"untitled"
I know a lot of things bug me, but I don't hold grudges and I let it go after a second so it's ok. But I am a little anal so it reaallllly bugs me when people say:
"don't know nothing" (double negative) or
"if you had doubts that I wasn't the one" (again, double negative used incorrectly in Destiny's Child song "Is She the Reason" on the new album. It's a great song, but it BUGS me when Kelly sings this part because she is trying to say, "why didn't you let me know that you had doubts about me being the one" but she is really saying "why didn't you let me know that you did not have doubts about me at all" in which, case there is no problem because he was sure she was the one.)
or "ain't" or "I seen her" (ugh! I have fought with Kesha about this since grade 6!!! Ask her- I have been correcting her on this one for eons...now she is conditioned to correct herself when she does it, it is so funny.)
Not trying to seem arrogant about my command over the English language because I do make many mistakes and I try to correct them myself. And let's be honest here, for most of us English is a second language so it serves a functionalist purpose rather than a literary, creative one. But SOMETIMES PEOPLE DO NOT MAKE SENSE. Then I have to say "What do you mean?" Then it seems like I am just being anal but really I do not know thier true intention. I feel sorry for logicians who deal with True and False truth-tables/scales. And computer programmers. And Engineers. How to deal with indeterminacy? Ambiguity makes up most of life and yet we seek 'scientific' clarity if only in vain.
One more thing I can't stand:
When artists label a song or album or poem "untitled". We know what the title is supposed to be: "This is my most profound contribution to the cd/album/book so please do not judge it ruthlessly". Untitled always implies depth. As if the content of the work evades categorization. I think people should always categorize so that you do not seem like you are trying to evade it. A simple title is always better than "untitled" because then you can admit that this is just another song like all the rest of them and the listener does not feel pressured or better yet coerced to elevate the "untitled" song over the rest. If it really was untitled it wouldn't have a title. It's a guilt trip really.
Helen
"don't know nothing" (double negative) or
"if you had doubts that I wasn't the one" (again, double negative used incorrectly in Destiny's Child song "Is She the Reason" on the new album. It's a great song, but it BUGS me when Kelly sings this part because she is trying to say, "why didn't you let me know that you had doubts about me being the one" but she is really saying "why didn't you let me know that you did not have doubts about me at all" in which, case there is no problem because he was sure she was the one.)
or "ain't" or "I seen her" (ugh! I have fought with Kesha about this since grade 6!!! Ask her- I have been correcting her on this one for eons...now she is conditioned to correct herself when she does it, it is so funny.)
Not trying to seem arrogant about my command over the English language because I do make many mistakes and I try to correct them myself. And let's be honest here, for most of us English is a second language so it serves a functionalist purpose rather than a literary, creative one. But SOMETIMES PEOPLE DO NOT MAKE SENSE. Then I have to say "What do you mean?" Then it seems like I am just being anal but really I do not know thier true intention. I feel sorry for logicians who deal with True and False truth-tables/scales. And computer programmers. And Engineers. How to deal with indeterminacy? Ambiguity makes up most of life and yet we seek 'scientific' clarity if only in vain.
One more thing I can't stand:
When artists label a song or album or poem "untitled". We know what the title is supposed to be: "This is my most profound contribution to the cd/album/book so please do not judge it ruthlessly". Untitled always implies depth. As if the content of the work evades categorization. I think people should always categorize so that you do not seem like you are trying to evade it. A simple title is always better than "untitled" because then you can admit that this is just another song like all the rest of them and the listener does not feel pressured or better yet coerced to elevate the "untitled" song over the rest. If it really was untitled it wouldn't have a title. It's a guilt trip really.
Helen
posted by Helenism at 7:22 p.m.
2 Comments:
Hi, I came across your blog searching for the word "indeterminacy," because that's what I called my blog, for various reasons. The stories I post at my blog are all without title, though I do not label them "untitled." Calling them by their first line, or numbering them, or making up a name as needed using the main item in the story, e.g. "the tree story," the "the kitten story," etc. is enough for me.
I dislike the thoughtless use of language, and I love an indeterminate language that leaves the interpretation to the imagination of the reader. An overprecise language excludes meaning, narrows down a text, and while that may be important in instruction manuals, it makes a story that you can only read once, and then discard, as little is to be gained by a second reading. I hope I achieve some kind of nuance with my stories, but that's up to the reader, of course.
Maybe that's why I don't like to name the stories. A good title should hold a hint of what the story is about, and I want that to be completely open.
yes H would have loved u as an english teacher fe real ;)
like the Jamaicans say "that's ah long ting man". I'm feeling that soldier tune off the destiny joint. crunk.
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