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handles:real,historical,or Fossical?
DIANE BENNETT (Diane.Bennett@VUW.AC.NZ)
Mon, 9 May 1994 10:21:14 +1200
Daniel Foss,, in his lovingly-crafted post, handles with care buy
sinclair,, introduced two things that managed to pierce the
administratively-thickened skin of my consciousness. [Daniel, have you
considered embedding commas, much as one might parentheses? It seems to
open new avenues of grapho-linguisitic manipulation.]
The first is the adjective grossoutifying, particularly in the phrase
viscerally grossoutifying. There are so many ocassions when I have wanted
just that turn of phrase. Thank you.
The second is whether the issue--at this time, on this list--is "one Real
Name" or an identity with a history, which--in many of our current currents
of interpretation--offers a context for understanding. That history rather
than reality or realitude is the object of desire would not rule out the
categorization as ours as a "True-Self-crazed culture" but might suggest
how our notions of what constitutes a true-self ebb and flow. I hesitated
to suggest this, as months ago when I posted something without having read
the entire stream from which it came I received a curdling reply from under
a handle--Seeker1 perhaps, although by then my machine was telling me it
was Steve Mizrach even as others railed against the anonymity--curdling in
that it coagulated my desire to post to the list again. [Daniel, Have you
tried breaking that steady stream of commas with ems--I once read someone
write, "I think therefore I em," which seems to capture the non-linear
style of my thinking quite well and perhaps yours, too--or is that, like
embedded commas, too hierarchical for your tastes.] But, I've typed it.
Now someone will undoubtedly point out the simplicity--to be charitable--of
my thinking and I will shrink back into anonymity--through absence rather
than through presence of a handle; if you knew my history perhaps you would
know why. But it wouldn't make a differnce, and anyway, every time I
retreat I manage to get some work done.
Dr Diane Bennett
Department of Anthropology
Victoria University
PO Box 600
Wellington, New Zealand
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