Scrutinising text with radical rewording (copyright me :) )

Dear Void,

I know you didn’t ask for them but here are some technicalities of my methodology. I first talked about how I deep-read a text in my second post, 'On the Pleasure of Research'. These are the first steps I take when I scrutinise a text:

I take a text and divide it into small portions. 

I designate the fragments at natural points in the sentence; though, sometimes, if a sentence is long, then the line is separated somewhere in the middle of a clause, or at a list, and such.

I try not to cut the line, instead I try to unravel the line at its natural fissures. 

Then I paste the fragments into separate cells of a table. Down one column. 

Then I move to the next column and begin to scrutinise the smaller elements that make up the portion: either word by word or by paraphrase. Sticking closely to the constellations of meaning that make up each word/phrase. This is the second column and sticks closely (or tries to) to the original. 

By the third and fourth columns, I’m making associations with things I already know, memories, analogies, things that just pop up &c. This is usually the most interesting material bc I’ve moved beyond simply repeating what the text says, and I’ve moved into more interesting responses though still anchored to the original.

I call this method radical rewording (copyright that please!) and use it to scrutinise and respond to a text. I imagine those who are attached to narrative would find the process agonising. There’s a destructive element, and I suppose purpose, to the method. It is analysing the structure of the sentence, the word use, repetitions, patterns. I don’t see my method being too different to Barthes’ treatment of Sarrasine in S/Z or even the way Francine Prose describes her method for teaching writing as reading ‘closely; word by word, sentence by sentence, pondering each deceptively minor decision the writer had made.’

* * * *

There was a soundtrack to my work today, mainly BBC Radio 6, which is their overnight programming. So great! Then I had to go silent, still with my earphones on for the afternoon. 

* * * * 

Also, I’m preparing for the Creative Writing workshop for the Open Week ay USyd next week: I’m thinking line-at-a-time poem (that’s if we’re allowed to pass papers to each other) or messing with already-existing text in cut-ups and making little mini zines from them (that’s my favourite, I hope it’s that one).

Here’s one I prepared earlier, this sort of thing:


And a rewrite I did today:

[Along with] the notional. This place

The invented ‘here.’

Together we are small and gendered

In some kind of ascension, on an angle, tilted upwards

Methodically in the way of intervention

Did not usher space we sketch

Anything we can get hold of.


I like it. I’m off home now. My kid is making pizza. I’m very lucky.

Jx


PS.

Rewrite 11/02/2022 9:19 AM

In this notional place

The invented Here

We are together

Small and gendered, angled

Tilted upwards

In some kind of ascension

Methodologically

The way of intervention

We do not usher space                 we sketch

                Anything we can get hold of 


Comments

Post a Comment