Crimson Giant Section 2 from Cheryl Penn

[Bifidus Jones]

The narration gets cloudier: "I am not the red giant

I am

Symbols rebel

Chaos

Ensues

Babel lay abandoned

Red

Alone"

It appears the Crimson Giant doesn't feel so big anymore now that chaos has stormed the land with its multi languages.Cheryl's close up of a face and a rather hollow red giant (now red alone) make a great contrast. The layers of symbols over the English narration make it a challenge to read--a successful effect when considering the subject matter.

[cheryl penn]

Dont worry about M.P. I read about it on the relevant blog.

[cheryl penn]

Hello - thanks for blog - yes I'm back in monkey land (Cape Town is too 'civilized' for entrapment by monkeys) - and DVS - you asked me if I knew about the monkey purge - no I dont - are you going to enlighten me one day?? I do think of the story of Babel as a universal story, and therefore a beginning to many other cultural myths, so yes, superfluous to be retold? As the story of the giant unfolds, does his life palimpsest becomes more dense? His experiences more enigmatic? His reality more confused? Does Crimson with too much wear become a weary red, or does it become an exciting well re(a)d alone-ness? I pose these too as universal questions. I cannot help a smidgen of narrative - he has too many stories to tell. He also exists in a real and unreal world. But as you noted before Bifidus, he does not inhabit dystopia. While you two experience the onset of winter, here the days are getting longer, the spring rains are lashing, the great coastal winds are moving vast quantities of other breathed air and spring is clawing her way from the ground.

[De Villo Sloan]

Hi Bifidus - good to catch up with you in a place that's somewhat linear and not days apart. The multi-language "concept" and shared knowledge of the core narrative - that puts it together for me - and strikes me as being indeed what is holding this collaboration together and keeping us on the same page, so to speak. I wish I knew more about myths across cultures - but alas the Cultural Revolution left some gaps in my learning. Hey - there's this great Russian blog called "Bastarded Xerox" that specializes in photocopy art - this guy is getting great stuff from everywhere. Did you receive his email calling for pieces? I'll dig up the link and post it for all of us. The Cafe is good. Perhaps the Haptic group can be a center - I've not forgotten. Yes, winter approaching here too. In the unreal world, this is my most demanding time of year - which accounts for some disconnects at this end. I'll be back. Regards

[Bifidus Jones]

De Villo, I'm looking forward to receiving everyone else's sections too and putting all the chapters together. Then we'll know, as you say, the real story. This endeavor, I think, is based on the assumption that everyone knows the story of babel, and if this is the case, then conventional narration is not only unnecessary, but would be a detraction. Are there stories out there in other traditions to explain the existence of multi-languages? And I agree, De Villo, we need to catch up--I've got dozens of things I want to talk to you about. (Like your retro punk art blog and the photocopy medium used in the 80s!) The days are gettin shorter and colder on this side of the planet. Isn't there a cafe we can meet at? Perhaps the one Eduardo often sits in...

[De Villo Sloan]

Hi Bifidus, is this getting like a Grand Central Station of Dreams where you're missing trains and dashing to next levels? I've posted messages to you, seen messages from you; only I'm not sure where. Some catching up to do. This is a great blog! I'm just blown away by what Cheryl did with her chapter. I have a more sparse, earlier version. Your commentary is excellent, and with so few words that go directly to, what is for me, the heart of the matter! Why the exclamation points!!! I like the way you broke out the words in a list. I think you bring to the forefront something she and I went back and forth about for a long time - sometimes almost as if it meant something. I know you weighed in on it too, and I'm not trying to start a debate. I don't think The Crimsoned Titanic needs to tell a story in a conventional way with plot, character, setting, you know... I don't think it will. The text itself will defy that. Her new chapter and your commentary reveal this, at least to me. Nevertheless, this is going to be very impressive. And I think Cheryl really came through with this update. I can't wait to see the chapters all together. Then we'll know the real story. In another post somewhere you mentioned the Letterists (spg.). Yes, I saw so many references to them and for so long I looked into it up once upon a time - read up on it - and now can't remember very much. Do you find this happening sometimes? I'll look into them again and recover what I lost. Consider it added to the growing list at this end. Anyway, superb work here by both you and Cheryl, IMHO. I imagine we'll be hearing from her soon, as I think she has finished the classes by now. Hope the monkeys didn't get her - that's for real where she is :) The delete button has just been going to waste without her ;)) As ever, DVS