Aunt Walt and Uncle Emily

A Reminder

If you want to hear me read some of my stuff (along with Ari Lieberman, a fiction writer or perhaps a fictional writer), come to the English Department Lounge (GS 258) tomorrow at 4:30 PM on Thursday, March 17. Please note the time change.

Conference Schedules for Next Week

All conferences will be held in the Green Dragon Cafe in Sibley Hall. Please bring a piece of your writing to discuss and one to three questions about it, your writing in general, and/or the class.

Monday, Mar. 15

11:20 AM: Ikea
12:00 PM: Yaw
1:20 PM: Julia
1:40 PM: Jonathan

Tuesday, Mar. 16

1:20 PM: Irena
1:40 PM: Jill
2:00 PM: Anna

Wednesday, Mar. 17

11:20 AM: Eric
11:40 AM: Emily
12:00 PM: Angela
1:00 PM: Matt G.
1:20 PM: Alissa
1:40 PM: Elle

Thursday, Mar. 18

12:00 PM: Susie
12:20 PM: Amber
12:40 PM: Matt J.
1:00 PM: Jennifer

Here are simple definitions of parataxis versus hypotaxis:

Parataxis occurs when clauses or phrases are joined without the use of conjunctions or the grammatical arrangement of those equal, but separate, clauses. Example: The locker door was rusted shut; it was late. John went to class without his books.

Hypotaxis uses embedding and subordinate clauses to produce a more syntactically complex sentence structure and is a mark of formal written discourse. Example: Because the locker door was rusted shut and there was no time to try and open it, John was forced to go to class without his books.

Paratactic organization of a sentence or paragraph tends to leave looser connections between phrases and clauses; the reader must make leaps to fill in the gaps. Hemingway is a good example of a mostly paratactic writer. Hypotaxis guides the reader through an often sophisticated chain of clauses and ideas that are dependent upon each other and the order in which they appear. Faulkner is a good example of a mostly hypotactic writer.

An influential essay on the role of parataxis in poetics is Ron Silliman's "The New Sentence." It's not accessible online, but you can find an excellent survey of his main ideas here.

Upcoming Readings

Tonight (Wednesday, March 3):

Ogaga Ifowodo, fiction
Aimee Parkison, poetry
In the English Department Lounge (GS 258) at 4:30 PM

Lounge Hour readings are also scheduled for Thursday, March 18 (that's when I'll be reading); Wednesday, March 31; Thursday, April 15; and Wednesday, April 28. Wednesday readings happen at 4:30 PM; Thursday readings happen at 6:00 PM.

Wednesday, March 10:

Cornell Visiting Poet Kate Light will be reading at 7:30 PM in the Carol Takton Center in Balch Hall

Ongoing:

The Temple of Zeus Undergraduate Reading Series happens every Tuesday at 4:30 PM in Goldwin Smith Hall