intextuality

[Kyburz at asu.edu]

On Fri, 22 Nov 1996, Christopher Tassava wrote:

> Re: "Pass the talcum to me Malcolm" (64.19)," Don Larsson write:
> 
> "It raises an interesting question about intertextuality.
> When "real" characters encounter fictional characters in books, what is
> the result?  There was a lot of talk about this when Doctorow wrote
> RAGTIME but now we're stuck with Forrest Gump!"
> 
> For a much better take on this whole thing, see Don DeLillo's masterpiece 
> novella (and alleged component of his next book), _Pafko at the Wall_, 
> which features J. Edgar Hoover watching Jackie Gleason puke on Frank 
> Sinatra while watching the third game of the 1950-something NL playoff 
> between the Dodgers and Giants.  It's well worth finding the 10/92 
> Harper's to read it.
> -- 
> Xferen
> 
> "Important to keep going, obliterate the sure thing	Don DeLillo,
> and come upon a moment of stealthy blessing."		_Mao II_
> 
Sounds like a work of Woody Allen's.  
One of my favorite "intertextual" *moments* comes in Allen's short story 
"The Kugelmass Episode."  Kugelmass wants to cheat on his wife (in 
essence) and so sees a magician, who, with the help of his "magic box," 
tells K. to decide on some great literary woman with whom he'd like to do 
so.  K. chooses M. Bovary and throws the book in the box, and is 
transported right into the text.  Later, Allen draws out a scene in a 
classroom in New Jersey (?) where a group of 8th (?) graders suddenly 
ask their teacher "where the goofy Jewish guy came from" in their reading 
of the novel.  With Allen in charge, it's much funnier--you might like it.


Bonnie L. Kyburz, Instructor
Department of English			(602) 965-7756 (office)
Arizona State University		kyburz at asu.edu
Tempe, AZ  85287-0302			*or* surfus at chuma.cas.usf.edu