Facebook Fan Page for Tom Kepler Writing/Wise Moon Books

On this blog I write about writing, share my writing and that of others, and discuss publishing. In addition, I also write about teaching, the school where I teach, and just about anything else I find interesting.

Thus I've started my Facebook Fan Page for my writing: a place to promote my writing and to gather lovers of language.

For those who have read my book of poetry, Bare Ruined Choirs, I have posted a discussion where you can ask questions about the poems and how they came to be written. I also have a fan page for the book but found the single focus too restrictive. However, the BRC fan page has under discussions articles from this blog about the book's genesis.

For those of you who are interested in the journey of my books The Stone Dragon and Love Ya Like a Sister, I will post information about seeking a literary agent and publisher.

For those of you who are curious about the publishing process, as the publisher of Wise Moon Books, I will share the joys and challenges of getting into print. (At this time, WMB is only a label for my books. Someday, though...)

Follow the links, become a fan (say you "like" the page), interact: comment and ask questions. Post interesting information on the wall. Maybe fan pages are the best of the social network for wordmeisters--focus with a thumbnail!

Of course, you can also follow this blog (via Email, Google Connect, or Networked Blogs). This blog is the engine that drives all my other sites. Here I make the ice cream, then serve in varied dishes.

Copyright 2010 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

Iconic Book Covers: if you've got a spare $4,000...or so!

AbeBooks has posted an email advertisement displaying what the company calls "50 Iconic Book Covers." I do recognize some of the covers from libraries and thought I'd share with you.

 

First edition. A tiny bit of foxing to the topedge, easily fine in fine dustwrapper. A crisp, fresh, bright and magnificent copy of this Pulitzer Prize-winning classic of an Oklahoma family's migration to California during the Depression. Basis for the John Ford film featuring Henry Fonda as Tom Joad. Ford and Supporting Actress Jane Darwell won Academy Awards; Fonda was nominated but lost to Robert Donat in Goodbye, Mr. Chips! Steinbeck's masterpiece and literature's lasting testament to the Great Depression, it was singled-out in his citation for the Nobel Prize decades later. 

The price? $22,500.

 

First Edition of the author's only novel; one which garnered her the Pulitzer Prize. Octavo, original green cloth backed brown boards, titles to spine in gilt. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Signed by the author on the front endpage. The first edition had an estimated printing run of 5,000 copies.

Price = $27,500.

 

First edition, first printing, in first issue dust jacket with "Harper & Brothers" to foot of front flap. Inscribed on bookplate to pastedown by the author "For Carl William Hull, with my best -, E. B. White". Octavo. Original beige cloth, titles and illustrtion to front cover in green and orange, pictorial endpapers. With the colour printed dust jacket. Housed in a quarter green morocco solander box by the Chelsea bindery. Frontispiece and text illustrations by Garth Williams.

Price = $18,563.83.

 

First Edition, First Impression of one of the undisputed masterpieces of the modernist movement. "On the publication day of this great novel, its author drooped under ‘the damp cloud’ of a review in the Times Literary Supplement, ‘timid’, ‘doubting’, a replica of its reviews of her previous two novels (Diary, 5 May 1927). Yet a month later she began to find herself ‘almost an established figure They don't laugh at me any longer’, she noted in her diary on 6 June. ‘Possibly I shall be a celebrated writer.’"

Price = $33,414.90.

A fine SIGNED copy of the March, 1952 reprint of the first edition. [The first issue was July, 1951]. 8vo., 277pp., black cloth, gilt.Salinger's remarkable first book, neatly signed in black fountain pen at the top of the title page. An excellent example of Salinger's elusive signature - The binding is fine; the dustwrapper very good or better with the $3.00 price present & nine reviews on the back panel replacing Salinger's photo after the first few early printings at his insistence. Custom clamshell case in very fine condition. The probable High Spot in Modern American Lit collecting, "The Catcher In The Rye is undoubtedly a 20th-century classic. It struck a popular note, particularly with young readers, who strongly identified with Holden Caulfield and his yearning for lost innocence. Salinger's novel was, and continues to be, a phenomenal success" (Parker, 300). "This novel is a key-work of the nineteen-fifties in that the theme of youthful rebellion is first adumbrated in it, though the hero, Holden Caulfield, is more a gentle voice of protest, unprevailing in the noise, than a militant world-changer. The Catcher in the Rye was a symptom of a need, after a ghastly war and during a ghastly pseudo-peace, for the young to raise a voice of protest against the failures of the adult world. The young used many voices-anger, contempt, self-pity-but the quietest, that of a decent perplexed American adolescent, proved the most telling" (Anthony Burgess, 99 Novels , 53-4).
Price = $55,000.

So, if you're looking for a summer read for yourself or a loved one--you know, something for your kid to read as you're driving to that favorite summer campground.... Oh, and by the way, you can get The Godfather, The Stand, The Sword in the Stone, or The Wizard of Earthsea, and others for only $4,000 - $5,000. What a deal!

Copyright 2010 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

Book descriptions from the AbeBooks link

Mark Twain Has Made Us Wait 100 Years for His Autobiography--and that time is here!

When Mark Twain died in 1910, he left us more than 5,000 unedited pages about his life--with instructions to wait one hundred years before their publication. 

Those one hundred years have passed, and his estate (Twain has no surviving family) has authorized the publication of his memoirs. The proceeds will go to institutes that "preserve his legacy."

Portions of his autobiography has been printed as biographers have picked through the 5,000 pages, but now the estate and the University of California, Berkeley, want the entire work to be published so that readers can determine for themselves the kind of man Twain was--according to his own words written toward the end of his life.

Some items sure to be included:

• his affair with Isabel Van Kleek Lyon, his secretary after the death of Twain's wife--a 400-page account added the last year of his life
• views that could have hurt his image as the great American man of letters: views of God, American imperialism, and Christian evangelism overseas
• commentary that could have offended people he knew

 A longer article is available from the books section of The Independent, including links to other related articles. Thanks to Richard Incorvia, Jr., for steering me to this topic.

Copyright 2010 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

photo from Library of Congress

Sustainable Transportation: Bicycling in Sun and Snow in Utrecht, Netherlands

I try to ride my bike as much as possible--in sun and rain and snow and wind.

Yes, sometimes I'm tired, so I don't. Or sometimes I feel the strain would be to much on my physiology, resulting in sickness. I try to be reasonable. My goal though (to repeat myself) is to ride my bike as much as possible.

That's why my wife and I share one family car and don't each have separate cars. This involves some planning and coordination, but that's what marriage is all about, right?

For those who seek to be "eco," I've embedded two videos showing bicyclers in the Netherlands: spring and winter. Be inspired to ride your bike!





Today it looks like rain, so I'll be wearing rain gear two days in a row!

Copyright 2010 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

Authonomy: HarperCollins Collects the Unpublished

If you believe that the competition is fierce for getting a book published, then take a peek at the novels on HarperCollins' website authonomy. You'll have ample proof that you're right.

Thousands of novels, unpublished or self-published, are posted on this site, and then site members read and "back" those that are felt worthy.  According to the choices "backers" make, backers also can rise in ranks as "talent spotters."

After almost a month of being uploaded onto the site, my novel The Stone Dragon ranks 855, and as a spotter I rank 1195. This has been a steady, respectable climb, I believe, based on three and a half weeks of interaction.

Below are some of the comments from authonomy about The Stone Dragon:

• "The source that is not dreaming, sleeping, or waking...perhaps the salvation of us all. An interesting journey into the creation of reality from the source, enabled by a cup of cabbage tea." [Marianne Coil]
• "A little of Earthsea with a touch of Harry Potter, but with a wholy original and poetic voice." [Thorne Moore]
• "I cannot believe I haven't commented on this wonderful work. This is gripping, compelling, and incredibly visual, a real feast for the senses. This is a book that belongs on a shelf or, more accurately, in a paying reader's hands." [Abigail Knight]
• "Written with the curls and cadence of ancient runes. Also I see a great sense of humour: the cabbage song ... overall, a text to equal The Hobbit?" [Luke Bramley]
• "At the end of your first chapter, when you speak of the raven leaping into the sky unseen by Glimmer, 'black flight following his path like a second shadow,' you send shivers up our spines." [Gerry McCullough]

The top five manuscripts with the most votes each month make the "Editor's Desk" and are previewed and commented on by a board of HarperCollins' editors.

One writer, Richard Bard, author of BRAINRUSH, wrote the following:  

AUTHONOMY WORKS! In the couple of months that I've been on this site, dozens of readers have finished the book, a Hollywood producer contacted me regarding a film option, and I was signed by a top literary agent. Now that’s a brain-rush!

My overall impression after a month of membership and interaction on the site is that there are many, many well-written and compelling manuscripts uploaded to authonomy. My sense of scale of the competitiveness of the publishing world is has become much more concrete.

Here are some examples of first lines of novels from the site:

• "There was something about Naomi Long's face--the wide-open black eyes, the hewn look of her nose and cheeks--that resembled a ship's figurehead. [Deadly Nevergreen, Lynn Clayton]
• "The black ocean greeted him like a motorway pileup, huge crests and troughs rising and falling beneath a burnt sky, wind and rain so many splinters of glass and light." [The Kingdom Within, Luke Bramley]
• "In an endless supply of flower-patterned gowns covering every possible inch of skin below the neck, pale hands peeking out beneath fraying lace trim, she would rock in a chair I had rarely seen empty, staring out a window beyond which life traveled and hummed and of which she had no part." [Brewer House, Lisa Candelaria Bartlett]
• "Leaves, roots, flying colours, the red of a squirrel's tail, a patch of blue sky, a piece of green lawn, falling over each other in kaleidoscopic chaos, merging and separating, moving seamlessly one into the other. Now came a rustling, a pattering, and finally a bird's squawking that softly exploded into the distant sound of a car horn." [Greenwood Tree, B. Lloyd]

Here are the first lines of The Stone Dragon:

Sun blazed bright fire,and wings flamed in the silent void. And if wings, why not sinew and tendon, why not muscles to stretch and pull fire on its flight through space?

Scales of fire flexed beneath his body, and he heard the flap of wings,a sound like flame guttered by wind.  He felt the surge upward and then the downward beat. Like a crown or halo, wings of light curved before him into the empty darkness—wings, and then a burning length of serpentine neck and triangular head rising to balance the stroke of wings. The viper’s head turned, eyes like coals burning into his.

What has been written by many published authors rings even more true: persevere. Don't give up. Continue with the game plan.

The further advice of authors, agents, and publishers also rings true: establish your platform, establish your web of connections and means of displaying and promoting your writing.

That is, if you want people to read what you've written.

It's a very tough business and a very tough market. The need for balance in life--inner rewards along with outer rewards is important. This is another definition of consciousness-based writing--focusing not on the subject matter of the writer's content but rather the ability of the writer to integrate writing into one's total life.

If no one likes what you've written--and you still like it--then you're still halfway there. Such an attitude, along with a healthy dose of humility, will keep you as sane as any writer can be.

Copyright 2010 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

Warnings on Chemicals and Cancer

April 28 was the day my first wife died seven years ago from the effects of cancer and radiation treatment. 

It seems appropriate to pass on information that is new about dangers in our environment.

One source is an article about the President's Cancer Panel and a report it is releasing about how chemicals can threaten our bodies. Nicolas D. Kristof of The New York Times says that the panel "is poised to join ranks with the organic food movement": New Alarm Bells About Chemicals and Cancer.

Another article about this report and its message is on the Atlantic site, titled  "President's Panel: 'Eat Organic, Ward Off Cancer.'"

Finally, The New York Times on its website Times Topics also provides information on Bisphenol-a, or BPA, a "commonly used in the production of polycarbonate plastics as well as the epoxy resins that line the inside of most food and beverage cans."

Knowledge is power; let's use it to leverage ourselves a healthier life. 

Copyright 2010 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

A High School Student from China Comments on The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

Comments after Reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer

by Runzhao

In the past two weeks I read one of the most famous novels in American literature—the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. After reading the book, I noticed something different from what others noticed. I thought in this book, the author wants to show us not only naughty Tom’s adventures, but also kind of how Americans act in the world today.

In this book, Tom is a naughty boy who hates to be limited. At first it was very difficult for me to understand how these actions can be allowed, but then I noticed, in America, most of the people, even like my age, like to do things their own way—and many times against the rules. But now after observing this state of affairs, I can understand why he wants to do so many “bad” things. Little Tom Sawyer is in fact a typical representation of all Americans. If I had not lived in America, I would never have understood the book. When they do things, they never think about the consequences of their actions, they just do it! They think the more limitations there are, the less happiness there will be. So they often do something which might cause some serious problems, but they really don’t want to cause that.

Tom Sawyer also shows the characteristic interest of Americans—to explore. Tom Sawyer lived a happy life at first—at least a safe and peaceful life—but he chose to have an adventure. Many of my friends in America also say that they want to have adventures. In the book, Tom and his friends go out to an island with only a few supplies, but they still enjoy their day of adventure. All the children have curiosity, but during their growing years, that kind of curiosity becomes less and less, and finally almost disappears, through the educational process. Mark Twain, in my opinion, is to show us the children need to have curiosity, and they can learn a lot from adventures. 

From this book, I also realized that people can’t fall into the sea of money. Once they fall in it, almost nobody can get out. At the end of the book, Mark Twain describes how people change after they got money. Even Tom Sawyer doesn’t want to give up a life like that. The life full of rules and limitations is just killing people’s curiosity in that way. But Huckberry Finn is an example Mark Twain gives us to show that there are still people who can successfully keep their curiosity. For them, nothing is more important than their freedom. That’s also what Mark Twain wants the children in the future to be.

After reading The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, I not only enjoy the adventures Tom Sawyer had, but also find out much useful knowledge, and become closer to American’s daily life as well. Thanks to this book, I understand many things I did not understand before. Thank you, Mark Twain, for giving us such a great book. If possible, I’d like to read this kind of book again.

Copyright 2010 by the student author, all rights reserved

Permission to use is to be obtained through the student's teacher, Tom Kepler

Iron Man 2: the backstory revealed by a Marvel Comics aficionado

"Obviously, you were not a big Marvel Comics reader when you were younger."

So begins a letter sent to me by friend and long-time Marvel Comics collector Pawan Varma. I confess: guilty!

In my last blog post, I asked a number of questions about the movie Iron Man 2, questions regarding the introduction of various intense, eccentric characters into the movie without adequate backstory information. Pawan was kind enough to fill me in on the basics of the Marvel superhero universe, and I am glad that he has given me permission to forward that information to my readers.

Here are basic questions I asked about characters in Iron Man 2 with Pawan's answers (and more) following.

• Why does Tony Stark decide to dress up in his suit and get drunk?
• Why is Pepper a hot and cold shower of emotion?
• Why is Hammer such a complete ignoramus yet also, apparently, a brilliant weapons developer?
• Why does Ivan Vanko decide that mayhem is the answer to his woes?
• Why is Natalie/Natasha so mysteriously eccentric? (Even Tony Stark asks this.)
• Who and why, for crying out loud, is Nick Fury?
• Why does Lt. Colonel Rhodes seem to be the only rational character in the movie?

Pawan Varma answers:

This movie was a setup for the next big one, which will be an Avengers movie. We caught a glimpse of that in the last scene with Nick Fury. Most likely, instead of Iron Man 3, we will see an Avengers movie. Before this, however, you will see a Captain America movie and a Thor movie in the coming year or two. Without these, we cannot have an Avengers movie. 

To answer some of your questions: 

• Ivan Ivanko needed to be a deranged genius as a foil to Tony Stark. He also needed to be a violent villain to push Tony to do what he needed to do, namely, create the new element so that the Iron Man technology couldn't be replicated. Watching his father die in front of his eyes and laying the blamesquarely on Howard Stark pushed Ivan over the edge.
• Justin Hammer is a foil for Tony Stark in a different way. They were business rivals until the end of this movie when the rivalry has turned personal. In the future, when Stark finances the super-heroes (see below), Hammer will finance the super-villains. In this movie, we were introduced to the character, got to see some of his foundational character traits, and learned the history of why he hates Stark so much.
• Pepper Potts is Stark's loyal secretary, but she is also deeply in love with him. Because Stark is eccentric and unreliable, Potts' efficiency and grounded nature are a perfect match to make them a strong team. By contrast, there is no such person in Spiderman's life. As such, he is less effective in a team environment than Iron Man is. 
• Lt. Colonel Rhodes is a key link to the US government. When the senator (who was pinning the medals on Stark and Rhodes at the end) is next seen, he will be on a mission to register super-heroes with the government. Rhodes will be one of the key opponents working from within the government bureaucracy. (Stark will spearhead the opposition from the private sector.)
• Natalie (a.k.a. Natalia) is a super-heroine called the "Black Widow." She should have a much, much bigger role in one of the upcoming movies.
• Nick Fury is head of an organization known as S.H.I.E.L.D. (Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division). Again, this movie simply introduced the character and the organization. In future movies, there will be a stronger connection between Stark Industries and S.H.I.E.L.D, with Stark financing a lot of the operations and technology of S.H.I.E.L.D. Coming soon, you will also see Spiderman and the Hulk coming back to work with some of these other super-heroes.

Basically, you are witnessing a re-emergence and re-thinking of the Marvel Comics universe that began 50 years ago. Back then, they would introduce new characters in one comic. If the character caught on, a new line of comics would be produced. With each movie costing hundreds of millions of dollars, however, we are likely going to see animated versions on TV and the Internet first. Specific characters and story lines will come out in movie format every year or every other year. Media, toys, books, and yes, new comics, will be created to complement each other.

I find this whole thing very interesting on two fronts. First, in the comic universe, it is great to see all of these characters coming out and being true to their origins.

Second, the promotion being done is far, far more sophisticated than anything I have witnessed in the past. I like to tell people that I know a fair bit about marketing and publicity. But by comparison, my knowledge is a home-made remote-controlled airplane compared to Marvel's space shuttle. These guys are so far advanced in their knowledge of marketing that I feel truly humbled. 

And that's a good thing. 

Hopefully, this gives you a comic book lover's perspective on the movie. I thought it was a great movie. The big bonus for me was that this movie laid so much of the groundwork needed for future movies. Now, after two more movies, Thor and Captain America, I think we will be ready for a really serious shift in the super-hero movie genre.

My prediction is that in 2014, we will see this shift. And given the way Marvel is doing this, I am already at the edge of my seat.

And so that's the word from someone more knowledgeable than I. My thanks to Pawan, and my last observation is that there is always a challenge when making a movie from another medium, whether it be play, poem, or book. The movie Iron Man 2 demonstrates that: so much to include and so much necessary to leave out. We even see this in The Lord of the Rings trilogy with the omission of the character Tom Bombadil and omission of the scouring of the Shire at the end of the story.

It appears we have a lot to look forward to in the superhero movie genre. Perhaps it's time for me to upgrade to HD, hmmm?

Copyright 2010 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

All copyrights retained by the guest writer

Iron Man images from the official movie site

Iron Man 2: afterthoughts in the form of a review

I'm glad I watched Iron Man 2, but I'm not sure why.

All the objects blowing up, I imagine--the special effects. Iron Man 2 is heavy on action and light on characterization. No, that's not right--plenty of character is projected, but for what purpose, I'm not sure. Usually some normality is expected in a superhero movie--to provide a foil for the superhuman exploits of the main characters. In this movie, too much over-the-top characterization lessened the impact of the story.

Why does Tony Stark decide to dress up in his suit and get drunk?

Why is Pepper a hot and cold shower of emotion?

Why is Hammer such a complete ignoramus yet also, apparently, a brilliant weapons developer?

Why does Ivan Vanko decide that mayhem is the answer to his woes?

Why is Natalie/Natasha so mysteriously eccentric? (Even Tony Stark asks this.)

Who and why, for crying out loud, is Nick Fury?

Lt. Colonel Rhodes seems to be the only character who acts in a somewhat predictable manner. He tries to be loyal to Stark and to his country. His reactions seem to come from an identifiable source: concerned, protective, and reluctantly intervening actions regarding a friend who is out of control.

Perhaps the best compliment to the cast of acting greats is that the actions of the characters--if not believable--are at least interesting and watchable. I believe the characters are who they are. I just find it difficult to believe they all ended up on the screen together. My "willing suspension of disbelief" got bent.

Watch the movie--yes, I did. It was a hoot--and I think it's better than G.I. Joe. How's that for setting the standard high?

Copyright 2012 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

A Student Writes Flash Fiction

A 10th grade student has just submitted a flash fiction story for extra credit.

Preparation for the writing included reading flash fiction stories from the Every Day Fiction site, stories written by me, and also some examples from Edgar Wiseman's book of flash fiction called Briefs. Prior to this flash fiction unit, as a class we had also studied short stories that fit into the "schools" of realism, naturalism, and regionalism--writers such as Mark Twain, Bret Harte, and Kate Chopin.

The student has agreed to work on the story with me and then submit the story to Every Day Fiction.

The story has an excellent title, "Leap of Faith," which has both literal and thematic significance.

The beginning works well:

The cliff was huge, dark, and intimidating. Every rock was sharp. The cliff collided with the water, and the dark waves crashed against the stone with loud beats.

The conflicts include both inner and outer challenges. Dialogue, two different settings, and characterization are significant to the story.

I'm a strong believer of creating literature as a powerful procedure for learning to analyze literature. "Doing" teaches in ways that "talking about" never gets to. In terms of higher order thinking skills, "synthesis" is a different thinking skill than "analysis."

And, who knows, maybe somebody will get published.

Copyright 2010 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

The End of the School Year

Part of being a successfully functioning adult is the ability to find closure, to end things well.

Ending things well is a part of the "hidden curriculum" for all teachers--teaching our youth to complete a task, to stick to it, to persevere and experience the fulfillment of closure.

Ever heard of "senioritis"?

All students are "seniors" at the end of the year. All students can see the end of the term and summer ahead, yet they all don't know how to carry on till the last day is finished. Time has a way of dragging its feet; events unfold much more slowly in real time than in the imagination.

So I discuss with my students this situation, talk with them. How many endings have they experienced? How many times have they carried a task through to completion? How many "graduations" have they had?

Not so many, and this truth is revealed in their ability (or inability) to manage these endings.

Sometimes it's easier to just ignore the whole responsibility thing and enjoy the moment. Sometimes it's easier to sever the connecting cord now and not wait till we reach the rope's end. Sometimes it's easier to accept the offer of anxious adults and to let them finish for you.

I've seen all these scenarios with my students, and this is what I have to say: it's best to hunker down and do the job yourself--do the whole job, do it in proper sequence, and never mind the bells and whistles at the end of the race. Enjoy them when the race is over.

Ending well is not always easy. Sometimes people need support.

Ending well is a skill well worth learning--an experience well worth living. Take this blog post, for example. I could have easily said I didn't have time to write, but now that I'm done, I've shared something important at a useful time. And now that you're done reading--carry your fortitude into the day.

Copyright 2010 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved

Flash Fiction and Prose Poetry: a personal comment

Dialing back may be a description of part of the process I follow in rewriting my fiction.

Rough drafts of my fiction often unfold as prose poems, sections of narrative prose that flow with the rhythms, tension, and lyricism of poetry. The process of revision is the process of pulling the narrative elements more into the progressions of everyday prose, of taking the exotic, unknown, half-seen bird of paradise and placing it clearly on the fence post or tree limb--a bluebird or an oriole, beautiful yet more familiar.

On the website of the Academy of American Poets, the page for "Poetic Form: Prose Poem" provides a clear definition of what prose poetry is, and the page also describes the form's birth and development. Users of the form include such poetry greats as William Wordsworth, Charles Baudelaire ("Be Drunk"), Ranier Marie Rilke, Pablo Neruda, and William Carlos Williams. Contemporary poets using the form include Richard Wright and Charles Simic. The article concludes with "Campbell McGrath’s winding and descriptive 'The Prose Poem' " which is labeled "a recent example of the form."

Edgar Wiseman's book of flash fiction, Briefs, embodies that sense of the prose poem, skirting the line between prose and poetry:

They pass terrible Mason’s and stop right at the spot the boy died. Then they commence to swaying, bowing, hugging, waving their arms about. Forgive me, Jesus, but look like they grief dancing, like the sidewalk too cold or too hot they had to jump around not to burn up.

A Wikipedia article on prose poetry (incomplete yet containing some instructive comments) mentions "The distinction between flash fiction and prose poetry is at times very thin, almost indiscernible." The article adds that the form has been considered "subversive," as corrupting the integrity of both narrative prose and poetry.

Sounds like innovation to me.

Copyright 2010 by Thomas L. Kepler, all rights reserved