Poetics
This project was an interesting and instructive exercise for me; as we articulated from the beginning of the semester, our goal was not to reproduce the conventional modes of discourse but to create something new within the gaps left by the consensus. As such, it was not possible to fall back on the known structures and techniques that are integral to the more standard forms of expression and argument found in other disciplines. In addition to and partly because of the challenge this assignment presented, the creative process was one of the more engaging that I have been able to experience. For me, just the process of refining my subject for the experiment was a problem to solve, largely because my initial proposal was in certain ways too restrictive. I eventually moved to a broader topic, addressing the experience of individuals personally involved with nuclear weapons and their development at many different levels, which allowed me to be more wide-reaching in my creative expression.
This dynamic of creative challenge and enjoyment was also very present in the actual construction—or more precisely, adaptation—of the poetic techniques for the project. Again, the standard mode of composition was not applicable, actually being explicitly rejected, but it also made the process fundamentally unique. This was the first opportunity I have had to be able to draw directly on the expressive language and creative poetics of the authors that are informing my work; typically, the idea is to develop writing within existing textual frameworks while avoiding direct reappropriation of the work of others. Given how much I had enjoyed reading our selections this year, especially the novels like Ragtime, The Plot Against America, and Slaughterhouse-Five, I was very enthusiastic to attempt to emulate those texts without being required to invent new structures but instead being encouraged to use the ones available to be adapted from those authors.
As I am very interested in history, especially 20th-century history and specifically the history of science and technology, the opportunity to address this particular subject was quite enjoyable. The depth of historicity within Ragtime and The Plot Against America, with their pervasive use and recharacterization of actual historical figures to enhance the expressive affect of the narrative was both entertaining to read and to emulate. The Cold War provided a very useful background of basic historical information to use as a departure point for more stylized expression, and the style of Slaughterhouse-Five, with its disruptive vignettes and looping patterns and structures within the narrative, was very instructive in composing the short entries for the project. The technique of blending history, memory, and myth came almost directly from the excerpt from The Way to Rainy Mountain, while much of the specific treatment of the interaction of the religious and scientific apparatuses within the framework of individual experiences of the period was inspired by Flannery O’Connor. Throughout the entire project, the lessons of Barthes from the first week, specifically the foundational notions of “Death of the Author”, were critical for the composition of the unconventional mode of discourse.
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