Date: October 20, 2008 10:37 am Title: The Nature of Fun
back then, letters were the only means of communication across long distances and not everyone knew how to write. It was a very big deal.
I liked what he said about writing letters, when we started. He said it can be more intimate than whispering in someone's ear and that just, wow. I mean, I like to write but I never thought about it that way.
Those quotes illustrate exactly how I feel about letters. Only I have thought about it that way, like a lot. Enough to have written almost an entire story in epistolary form. ;)
So needless to say I liked that part.
Also, "And but so" is my new favorite way to start a sentence and it's due to you, not DFW because I know he's the one that does it and all, but he's him and so it seemed like a singular phenomena until I saw that you could do it too and it still worked.
I'm not making much sense am I? Anyway, I loved this whole story and I can't wait to see your epilogue. Don't feel pressured. All I want to hear is the rest of what you think needs to be told. At this point I trust you completely.
Author's Response:
You're making 100% sense, Azlin! I love "And but so" because I think it's how we talk and I think DFW did an amazing job of straddling the spoken and the written word. I like to think I have a bit of a conversational style, so I'm so pleased with your comment!
I don't know if there's a more wonderful sentence than this: "All I want to hear is the rest of what you think needs to be told." TUNA, are you kidding me? I've read that about ten times now. A thousand blessings on your head and your typing fingers so you can do the same! :-*
Date: October 15, 2008 12:53 pm Title: The Nature of Fun
There are no words for how much I enjoyed this. NO WORDS.
Author's Response: You know, there are very few things I read here that just completely blow my mind, and "another year of blindness" is one of the very few. I think I read it 4 times before I could even put a few words together so if I took your words, it's only payback and only fair. Thank you so much for this, bebitched.
Date: October 13, 2008 09:33 am Title: The Nature of Fun
Wow. That observation about the brief interviews & the talking heads is sort of creepy.
I can't blame Pam for wanting to heal the broken heart of cute Mr. Halpert & scaring the crap out of him.
I hope they don't get to ski much. Like in the Poconos, only better.
Seriously, I couldn't review for a while because all my words are lame. This is so freaking good -- well worth all the TLC.
Author's Response: When the BI-TH similarity came to me, lisa, it was like a 2X4 between the eyes. It is a little creepy! Like the Poconos, only now with LESS ROY! Thanks o much for this and just knowing you're reading and enjoying is enough for me. I haven't forgotten the promise to you and EH, so after this is done, it's back in the gutter for me! :-*
10 [Report This]Date: October 13, 2008 07:17 am Title: The Nature of Fun
AMAZING. I don't have anything else to say, because I'm speachless at the awesomenes!!!
Author's Response: Aw, Hannah, I can't wish for anything more than this. I'm so glad you're enjoying and thank you for taking the time to let me know!
10 [Report This]Date: October 12, 2008 09:34 pm Title: The Nature of Fun
so - yeah. you broke my brain. thanks. this is the first 10 rating i have given in awhile, but this is gorgeous. i love the basic language of the whole thing, plus i love the mixing of writing forms. love pam as art teacher teaching kahlo, love the neruda, love it all. i'm uber-curious about this magical sarah. i cannot wait for more!
Author's Response: EL, thank you so much for such a great review. I've enjoyed writing this so much and it's been like taking a huge breath of fresh air to feel open to just switching the forms up. Yeah, I know it's fanfic, but come on, right? No reason why we can't spread our wings a little and go on a flight of fancy. I think maybe you'll learn a little bit more about Sarah in the next chapter, but I think our hero is healing. She'll always be in his heart but I think Miss Beesly is breathing some life back into him. Chapter 4 is imminent and I really hope you enjoy.
Date: October 12, 2008 06:28 pm Title: The Nature of Fun
There is so very much to love here that I'm not sure where to start. You've created such a REAL world here. The way you've drawn characters like Father Chimento and the other lit. teacher...I can so CLEARLY see them all. And the way you're using footnotes to further capture some element of their personalities is unbelievably precise -- check out our girl Pam for instance! I LOVED the footnote about her grabbing him by the sweater and just planting one on him. What struck me the most about this chapter was that even though it was so sparse - it was amazingly RICH. That one moment between Jim and Pam at the water fountain tells us so much about both Jim AND Pam's characters and where they are in their relationship. Then there's the beautiful parallel you draw between Jim and Pam and their relationship to the school...both shaking things up a bit. Both making a huge impact on the students. And how wonderful seeing them through the kid's eyes.
And let's just take a moment to reflect on how HOT FOR TEACHER I AM!!!! Jim with the drumming of the fingers against the mouth..jeez. Jim with the poetry...double-Jeez.
I've said it once and I'll continue saying it...this and YOU are fabulous, my dear.
Author's Response:
HOT FOR TEACHER! You crack me up - but who could resist that, right?
Okay, I'm kind of still laughing about when I first presented the idea that I had about a change of format for this chapter. I looked back at our conversation and I was up in the air about everything. I had the idea of doing this BI-style, but I was thinking about switching POV to first-person Pam and I was open to ANYTHING and I know that makes you want to hit me so hard! You finally said DO WHATEVER YOU WANT! So, I want to thank you for this beautiful partnership we have!! :-D
Seriously, I know I've had some whacked out ideas - thank you for working through those with me and always being so positive and encouraging. LY
10 [Report This]Date: October 12, 2008 05:51 pm Title: The Nature of Fun
Since I'm in a melancholy mood tonight, what better way to chase that feeling than to read this through from the first chapter, right? Sweetpea, you made me cry. It was that last journal entry. To read this from the beginning with the added details of the next two chapters just blew me away (well, blew me further away since I was already blown away). The love story you've conjured up of Jim and his Sarah is epic. Hoping for some "epicness" for Mr. Halpert and Ms. Beesly.
Oh, how could I forget--I love the image of the v-neck, t-shirt, chino-and-horn-rimmed-glasses wearing, tortured hottie that all the young gals love. Thanks for that ; )
Author's Response:
Nan, thank you - again. What an awesome reader you are.
I would pay a bundle of American dollars to see Mr. Halpert, with the chinos and the glasses! Okay, maybe just the glasses!
10 [Report This]Date: October 12, 2008 05:01 pm Title: The Nature of Fun
This may be my favorite chapter of this so far. I love how you seamlessly incorporated the talking heads and brief interviews. I also love the individual personalities you gave each of the secondary characters. I've never reviewed every chapter of every story that I've loved but I'm going to try to change that with this. Because of this fic and the website you linked on the boards, I've been buying copies of DFW's work wherever I can find it and I can't wait to read all of it. Thank you for writing and posting this.
Author's Response:
Elly, thank you so much for this! I'm thrilled that you're enjoying this, but this is going to be very small, rotten potatoes (that smell like old tomatoes and dirt) once you start reading DFW. Have fun on that journey.
Chapter 4 is percolating in my head right now and should be bubbling over and into Word today and tomorrow. I hope you like it.
10 [Report This]Date: October 12, 2008 04:17 pm Title: The Nature of Fun
I am deeply in love with this story, Sweetpea. Truly and madly. This is just what I needed right now. I would love to give you a really detailed line-by-line review, but I'm exhausted at the moment (brother's wedding today, which has pretty much taken up the whole weekend really), so please forgive me. The abridged version is that this story knocks my socks off and makes me feel like a voyeur in the best kind of way. The alternate versions of these characters are so real. The way you describe Jim's sadness is breathtaking. Way to go, girl. I am really excited to keep reading.
Author's Response: Nan, this review is perfect and I have to remind myself of this - leaving a review doesn't have to be a whole masterpiece of War and Peace length, though sometimes it seems like I'm not going to be able to do a story justice with what I have to say about it. Sometimes all that comes to mind is "This was really great and I enjoyed reading it." Gosh, just knowing that someone enjoyed what you wrote is enough for me. I can't speak for anyone else, but anything beyond that is just so much gravy. I'm so glad you're enjoying and thank you so much for saying so. :-*
10 [Report This]Date: October 12, 2008 01:58 pm Title: The Nature of Fun
That's it-- I'm going out and buying some David Foster Wallace TODAY. Question: If I can only afford to buy one book by DFW, which book should it be?
I got so excited when I saw that you updated this. I love what you've done with Pam, how she's got this fire inside of her. I just love this whole thing so much, I want to take it by the girl's locker room and make out with it. :)
Author's Response:
Ha! This story is enough of a tramp that it'll probably tongue-kiss you under the bleachers, Corking. So cool to read this and thank you so much!
On to DFW. You can read quite a bit online to get your feet wet. The Howling Fantods is an amazing site (www.thehowlingfantods.com) - start there. Check out the link to "The Uncollected DFW" - some really wonderful and very early (like from his undergrad at Amherst) things there. They also have a bookstore. Harper's has made most of the pieces DFW wrote for them available online. Go here: http://www.harpers.org/archive/2008/09/hbc-90003557. On a more personal level, Dave Eggers' site (www.mcsweeneys.net) has memories and tributes posted. Some are quite moving and will give you an idea of who he was beyond being an incomparable writer.
A must-read - and maybe start here - is the text of his commencement address at Kenyon College in 2005. Here: http://www.marginalia.org/dfw_kenyon_commencement.html. Such a simple concept, he takes it down, down, down to the molecular level to make sure that you understand what it means to learn how to think and how that can inform every aspect of your life.
After you finish that, you can probably decide for yourself what you want to buy! Books are expensive - I often spend my lunch hour pawing through paperbacks and hardcovers at Goodwill. Good luck and bon voyage!
10 [Report This]Date: October 12, 2008 01:02 pm Title: The Nature of Fun
Yes.
I bow down to the queen of poetic explorations into Jim Halpert. This was so amazing, and moving, and full of stuff just pouring out. I cannot wait for more, you are a master! (mastress? mistress? rain? rein? rainn? god, I'll never change...)
Author's Response:
Mattress. You can call me the archive mattress.
This has been a magical little ride for me and I'm glad you're enjoying the scenery! Thanks so much for this, Stablergirl. I hope you never do change. :-*
Date: October 12, 2008 10:13 am Title: The Nature of Fun
First, let me say that I usually don't like fics that have The Office crew in other careers. But this is amazing. Every word is just fantastic.
Second, in high school, one of my male teachers cried (over the US Constitution, not poetry) and it was just like you described it. Here was this grown man, in tears, over the Constitution. No one laughed, no one moved, no one even flinched when the bell rang. And you captured exactly how stuff like that happens.
Just awesome. I can't wait for more.
Author's Response: katie, you can't even imagine how happy I was to read this! Although I'm not sure whether to laugh or cry over someone crying over the Constitution?! Did he have a mad crush on Sandra Day O'Connor or something? Anyway, the part of this chapter that I worried over the most was the group interview with the students. Let's face it, I'm old. I do spend quite a bit of time around younger people (it's how I retain my juvenile attitude) but I really wanted to get the cadence of that conversation right. I'm so pleased you think I captured that moment accurately. Thank you so much for commenting!
Date: October 12, 2008 05:09 am Title: The Nature of Fun
This story is so painful, but so beautiful. It makes my heart ache. I love this! (and David Foster Wallace- what little bit I've read.) This is gorgeous though, I can't get enough.
Author's Response:
So nice to read this, moneybeet. This story was "in development" for so long, I really didn't think I'd ever write it. I had some terrible writer's block and after a few months I was finally able to scratch out the first two chapters, but it was feeling wrong to me. I knew the exact tone I wanted and it just wasn't working. I've devoured so much of DFW's writing in the last month and almost right away, my head cleared and I felt completely centered into the story. Tingly and strangely powerful, like Vampire!Jim!
Anyway, that's a lot to say thank you so much and I'm so glad to know you're enjoying it.
10 [Report This]Date: October 11, 2008 10:11 pm Title: The Nature of Fun
Love what you're doing with this - very creative and good, good writing. Always an excellent combination.
Author's Response: So great to read this, Kestrel. The format for this chapter kind of kicked my ass (and not in the good Halpert kind of ass-kicking way) but once the thought came to me that DFW's Brief Interviews are so similar to the talking heads in TO - there was no way I could do this chapter any other way. Thanks so much for the feedback, I really appreciate it.
10 [Report This]Date: October 11, 2008 09:47 pm Title: The Nature of Fun
yay! This story is awesome - SO different :D I especially like the footnotes.
Author's Response: Woo hoo! Thanks so much, untherapy. The footnotes are a ton of fun to write, so I'm so glad you're enjoying those!
10 [Report This]Date: October 11, 2008 09:38 pm Title: The Nature of Fun
This is just....wow. I can't imagine how you do this - where it comes from. Amazing.
I love how we're getting to see this friendship develop, and getting Jim's story. In bits and pieces through the eyes of the people that know them now, and little bits from themselves. I love that there is so much we don't know, too.
I love that PAM scares JIM in this world. I love that she is the one pushing him and pulling him back into the world again, so to speak.
I don't think I can do enough justice in a review, for crying out loud. I've already read this a few times and each time I pick up on something else - some little nuance that someone says, or something in the footnotes (which. I. Love.)
I just love this. Every word.
Author's Response:
Whew! Thank you so, so much for this, kells! No beta today and this was a big chapter, so I just went with it. Then I couldn't get the darn thing to post right and it's still not formatted the way I wanted it to be, but at least it's readable.
Anyway, enough whining. I love thinking of them in this world and I'm so pleased you like the little bit of role reversal with Pam and Jim. That's something Lovefool and I talked about right in the beginning. I love thinking of Pam here - she's a free spirit, a little revolutionary in rural Vermont!
This format was tough to do, no lie. But I thought it was such a good way to reveal this world, so I'm glad you liked that, too. I'm so ready to go back to plain ole narrative after this. The footnotes are way too much fun - I swear, it's like I can turn into a different person or something once I get below that line.
Thank you for such thoughtful feedback. I really appreciate it! :-*