Talkin' 'Bout My Genre-ation

[David Morris]

>From: Thomas Eckhardt <uzs7lz at uni-bonn.de>
>The best examples for the importance of genre are perhaps satire and 
>parody, because they are decidedly intertextual forms. If you do not 
>recognize the target of a satire or the object of a parody you are not able 
>to perceive it as a satire or parody and this certainly takes out a whole 
>lot of the fun. Cases in point would be Don Quijote, Shamela, Ulysses, to 
>name but a few. This is to say that matters of genre are not merely an 
>abstract  lit crit thing but of vital importance to the actual reading 
>process - although you certainly don't have to know the terms etc.

Thanks for your response, Thomas.

Over the last year and a half during the GRGR I was often glad that I'd 
never read any books about GR, not even the "GR Companion."  I DID benefit 
from many on-line Pynchon sources, but apart from reviews and a few on-line 
essays, these were mostly research tools.  I stumbled upon many leads 
through web-searches aided by a limited literature base, and I still 
continually benefit from leads offered here, but not "knowing the terms" has 
been a benefit, IMHO.  Direct experience of the text is very important.

As for recognizing the targets of the satire or parody, that is not so much 
about recognition of genre as it is of cultural context.  Reading (or 
watching on TV) Pomo-multi-facted works, genres are easily recognized 
culturally, but not by name.  When lit-critters argue genre, it seems more 
aimed at categorization in order to tie the text into an historical 
framework.  This is a goal that diverts attention from the text itself.

Structure, though, is a more important cosideration.  It is the part of 
"form" (as opposed to genre) which has "content."  "V"-ness s a form laden 
w/ content!

David Morris


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