classics that you almost
have to read the classics regardless of whether you want to or not, just so
you understand exactly what it is they're talking about. Same thing for a
lot of mythology and fairy tales, without a background in the above you miss
more subtle hints in modern writing.
Tessa


-----Original Message----- 
From: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter via stylist
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2016 9:37 AM
To: 'Writers' Division Mailing List'
Cc: Bridgit Kuenning-Pollpeter
Subject: Re: [stylist] The Neighbors: A Parable

Moby Dick is great until you get into the pontificating, philosophical
sections. These sections slow the story way down and is what make most
people think Moby Dick is boring. If Melville, and other writers of the
time, stuck to the immediate action, keeping the pacing, I think more people
would appreciate those novels.

Bridgit

-----Original Message-----
From: stylist [mailto:stylist-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Tessa via
stylist
Sent: Wednesday, December 21, 2016 6:41 AM
To: stylist at nfbnet.org
Cc: Tessa <puppycat at tbaytel.net>
Subject: Re: [stylist] The Neighbors: A Parable

Chris,
LOL though wise old teacher is rather a cliche, I like the ending, have to
say I've read both moby dick and cooper, yep moby dick was boring LOL, it's
been about 30 years since I read cooper so would have to reread it I did
enjoy it at the time. It's a nice twist the way you've ended it with the
teacher commenting negatively on the classics and the student being rather
shocked, usually it's the other way around.
Anyway a fun read.
Tessa

----- Original Message -----
From: Chris Kuell  via stylist  <stylist at nfbnet.org>
To: his'Writers' Division Mailing List'"
<stylist at nfbnet.org>
Date: Saturday, October 29, 2016 12:37 am
Subject: [stylist] The Neighbors: A Parable

>
>
>
> The Neighbors: A Parable
>
> The wise old teacher handed back the paper to his student, who scowled
> when she saw all the red corrections.
> "You don't know everything," she snapped. "My Mom and my friends love
> my stories."
> "Of course they do," he agreed. "My goal is to help you do even better."
> The unhappy student sat pouting with her lower lip out,
> incomprehension obvious on her face.
>
> "Once there were two neighbors," her teacher said. "Neighbor A was
> walking down the street and noticed that neighbor B was building a new
> deck on the side of his house. Having some experience in deck
> building, neighbor A went over for a chat. What he saw distressed him.
> Neighbor B's idea was sound, but his work was sloppy.
> As he approached, neighbor B looked up from his work and said, "What
> do you think?"
> Being a kind man, neighbor A said, "I love the wood you picked, and I
> think the size is just right. But, I can't help but notice that you
> didn't use footings, and those two by fours aren't strong enough to
> hold up all that weight."
> Neighbor A glared in response. "What the hell do you know?" he said.
> "I've never seen you build a deck before."
> "Actually," neighbor A said. "I've built over 40 decks. I've made a
> pretty good living at it. And, I've helped many of my friends with
> their decks, so I do know what I'm talking about."
> "Yeah, right," neighbor A retorted. "I don't need no advice. I know
> what I'm doing. I paid for this deck, and it's a damn good deck."
> Neighbor A just smiled and continued on his way. A week later when he
> walked by again, Neighbor B's deck was a pile of lumber strewn against the
lawn.
> And neighbor B sat in the middle of the mess with a big, proud smile
> on his face."
>
> "That story was stupid," the student said.
> "Perhaps," her teacher said. "Just think it over, and maybe it will
> make sense."
>   "Let me ask you something," the student slid her big glasses back up
> her nose. "You ever read Moby Dick?"
> "I'd rather get a root canal," the teacher replied. "That book was so
> boring I only wish it covered how to tie a slip knot so I could hang
myself."
> "How about that other guy, ya know, the Last of the Mohicans. James
> Fanny More Cooper. Ever read his stuff?"
> "Unfortunately, yes," he said. "I think Mark Twain said it best-Cooper
> is guilty of verbose writing, poor plotting, glaring inconsistencies,
> overused clichis, cardboard characterizations, and a host of similar
offenses."
> "Yikes," the girl said.
> Her teacher just smiled and moved on to the next student.
>
>
>
>
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