So I will start off by saying I really do not know how to present a rough draft for my project since I am doing a creative project. For those of you who do not know I am doing an interactive project that has to do with the inside workings of the House in House of Leaves. The main objective in the game is going to be to try to enter and escape the House.
The journey is going to start when you get a call from Karen asking you to come explore the House, sort of like how Holloway was brought into the story. You will then be able to choose from three different main objects into the house: a gun, a camera, or a bike. The story will then take you to the Great Hall where you can choose to go down the staircase or to explore the corridors in the Great Hall. From this point on the stories all differ.
The main point when you chose the gun is going to be that you have to face an actual monster in the halls instead of the growling just being the changing of the walls. Depending on which way you chose you may or may not actually encounter the monster.
If you choose to bring the camera in you will not actually face a monster, but the growls will be the House shifting its insides. Even though there will be no monster in the picture during this scenario there are still many ways to die. One of the ways I tried to take my story in a different direction was to have the house be a medium for time to. One example of this is during the camera portion where you continue down a long hallway and are faced with harsh winds and three men on the horizon, who later you find out to be the men from the Jamestown colony.
Finally if you choose the bike the story will pretty much follow the story that actually happens in House. The main difference between my story and the actual story is that you do not survive if you do choose to go through the corridors and through the window.
I decided to write this program in MatLab, since I already have background in the language. The code will most likely be very long and redundant, but hopefully the final result will pay off.
Monday, November 24, 2008
House of Notes - DRAFT
Note that for this work, I will commonly use "Danielewski" to refer to author Mark Danielewski while using the stage name "Poe" to refer to his sister Annie Danielewski.
At a very simplistic level, it is clear that Mark Danielewski's work in House of Leaves connects to Annie "Poe" Danielewski's work in her albums Haunted and Hello. The fact that the albums have tracks titled Five and a Half Minute Hallway, Dear Johnny, Angry Johnny, and even House of Leaves should draw an obvious parallel. However, Poe's work does more than simply reference the work of her brother. The two mediums collaborate much more closely, and Poe's albums connect with the novel at both a lyrical and musical level. Likewise, Poe's music shares similarities with Danielewski's writing by reinforcing the idea that things are not always what they seem. Haunted and Hello have the potential to impact a listener's/reader's view of House of Leaves by reinforcing many of the ideas perpetuated about the novel, its characters, and entertainment as a whole by Mark Danielewski. The albums allow the reader to pick up upon subtle nuances of the world Danielewski has created via the theme of contradiction. Poe's albums do not reinvent these ideas but rather clarify them for readers of Danielewski's work.
Contradictions are a prevalent theme for both Danielewski and Poe. Poe's work is quite clever in that it commonly appears to contradict itself as well as Danielewski's work. For example, the track Five and a Half Minute Hallway may initially seem to stand in stark contrast to Danielewski's representation of the dark, mysterious, polymorphic hallway that appears in Navidson's house. Danielewski portrays the hallway and its branching corridors to be dreadful and frightening. Given that, one would expect the music of a song named after the hallway to be very moody, atmospheric, or even chilling. However, Poe takes a different route and the musical score of Five and a Half Minute Hallway is slow and mellow. It is completely devoid of the jarring noises and dark undertones one would expect.
By creating such a drastic contradiction, Poe forces the listener to truly consider House of Leaves and the point Danielewski makes. When the song's lyrics are considered, a parallel can be drawn easily enough to Navidson's trek back to the house proper after the rescue attempt on Exploration #4. Stranded at the bottom of the Spiral Staircase, Navidson has to try his best to journey out of the labyrinth. Considering the height of the staircase based upon Tom's dropping of a quarter, Navidson realizes his situation is essentially hopeless. However, he moved onward regardless. Rather than succumbing to fear or even madness, Navidson prevails by focusing on his family. His thoughts of Karen save him as he remembers her "as vividly as possible. In as much detail. Eventually [he] went into this daze and the hours began to melt away. Felt like minutes." (323)
While Navidson has a rather optimistic take on the matter, it should still be clear that it would not be physically possible for him to walk a distance greater than the diameter of the Earth on the small amount of food and water he had available. Rather, Navidson's thoughts literally transformed the hallway into a much smaller, shorter rendition which allowed him to reach Karen. While a reader might be tempted to give the whole matter up to coincidence and luck, Five and a Half Minute Hallway completely nullifies that possibility. While stuck in a "hallway that keeps growing", Navidson did not give in to hopelessness. Instead he achieved some degree of inner clarity in thinking about Karen. He was able to convince himself, just like the song's lyrics, to continue for just a little bit further. Navidson's level of peace melds perfectly with the song's folksy quality and is suggestive of tranquility. Thus readers/listeners come to understand that while the song contradicts the hallway, it is only superficially about the hallway to begin with. Instead, Navidson's journey is the true focal point of the track. The song does not allow the reader to miss the nuances of the house which prove that it, much like the song itself, is not entirely what it seems and can be altered by the mindset of the individual within.
Poe's contradictions do not stop there and indeed they become even further invested in themselves as the album progresses. The track House of Leaves initially seems to be a song which matches with the novel perfectly. Only after further consideration can it be seen to possibly contradict. Just as Danielewski layers the narrative throughout the novel, Poe likewise layers the meaning within each of her tracks. Nothing can be taken at face value without deep consideration.
The track initially seems like a perfect fit for the book since the entire feel of the song is extremely dark. The score is slow and deep, with occasional high-pitched elements screeching forth at seeming random. The composition would seem quite fitting for a horror movie and thus likely mimics the feeling that most readers would assume the house to give off. However, the song is not merely an instrumental and in the background another track plays. Similarities arise again; Danielewski has a story inside of a story in his novel House of Leaves while Poe has a song inside of a song in her track of the same name. The song is Dominique, a French song by The Singing Nun. Dominique clashes profoundly with the track House of Leaves. It has a very upbeat, almost jovial tune about it. When listening to it, once can almost imagine a Frenchman walking down the street in the middle of the 20th century with a spring in his step, humming the tune. The lyrics themselves are even positive. It is about the man Dominique who goes from sinner to believe, lonely to in company, starving to fed. Essentially, Dominique believes and good things happen. (Song Facts)
The instrumental for Poe's track fits quite well in relation to the house depicted by Danielewski. By the same token, Dominique mirrors Navidson himself during his previously described escapades surrounding Exploration #4. However, the two contradict one another sharply. As the track plays out, the parts of Dominique being played in the background are frequently overpowered by the dark overtones of House of Leaves and the cacophony it can generate. Again, though, it serves to emphasize the same point as Five and a Half Minute Hallway. Navidson was against the odds as the house attempted to overpower him in his return to Karen. By having faith, this time in himself rather than in a higher power like Dominique, he was able to overcome. By layering contradictions on top of one another, Poe again forces the reader to understand the nature of the house and the factors which allowed Navidson to persevere where others, such as Holloway, failed.
Another track, Dear Johnny, establishes no direct contradiction of its own but instead chooses to focus on a contradiction Danielewski himself uses in the novel. A superficial reading of the novel might lead one to consider Johnny's predicament as his own fault. After all, Johnny's life has become dominated by putting together Zampano's work with The Navidson Record. To regain his life, Johnny simply has to stop working with Zampano's material. However, this is yet another facet of the novel which cannot be simply taken at face value. Instead, a deeper inspection is required to see that Johnny's mental state will not allow him to stop working with Zampano's material. He has no choice but to persist because he believes that, to some degree, he is a product of The Navidson Record that, in a monumental contradiction, he is not creating it but that it is creating him. In reference to Zampano's material, Johnny actually claims that "... this thing has created me..." and goes on to say "... I am nothing more than the matter of some other voice". (326) He even takes such an idea literally when he says Zampano is "trapped inside me, and what's more he's fading..." (338)
Johnny's ideas may seem little more than nonsense, especially to readers who refuse to believe that his mental state is anything other than normal and healthy. To such individuals, the possibility for Johnny to simply walk away from Zampano's work may still exist. Poe's work with Dear Johnny refutes there being any possibility for Johnny to move against the act of re-creating The Navidson Record. Not a typical song, it consists of just over two dozen words that form a message to Johnny, ending with the demand of:
"Bring me to the blind man who
Lost you in his house of blue."
The line forms a command, issued to Johnny to bring forth Zampano. Of course, since he died Zampano himself cannot literally be presented. However, the line can be understood to mean that bringing someone to Zampano is the same as bringing his work to light. The track essentially acts like a voice in Johnny's head, telling him to finish his work. However, in this case the lyrics alone are far from settling the matter. Rather, the instrumental score solidifies Poe's case. Much like House of Leaves, the song features strong, dark undertones. It also features occasional high pitched effects, such as whistles. A piano appears sporadically to add an almost haunted feel to the track. Most importantly, a gong rings out in the background at set intervals. The overall effect achieved by the gong is to supplement the dark atmosphere with some degree of profoundness; it signifies that something deep and important is taking place. Given the musical score, the command posed by the lyrics becomes something more. It becomes an ultimatum.
Johnny's inner mentality is not just suggesting he should continue Zampano's work. It is not even ordering him to finish it. Instead, it is giving him absolutely no choice in the matter with the implicit threat of worse consequences should he choose otherwise. By focusing on the contradiction that exists between Johnny's point of view and the actions of a rational person, Poe forces the reader to understand Johnny's plight. He is not completing The Navidson Record out of any true desire of his own to see it completed, beyond the possibility of containing it, or to honor Zampano. Instead, he works on it because in the recesses of his mind the decision is not his to make.
Surprisingly enough, one of Poe's most contradiction-laden tracks comes from her Hello album. The track, Angry Johnny, presents the listener with contradictions in every form possible. The track is melodic with soft, almost sensual vocals. While the tone alone would not likely make anyone listening believe the song to be laced with happiness, it would also not indicate that the song is about murder, which is precisely the case. The easy, smooth track that could be found in a jazz lounge is mixed with lyrics on the various locations, mindsets, and composures for committing murder.
The music video for the song adds yet another dimension to the contradiction. Poe is shown on a bed amidst various objects suggesting romance: pictures, hearts, flowers, and chocolate. Such visuals support the jazz room-like quality of the music, and as such they clash just as strongly with the song's lyrics. It is not until after three minutes into the song that the lyrics are sung with a more aggressive tone and visuals such as a skull with a candle are used to remind viewers of the true meaning behind the song. While that meaning could easily stand alone, it also correlates strongly to Danielewski's depiction of Johnny.
Repeated throughout the song is the line "I want to blow you... away." The initial connotation the listener is likely to develop is sexual before the line finishes, denoting murder. Poe draws a connection between sex and murder; one turns into the other. It makes another contradiction since, at least in a pure sense, sex would suggest love while murder lends to hatred. The connection is not an empty one, however, especially when considering Johnny and Lude. Before being overwhelmed by The Navidson Record, Johnny's life is a menagerie of drugs and one night stands. He and Lude both revel in their ability to sleep with dozens of women a month and getting nothing out of it beyond carnal pleasure. Regardless, when Johnny considers a list compiled by Lude of women he slept with in a month, he adds his own notes on their past, all of which he assumes to be horrific. Included are comments such as "hiding from a stalker", "had her first abortion when she was twelve", and "date raped last year". (265) He assumes all of these women to be emotionally damaged.
The encounters Johnny and Lude have with women are nothing more than that, encounters. There is no substance to them beyond sex and thus no relationship ever develops. While it would certainly be a stretch to say that Johnny typically ends up hating the women he sleeps with, on many occasions he wants no further encounters with them and, suffice to say, many of the women feel the same about him. For instance, after his night with Amber and Christina, Johnny notes "...Amber chuckled a little and kissed me a little more, but in a way that told me it was time to leave." (37) Indeed, it seems as though the best result from any of Johnny's "relationships" is mutual apathy.
Johnny constantly fantasizes about finding a perfect person and, in true dramatic fashion, deludes himself into thinking that he has fallen madly in love with whatever woman happens to catch his eye on a particular evening. Love never truly enters the equation, however, and in the end Johnny seems to care nothing for the other person once they are finished sexually. While no literal murder has taken place, Johnny's constant streak of sex essentially leads to the death of his own ability to consummate a serious relationship. It essentially leaves him as a hollow person who is relatively unhappy, despite any temporary pleasures he may experience. It may even be the reason why he and Lude tend to hook up with emotionally traumatized women who are not likely to want to develop a relationship in the first place.
By forcefully establishing such a strong contradiction throughout Angry Johnny, Poe exemplifies how Johnny's constant sexual exploits never lead to love like one would expect. Rather, love is ideologically murdered and replaced by emptiness. It lends a new depth to Johnny's character that a reader may otherwise miss and simply assume Johnny must be a happy individual who is doing exactly what he wants.
Just as Danielewski and Poe are siblings, their works are siblings to one another. House of Leaves, Haunted, and Hello all portray the same messages, often achieved via the same means. By constantly using contradiction throughout her work, Poe is able to draw attention to some of the more subtle messages found within Danielewski's writing by forcing him or her to consider the circumstances and details which relate the two pieces and which allow the contradictions to make sense.
Danielewski, Mark. House of Leaves. New York: Pantheon Books, 2000.
Poe. Haunted. Atlantic Records, 2000.
Poe. Hello. Atlantic Records, 1995.
Song Facts. http://www.songfacts.com/lyrics.php?findsong=2053 - Dominique English translation.
chapter nine
.... i was researching HOL and i found this...its a footnote tree of chapter nine...just click on the picture..i think its interesting (i found it in a article from pittcat)
Thursday, November 20, 2008
Project Proposals, etc.
I have now read and commented on your project proposals. These are (as you'll be reminded if you look at the syllabus) graded, as with any other formal blog entry. Those of you who posted both an original and a revision (on time) are guaranteed at least a B. Those who had something highly detailed all got an A. Those who didn't post revisions got lower than a B. All of them have potential -- some of them, though, will require a lot of focusing before they'll work well.
I'm moving on to other issues (freshman papers) for the next couple days, so if you have questions or problems as you work on your drafts, you could follow up blog posts with an email. I will be around for most of Monday for anyone who needs to meet me (although my open times are rapidly filling up).
I plan to promptly read and comment on your drafts (that is, I'll have them all commented by Wednesday, hopefully early on Wednesday). My second goal is to catch up on the backlog of papers from when I was more or less bedridden. What I'll probably do is email all of you grades and very brief comments. Please accept my apologies in advance for the brief comments, but if I commented them properly I might not be done until finals week, which seems like an even worse idea than just giving you short comments.
I'm moving on to other issues (freshman papers) for the next couple days, so if you have questions or problems as you work on your drafts, you could follow up blog posts with an email. I will be around for most of Monday for anyone who needs to meet me (although my open times are rapidly filling up).
I plan to promptly read and comment on your drafts (that is, I'll have them all commented by Wednesday, hopefully early on Wednesday). My second goal is to catch up on the backlog of papers from when I was more or less bedridden. What I'll probably do is email all of you grades and very brief comments. Please accept my apologies in advance for the brief comments, but if I commented them properly I might not be done until finals week, which seems like an even worse idea than just giving you short comments.
Final Project Proposal
I am actually really unsure what I should do my final project on so to be safe I am going to use one of Professor Johns' prompts as my guideline. I am going to choose Prompt #2, which is the one about Jimmy Corrigan. Like the prompt says I am going to research the significance of the World's Columbian Exhibition of 1983 and start from there. Right now I am unsure of where I am going to take this idea but I am sure during my research i will find plenty of ideas to build on.
Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Revised Project Proposal
Instead of rewriting my project proposal and posting it as a comment to my original proposal, I'm doing this instead. Eventually it will also end up as part of the actual project.
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Gdansk
10 points to Adam for correctly remembering, self doubts aside, that Gdansk is named Danzig in German. For anyone curious, even when Germany lost a great deal of Prussia after World War I and Poland was reinstated as a nation-state, the Treaty of Versailles did NOT return Danzig to Poland. Instead, it remained the "Free City of Danzig" under control of the failed League of Nations.
I think it's safe to say that Germany wanted Danzig back. When the Wehrmacht began aggressions against Poland in 1939, regarded as the beginning of World War II, one of the first things done was to bombard Danzig. When the Soviet advance eventually lead to the capture of Danzig in 1945, the city was almost entirely destroyed. It wasn't until after the Postdam Conference that Danzig was returned to Poland and was once again known as Gdansk.
It has something of a violent history, to say the least.
Final Project Proposal
I would like to do a final project that is an interactive novel. However, I will include a "human" line and "cyborg or computer" line and incorporate various thought processes involved for both a human and a machine.I’ll be presenting ideas represented in Blade Runner and I Robot. The “adventure” in both the human line and robot line will introduce the audience to dilemmas that can arrive from both conscious thought and “robotic” or programmed responses.
Final Project proposal
I would like to do a project focusing on house of leaves and movies. I would like to further research some of the movies referenced in the book as well as movies that I thought of while reading the book and discover whether or not there are a deeper connection between the two works then just the obvious similarities and differences. I would also like to research some of the inspirations for the book house of leaves and see what conclusions can be drawn about why one inspires the other. The last part I would like to incorporate into my project is what the internet community has to say about the house of leaves and the different movies that may have been inspired by the book or the book by the movie.
I still have to work out all of the particulars about what exactly I want to do but I definitely want to examine the films that relate to the book.
I still have to work out all of the particulars about what exactly I want to do but I definitely want to examine the films that relate to the book.
Final Project Proposal
I've had a lot of trouble coming up with ideas and have had a stressful week so honestly I haven't thought too much this but i think my idea works.
The thing that interested me most in the class (Other than Johnny's rants) was the idea of interactivity so I want to explore what it is, what constitutes it, etc.. My main focus will be with reality TV though (hopefully thats fine). Whether or not shows such as American Idol and others can truly be interactive or if we really have no control over outcomes (or if they really make a difference). Like I said I haven't given it a ton of thought so I haven't done enough research to say for sure which is correct, but in my opinion I think it can be interactive. We can choose winners, contestants, prizes, and more. I know of a few websites like realityblurred where I've read various articles on this in the past that I'm sure I'll be able to dig up. Other than that all my sources will obviously be web-based since interactivity with tv is relatively new thing and I don't believe there's any books out about it.
The thing that interested me most in the class (Other than Johnny's rants) was the idea of interactivity so I want to explore what it is, what constitutes it, etc.. My main focus will be with reality TV though (hopefully thats fine). Whether or not shows such as American Idol and others can truly be interactive or if we really have no control over outcomes (or if they really make a difference). Like I said I haven't given it a ton of thought so I haven't done enough research to say for sure which is correct, but in my opinion I think it can be interactive. We can choose winners, contestants, prizes, and more. I know of a few websites like realityblurred where I've read various articles on this in the past that I'm sure I'll be able to dig up. Other than that all my sources will obviously be web-based since interactivity with tv is relatively new thing and I don't believe there's any books out about it.
Final Project Proposal: Scientific Management
I will expand on my blog post about scientific management and how it is involved in my work as a Master Electrician. I will document how scientific management affects the preproduction process for every show.
My final project will not completely be an essay. I plan to include samples of actual paperwork from preproduction meetings as well as paperwork that I prepared for the workers that I was in charge of. I will also including samples from productions in which I was a laborer and how I changed the process when I was the manager, similar to how Taylor describes the work process before he started applying scientific principles to each work situation.
My final project will not completely be an essay. I plan to include samples of actual paperwork from preproduction meetings as well as paperwork that I prepared for the workers that I was in charge of. I will also including samples from productions in which I was a laborer and how I changed the process when I was the manager, similar to how Taylor describes the work process before he started applying scientific principles to each work situation.
Final Proj. - Inverted Choose Your Own Adventure
As I discussed in class, there have been two things that really caught my attention during this semester. One, a quote from Haraway: “Single vision produces worse illusions than double-vision or many headed monsters”. The other was the Choose Your Own Adventure, “Cup of Death” by Shannon Gilligan This interested me because it made me get involved and feel as though I was part of the story. My intention is to try and combine these two interests and make one of the greatest final projects in the history of final projects . . . Actually, I just hope I pass it and not fail miserably.
With the structure of Choose Own Adventure books so unique, I thought I would toy around with it a little more. Relating to the part of the quote “… many headed monsters”, instead of starting with one story line and branching out, I will start with many different ideas of what the quote could mean (along with other ideas from Haraway) and slowly link them all together into one final thought and conclusion about her ideas. It will be an inverted structure of a usual Choose Your Own Adventure story line.
With the structure of Choose Own Adventure books so unique, I thought I would toy around with it a little more. Relating to the part of the quote “… many headed monsters”, instead of starting with one story line and branching out, I will start with many different ideas of what the quote could mean (along with other ideas from Haraway) and slowly link them all together into one final thought and conclusion about her ideas. It will be an inverted structure of a usual Choose Your Own Adventure story line.
Final Proposal: Kubrick Films
Stanley Kubrick is considered a lot by the book House of Leaves. Mainly by two of his prominent films; The Shining and 2001: A Space Odyssey. By watching the films 2001: A Space Odyssey and The Shining, I can understand better why Danielewski included these films in his book. I want to understand why he included the “Daisy, Daisy, Daisy” lyrics from 2001: A Space Odyssey. I want the readers to understand my views and how I understand the movies references in the book. I want to watch the movies and figure out the similarities and differences in the book and movies. I want to go even further by researching the films and finding out more about what Kubrick was trying to create when going about the films. The counter example would be that the films The Shining and 2001: A Space Odyssey does not have to do with the book House of Leaves at all. I want to show that there is a connection somehow. I have not seen the movies yet, but as I can tell from researching this the films are kind of like the book in a way of how it twists and turns.
Final Project Proposal
In class, Jake had mentioned something to the effect of about how fictional media plays a role in reverse engineering of technology from that work of fiction (I forget his specific example). That got me thinking about how star trek has things that have caused the same thing like with the cell phone and I elaborated on that in class so I would like to do my project on that. My thesis statement so far is: The world of Star trek manages the threats of a technologically advanced society, conveys its narratives (within the series), influences the technology that’s developed today and questions societal norms.
I’d definitely include some books on this subject, though I don’t have any specific ones picked out yet. I did a PittCat search on this subject the other day and I got a ton of results that hopefully are helpful to support my thesis. I also intend to use material from Bill Joy and maybe Lyotard.
Final Project Proposal
As I said in class, I would like to do something involving video games. Now I wasn't quite sure about what to do with the project but after reading another project from a previous class, I think I have a good idea. What I would like to do is compare and contrast the effects of video games from the Nintendo era to now with the X-Box 360 to playing Zork. By effects I mean the narrative of the game, game play, reactions and interactivity of these games. Also I would to examine the effect of being able to see what a player is doing say on Halo 3 or Assassin's Creed as compared to just reading text like while playing Zork. I think that I still have some very rough edges here and any comments or ideas would be helpful.
Now my thesis is something along the lines of this: Modern day video games give the player more of a choice in what they do while still using the predetermined narrative and story lines. Also, interactivity while playing such games is higher then playing games such as Zork due to the fact that we can see what we are choosing to do. a counter argument to this would be: Video games today do not give the player a choice. They force the player to follow the prompts and go and do what they have already predetermined.
Now my thesis is something along the lines of this: Modern day video games give the player more of a choice in what they do while still using the predetermined narrative and story lines. Also, interactivity while playing such games is higher then playing games such as Zork due to the fact that we can see what we are choosing to do. a counter argument to this would be: Video games today do not give the player a choice. They force the player to follow the prompts and go and do what they have already predetermined.
Interactive Essay
Ever since I brought up the idea of an interactive essay in class I have been thinking of ways to make it work. Seriously, for some reason I have become really excited to work on this thing. My essay will start out on the broad topic of technology and then break off into two choices so far (biology, narrative). From Narrative it will break into one of two example narratives (narratives in music, written narratives) and at this level you will be able to choose from two narratives(the odyssey, house of leaves). Then it is basically on to some sort of discussion about concept albums and how they relate to narratives and technology depending on which choices you make. The prospective concept albums thus far include:[Poe:haunted, King Diamond:them, conspiracy (both make up a larger story), Ahab:call of the wretched sea, Mastadon:leviathon, Dimmu Borgir:in sorte diaboli, and my most important one (which is actually a 24 minute song and not a full concept album) Symphony X"the odyssey")]. I have actually thought a lot about this and have a fairly comprehensive decision tree (that grows with every good idea).
Final Proposal - AI and Nova
My goal for this final project is to expand my interest of science to this class. I want to delve deeper into Lyotard’s essay. Lyotard mentions that philosophers are wasting their time discussing answerless questions (if a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound), where philosophers should be focusing on the advancement and continuation of human thought. As of now we have some ideas in artificial intelligence, but we are very far away form creating a continuation of human thought after our sun’s nova. I want to discuss where we are at with AI (i.e. robots, sensors implanted in brains that can give direction to a robot arm), the forces that we will need to overcome (i.e. how powerful the nova will be etc) and what kinds of super materials are known now (various carbon cables, metal alloys etc.).
A counter argument could be that looking for a way to advance and or continue human thought is hogwash because we will never be able to pursue it. Or, these answerless questions are baby steps in the learning how to think at such a level where this idea of continuation could be plausible. Also, with the invention radio and television, we have been broadcasting our thoughts and ideas throughout the universe, so we already have the technology to continue human thought, even though itself (radio/tv waves) will never evolve or anything.
A counter argument could be that looking for a way to advance and or continue human thought is hogwash because we will never be able to pursue it. Or, these answerless questions are baby steps in the learning how to think at such a level where this idea of continuation could be plausible. Also, with the invention radio and television, we have been broadcasting our thoughts and ideas throughout the universe, so we already have the technology to continue human thought, even though itself (radio/tv waves) will never evolve or anything.
Final Project Proposal
For my final project I will write a paper about the collection of interactive videos on youtube, and using our discussions of the definition of "interaction" I will explain whether or not they can actually be considered to be interactive, probably using one specific set of videos as an example. My focus will be to give a insight as to why these interactive videos are becoming popular and how they are affecting our society, if at all.
I also liked the idea of making your own interactive video to put on youtube so if I have enough time I might try to do that as well, relating to either House of Leaves or a national occurance, depending on whether or not something in the news or on tv peaks my interest.
I also liked the idea of making your own interactive video to put on youtube so if I have enough time I might try to do that as well, relating to either House of Leaves or a national occurance, depending on whether or not something in the news or on tv peaks my interest.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Interactive Fiction as a Final Project
For my final project I decided I want to do an interactive story that takes place inside Navidson’s house. I will let the user choose between 2-4 different main objects to take into the house, and due to that the house will change according to what they pick. I think this would work well as an interactive story because the house changes around the personality of whoever enters or whatever they are thinking, this is shown once when Karen is thinking about Navidson and he appears. I will use this to create a form of interactivity for the user.
To make this story I will use some sort of programming language that I have background in, most likely MatLab. In this program users will be given multiple choices and the program will change around what they choose to be there next step.
To make this story I will use some sort of programming language that I have background in, most likely MatLab. In this program users will be given multiple choices and the program will change around what they choose to be there next step.
Project Proposal: Narrative Creates Technology.
The idea came to me largely due to the fact that many people have said this, though there have not been as many examinations of this concept. Narrative, and the act of writing itself, is directly or indirectly responsible for the genesis of much of the world we actually live in. I intend to look into this phenomenon, which has spread like wild fire in our post-modernistic society, but can be traced back much farther if one looks hard enough. Science and innovation is born first of an idea. The reasons may vary, as well the context, but the patterns are the same. Take, for instance, flight. The desire to fly is one thing, just one idea, that has been written about in myth, but first…imagined. The idea meets the paper, and it is mere fiction, still considered completely impossible. But then somebody makes an attempt with some sort of device, as do others. Many failures follow, but a few winners take shape. The technique of flying is born.
This much can explain an approach to normal innovation – which was abnormal back then, still – with little fuss, but it does not represent the central focus of the paper, which is science fiction. That narrative is the one which is shaping the future. Going back as far as scientific romance, how many theories or ideas currently being studied (or have been recently) are based upon a sci-fi book or movie? To name a few that are already around: Anti-matter, nanotechnology, particle lasers, and cloning. All of them are based off of a book, or some show, or a movie that they saw. You can’t make a robot without tipping your hat to Isaac Asimov, and you can’t think time travel without its pioneer, H.G. Wells. I’ll be analyzing a number of examples of where science fiction has become a reality as is, and in places where we hope to be capable of in the near-future. Using words to develop the way the world may advance may be like placing the cart before the horse, but this is the society we’ve evolved into. The map has become the territory.
This much can explain an approach to normal innovation – which was abnormal back then, still – with little fuss, but it does not represent the central focus of the paper, which is science fiction. That narrative is the one which is shaping the future. Going back as far as scientific romance, how many theories or ideas currently being studied (or have been recently) are based upon a sci-fi book or movie? To name a few that are already around: Anti-matter, nanotechnology, particle lasers, and cloning. All of them are based off of a book, or some show, or a movie that they saw. You can’t make a robot without tipping your hat to Isaac Asimov, and you can’t think time travel without its pioneer, H.G. Wells. I’ll be analyzing a number of examples of where science fiction has become a reality as is, and in places where we hope to be capable of in the near-future. Using words to develop the way the world may advance may be like placing the cart before the horse, but this is the society we’ve evolved into. The map has become the territory.
Project Proposal - House of Notes
Note that for this work, I will commonly use "Danielewski" to refer to author Mark Danielewski while using the stage name "Poe" to refer to his sister Annie Danielewski.
At a very simplistic level, it is clear that Mark Danielewski's work in House of Leaves connects to Annie "Poe" Danielewski's work in her album Haunted. The fact that the song has tracks titled Five and a Half Minute Hallway, Dear Johnny, and even House of Leaves should draw an obvious parallel. However, Poe's work does more than simply reference the work of her brother. The two mediums collaborate much more closely, and Poe's album connects with the novel at both a lyrical and musical level. Such relationships help the reader feel even more closely linked to the work and empathetic to the novel's characters.Haunted has the potential to impact a listener's/reader's view of House of Leaves by reinforcing many of the ideas perpetuated about the novel and its characters by Mark Danielewski.
Such conclusions may seem surprising to those familiar with Poe's work in Haunted. For example, the song Five and a Half Minute Hallway has a very folksy, melodic, and soothing quality to it. Throughout the novel House of Leaves, the hallway is portrayed as the very antithesis of those characteristics. However, by taking the entire song into consideration, it can be seen that the lyrics and musical qualities of the piece relate to Navidson's trek back to the house proper after the rescue attempt made during Exploration #4. The song connects to Navidson's inner thoughts and mentality during his struggle to return to his family and lends credence to the idea that he could survive within the bowels of the house, alone and in utter darkness, without succumbing to abject terror and perhaps even insanity. Poe's song perpetuates the idea that thought darkness physically consumed the innards of the house, inner light and hope could still be created based upon the individual found there. Many of Poe's other songs from Haunted feature similar characteristics which subtly underscore Danielewski's characters and methodology.
Poe. Haunted. Atlantic Records, 2000.
Important Update for Class Tomorrow
BRING TWO PRINTED COPIES OF YOUR PROJECT PROPOSAL TO CLASS TOMORROW.
That is all.
That is all.
Final Project Proposal
So my proposal is basically what I discussed in class last week. I want to do a video project starting with a recreation of the 5 1/2 minute hallway and expanding from there. I'm thinking I might structure it as another layer of narrative like Zampano and Johnny. I want to explore the book's use of echo and space by manipulating the sound and visuals in the video. There are already a bunch of videos on YouTube that try to adapt House of Leaves, and I'll post a few of them later on. They're an ok starting point, but I want to go beyond adaptation by elaborating on some of the symbols in the book and extending the narrative.
Final Interactive Project
I've been sitting around for about 2 days trying decide what I want to do for my final project. I finally decided that my favorite subject/concept that we have discussed this year was the concept of interaction in literature and elsewhere.
Therefore, I definitely wanted to do something that deals with interactivity. I wanted to look further into what makes something interactive and why. In doing so, I'd like to focus on websites and other interactive programs that are generally accepted to be interactive. Thorough research and actual interaction with certain sites and programs would be the focus of my writing.
Some things I would focus on generally would be as followed:
-What seems to make things more interactive than others. (Easy navigation, photos, certain colors?)
-Are websites and other programs actually interactive?
-What sort of content on the websites draw the most interaction? (Ads, Poll Questions, Related Websites?)
These are just a few things I thought of that would interesting to look into. After discussing these things, I would get back into narrative fiction and whether or not it is more similar or different than interactive websites and programs. Why are either accepted as being interactive?
Finally I'd discuss the actual definition of interaction and whether it belongs in the discussion with technology in literature.
Therefore, I definitely wanted to do something that deals with interactivity. I wanted to look further into what makes something interactive and why. In doing so, I'd like to focus on websites and other interactive programs that are generally accepted to be interactive. Thorough research and actual interaction with certain sites and programs would be the focus of my writing.
Some things I would focus on generally would be as followed:
-What seems to make things more interactive than others. (Easy navigation, photos, certain colors?)
-Are websites and other programs actually interactive?
-What sort of content on the websites draw the most interaction? (Ads, Poll Questions, Related Websites?)
These are just a few things I thought of that would interesting to look into. After discussing these things, I would get back into narrative fiction and whether or not it is more similar or different than interactive websites and programs. Why are either accepted as being interactive?
Finally I'd discuss the actual definition of interaction and whether it belongs in the discussion with technology in literature.
Saturday, November 15, 2008
Johnny Truant
So it's 1:30 and I have nothing better to do but search YouTube, as I was looking in the related videos of a band's video I saw a band called Johnny Truant. I noticed the name sounded kind of familiar so I picked up House of Leaves and what do you know, it's the guy from the book. The band is a pretty hardcore band (metalcore technically if you wanna get into that). So I googled Johnny Truant and what do I find, another band that I listen to The Fall of Troy, has a song called "You Got A Death Wish, Johnny Truant?".... Just it was interesting that this book has such a far reach into other creative medias, maybe a final project idea??
Tuesday, November 11, 2008
Pitt Web Hosting
Here is the quick and dirty version of how to use your web hosting from Pitt. You get 5 MB of storage on Pitt's servers. If there is a bandwidth limit, I don't know about it. Your website will be located at the following address:
http://www.pitt.edu/~username
Obviously your Pitt username goes into the address. You need to leave the tilde in, though. So for example, my username is jjf19. Thus, my web address is http://www.pitt.edu/~jjf19. To get started, you first need to access Pitt's server. The address is:
ftp://unixs.cis.pitt.edu/
The easiest method is to just plug this address into an FTP client. You can use your normal Pitt username and password (like you would use to access your Pitt email) to log into the server. On the server, you'll likely have a few folders already created. One of them should be named public. In your public folder, you'll need to create another folder called html. The folder structure will then look like this:
Within this HTML folder will go all of the .html, .js, and .css files for your web page. You can create additional folders inside of this to better organize your files if you wish. The big thing to note is that your homepage MUST be called index.html. This is the file which will be shown when you enter in your page's address. So basically
http://www.pitt.edu/~username
ACTUALLY goes to
http://www.pitt.edu/~username/index.html
You just have to make sure it is named as such so that the system knows what to display. Hopefully this is helpful to anyone who is interested. I tried to keep it short and simple, but that means I also made a lot of assumptions about what people know. If you have any questions or experience any problems trying to set this up feel free to post in the comments and I'll try to help you out as quickly as I can.
Final Projects
Regarding Project Proposals
Your final project proposals are due by next Tuesday - let's say by noon. Everyone must post a project proposal. If you're proposing a creative project, you should explain in a paragraph or two both what you want to do and why. If you wanted to write a detective story in Danielewski's style (this is an idea someone had last semester), you would perhaps spend a paragraph or so explaining the story, characters, and how you want to use Danielewski's style (footnotes, etc), then another paragraph or two explaining what the project is for: that is, what you're trying to prove or show.
If you're proposing an essay, you should describe the project in a paragraph or two, including these elements.
Second, Example Projects
I do not require, nor do I necessarily recommend, that you do one of the following options, but you may, if you wish, choose to do so. In any case, they can still serve as models. You are welcome to use either prompt; if you wish to do so, you should still post a brief project proposal detailing the particulars of your argument.
These prompts are meant to be challenging but feasible, and to give you some degree of flexibility within them.
Prompt #1
In House of Leaves, Danielewski references a very large number of books, as well as other source materials. He even gives us an index, which is at least somewhat helpful when trying to figure out what works are cited where. Our discussion of Don Quixote and "Pierre Menard" can serve as a model of what it's possible to do by tracking down the novel's sources. (Note: You're welcome to use Borges or Cervantes here, as long as you aren't repeating what we discussed in class)
Your assignment is to pick an author cited/used by Danielewski, read the relevant book (or several essay/stories, as appropriate), and then develop an argument that goes something like this: "By paying attention to Danielewski's use of author x, we can see that we should read the novel differently, as follows..." In other words, your argument should show how we should understand House of Leaves differently once we understand Danielewski's citations.
Example authors: Herman Melville, Jacques Derrida (AJ did this last semester, rather effectively)
Prompt #2
Much of the action in Jimmy Corrigan occurs not in the present day, but at the World's Columbian Exhibition of 1893. We spent some time in class sketching out rather broadly the significance of the Exhibition in Ware's work. Your assignment is to make this general outline precise and detailed. Begin by researching the World's Columbian Exhibition: I don't mean by reading the Wikipedia entry, but by reading at least one scholarly book or a number of scholarly articles on the subject. Then, focusing on a precise subject (for instance, the conflict between Tesla and Eddison, or the significance of the Ferris Wheel), argue that either
a) We should read Jimmy Corrigan (focusing, as always, on a limited set of images) in a different way given a thorough understanding of the World's Columbian Exhibition.
b) Jimmy Corrigan presents an argument of its own about particular details of the World's Columbian Exhibition; you will explain and respond to Ware's argument.
"Prompt" #3
I put "Prompt" in quotes to emphasize that I don't know the subject well enough to even write a good prompt for it. But I'd be very interested in seeing an essay on the internet community which has grown up around House of Leaves - you could become interested in what the community has to say about the book, or in the community itself. I haven't spent enough time on this topic myself to offer any further suggestions at this time, but it at least gives you a starting point.
Final Comments
I'm not going to give any prompts for creative projects: if you want to do one, I want to see your ideas, not some variation on my own. Other topics I'd be interested in for a research-based essay would be some further contextualization of Jimmy Corrigan within the history of early comics (Little Nemo in Slumberland, the Yellow Kid), an essay on the relationship between "The Girl Who Was Plugged In" and the U.S. intelligence community, and an essay relating House of Leaves to the films of Danielewski's father (I don't know whether this is practical or not, but it is interesting).
Your final project proposals are due by next Tuesday - let's say by noon. Everyone must post a project proposal. If you're proposing a creative project, you should explain in a paragraph or two both what you want to do and why. If you wanted to write a detective story in Danielewski's style (this is an idea someone had last semester), you would perhaps spend a paragraph or so explaining the story, characters, and how you want to use Danielewski's style (footnotes, etc), then another paragraph or two explaining what the project is for: that is, what you're trying to prove or show.
If you're proposing an essay, you should describe the project in a paragraph or two, including these elements.
- You should give a version of your thesis, that is, your argument. What do you want the reader to believe after having read the essay?
- You should give a counterargument to your thesis. In other words, if your assignment was to argue against the thesis, how would you go about doing it? This demonstrates that your argument is not trivial -- intelligent people aren't going to necessarily agree with you, which demonstrates that the argument is worth making.
- You should briefly explain what research you intend to use; ideally, you'd have a short bibliography, although you might not have progressed that far.
Second, Example Projects
I do not require, nor do I necessarily recommend, that you do one of the following options, but you may, if you wish, choose to do so. In any case, they can still serve as models. You are welcome to use either prompt; if you wish to do so, you should still post a brief project proposal detailing the particulars of your argument.
These prompts are meant to be challenging but feasible, and to give you some degree of flexibility within them.
Prompt #1
In House of Leaves, Danielewski references a very large number of books, as well as other source materials. He even gives us an index, which is at least somewhat helpful when trying to figure out what works are cited where. Our discussion of Don Quixote and "Pierre Menard" can serve as a model of what it's possible to do by tracking down the novel's sources. (Note: You're welcome to use Borges or Cervantes here, as long as you aren't repeating what we discussed in class)
Your assignment is to pick an author cited/used by Danielewski, read the relevant book (or several essay/stories, as appropriate), and then develop an argument that goes something like this: "By paying attention to Danielewski's use of author x, we can see that we should read the novel differently, as follows..." In other words, your argument should show how we should understand House of Leaves differently once we understand Danielewski's citations.
Example authors: Herman Melville, Jacques Derrida (AJ did this last semester, rather effectively)
Prompt #2
Much of the action in Jimmy Corrigan occurs not in the present day, but at the World's Columbian Exhibition of 1893. We spent some time in class sketching out rather broadly the significance of the Exhibition in Ware's work. Your assignment is to make this general outline precise and detailed. Begin by researching the World's Columbian Exhibition: I don't mean by reading the Wikipedia entry, but by reading at least one scholarly book or a number of scholarly articles on the subject. Then, focusing on a precise subject (for instance, the conflict between Tesla and Eddison, or the significance of the Ferris Wheel), argue that either
a) We should read Jimmy Corrigan (focusing, as always, on a limited set of images) in a different way given a thorough understanding of the World's Columbian Exhibition.
b) Jimmy Corrigan presents an argument of its own about particular details of the World's Columbian Exhibition; you will explain and respond to Ware's argument.
"Prompt" #3
I put "Prompt" in quotes to emphasize that I don't know the subject well enough to even write a good prompt for it. But I'd be very interested in seeing an essay on the internet community which has grown up around House of Leaves - you could become interested in what the community has to say about the book, or in the community itself. I haven't spent enough time on this topic myself to offer any further suggestions at this time, but it at least gives you a starting point.
Final Comments
I'm not going to give any prompts for creative projects: if you want to do one, I want to see your ideas, not some variation on my own. Other topics I'd be interested in for a research-based essay would be some further contextualization of Jimmy Corrigan within the history of early comics (Little Nemo in Slumberland, the Yellow Kid), an essay on the relationship between "The Girl Who Was Plugged In" and the U.S. intelligence community, and an essay relating House of Leaves to the films of Danielewski's father (I don't know whether this is practical or not, but it is interesting).
House of Leaves vs. The Beatles
At the beginning of the book, there is a quote by the Beatle’s song “A Day in the Life”. I found this interesting because I recently started to listen to more Beatles and this song before reading this book intrigued me. It is one of the most influential songs according to many lists (Rolling Stones, etc.). But why would Danielewski include this quote in the beginning of his book? I think there are discrete reasons why. The structure and the attitude of the song are a lot like the book. There are many similarities that I want to consider.
In “Day in the Life”, John Lennon and Paul McCartney are monophonic (Bona). This means that there is never anyone singing together. It is always separate from each other. There is also no chorus. I think that “House of Leaves” is monophonic, too. Zampano’s story is different than Johnny’s story. If it was a song, Zampano and Johnny would be singing completely different tunes. This is also like John and Paul. John starts out the song singing about things from the newspaper the day he was writing the lyrics, etc. When he talks about the man in the car, there was actually an article in the newspaper that talks about a man being in a car accident (Bona). Johns part is informational and factual. Paul’s part, on the other hand, is completely opposite. In fact, Paul’s lyrics were made for another song and they just decided to add it. Paul’s lyrics are about his day. For example “Woke up, got out of bed/ Dragged a comb across my head”(Bona). I feel like Johnny’s story is like Paul’s story. Johnny mostly talks about his times at the bar or more personal experiences, precisely like Paul did in this song. John’s part is more like Zampano’s part. They both are factual and have substance and are trying to inform us about a topic they are curious about.
Other parts of the song to consider are the very end. At the end, there is a part where they put a jumble of words together to make a weird melody that plays over and over again. I think that is like the book. The book on the actual pages can be a jumble that goes everywhere at points. The footnotes make you go back and forth, much like the end of this song. To go even further, the song itself goes everywhere like the book. It starts with John singing, an orchestra builds up, Paul singing, John singing, an orchestra builds up, nothing at all, and the ending tone and the “jumble” I was just referencing (Bona). The book can be like this, too. It starts with Zampano, goes to a footnote about somebody, which can go to another footnote, back to Zampano, then to Johnny’s long footnotes, etc.
A line that I was interested in also is the repeated “I’d love to turn you on” by John. There has been speculation that the line was about drugs references. Also, when the lyrics state that Paul goes into a dream (Bona). This could reference Johnny’s state of mind. Johnny could be or not be writing this book all himself because of multiple personalities. He himself could be having a dream just like Paul said.
I think that this song is a lot like the “House of Leaves” in several instances, and I can understand why he used it as the first quote of the book. The melody, harmony, and the lyrics all could go back to the books structure and Johnny and Zampano
Mitchell-Dalla Bona, Anda. "A Day in the Life -- an Indepth Analysis." 10 Nov. 2008 http://www.applecorp.com/aditl/origins.htm.
In “Day in the Life”, John Lennon and Paul McCartney are monophonic (Bona). This means that there is never anyone singing together. It is always separate from each other. There is also no chorus. I think that “House of Leaves” is monophonic, too. Zampano’s story is different than Johnny’s story. If it was a song, Zampano and Johnny would be singing completely different tunes. This is also like John and Paul. John starts out the song singing about things from the newspaper the day he was writing the lyrics, etc. When he talks about the man in the car, there was actually an article in the newspaper that talks about a man being in a car accident (Bona). Johns part is informational and factual. Paul’s part, on the other hand, is completely opposite. In fact, Paul’s lyrics were made for another song and they just decided to add it. Paul’s lyrics are about his day. For example “Woke up, got out of bed/ Dragged a comb across my head”(Bona). I feel like Johnny’s story is like Paul’s story. Johnny mostly talks about his times at the bar or more personal experiences, precisely like Paul did in this song. John’s part is more like Zampano’s part. They both are factual and have substance and are trying to inform us about a topic they are curious about.
Other parts of the song to consider are the very end. At the end, there is a part where they put a jumble of words together to make a weird melody that plays over and over again. I think that is like the book. The book on the actual pages can be a jumble that goes everywhere at points. The footnotes make you go back and forth, much like the end of this song. To go even further, the song itself goes everywhere like the book. It starts with John singing, an orchestra builds up, Paul singing, John singing, an orchestra builds up, nothing at all, and the ending tone and the “jumble” I was just referencing (Bona). The book can be like this, too. It starts with Zampano, goes to a footnote about somebody, which can go to another footnote, back to Zampano, then to Johnny’s long footnotes, etc.
A line that I was interested in also is the repeated “I’d love to turn you on” by John. There has been speculation that the line was about drugs references. Also, when the lyrics state that Paul goes into a dream (Bona). This could reference Johnny’s state of mind. Johnny could be or not be writing this book all himself because of multiple personalities. He himself could be having a dream just like Paul said.
I think that this song is a lot like the “House of Leaves” in several instances, and I can understand why he used it as the first quote of the book. The melody, harmony, and the lyrics all could go back to the books structure and Johnny and Zampano
Mitchell-Dalla Bona, Anda. "A Day in the Life -- an Indepth Analysis." 10 Nov. 2008 http://www.applecorp.com/aditl/origins.htm.
Just What is the Hallway?
In House of Leaves, it is suggested that the maze of hallways and rooms was created by the psychological agonies of the houses inhabitants over the years. If this is the case, it is easy to see why the space reacts to the people exploring it.
The first case of this is during Exploration A. On this journey down the hallway, Navidson primary objective is to just take a “little look around.” Before the journey, we have seen the hallway go anywhere from 100 feet deep to 10 feet deep. However, this time when Navidson comes to what was the end of the hallway, he finds a new door. The door has only appeared there as a response to Navidson’s desire to explore the phenomenon that is the hallway.
The space continues to adapt as Navidson explores further, creating more hallways and bigger rooms. As Navidson explored more and more, the space increasingly changes to give him additional territory to cover. However, Navidson’s curiosity is what brings about his panic on page 67. By that point the space has provided Navidson with so much to explore that he is lost. Once Navidson realizes this, he changes from an exploratory mindset to a panicked mindset. The space adapts to Navidson and instead of giving him new places to explore, starts rearranging the rooms and hallways much like the way his thoughts are now scattered. Additionally, the more Navidson panics, the more the space shifts.
The next major case we see of this is during Exploration 4. The major difference in this Exploration, besides the supplies being taken along, is that Holloway takes his rifle. While most of the Exploration goes as planned, on the way back up Holloway begins to be depressed over the fact that they have found nothing new. With his change from focusing on exploring to constantly thinking about finding Something, the space creates a Something for Holloway to chase after. Holloway needs this Something to set himself apart from the rest of the world.
An even more extreme example of how the space reacts to what the explorers want is when Navidson descends the Grand Staircase in his search for the Holloway, Jed, and Wax. When Holloway and his team had tried descending the staircase on previous expeditions, they were exploring the space. Because they were exploring, the space continuously provided the team with more ground to cover. However, when Navidson descends the staircase, his goal is to find the missing team. Since his goal is not exploration, the space reacts to Navidson by shortening the staircase a considerable amount. When Navidson changes his goal from exploration to search and rescue, the space responds by leading him to Jed and Wex.
As long as an explorer is able to wrap his head around the general principle that governs the space, he should be able to create anything he wants simply by wanting it. That is because the space is whatever you want it to be. As long as you enter the hallway searching for Something, the space will make that Something real for you.
The first case of this is during Exploration A. On this journey down the hallway, Navidson primary objective is to just take a “little look around.” Before the journey, we have seen the hallway go anywhere from 100 feet deep to 10 feet deep. However, this time when Navidson comes to what was the end of the hallway, he finds a new door. The door has only appeared there as a response to Navidson’s desire to explore the phenomenon that is the hallway.
The space continues to adapt as Navidson explores further, creating more hallways and bigger rooms. As Navidson explored more and more, the space increasingly changes to give him additional territory to cover. However, Navidson’s curiosity is what brings about his panic on page 67. By that point the space has provided Navidson with so much to explore that he is lost. Once Navidson realizes this, he changes from an exploratory mindset to a panicked mindset. The space adapts to Navidson and instead of giving him new places to explore, starts rearranging the rooms and hallways much like the way his thoughts are now scattered. Additionally, the more Navidson panics, the more the space shifts.
The next major case we see of this is during Exploration 4. The major difference in this Exploration, besides the supplies being taken along, is that Holloway takes his rifle. While most of the Exploration goes as planned, on the way back up Holloway begins to be depressed over the fact that they have found nothing new. With his change from focusing on exploring to constantly thinking about finding Something, the space creates a Something for Holloway to chase after. Holloway needs this Something to set himself apart from the rest of the world.
An even more extreme example of how the space reacts to what the explorers want is when Navidson descends the Grand Staircase in his search for the Holloway, Jed, and Wax. When Holloway and his team had tried descending the staircase on previous expeditions, they were exploring the space. Because they were exploring, the space continuously provided the team with more ground to cover. However, when Navidson descends the staircase, his goal is to find the missing team. Since his goal is not exploration, the space reacts to Navidson by shortening the staircase a considerable amount. When Navidson changes his goal from exploration to search and rescue, the space responds by leading him to Jed and Wex.
As long as an explorer is able to wrap his head around the general principle that governs the space, he should be able to create anything he wants simply by wanting it. That is because the space is whatever you want it to be. As long as you enter the hallway searching for Something, the space will make that Something real for you.
House of Echo
House of Leaves is a book that contains several layers of narrative. Starting with the events that take place in Navidson’s house, these events then get interpreted into a film, The Navidson Record. The film is then analyzed and reinterpreted by Zampanó’s manuscript. Johnny who then edits the manuscript, adds his own footnotes and interpretations, and publishes it. Finally, we read it and make of it what we can. Each successive layer adds to and/or changes the layers that came before it. In this way the book begins to resemble an echo.
Zampanó discusses echoes in a physical sense and in a mythological sense. Mythologically, Echo was a nymph who, for differing reasons depending on the version of the story, has been reduced to nothing but her voice and cursed to only repeat the last words spoken to her. But she does not repeat perfectly, and how she returns your words makes a difference. This is similar to the various levels of narrative in the book. Each new representation of the events is altered slightly, skewed in one way or another that gives the new layer meaning that was not there before. Zampanó says of Echo, “To repeat: her voice has life. It possesses a quality not present in the original, revealing how a nymph can return a different and more meaningful story, in spite of telling the same story.” (42) Notice that Zampanó says that Echo is telling a story, rather than just repeating words, just as Navidson is telling a story, just as Zampanó himself is telling a story, and just as Johnny is telling a story. And despite the fact that they are all telling essentially the same story, each of their layers has its own meaning.
Looking at the phenomenon of echo from a more scientific perspective, Zampanó discusses in brief how echoes work, or more accurately why echoes work. The basic idea is that sound travels away from the listener, bounces off something, and comes back to the listener. Zampanó makes three very important points about this process. The first is that a space must be relatively empty to keep the sound waves from dampening on other objects. The second is that the space must be at least fifty-six and a half feet across, otherwise the sound returns so quickly that the human ear cannot register the difference between the original sound and its echo. So a space must be large and empty to produce an echo. Finally, there must be something off of which to bounce. Thus an echo tells us something about the space that we are in, namely that it fits these three criteria. But based on the speed and clarity with which the echo returns, it can also tell us the size and possibly even the shape of the space.
If we look at the book, each layer of narrative is the origination of a new echo. The occurrence in the house is the origination of the initial sound. These events bounce off of Navidson and he responds, creating an echo in the form of the film. The film then bounces off of Zampanó and creates the manuscript. The manuscript bounces off of Johnny and creates the book. The book bounces off of us and we write blog posts. Each successive layer returns “a different and more meaningful story, in spite of telling the same story.” (42) The wording is different and the message is different, but the story is the same.
Zampanó discusses echoes in a physical sense and in a mythological sense. Mythologically, Echo was a nymph who, for differing reasons depending on the version of the story, has been reduced to nothing but her voice and cursed to only repeat the last words spoken to her. But she does not repeat perfectly, and how she returns your words makes a difference. This is similar to the various levels of narrative in the book. Each new representation of the events is altered slightly, skewed in one way or another that gives the new layer meaning that was not there before. Zampanó says of Echo, “To repeat: her voice has life. It possesses a quality not present in the original, revealing how a nymph can return a different and more meaningful story, in spite of telling the same story.” (42) Notice that Zampanó says that Echo is telling a story, rather than just repeating words, just as Navidson is telling a story, just as Zampanó himself is telling a story, and just as Johnny is telling a story. And despite the fact that they are all telling essentially the same story, each of their layers has its own meaning.
Looking at the phenomenon of echo from a more scientific perspective, Zampanó discusses in brief how echoes work, or more accurately why echoes work. The basic idea is that sound travels away from the listener, bounces off something, and comes back to the listener. Zampanó makes three very important points about this process. The first is that a space must be relatively empty to keep the sound waves from dampening on other objects. The second is that the space must be at least fifty-six and a half feet across, otherwise the sound returns so quickly that the human ear cannot register the difference between the original sound and its echo. So a space must be large and empty to produce an echo. Finally, there must be something off of which to bounce. Thus an echo tells us something about the space that we are in, namely that it fits these three criteria. But based on the speed and clarity with which the echo returns, it can also tell us the size and possibly even the shape of the space.
If we look at the book, each layer of narrative is the origination of a new echo. The occurrence in the house is the origination of the initial sound. These events bounce off of Navidson and he responds, creating an echo in the form of the film. The film then bounces off of Zampanó and creates the manuscript. The manuscript bounces off of Johnny and creates the book. The book bounces off of us and we write blog posts. Each successive layer returns “a different and more meaningful story, in spite of telling the same story.” (42) The wording is different and the message is different, but the story is the same.
Monday, November 10, 2008
House of Leaves
When reading House of Leaves one cannot help but notice all the confusion on the pages. How should I read it you have probably asked yourself. I know I did and i still contradict myself when deciding to read it one when but then end up doing it differently. Sometimes I even read the story with the footnotes on accident because I lost my focus. With the writings clustered onto the pages as it is, one cannot help but screw up while reading this book. Now this is not what my blog entry is going to be about, I just had to state my opinion and see if anyone else agreed with it.
What I am really writing about is the underlying tone in the book that I got. I feel that this book coming into its own as a dark, deep, deathly hallway. What I mean by this is that the book itself is drawing us in closer and closer. Danielewski grabs the attention of the reader and makes us toss and turn our thoughts with every page. Just by looking at the way the book was laid out you can see how it would draw us in. With the footnotes being Johnny's words and the rest of the text being Zampano's, Danielewski brings us to the attention of two males. Each male has a story to tell. Johnny is telling his, all while finishing Zampano's. Talk about a clash in male dominance. Which brings me to my next point in what I feel is the tone of this book: Male Confrontation.
In class, I brought up the part in the book when we are first introduced to Holloway Roberts. He is a professional hunter and explorer, overly masculine, always toting a gun. Now, he was hired by Navidson to come and explore Navidson's own house. Navidson, who is a famous photographer, has a lovely wife and finds her to be flirting with Holloway. He does not like this one bit and becomes quite jealous of Holloway. Male Confrontation! Now, when we read on as to how Navidson reacted to Holloway touching Karen, his wife, we see a dark side to him. Being a photographer we would think that he is a fairly calm, collected person, very secure about the love of his life. Well, we were wrong. Navidson says, in regards to Holloway, "I can't tell you how much I'd like to deviate that f*cker's septum." WHAT????
This right here is a prime example of characterization. This shows us that Navidson really is a dark, seriously disturbed individual. Holloway is your 1980's stereotypical male action hero from the movies, usually portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone. He is more of a straight shooter, won't take crap from anyone kind of guy. This is a conflict between two alpha males, competing for dominance.
But then what does all this have to with the book you might be asking? It is the same message over and over again, at least in my mind. Navidson wants dominance over the house. He also wants dominance over his wife, Holloway, anyone or thing that opposes him. Holloway wants dominance as well, but his comes from exploring the world and killing animals. The house wants dominance. The house will kill for dominance unlike Navidson. The book itself wants dominance and gets it. and the book gets it because like anything that will intrigue us, it sucks us in slowly and before you know we are wrapped up and consumed by the House of Leaves
What I am really writing about is the underlying tone in the book that I got. I feel that this book coming into its own as a dark, deep, deathly hallway. What I mean by this is that the book itself is drawing us in closer and closer. Danielewski grabs the attention of the reader and makes us toss and turn our thoughts with every page. Just by looking at the way the book was laid out you can see how it would draw us in. With the footnotes being Johnny's words and the rest of the text being Zampano's, Danielewski brings us to the attention of two males. Each male has a story to tell. Johnny is telling his, all while finishing Zampano's. Talk about a clash in male dominance. Which brings me to my next point in what I feel is the tone of this book: Male Confrontation.
In class, I brought up the part in the book when we are first introduced to Holloway Roberts. He is a professional hunter and explorer, overly masculine, always toting a gun. Now, he was hired by Navidson to come and explore Navidson's own house. Navidson, who is a famous photographer, has a lovely wife and finds her to be flirting with Holloway. He does not like this one bit and becomes quite jealous of Holloway. Male Confrontation! Now, when we read on as to how Navidson reacted to Holloway touching Karen, his wife, we see a dark side to him. Being a photographer we would think that he is a fairly calm, collected person, very secure about the love of his life. Well, we were wrong. Navidson says, in regards to Holloway, "I can't tell you how much I'd like to deviate that f*cker's septum." WHAT????
This right here is a prime example of characterization. This shows us that Navidson really is a dark, seriously disturbed individual. Holloway is your 1980's stereotypical male action hero from the movies, usually portrayed by Arnold Schwarzenegger or Sylvester Stallone. He is more of a straight shooter, won't take crap from anyone kind of guy. This is a conflict between two alpha males, competing for dominance.
But then what does all this have to with the book you might be asking? It is the same message over and over again, at least in my mind. Navidson wants dominance over the house. He also wants dominance over his wife, Holloway, anyone or thing that opposes him. Holloway wants dominance as well, but his comes from exploring the world and killing animals. The house wants dominance. The house will kill for dominance unlike Navidson. The book itself wants dominance and gets it. and the book gets it because like anything that will intrigue us, it sucks us in slowly and before you know we are wrapped up and consumed by the House of Leaves
Thoughts on House of Leaves
So naturally, House of Leaves does pretty much anyone who reads it an odd turn, in attempting to understand it, and that throws up the niggling little question of “How are you suppose to read this book?”. I always hated that question, because in my mind, the only way to read a book is to JUST read it at first, and worry about interpretation later. A good book is layered so that you have to keep coming back to it in order to take away more understanding. Catch-22 is a good example of this, telling a story on the surface but having about a ten-mile depth underneath.
House of Leaves is one such book that deliberately adds on more complexity in order to think outside of itself. Looking over it, I harkened back to my CCAC days in another literature class of mine which had us reading such works as the writings of Gustave Flaubert. Such was his method to have layered stories, including one particular obsession with a parrot. Technically, what I’m driving towards here isn’t about that, but rather the one book I kept from that course, known as Flaubert’s Parrot, by Julian Barnes. And the reason for that is…both Barnes and Danielewski are kind of similar in style.
Not to say that they’re a match, but that they use similar tools to grab the reader in similar ways. Check this out. The two books are equally metafictional in nature. We have an author writing about the exploits of someone else’s work (i.e. Zampano and Flaubert), using an unreliable narrator as the go-between to understand what has been going on. But because either of the middle-men cannot be fully-trusted and the sources raise the eyebrow of every skeptic, the tale on the surface can hardly be believed. Now…the tricky part. How many of you would say, if asked, that Zampano is just a load of Flaubert’s parrot, a red herring, a distraction from what’s really going on?
In Barnes’ novel, there are notes and side-comments from the in-book author of this apparent biography-metafiction that seem innocent and off to the side. In reality, Flaubert’s Parrot was really about this unreliable narrator, and I see that same instance with Johnny. In this case, it might be a lot less secretive about it, or I might even be wrong, but if you DID ask me how I read House of Leaves and I got past the sarcastic remark, I would say to read it like Flaubert’s Parrot. Granted, that might not be ALL that it’s doing – in fact, that’s almost a certainty – but I’m pretty sure that I’m onto something here.
House of Leaves is one such book that deliberately adds on more complexity in order to think outside of itself. Looking over it, I harkened back to my CCAC days in another literature class of mine which had us reading such works as the writings of Gustave Flaubert. Such was his method to have layered stories, including one particular obsession with a parrot. Technically, what I’m driving towards here isn’t about that, but rather the one book I kept from that course, known as Flaubert’s Parrot, by Julian Barnes. And the reason for that is…both Barnes and Danielewski are kind of similar in style.
Not to say that they’re a match, but that they use similar tools to grab the reader in similar ways. Check this out. The two books are equally metafictional in nature. We have an author writing about the exploits of someone else’s work (i.e. Zampano and Flaubert), using an unreliable narrator as the go-between to understand what has been going on. But because either of the middle-men cannot be fully-trusted and the sources raise the eyebrow of every skeptic, the tale on the surface can hardly be believed. Now…the tricky part. How many of you would say, if asked, that Zampano is just a load of Flaubert’s parrot, a red herring, a distraction from what’s really going on?
In Barnes’ novel, there are notes and side-comments from the in-book author of this apparent biography-metafiction that seem innocent and off to the side. In reality, Flaubert’s Parrot was really about this unreliable narrator, and I see that same instance with Johnny. In this case, it might be a lot less secretive about it, or I might even be wrong, but if you DID ask me how I read House of Leaves and I got past the sarcastic remark, I would say to read it like Flaubert’s Parrot. Granted, that might not be ALL that it’s doing – in fact, that’s almost a certainty – but I’m pretty sure that I’m onto something here.
House?
Mark Danielewski’s book House of Leaves paints quite a picture for the reader. His description of the unnatural hallway that randomly appears in the Navidsons’ home shows the reader in many examples how unstable it is. The walls shift constantly, making it virtually impossible to navigate through its maze, and its emptiness allows such change. An excerpt from page 120 tells us that “unoccupied space will never cease to change simply because nothing forbids it to do so. The continuous internal alterations only prove that such a house is uninhabited.” However, “no one has yet to disagree that the labyrinth is still a house. Therefore the question soon arises whether or not it is someone’s house. Though if so whose? Whose was it or even whose is it?” (121) As the story continues, it becomes clearer that the more time the explorers spend in the labyrinth, the more it becomes a house.
In Navidson’s first exploration of the hallway, although he does not discover it right away, the walls have shifted dramatically throughout his journey. At one point he hears a sudden harsh growl, which spooks him, and he realizes that he might not be able to find his way back in the dark. He tries to retrace his steps, and in an effort to mark where he has been he leaves a penny on the floor. After one direction down the long hall fails and ends with another growl, he backtracks. “Only now he discovers the penny he left behind, which should have been at least a hundred feet further, lies directly before him” (68). The labyrinth’s layout is consistently changing because it is uninhabited. Navidson is the first person to investigate it, and luckily he finds his way out after a short while. He does not spend enough time in there to inhabit it. The next exploration proves that more inhabitants are turning the labyrinth into a house.
As Holloway, Jed, and Wax take their time to explore it, they notice that at first the walls are moving often. However, the more time they spend in there, the less the walls seem to move. They are able to mark where they have been, which stays constant throughout their voyage until “when Holloway’s team finally begins the long trek back, they discover the staircase is much farther away than they had anticipated, as if in their absence the distances had stretched” (122). Because they are spending a long period of time in the maze (they are literally living there, camping out, eating food, drinking water, etc.), they can be considered inhabitants. However, their absence is what allowed the staircase to move father away. If they had been there, the walls may have moved, but it is likely that it would not have been so drastically modified. And when Navidson, Reston, and Tom go in to find Holloway, Jed, and Wax, the labyrinth becomes even more stable.
As Navidson walks down the stairs, he quickly realizes that the gigantic staircase that Holloway’s team climbed down is not gigantic at all. “Based on Holloway’s descent, Navidson had estimated the stairway was an incredible thirteen miles down. Less than five minutes later, however, Tom and Reston hear a shout. Peering over the banister, they discover Navidson with a lightstick in his hand standing at the bottom – no more than 100ft down” (159). Instead of an incredible staircase that grows in absence of inhabitants, Navidson discovers that while he inhabits this area, the staircase is not the obstacle he expected. On page 166, it is explained that his “rapid descent reflects his own knowledge that the Spiral Staircase is not bottomless.” Because he knows that there is an end, he is beginning to understand the way the labyrinth works, and it is changing less often.
In the beginning of the explorations, before anyone inhabited the hallway, the layout was constantly changing. However, as more and more people spent more and more time there, they discovered that it is not as unstable or forever in motion as they at first suspected. What they perceived to be a strange maze has quickly become a house in which they are the inhabitants.
In Navidson’s first exploration of the hallway, although he does not discover it right away, the walls have shifted dramatically throughout his journey. At one point he hears a sudden harsh growl, which spooks him, and he realizes that he might not be able to find his way back in the dark. He tries to retrace his steps, and in an effort to mark where he has been he leaves a penny on the floor. After one direction down the long hall fails and ends with another growl, he backtracks. “Only now he discovers the penny he left behind, which should have been at least a hundred feet further, lies directly before him” (68). The labyrinth’s layout is consistently changing because it is uninhabited. Navidson is the first person to investigate it, and luckily he finds his way out after a short while. He does not spend enough time in there to inhabit it. The next exploration proves that more inhabitants are turning the labyrinth into a house.
As Holloway, Jed, and Wax take their time to explore it, they notice that at first the walls are moving often. However, the more time they spend in there, the less the walls seem to move. They are able to mark where they have been, which stays constant throughout their voyage until “when Holloway’s team finally begins the long trek back, they discover the staircase is much farther away than they had anticipated, as if in their absence the distances had stretched” (122). Because they are spending a long period of time in the maze (they are literally living there, camping out, eating food, drinking water, etc.), they can be considered inhabitants. However, their absence is what allowed the staircase to move father away. If they had been there, the walls may have moved, but it is likely that it would not have been so drastically modified. And when Navidson, Reston, and Tom go in to find Holloway, Jed, and Wax, the labyrinth becomes even more stable.
As Navidson walks down the stairs, he quickly realizes that the gigantic staircase that Holloway’s team climbed down is not gigantic at all. “Based on Holloway’s descent, Navidson had estimated the stairway was an incredible thirteen miles down. Less than five minutes later, however, Tom and Reston hear a shout. Peering over the banister, they discover Navidson with a lightstick in his hand standing at the bottom – no more than 100ft down” (159). Instead of an incredible staircase that grows in absence of inhabitants, Navidson discovers that while he inhabits this area, the staircase is not the obstacle he expected. On page 166, it is explained that his “rapid descent reflects his own knowledge that the Spiral Staircase is not bottomless.” Because he knows that there is an end, he is beginning to understand the way the labyrinth works, and it is changing less often.
In the beginning of the explorations, before anyone inhabited the hallway, the layout was constantly changing. However, as more and more people spent more and more time there, they discovered that it is not as unstable or forever in motion as they at first suspected. What they perceived to be a strange maze has quickly become a house in which they are the inhabitants.
House's crazy form
After reading the first half of House of Leaves I’ve come to the conclusion that the author, Mark Danielewski was either on a ton of drugs, has a mental illness, a combination of the two or is one of the most creative narrative geniuses of our time. Though I can’t find any information pointing towards the first two from personal experience I can certainly say that at least painkillers let my creative juices flow so I won’t rule drug use out. Regardless, through the form, content and careful planning Danielewski has created such a unique work that evokes deep thought and understanding of the text.
The main thing that distinguishes this body of work from the majority of other novels is the fact that is a story within a story. The author has created a narrator (Johnny) who is telling his tale while all along also publishing a deceased man’s (Zampanó’s) account on the non-existent documentary The Navidson Record. While that many layers would be nearly impossible to comprehend in an ordinary book Danielewski has managed to make it work. He does this by giving instructions how to read the work such as pointing out the different fonts for Zampanó’s work and Johnny’s own writing which is added as footnotes to the main text. Even with the sporadic instructions it can still be hard to tell what order to read the text, but the beauty of the book is that it doesn’t really matter. This is where Danielewski takes a note from comics like Jimmy Corrigan where the reader determines in what order they read the frames. Whether you decide to read all of Zampanó’s writing then go back and read Johnny’s or just read a whole page at a time is completely up to you and in the end doesn’t really affect the result of the story.
The periodic hints of color throughout the novel point out specific words and evoke thought. By simply coloring the word house in blue and Minotaur (and the stories about it) in red Danielewski has created a distinct relationship between the two and brought it to the forefront of the reader’s mind. Just looking at the colors alone you can see a distinct difference between the two. Blue is generally a color that represents calm and coolness while red is seen as a color of rage and fire. The same feelings can be applied to the words they are used for. At least for me when I think of the word house I think of my home and family. Although I can definitely say my family is pretty crazy and things can get hectic I generally think of my home as a place to relax that’s comforting. On the other hand when I think of the word Minotaur I think of the Greek myth of the half-human half-bull that is seen as a vicious monster. These initial views are of course shaken as you read the novel and find out more about the Navidson house and the Minotaur. Through reading passages about the beast we find out that in reality the Minotaur is just a deformed man who is kept in a labyrinth. He doesn’t actually kill anyone instead the people who enter the labyrinth get lost and never escape. We thus see another light of the creature. The calm comforting image of a house is also shaken by the text. What started off as a mysterious anomaly, the new dark room of the Navidson house had slowly transformed into a deathly labyrinth and by the end was an unstoppable beast that killed Navy’s brother. By shaking up our initial judgments on the two words Danielewski forces us to open our minds and look past the obvious.
House of Leaves unique form has opened up new possibilities for books and is pioneer in its own right. It has turned what could be a complicated mix of two distinct stories in a very readable and even dare I say entertaining work. By pointing specific words out Danielewski forces the reader to look past one’s initial feelings and see things in a new light. The extreme makeup of the book is how Danielewski is able to express this tale in a way that couldn’t have been done using traditional methods.
The main thing that distinguishes this body of work from the majority of other novels is the fact that is a story within a story. The author has created a narrator (Johnny) who is telling his tale while all along also publishing a deceased man’s (Zampanó’s) account on the non-existent documentary The Navidson Record. While that many layers would be nearly impossible to comprehend in an ordinary book Danielewski has managed to make it work. He does this by giving instructions how to read the work such as pointing out the different fonts for Zampanó’s work and Johnny’s own writing which is added as footnotes to the main text. Even with the sporadic instructions it can still be hard to tell what order to read the text, but the beauty of the book is that it doesn’t really matter. This is where Danielewski takes a note from comics like Jimmy Corrigan where the reader determines in what order they read the frames. Whether you decide to read all of Zampanó’s writing then go back and read Johnny’s or just read a whole page at a time is completely up to you and in the end doesn’t really affect the result of the story.
The periodic hints of color throughout the novel point out specific words and evoke thought. By simply coloring the word house in blue and Minotaur (and the stories about it) in red Danielewski has created a distinct relationship between the two and brought it to the forefront of the reader’s mind. Just looking at the colors alone you can see a distinct difference between the two. Blue is generally a color that represents calm and coolness while red is seen as a color of rage and fire. The same feelings can be applied to the words they are used for. At least for me when I think of the word house I think of my home and family. Although I can definitely say my family is pretty crazy and things can get hectic I generally think of my home as a place to relax that’s comforting. On the other hand when I think of the word Minotaur I think of the Greek myth of the half-human half-bull that is seen as a vicious monster. These initial views are of course shaken as you read the novel and find out more about the Navidson house and the Minotaur. Through reading passages about the beast we find out that in reality the Minotaur is just a deformed man who is kept in a labyrinth. He doesn’t actually kill anyone instead the people who enter the labyrinth get lost and never escape. We thus see another light of the creature. The calm comforting image of a house is also shaken by the text. What started off as a mysterious anomaly, the new dark room of the Navidson house had slowly transformed into a deathly labyrinth and by the end was an unstoppable beast that killed Navy’s brother. By shaking up our initial judgments on the two words Danielewski forces us to open our minds and look past the obvious.
House of Leaves unique form has opened up new possibilities for books and is pioneer in its own right. It has turned what could be a complicated mix of two distinct stories in a very readable and even dare I say entertaining work. By pointing specific words out Danielewski forces the reader to look past one’s initial feelings and see things in a new light. The extreme makeup of the book is how Danielewski is able to express this tale in a way that couldn’t have been done using traditional methods.
Credibility in House of Leaves
Throughout House of Leaves, the credibility of Zampano’s story, along with the Navidson Record, is constantly brought into question. The story is about a fake movie, complete with fake sources to back up what is going on in the story. With the reader knowing that these two things are false, the credibility ultimately gets called into question. With all these things brought to the reader’s attention, it is very hard to be sure who is actually writing the story, and if the story being written about is the real thing or just one huge hoax.
During most of the novel, Johnny is constantly adding his own asides and additions to Zampano’s story. The reader figures out that Johnny is actually a very good storyteller from the interesting tale he tells about him being a fighter. Another reason that points to the fact that Johnny could have actually written the story is that in some of his tangents he actually seems smart. He does have a job any moron can do, but that ultimately does not mean he cannot comprehend some of the concepts he believes are going on in the Navidson Report. One main example of this is when he is interoperating some of the sources Zampano has used. One good example of this is on page 169 when he is talking about how a certain passage doesn’t make any sense at all. When I read this passage, I was so confused that I could not tell if the passage made sense or did not really. Johnny also openly admits that he has changed a few passages, which complicates things even more with statements such as, “Not at all. Zampano only wrote “heater.” The word “water” back there—I added that” (16). Not only was Johnny’s recalling the story brought into, but the actual Navidson Report was as well.
Many people who write about the Navidson Report question whether the story is truthful, or whether it was all just a Hollywood hoax. In one passage, they decide on how much it would cost to actually create a movie like this and the cost a minimum of six and a half million dollars. They then determined that Navidson would be five and a half million dollars short to create the effects. One of the points where they question the believability of the movie is when Reston is describing the events that would ultimately lead to Tom’s death in an interview. This interview is brought into question because it is not Navidson who actually tells about the incident, he relays the incident to Reston, who relays it to the camera, or person conducting the interview.
“In the future, readers of newspapers and magazines will probably view news pictures more as illustrations than reportage, since they will be well aware that they can no longer distinguish between a genuine image and one that has been manipulated” (141). In the Navidson report one cannot truly tell what is real and what is not because no one is really a credible source. With all these questions that arise in House of Leaves, Danielewski creates a labyrinth to hold in the secret about the true story.
Pittsburgh in House of Leaves
When I was reading I decided to glance at that long footnote, which is actually a sidenote on page 120 that is basically a list of architecturally significant things, some of which have names that are recognizable enough to be part of common knowledge. When I saw the sixth entry in that footnote I just had to google it and test whether or not it was something real or entirely made up. It reads “Katselas House in Pittsburgh” so I typed it in expecting to find an exact hit and read its website and so on, or find that no such thing existed, but I was mistaken. Instead I found numerous obituary pages with the name Katselas in them. Interestingly enough Milton Katselas had died soon before October 30th and he was a renowned acting teacher that taught George Clooney and Alec Baldwin. I thought maybe that had a connection with the book because after all Zampano is referencing a movie. After looking through the obituarys I could find no mention of any “house”. I continued looking until I found an architectural firm with the name Katselas, frustratingly enough; I could find no mention of any specific house. The Katselas firm mostly deals with big projects and they specialize in airports according to their website. So In one last ditch attempt I googled “Tasso Katselas” and found out that surprisingly he is Milton Katselas’ brother. I also discovered that Tasso Katselas apparently designed multiple homes in
It’s interesting to question at some level whether or not this had to be a goal of Danielewski’s. One questions the validity of a source and looks it up only to find that it is not what it originally seems. I guess it just has to be some form of artistic license which brings me to think that this book must have been very time consuming to not only write but to format and choose sources for. It also adds to the overall mystery of the book because it must take a good deal of creativity to fake legitimate looking examples.
While we’re on the subject of
Because these sources/ examples actually exist (in some form or another) it leads me to caution myself in either dismissing or accepting something so the best thing I could do while thinking about the book would be to be careful what I believe and what I don’t believe.
http://www.panoramafactory.net/gallery/New-stuff/Calvary_C
http://www.library.cmu.edu/Research/ArchArch/katselas.html
http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/california/la-me-katselas29-2008oct29,0,4661304.story
The True Author of the Navidson Record
Reading through Mark Z. Danielewsli’s cult classic, The House of Leaves, left myself asking many questions. While I was reading through it, I found myself noticing how similar the text of Zampano’s Navidson Record was to the text spoken by Johnny. Is Zampano a real person? Did he write this manuscript or is the whole thing written by Johnny? I believe it is the latter. There is striking similarity in the house and a person who is under the influence, between how Chad and Johnny react to conflict, the personifications of the monster and where both Johnny and Navidson feel the most comfortable.
Now, we know Johnny has had and is still enjoying his fair share of illegal, mind-altering substances. If you have ever had experiences with any of the substances (via personal use or even watching movies, such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), that Johnny is talking about then you can understand my opinion on how trippy the book is. The whole idea of a house that is bigger on the inside versus the outside is insane. Then you take into consideration the whole concept of the new hallway off of the master bedroom as well as the hallway from the living room. Through my friend’s stories I have learned that while on substances it can seem to the user that the walls are melting, shifting, and other weird phenomena. This is very similar to the Navidson house.
If you do not believe the illegal substances argument, then lets look into Johnny’s psyche. There are numerous events throughout the story where you can draw a connection between what is going on in Johnny’s head and what is going on in the house.
We’ll first start with the idea of the monster. There are two manifestations of the monster. The one is in the house itself. It is the monster that makes that constant growling while the expedition members are within the house. There are bits of Zampano’s narrative that mention how the house reacts to the inhabitant’s psychological state of mind. So, when Halloway begins the expeditions by taking action and bringing weapons on the mission the monster is more prevalent and closer then when Navidson, who was weaponless, went into the hallway alone. The act of bringing the guns fortified the idea of a monster in all of the explorer’s minds. Similarly, Johnny’s encounter with the monster while in the storage room at the tattoo shop was triggered by an event that happened earlier. During Johnny’s footnote on page 70, he mentions that the effects of his dream of Thumper, alcohol and Oregon bud had worn off. Since this occurred, he thinks that Thumper won’t be coming into the shop today, an idea that kept him happy and got him out of bed. The next thing that happens is Johnny’s manifestation of the monster arrives. In both circumstances, the monster arrives due to previous thoughts. It is the person’s imagination that brings upon this monster that haunts them.
Stepping away from the monster, on page 92, Zampano discusses how Chad refuses to talk about his bruises from school. Johnny also mentions how he has been guilty of changing the subject or just not talking about things as well. This is another example of how Johnny can be creating the Navidson record out of his imagination.
Beginning on page 102, Navidson hears the distress signal from Halloway’s team. Navidson puts the domestic tensions aside and prepares to venture into the hallway to help. This instant brings Navidson back to his roots, the roots of adventure. He thrived in adventure and dangerous situations. That is where he got his fame in photography. Since Karen tried to domesticate Navidson, he hasn’t been himself. Now is his opportunity to return to where he feels most comfortable, adventures. Johnny also returns to his roots in this section. Before page 103, the last time Johnny was at his roots was when he was telling the story of the wild birds and fighting ring to the girls. Now, we read through a section of text where Johnny is describing his summer in Alaska to his boss and Thumper. Story telling is where I believe Johnny thrives. It is a time when inhibitions are set free. He truly seems alive and not a care in the world, just like Navidson on his adventures.
I don’t think Zampano wrote the Navidson record. I believe it is all a creation of Johnny’s mind. It is evident that the two narratives are very similar. It is also evident in the spacing of which the narratives exist. For all of the examples I have listed, they were all within the same page or same section. I say section because the last example is split up due to the endless rant on the Minotaur and other confusing text in chapter nine. There for Johnny is the writer of the Navidson record.
Now, we know Johnny has had and is still enjoying his fair share of illegal, mind-altering substances. If you have ever had experiences with any of the substances (via personal use or even watching movies, such as Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas), that Johnny is talking about then you can understand my opinion on how trippy the book is. The whole idea of a house that is bigger on the inside versus the outside is insane. Then you take into consideration the whole concept of the new hallway off of the master bedroom as well as the hallway from the living room. Through my friend’s stories I have learned that while on substances it can seem to the user that the walls are melting, shifting, and other weird phenomena. This is very similar to the Navidson house.
If you do not believe the illegal substances argument, then lets look into Johnny’s psyche. There are numerous events throughout the story where you can draw a connection between what is going on in Johnny’s head and what is going on in the house.
We’ll first start with the idea of the monster. There are two manifestations of the monster. The one is in the house itself. It is the monster that makes that constant growling while the expedition members are within the house. There are bits of Zampano’s narrative that mention how the house reacts to the inhabitant’s psychological state of mind. So, when Halloway begins the expeditions by taking action and bringing weapons on the mission the monster is more prevalent and closer then when Navidson, who was weaponless, went into the hallway alone. The act of bringing the guns fortified the idea of a monster in all of the explorer’s minds. Similarly, Johnny’s encounter with the monster while in the storage room at the tattoo shop was triggered by an event that happened earlier. During Johnny’s footnote on page 70, he mentions that the effects of his dream of Thumper, alcohol and Oregon bud had worn off. Since this occurred, he thinks that Thumper won’t be coming into the shop today, an idea that kept him happy and got him out of bed. The next thing that happens is Johnny’s manifestation of the monster arrives. In both circumstances, the monster arrives due to previous thoughts. It is the person’s imagination that brings upon this monster that haunts them.
Stepping away from the monster, on page 92, Zampano discusses how Chad refuses to talk about his bruises from school. Johnny also mentions how he has been guilty of changing the subject or just not talking about things as well. This is another example of how Johnny can be creating the Navidson record out of his imagination.
Beginning on page 102, Navidson hears the distress signal from Halloway’s team. Navidson puts the domestic tensions aside and prepares to venture into the hallway to help. This instant brings Navidson back to his roots, the roots of adventure. He thrived in adventure and dangerous situations. That is where he got his fame in photography. Since Karen tried to domesticate Navidson, he hasn’t been himself. Now is his opportunity to return to where he feels most comfortable, adventures. Johnny also returns to his roots in this section. Before page 103, the last time Johnny was at his roots was when he was telling the story of the wild birds and fighting ring to the girls. Now, we read through a section of text where Johnny is describing his summer in Alaska to his boss and Thumper. Story telling is where I believe Johnny thrives. It is a time when inhibitions are set free. He truly seems alive and not a care in the world, just like Navidson on his adventures.
I don’t think Zampano wrote the Navidson record. I believe it is all a creation of Johnny’s mind. It is evident that the two narratives are very similar. It is also evident in the spacing of which the narratives exist. For all of the examples I have listed, they were all within the same page or same section. I say section because the last example is split up due to the endless rant on the Minotaur and other confusing text in chapter nine. There for Johnny is the writer of the Navidson record.
Unnecessary Complexity in Literature
For awhile now, I've been becoming more and more frustrated with modern literature. Books like Jimmy Corrigan and House of Leaves are prime examples of why I have become frustrated. Withing the covers of these books is undoubtedly a great story or depiction of certain events. However, is it really necessary to have the reader be so confused while reading the story? Any book that needs a set of directions, in my opinion, is a book that shouldn't be read. I know that there are many people, including Professor Johns that would disagree with me. I'd like to look at a few examples within House of Leaves that demonstrate an unnecessary complexity that takes away from their stories.
The first example is the use of colored texts within the book. The word "house" is printed in blue anytime it is seen throughout the story. We are never told why this is, instead, we are left in the dark to use our imagination to decide what the blue text represents. To some, this adds to the book, however I'd like to argue that it distracts the reader from what is important. Conversely, the word "minotaur" is printed in red anytime we see it, so it adds even more to the distraction of the reader. Red and blue are colors generally accepted to mean opposites of each other. Hot vs cold, water vs fire, and dark vs light. Sure, these colors probably have some symbolic meaning that is directly related with the story, but since the book needs a set of directions to read in itself, the reader will almost positively not be able to link the relation.
I do think it's important for books to allow to reader to use critical thinking and even their imagination to better engage them into the words the author is portraying. However, I do think there is a line that shouldn't be crossed when it comes to complexity of literature. When a book becomes so hard to understand, that a reader (even when using the provided set of directions) can't maneuver their way through a book, the line has been crossed.
I could go on for pages and pages about the speculations of what the color usage with "house" and "minotaur" means, but it's pointless. There is so much more within House of Leaves, that this idiotic rant about color usage in a book that is also printed in black and white is fruitless. The move towards insanity and the actual symbol of the house, rather than the color it is printed in, is so much more important to focus on.
Great literature is all in the eye of the beholder. Just like any other critical thinking or viewing material, it's all opinionated when it comes to thinking something is great or not. Lyotard stated that to really tap into intelligence, pain through thinking must occur. Well, with books like House of Leaves and Jimmy Corrigan, this pain will definitely be apparent. Maybe I will eventually understand why this complexity is necessary for these types of books. Until then, I will continue to think that the distractions caused by the author with be more detrimental to the book rather than beneficial.
The first example is the use of colored texts within the book. The word "house" is printed in blue anytime it is seen throughout the story. We are never told why this is, instead, we are left in the dark to use our imagination to decide what the blue text represents. To some, this adds to the book, however I'd like to argue that it distracts the reader from what is important. Conversely, the word "minotaur" is printed in red anytime we see it, so it adds even more to the distraction of the reader. Red and blue are colors generally accepted to mean opposites of each other. Hot vs cold, water vs fire, and dark vs light. Sure, these colors probably have some symbolic meaning that is directly related with the story, but since the book needs a set of directions to read in itself, the reader will almost positively not be able to link the relation.
I do think it's important for books to allow to reader to use critical thinking and even their imagination to better engage them into the words the author is portraying. However, I do think there is a line that shouldn't be crossed when it comes to complexity of literature. When a book becomes so hard to understand, that a reader (even when using the provided set of directions) can't maneuver their way through a book, the line has been crossed.
I could go on for pages and pages about the speculations of what the color usage with "house" and "minotaur" means, but it's pointless. There is so much more within House of Leaves, that this idiotic rant about color usage in a book that is also printed in black and white is fruitless. The move towards insanity and the actual symbol of the house, rather than the color it is printed in, is so much more important to focus on.
Great literature is all in the eye of the beholder. Just like any other critical thinking or viewing material, it's all opinionated when it comes to thinking something is great or not. Lyotard stated that to really tap into intelligence, pain through thinking must occur. Well, with books like House of Leaves and Jimmy Corrigan, this pain will definitely be apparent. Maybe I will eventually understand why this complexity is necessary for these types of books. Until then, I will continue to think that the distractions caused by the author with be more detrimental to the book rather than beneficial.
house of leaves essay
The navidson record basically consists of film material, and critiques on what actually happened. It is constantly made out to sound as if it were a giant hoax. For instance, the police are insistent that Holloway is probably in some dark closet space. It is the educated folks who shed the most doubt on this story, attributing most of it to some sort of movie-magic and the uneducated who seem to take in the story. After all, Johnny Truant (used to) work(s) at a tattoo parlor answering the phone and doing other jobs that he says a complete moron could do. Yet, it is he that takes gives into the story the most of all. It begins to systematically eradicate his life as the house eradicates every trace of the intruders. The story (so far at least) seems like a critique on the close-mindedness of “educated” and “knowledgeable” people. The navidson record is written as part film-transcription, part film-evaluation. The evaluations are long and wordy and more often than not, are used in attempt to poke holes in the integrity of Navidsons film. There is no evidence to suggest that the film was anything but genuine and many of Zampanó’s sources are used to explain away what was really happening in that house. However, we have evidence that Zampanó himself was actually frightened/disturbed by this film (and its transcription) as was Johnny. Both are relatively uneducated (albeit, one much less than the other), and both responded to this story by effectively recreating the fear and isolation of the house on ash tree lane. All signs point to (for me at least) the film being a true representation of what happened and Danielewsky presented it this way intentionally. It was meant to be an accurate account of what really happened at the Navidson house and these critics are trying to tear it apart and poke holes in it and completely ignore the fact (or treat it as an enigma... I’m not sure which is worse) that nobody can answer how it could have possibly been filmed if it were not real (they didn’t have nearly enough money or the right technology). It seems like this book is a critique on skepticism even in the face of more than sufficient evidence in favor of some fantastic or supernatural event.
Saturday, November 8, 2008
Physical Narrative
For last week's assignment, I wrote about Chris Ware's genius in using a two-pronged approach in his work; by combining the textual content of Jimmy Corrigan: The Smartest Kid on Earth with subtle (and occasionally not-so-subtle) undertones in his artwork, Ware was able to help the reader experience the story at a much deeper level. Mark Danielewski accomplishes the same feat in House of Leaves. Not being an artist, though, Danielewski instead uses the phsyicality of the book itself to draw the reader more deeply into the world he has created. In this way, the reader ultimately ends up making a much more significant connection with the narrative since he or she is constantly holding what is essentially the physical manifestation of the tale.
Even the novel's title, House of Leaves, demonstrates the importance of the physical book. The book simultaneously houses the story and becomes the story through clever design and typographical choices Danielewski employs. He first emphasizes to the reader that the physical object of the book is representative of the house on Ash Tree Lane. This is indicated by the fact that the book's front cover is 1/2" shorter than the pages which compose it. In this manner, the inside of the book is 1/2" larger than the outside of the book, just as the inside of Navidson's house turned out to be 5/16" larger than the outside. Without even reading a word of the text, the reader has already begun to follow the same path as Navidson in the story. When Navidson enters the house, the tale begins. Similarly, the same experience occurs for the reader upon opening the book.
Of course, this is not to say that Danielewski does not effectively employ the text. In fact, nothing could be further from the truth. The textual layout of House of Leaves serves to only draw the reader more deeply into the material. During Exploration #4, Holloway, Jed, and Wax are exploring the unknown, moving ahead with only a faint idea of where they are going. When Holloway attacks and Wax is wounded, Jed is forced to forge ahead blindly, moving quickly yet carelessly, in an attempt to shake Holloway's pursuit. The text is positioned perfectly to allow the reader to thoroughly empathize with Jed's plight. In the height of Jed's confusion,the page is literally covered with material placed in a highly disorienting manner. (133) The text acting as the actual analysis of The Navidson Record covers at most a quarter of the page. The rest of the space is filled with sidenotes, an awkward text window, footnotes, blockquotes inside of footnotes, and even what appears to be another footnote transposed sidways inside of the blockquote from another footnote. Virtually any reader coming across such a page will likely be confused as to what material should be read and in which order. Simply looking at the page and making sense of anything is a challenging endeavor. However, the reader's confusion is exactly what Jed is experiencing at the same point in the narrative. The layout of the text forces the reader to be placed in Jed's role and emulate Jed's feelings.
Along with allowing readers to experience the emotions of the novel's characters, Danielewski even forces the reader to occasionally mimic a character's actions. When Navidson is left stranded at the bottom of the rapidly expanding Spiral Stair, he is forced to watch Reston drawn continuously upwards. On the page where such activity is described, Danieleski placed the text "drawing Reston" upside-down, vertically stretched out, and moving from the bottom of the page to the top rather than vice versa. (291) The impact of this is that the reader will likely start at the bottom of the page and have his or her eyes follow the text upwards. One can only imagine that this is precisely what Navidson would be doing as he watches Reston being pulled up to the top of the stair, his gaze following his friend's ascent. Thus the reader is not simply reading about Navidson and imagining what he would be doing. The reader is quite literally enacting Navidson's motions. For that instant, just as the physical book becomes the story, the reader actually becomes Navidson.
Danielewski uses the physical aspects of House of Leaves to achieve amazing results. He has created a highly interactive work of literature by drawing the reader's attention to the book itself. Rather than doing so in a manner disruptive to the story, though, Danielewski's technique actually causes the reader to become significantly more engaged in the written tale. For most written works, the text alone is the only true constituent of the story. Whether in a book, on loose sheets, or printed online, the story is the same. Suffice to say, House of Leaves in any other form would hardly be the same experience.
Tuesday, November 4, 2008
House of Leav- Err, Pancakes
The web-coming XKCD did a House of Leaves parody awhile ago involving an IHOP menu.
House of Pancakes
House of Pancakes
Sunday, November 2, 2008
Delayed Assignment again
After thinking about it in circles, I decided to delay your assignment until we've had a chance to talk about the first reading. Details to follow in class.
Also, I haven't sent all of your grades back. Shame on me, but I assure you I'm still as sick as a dog, and I'm doing my feeble best...
Also, I haven't sent all of your grades back. Shame on me, but I assure you I'm still as sick as a dog, and I'm doing my feeble best...
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