Songs of Innocence: Part Two

There's probably no more enduring symbol of innocence in American pop culture than the curly topped moppet that is sometimes credited with getting us through the Great Depression. It's impossible to talk about the concept of innocence as character without discussing Shirley Temple. It's so prevalent through her movies that her characters hardly exist, becoming mere variations of the actress's public image.

However, what's interesting about her classic films, and often overlooked, is how the notion of the innocent child is subtly transformed. In films like Bright Eyes ('34), Our Little Girl ('35), and Curly Top ('35), her character is very conscious of manipulating the adults around her. This comes through with knowing glances to the camera, which are either: strokes of genius to create a wink to the audience; a simple leftover tactic carried over from stage performance into the early days of film; or possibly just bad child acting. Regardless, the affect is the same. The overshadowing innocence of the character is being tweaked. Granted, the character's intent is always pure and good, allowing the symbol to hold up, but there's a shift here to the kind of precocious characters that would follow in the future. In many ways, these are precursors to a literary character like Eloise who's line of decent runs straight through to current characters like Junie B. Jones--both of which are influences on some of my own characters like CatKid.

For me, this aspect is what makes these overly sentimental movies fascinating. In many ways, I believe Shirley Temple is one of the major influences on the development of children's literature. The version of childhood portrayed in her movies is one that appeals to a wide audience and her huge success as the preeminent child star certainly reached into all aspects of child entertainment.

On the surface, what we see in these movies is a child who symbolizes innocence. But under the surface, there is the shadow of experience looming as the child learns that innocence can be used to manipulate. In the William Blake sense, the child is entering that murky stage of being in-between the two worlds. I actually referenced this idea in my book Dirty Liar:

...I looked at him the way my mom showed me to just in case she was watching from the car. I would look at him with my eyelashes the way Shirley Temple did in the movie my mom showed me . . made my eyelashes go the way my mom said would make men do anything for you that you wanted them to do... Dirty Liar page 209

These earliest stages of experience are like taking baby steps from the shallow end of the swimming pool. It makes for fascinating characters. Many of my chapter book stories about these kind of characters, dealing with the concept every child encounters as realize that the world is grossly unfair toward them and finding funny ways to cope or control it. The great thing about this kind of character is that even from the point of view of experience, we always root for the child to win when we know in the end they probably won't. The great thing about Shirley Temple's movies, and the children's literature characters that follow in the footsteps, is that they do always come out on top.

(Check back next week as I continue the march toward Songs of Experience)

Songs of Innocence: Part One

Heidi came running in. ‘The sun can’t laugh at me now,’ she said. Her grandfather smilingly agreed. In her desire to please the sun, she had rubbed her face with the hard towel until she looked like a boiled lobster. -Johanna Spyri

In my never-ending individual study of children's literature, I recently read Heidi, another classic that sadly seems to be fading from popularity. As new classics continue to replace the old ones, I fear many such books will be enjoyed by fewer and fewer readers. But I suppose that's progress...and I suppose it's also what keeps me in business, so I won't lament too severely.

One of the things that really struck me about this novel is how authentic the main character feels. Heidi is one those characters that comes alive immediately. She's the kind of character I always strive to create. Another thing that impressed was how, besides the obvious differences that exist between 1880 Alpine life and modern childhood, Heidi could easily step into a contemporary story without missing a beat. That's truly a credit to the author's ability to capture human character.

‘I told you we wanted someone of Miss Clara’s own age, so that they could do lessons together and be real companions. Miss Clara is twelve. How old is this child?’

Detie had expected this question and was prepared with an answer. ‘To tell you the truth, Ma’am,’ she said glibly, ‘I can’t remember just how old she is, but about ten I think.’

‘I’ll soon be eight,’ said Heidi. ‘Grandfather told me so.’

Detie gave her another cross little push, but Heidi was quite unaware of having said anything wrong.

‘Not yet eight!’ exclaimed Miss Rottenmeier. ‘That’s at least four years too young. What’s the good of bringing her here?’ She turned to Heidi and went on, ‘What books have you been using in your lessons?’

‘None,’ said Heidi.

‘What’s that you say? How did you lean to read then?’

‘I haven’t learnt to read,’ Heidi replied. ‘Nor has Peter.’

‘Good gracious me, can’t read at you age!’ cried Miss Rottenmeier in dismay. ‘Impossible! What have you learnt then?’

‘Nothing,’ said Heidi frankly.

Heidi, though eternally a symbol of unselfishness and goodness, isn't as stiff as other such examples in children's literature from the period. She's quirky. Funny. She gets angry and frustrated. In essence, she manages to feel real. While reading the book, even though I have never seen this particular movie, it seemed like a natural that Shirley Temple would go on to play the character. There was something about the character that reminded me of every character Shirley Temple played in her early career...one where innocence is character. (More about that tomorrow in Part 2).

Perhaps it's because we don't see these characters grow-up that they remain endearing to us and why the books are appealing to us as adult readers. We can enjoy Heidi's triumphs because we don't have see the struggles that are sure to come in next chapters of her life. And since we never see her lose the magical qualities with which she looks at life, we never grow cynical toward her outlook and remember that there is something to be said for seeing the world through her eyes.

The Great Rabbit Wars Pt. 10

Notes from The Siege (access previous Communications)

The following is an excerpt from the journal of a high-ranking member of The Human High Command:

-----(Date Deleted)----

The assault on the underground Human settlements had begun in earnest before the dawn. Intelligence had failed to give proper warning and we were caught unprepared. The emergency tunnels were swiftly blocked by cave-ins caused by the Rodent Army and brought resulting chaos to the population. Our soldiers responded in force by attacking the one weakness left to us, the rabbit....

-----(missing segment)----

Those who fled to places above ground were torn to shreds by ravenous rabbit impostors which we are now referring to as Bunny Children--for they have lost their humanity altogether. Led by the child formally known as Bianca Eldon, the vicious pack pursued escapees aggressively and without mercy. The Rodent Army had taken up positions on the outskirts of the old Human City and finished off any stragglers, leaving only unidentifiable bits behind. This manner of this attack signifies a disturbing new strategy of using our own on the front lines and will require...

-----(missing segment)-----

....regrouping and can only pray for a revival as this enemy grows smarter and more resourceful by the hour. The Human Settlement is fully surrounded and I worry how long it can hold out under these conditions.

Signed,

Sub-Warden Thomas Erdan of The Human Warren

(Tune in next Story Time Tuesday for the next installment)

Weekend Music Roundup

The Roundup returns after a week's absence due to a lack of electricity. During that power outage, I spent nearly two whole days without listening to a note of music, perhaps for the first time in my life. On the second night, the Missus informed me that our ipod stereo could also run on batteries, but would not charge the ipod due to Apple's devious plan to sell new accessories which each new model. But no matter, I had some juice and was willing to burn it. Like a dry drunkard, I drank furiously of the notes. While some of the albums on today's list date to that week past, many are from my return to full stereo so my enthusiasm may be a little drastic, but I ask that you bear with me.

Joanna Newsom - Have One on Me: Being a huge fan of her previous album Ys, I was eagerly anticipating this album...along with half of the music listening world. Four years in the making, this triple album was finally released. I was a bit skeptical. It could easily have been an overblown mess. What it turned out being though, is a masterpiece. Easily my #1 for the year so far, just an amazing literary folk album. Though admittedly, it's not for everyone. It's certainly the kind of poetry album that appeals to the English Lit student inside of me.

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club - Beat the Devil's Tattoo: It's been three years since BRMC's last album, and five years since Howl, their crowning achievement in my mind (and one of the best albums of the last decade). To my surprise, this new effort turns back a little toward the roots rock nature of Howl than toward the fuzz rock of their other 3 albums. But unlike the soft tempered Howl, this album takes that sound and pushes it full speed ahead. It's a great blend of both things they do best. It's only rock 'n' roll, but I like it.

The Wooden Sky - If I Don't Come Home, You'll Know I'm Gone: North of the border has been a beacon for wonderful indie folk rock for years and The Wooden Sky is no exception. Much like other eastern Canadian bands, they play an indie rock inspired by midwestern americana. Just a beautiful, smart album.

The Warlocks - The Mirror Explodes: I've had this for a few months, but it got lost in my end of the year shuffle and realized I never mentioned it here. I've long been a fan of this L.A. psychedelic rock outfit and have all four of their previous albums. The best of the bunch is easily '07's Heavy Devy Skull Lover. So I was very much looking forward to this new effort. I was surprised that a lot of the heavy rock sound is missing from this album. The Mirror Explodes is much more a shoegazer album...a well-done one, but still, it's as if something is lacking. I enjoy the album, but is has a tendency to fade into the background while their previous albums command attention.

Big Narstie - What's the Story Brixton Glory: This album stands as a lesson that the same trick cannot always be expected to produce the same results. The Wu Tang vs. The Beatles album that I reviewed a few weeks ago is still on heavy rotation. So when I discovered this existed, a mash-up of UK grime rap and Brit Pop, what was not to love. The answer? This album. It just doesn't work.

Damon Albarn - Monkey: Journey to the West: The soundtrack to a limited run Chinese Opera created by Damon and Jamie Hewlett which I had the pleasure of seeing in Manchester during it's initial run. The stage show was an amazing experience combining acrobatics, theatrics and animation...so naturally the soundtrack feels incomplete. The music is an interesting blend of electronic and traditional Chinese...but fails to be more than a curiosity without the visual spectacle. Still though, it serves a further evidence that Damon Albarn has become one of the most diverse and creative musicians of our generation. I'm looking forward to the new Gorillaz album next week.

Turner Cody - The Cody Choir: A self-released anti-folk album from 2003, this was my first encounter with Turner Cody but certainly won't be my last. It reminded me of early Palace, a set of strong acoustic folk songs. A bit of an old-timey feel meets garage folk feel. I was thoroughly impressed with this one.

Roky Erickson - Demon Angel: Released in '95, this a lost gem that was sorely missing from Roky collection. It's essentially a re-recorded set of greatest hits, all done acoustically. Roky's voice is fragile and perfect as always. A stunning album. I can't wait to see him in concert again in a few months (this time joined by Okkervil River).

The Birdtree - Orchards & Caravans: This 2003 psychedelic folk album is the kind of sound I've been digging on of late, as evidenced by many of the selection of Roundups past. It's got that "Green is the Colour" Pink Floyd sound. Ethereal lo-fi folk at it's best.

David Bowie - Christiane F. Baal: A bootleg consisting mainly of two Bowie 80's soundtracks, one for Christian F: Wir Kinder Vom Bahnhof Zoo and David Bowie in Bertolt Brecht's Baal. These two are good representations of show tunes stagey Bowie. But also on the compilation are a few rarer disco-esque tracks. "Cat People Putting Out Fires with Gasoline" and "Stay" are phenomenal. A good listen, but probably for fans only.

Ode to Eternia

For the previous seven days, up until yesterday, I'd been without cable and therefore without live television. During that week, fabulous secret powers were revealed to me as I put He-Man Season One DVD on and uttered the magic words...By the Power of Greyskull.

Unfortunately, my cat did not transform like Cringer does into Battle Cat. If anything, he simply curled up into a tighter fur ball and slept more deeply. I was a little more excited. Like any other male member of the species in my peer group, I watched hours upon hours of this early-80s cartoon during elementary school. I loved it back then, though it fell somewhere just below Star Wars, Transformers, Smurfs, and G.I. Joe. But it's hard to deny the sheer bad-assery of Skeletor, even after all of these years, he's mesmerizing.

I bring this up not to relive childhood glory...believe it or not, my viewing experience this time around actually has some merit to what I wrote about yesterday as far a writing rules are concerned. 

What struck me about He-Man this time around was how packed the world of Eternia is. There are mythical elements, middle-earthy elements, yet there are also lasers, space travel, and time portals. I found myself pretty amazed by what a mash-up of genres were packed into this world. It was as if the creators thought up all the things that would appeal to boys ages 5-10 and decided to add them all. 

The result is understandably a bit messy...but a damned entertaining mess. Even my cats seemed to perk up and watch as the course of the show went on. Remarkably however, all of these various elements (spells, dragons, spaceships, lasers, and Merman) fit together quite well. 

One thing that fascinated me as I watched was thinking about the kind of reaction I'd get if I pitched an idea like this to one of my publishers. I'm pretty certain the reaction would be something along the lines of "What is this supposed to be?" and the request would be to go back and focus on a few key aspects. 

Don't get me wrong, focus isn't a bad thing. Frankly, He-Man could use some of it. But every now and then, it's important to throw out all of those restrictions and see what comes out. Be ambitious. It's like what I've been saying about second drafts...it's better to have a mess to clean up than it is to have sterile room with nothing to look at.

A Second Look

A lot of writers determine rules for writing that they use while working. I do not. As far as I'm concerned, there are no rules for writing. There are techniques and tricks, but no firm rules. However, I do find some of these so-called rules useful in editing. After all, rules are for examining, not creating. 

Working on the revisions for my novel, there is one rule in particular that I've found helpful in navigating through the static. One of Kurt Vonnegut's rules states:

Every sentence must do one of two things — reveal character or advance the action. 

Though, I don't completely agree...I do find it to be a good guide. For most part, it should be followed. However, I do believe there is room for description and language. But by using this rule as a guide, I find it does help cut down on a tendency all writers have, which is to overwrite. By eliminating chunks of lofty prose, the remaining bits gain in power. I think my editors will be happy.

Another thing I've really been trying to do, is to link character and description. I recently read The Child Buyer by John Hersey and came across this passage:

 

Everything about him was too tight; his collar, armpits of his coat, his vest—the buttons and buttonholes on it made a trail of parentheses down his chest and belly. Veins stood inflated on the backs of his hands, on hi neck, and in the middle of his forehead. He gave an impression of a man containing a superabundance of oxygen, or maybe helium. He wasn’t fat; he was just too well filled, and I vouch that what he was stuffed with was uncertainty. 

Easily one of the most perfect descriptions I've ever read. Creative but clear and completely defines the character. 

There is, of course, the other questions regarding the bigger picture in the revision stage. Plot structure, sequence, etc. Those are things you really can't follow a rule for. The pace of story has to be felt in my opinion. Reading along, you just sense when something is out of place or when a key scene is missing, or a useless scene is taking up space. Be ruthless in a second draft, I suppose is the only rule. Question everything, but do not pass GO until you have figured out the answer. 

The Great Rabbit Wars Pt. 9

Classified Enemy Information 005 (access Intercepted Communications)

The following file collected by our top placed child agent and delivered through underground channels.

ASSESSMENT REPORT:

Conditions in the Rabbit Camps are improving exponentially. Recent declarations have cleared the way for the takeover of abandoned Human Cities. A large percentage of the Human Children have been relocated to dormitories above ground. They are flourishing in the return to their natural environment. Dedication to General Nippon is genuine and on the rise....

-----(deleted)

...given recent reciprocal reports by Human High Command from the settlements. It appears we are losing the minds of our citizens as we become more and more ingrained in our underground habits. The conditions are deteriorated beyond comprehension. No power. No running water. Inhabitants have taken to fighting over bars of soap for nourishment. The children are becoming barbaric. It is feared the defection rate will only increase as....

-----(deleted)

...institute the Propaganda war immediately or this war will be lost with the loss of the next generation.

(Attached File from Human High Command)

(Tune in next Story Time Tuesday for the next installment)