(Originally Written March 30, 2010 in the Journal)
In the beginning when the world was young there were a great many thoughts but no such thing as truth. Man made the truths himself and each truth was a composite of a great many thoughts. All about in the world were truths and they were beautiful. But, when man claimed these truths as their own, the beautiful truths turned the men into grotesques.
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Monday, March 29, 2010
Writing Overview
(Originally Written March 29, 2010 in the Journal)
My long neglected Ashley! We had such high hopes for the two of us and yet I have ignored you so thoroughly. Accept my apology and I will now inform you of what is going through my literary head and fill your pages with my newest ideas.
1) The House of Urtsiul
The house of Urtsiul is the story of Urtsiul and the two branches of his family. Urtsiul is an exile from a southern Mesopotamian city-state who in his banishment ends up in ancient Palestine under the service of the king of Shacmu. He serves with distinction and has two sons: Uslmi and Ugui. After some time he dies and leaves one city each of his sons.
Uslmli is a righteous man, but Ugui is not. When a new king is crowned in Shacmu Ugui insults him and is banished only to return with an army. Uslmli meanwhile has four sons: Upuk, Ezinn, XA and XB (sorry I don't remember the names of the last two off the top of my head.
Uslmli winds up defeating Ugui in battle but takes his own life when he believes Ugui has murdered his four sons. In reality, Ugui has just kidnapped them and escaped to Hattusas, the Hittite capital.
In Hattusas Ugui becomes powerful and extends the Hittite King Mursili's territory. When the king of Shacmu comes to claim Ugui for crimes Ugui defeats them and Shacmu falls to Mursili. Mursili needs to place Jebus in charge of Shacmu and his descendants become the Jebusites.
The story then follows the accounts of the four children of Uslmli, youngest to oldest.
The first story is the youngest son who captures coastal cities and builds an empire. He falls in love with a captured princess named Phoenixa and names his kingdom after her (The Phoenicians). But, Phoenixa betrays him because of his cruel treatment of her family.
The second story follows the son who is tossed at sea and winds up shipwrecked on Crete. There he is proclaimed a god because of size and bronze skin color. He has sex with the wife of Vulcan who in his rage kindles his fire too hot while making weapons and destroys the cities of Crete (Need more Minas inferences to secure connection with Minoan civilization).
The Third son works as a mercenary and fights at Megiddo but switches to the Egyptian side. After securing victory he goes to Egypt and becomes very religious. He becomes convinced if he doesn't put cremated bodies in ashes then the ghosts of all he has killed will haunt him and his family forever. He is run out of Egypt as a madman but his prophecies take hold throughout Europe where he founds a kingdom.
Upuk, the oldest, travels north into the Ural mountains and founds a nation of no people. he builds two imperial cities and a number of settlements but is lonely when the work is done. He comes across Nok, a river nymph and immortal. He takes her as a wife and they have children.
Upuk begins to fear he will not have wives for his sons. Nok sends word out and immediately an illegitimate son of Upuk comes up with a following. Nok warns her husband not to marry their children to this man's entourage but he does anyway. Nok leaves and Upuk dies of a broken heart. His son takes the throne but is killed by an usurper.
(Up to this point is written in rough drafts)
2) The Book of Dates
The book of dates is a collection of short stories based on particular dates of importance in my life. Some are long; some are very short.
3) Habitaciones con Banos
The story of Joseph Flannigan and his writer's block. Joseph Flannigan travels to the DR for some inspiration for his sophomore novel. His first was successful satire. The book encompasses his misadventures and a collection of short stories he writes that become his book.
4) The Divorce and The Bulgogi
Prequel to Habitaciones
5) The Shattered Peace of Jefferson
This my Ashley will be the story we tell. This will be the pseudohistory of a little town in Indiana
up until a murder rocks the small town as told through the eyes of a neighbor who didn't know the people as well as they thought.
My long neglected Ashley! We had such high hopes for the two of us and yet I have ignored you so thoroughly. Accept my apology and I will now inform you of what is going through my literary head and fill your pages with my newest ideas.
1) The House of Urtsiul
The house of Urtsiul is the story of Urtsiul and the two branches of his family. Urtsiul is an exile from a southern Mesopotamian city-state who in his banishment ends up in ancient Palestine under the service of the king of Shacmu. He serves with distinction and has two sons: Uslmi and Ugui. After some time he dies and leaves one city each of his sons.
Uslmli is a righteous man, but Ugui is not. When a new king is crowned in Shacmu Ugui insults him and is banished only to return with an army. Uslmli meanwhile has four sons: Upuk, Ezinn, XA and XB (sorry I don't remember the names of the last two off the top of my head.
Uslmli winds up defeating Ugui in battle but takes his own life when he believes Ugui has murdered his four sons. In reality, Ugui has just kidnapped them and escaped to Hattusas, the Hittite capital.
In Hattusas Ugui becomes powerful and extends the Hittite King Mursili's territory. When the king of Shacmu comes to claim Ugui for crimes Ugui defeats them and Shacmu falls to Mursili. Mursili needs to place Jebus in charge of Shacmu and his descendants become the Jebusites.
The story then follows the accounts of the four children of Uslmli, youngest to oldest.
The first story is the youngest son who captures coastal cities and builds an empire. He falls in love with a captured princess named Phoenixa and names his kingdom after her (The Phoenicians). But, Phoenixa betrays him because of his cruel treatment of her family.
The second story follows the son who is tossed at sea and winds up shipwrecked on Crete. There he is proclaimed a god because of size and bronze skin color. He has sex with the wife of Vulcan who in his rage kindles his fire too hot while making weapons and destroys the cities of Crete (Need more Minas inferences to secure connection with Minoan civilization).
The Third son works as a mercenary and fights at Megiddo but switches to the Egyptian side. After securing victory he goes to Egypt and becomes very religious. He becomes convinced if he doesn't put cremated bodies in ashes then the ghosts of all he has killed will haunt him and his family forever. He is run out of Egypt as a madman but his prophecies take hold throughout Europe where he founds a kingdom.
Upuk, the oldest, travels north into the Ural mountains and founds a nation of no people. he builds two imperial cities and a number of settlements but is lonely when the work is done. He comes across Nok, a river nymph and immortal. He takes her as a wife and they have children.
Upuk begins to fear he will not have wives for his sons. Nok sends word out and immediately an illegitimate son of Upuk comes up with a following. Nok warns her husband not to marry their children to this man's entourage but he does anyway. Nok leaves and Upuk dies of a broken heart. His son takes the throne but is killed by an usurper.
(Up to this point is written in rough drafts)
2) The Book of Dates
The book of dates is a collection of short stories based on particular dates of importance in my life. Some are long; some are very short.
3) Habitaciones con Banos
The story of Joseph Flannigan and his writer's block. Joseph Flannigan travels to the DR for some inspiration for his sophomore novel. His first was successful satire. The book encompasses his misadventures and a collection of short stories he writes that become his book.
4) The Divorce and The Bulgogi
Prequel to Habitaciones
5) The Shattered Peace of Jefferson
This my Ashley will be the story we tell. This will be the pseudohistory of a little town in Indiana
up until a murder rocks the small town as told through the eyes of a neighbor who didn't know the people as well as they thought.
Wednesday, March 3, 2010
Notes on Theogony
(Originally written March 3, 2010 in the Journal)
Theogony
Hesiod
Mnemosyne - memory
Aphrodite - came from froth and she presides over the whispers, smiles and tricks which girls employ
Ceto - monster
Eros - desire
Epimetheus - brings bad luck on men
"This was the origin of the damnable race of women - a plague men must live with"
"So Zeus the thunder god made women mischievous in their ways and a curse for men"
Metis - wisdom
Themis - law
The purpose of the fates (Clotho, Lachesis and Atropus) is to dispense good and evil to mankind.
Clotho - spinner
Lachesis - allotter
Atropus - inflexible
Euphrosyne - happiness
Thalia - festivity
Ares - the sacker of cities, father of panic and fear
Memnon - the king of the Ethiopians, known by his bronze crest
I read the Theogony in about an hour. It was good and I'll use some of it for The House of Urtsiul.
Theogony
Hesiod
Mnemosyne - memory
Aphrodite - came from froth and she presides over the whispers, smiles and tricks which girls employ
Ceto - monster
Eros - desire
Epimetheus - brings bad luck on men
"This was the origin of the damnable race of women - a plague men must live with"
"So Zeus the thunder god made women mischievous in their ways and a curse for men"
Metis - wisdom
Themis - law
The purpose of the fates (Clotho, Lachesis and Atropus) is to dispense good and evil to mankind.
Clotho - spinner
Lachesis - allotter
Atropus - inflexible
Euphrosyne - happiness
Thalia - festivity
Ares - the sacker of cities, father of panic and fear
Memnon - the king of the Ethiopians, known by his bronze crest
I read the Theogony in about an hour. It was good and I'll use some of it for The House of Urtsiul.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Notes on The Metamorphoses
(Originally Written March 1, 2010 in the Journal)
Notes on Ovid's Metamorphoses
I'm already in Book VI!
"She was as beautiful as an angry woman can be" Very funny, use this in Habitaciones after the double date from Hell.
Love made him eloquent
The sky was dark and heavy, its weight pressing down on the earth, man both noble and common alike. It trapped the heat in and southerly winds blew cruel and ill-fortuned winds on them. For two moons the heat oppressed the land of Upuk and withered crops to dust. The sturdy beasts melted away and sheep shore their own wool, their dying bleats echoed through the hills. The four rivers dried and the center pool threatened an emptiness until the worship of the sun creased. The might king cast out the priests of the sun and restored the land to its former gods. (A plague scene and banishment of the sun cult).
"For I am burning with love, and its flame scorches me more fiercely when I am spurned"
Not struggles, but sheer laziness came to be what delayed my finishing of the Metamorphoses.
I really enjoyed this book until book fifteen that became pure propaganda for Augustus. It is amazing that art can become kitschy so quickly. But, book XV aside, it was great. The last line again, like from The Amores shows Ovid's ego - which I love.
"If there be any truth in poets' prophecies I shall live to all eternity, immortalized by fame"
Notes on Ovid's Metamorphoses
I'm already in Book VI!
"She was as beautiful as an angry woman can be" Very funny, use this in Habitaciones after the double date from Hell.
Love made him eloquent
The sky was dark and heavy, its weight pressing down on the earth, man both noble and common alike. It trapped the heat in and southerly winds blew cruel and ill-fortuned winds on them. For two moons the heat oppressed the land of Upuk and withered crops to dust. The sturdy beasts melted away and sheep shore their own wool, their dying bleats echoed through the hills. The four rivers dried and the center pool threatened an emptiness until the worship of the sun creased. The might king cast out the priests of the sun and restored the land to its former gods. (A plague scene and banishment of the sun cult).
"For I am burning with love, and its flame scorches me more fiercely when I am spurned"
Not struggles, but sheer laziness came to be what delayed my finishing of the Metamorphoses.
I really enjoyed this book until book fifteen that became pure propaganda for Augustus. It is amazing that art can become kitschy so quickly. But, book XV aside, it was great. The last line again, like from The Amores shows Ovid's ego - which I love.
"If there be any truth in poets' prophecies I shall live to all eternity, immortalized by fame"
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