A little intrigued here. But I'm ashamed to say, I'd never heard the word, " benison" before. Didn't have a dictionary handy, so when I looked up the definition in Google, it sought out the word " venison" repeatedly. One has to s l o w l y spell it out. ( To acquire the state of venison, that is no "blessing" to the deer. ) I tend to write only poetry (unpublished), as my feeble attempts to write prose tend to frustrate me. Now poems, I have awoken from a dream, with the sound of the Winter Park train in the background at midnight; the first few lines of a poem on my lips.. " The Southwest train blew deep into the belly of the night..." Thank you for today. You piqued my interest.
My house is loud today and I was just thinking as I read this how I lived on a large ranch which I owned alone when I went through my Pruitt Igoe study phase. There were social workers that documented in the PI towers before they ultimately declined and became a scene of crime and death. The social workers notated even benign things like the way black people in a certain home either crumbled cornbread "over" or put collard greens "on top of" the cornbread. Super fucking intrusive for social workers to do but I read all those files with the understanding that this is "American History" documents so they may not even be true. Especially the court records. I somehow think the demeaning ones are close to true but with deceitul spin.
For some reason this Death Hunter or whatever was to me like...is this author painting a picture of the kind of intrusive and unsuccessful social workers and researchers at Pruitt Igoe? Because you can tell that some of the social workers there dripped with hatred for the black and homeless "inconvenience" the way they describe them. Its kinda like how Adolph Coors of Colorado described black people and why he would not hire them at Coors factories.
I am guilty of looking down on Londoners, like this character, or any UK. Especially after the 2016 election interference and ensuing drama with online intel wars. But I would never want to live in "a flat," or an "apartment" or areas that hoard folk. It doesn't suit this main character, either.
Some communities rely on social workers and researchers (or intel crews)...to be...social, or at least...harmless. With genuine social skills and research filled with empathy. Let's just hope Colorado has learned from the likes of JG Ballard and does not stick the homeless in unsafe, old mob highrises that are a tinderbox of human emotion and reaction.
I wish you to see it and internalize how your writing (and even the things you say about other writers) "makes" other people absorb the world at large and especially literature. "Hacer" is a better Spanish descriptive word for the kind of sheer impact you have on your audience and students. Lovely. Your writing is lovely.
As usual, your brilliant writing about another writer’s brilliant writing leaves me homesick for a place I’ve never been. But the thing about your writing in this piece that grabbed me the most was the pointing out about how uncomfortable it makes us to not know the gender of another human being. In this age of declared pronouns and trans newsworthiness, this is a poignant thought. And, for me, it reminds of the tendency to judgment that we all have and many of us try to overcome. Using this fact to purposely make the reader uncomfortable is a noteworthy literary device!
There was a thing circulated years back on the internet that predicted your sex based on your writing style. My writing style was male. Something my AP English teacher pointed out decades ago hahaha. I'm a super girlie straight girl. Like soooo girlie. "I rejoice in loving who I am...girlie," whom writes like a dude. I wonder if we fed the character writing into that thing.
Wow. Thank you for sharing. I know the next book I will read.
Incredible piece Greg and a writer I shall be checking out posthaste. Thank you ❤️
A little intrigued here. But I'm ashamed to say, I'd never heard the word, " benison" before. Didn't have a dictionary handy, so when I looked up the definition in Google, it sought out the word " venison" repeatedly. One has to s l o w l y spell it out. ( To acquire the state of venison, that is no "blessing" to the deer. ) I tend to write only poetry (unpublished), as my feeble attempts to write prose tend to frustrate me. Now poems, I have awoken from a dream, with the sound of the Winter Park train in the background at midnight; the first few lines of a poem on my lips.. " The Southwest train blew deep into the belly of the night..." Thank you for today. You piqued my interest.
I've never heard of "benison" either, Bonnie. One new thing learned today.
I didn't know it either until I read the book!
Greg, you are an amazing writer and teacher. Inexplicably, you brought tears to my eyes by the last paragraph.
Thank you, Judy!
Your Sunday posts continue to inspire thought Greg, thanks for sharing, introduction to The Hunter and the curious 7 letter word “benison”!
The mysterious world of sex and gender are always welcome thought in the continuum!
It's a great word. Thank you!
It looks like the built-in Kindle dictionary will be useful while reading "The Hunters." Next book up! Thanks, Greg.
Let me know how you like it!
My house is loud today and I was just thinking as I read this how I lived on a large ranch which I owned alone when I went through my Pruitt Igoe study phase. There were social workers that documented in the PI towers before they ultimately declined and became a scene of crime and death. The social workers notated even benign things like the way black people in a certain home either crumbled cornbread "over" or put collard greens "on top of" the cornbread. Super fucking intrusive for social workers to do but I read all those files with the understanding that this is "American History" documents so they may not even be true. Especially the court records. I somehow think the demeaning ones are close to true but with deceitul spin.
For some reason this Death Hunter or whatever was to me like...is this author painting a picture of the kind of intrusive and unsuccessful social workers and researchers at Pruitt Igoe? Because you can tell that some of the social workers there dripped with hatred for the black and homeless "inconvenience" the way they describe them. Its kinda like how Adolph Coors of Colorado described black people and why he would not hire them at Coors factories.
I am guilty of looking down on Londoners, like this character, or any UK. Especially after the 2016 election interference and ensuing drama with online intel wars. But I would never want to live in "a flat," or an "apartment" or areas that hoard folk. It doesn't suit this main character, either.
Some communities rely on social workers and researchers (or intel crews)...to be...social, or at least...harmless. With genuine social skills and research filled with empathy. Let's just hope Colorado has learned from the likes of JG Ballard and does not stick the homeless in unsafe, old mob highrises that are a tinderbox of human emotion and reaction.
I have to look into PI. As usual, you introduce me to things I don't now about. Thank you!
I wish you to see it and internalize how your writing (and even the things you say about other writers) "makes" other people absorb the world at large and especially literature. "Hacer" is a better Spanish descriptive word for the kind of sheer impact you have on your audience and students. Lovely. Your writing is lovely.
You are so gifted.
First thing tomorrow, off to Barnes and Noble. Beyond intrigued
As usual, your brilliant writing about another writer’s brilliant writing leaves me homesick for a place I’ve never been. But the thing about your writing in this piece that grabbed me the most was the pointing out about how uncomfortable it makes us to not know the gender of another human being. In this age of declared pronouns and trans newsworthiness, this is a poignant thought. And, for me, it reminds of the tendency to judgment that we all have and many of us try to overcome. Using this fact to purposely make the reader uncomfortable is a noteworthy literary device!
There was a thing circulated years back on the internet that predicted your sex based on your writing style. My writing style was male. Something my AP English teacher pointed out decades ago hahaha. I'm a super girlie straight girl. Like soooo girlie. "I rejoice in loving who I am...girlie," whom writes like a dude. I wonder if we fed the character writing into that thing.
I don't feel too ignorant then. ;))
OMG..I'm the narrator
So interesting about the character being a nurse. I suppose you heard about the young nurse in London recently. Killed 7 newborns and is now sentenced to life in prison without a chance of parole. https://www.reuters.com/world/uk/killer-uk-nurse-lucy-letby-jailed-rest-her-life-2023-08-21/