Antiliterary? - Writers Forum

suzakugaiden · 04-21-2006, 09:20 PM

I've heard the word antiliterary used to describe stuff before, but I don't really know what it's describing, or what this description entails. So what DOES antiliterary mean?

imrhati · 04-21-2006, 10:15 PM

well abviously the opposite of literary. which means the abilty to read and write. Therefore antiliterary is the inabilty to read and write.

FrankBlissett · 04-22-2006, 11:19 AM

If someone describes a work as "anti-literary", this is likely what they are saying:

"Since established writers and critics get confused by my stuff and say it 'needs work', they must be snobs who are full of crap. I am the real literary person."

Sometimes this is true, but more often it's just one snob's perspective.

If an established writer/critic used the term, I would likely consider that that person was a bit snobish and was simply deriding pop culture.

-Frank

suzakugaiden · 04-22-2006, 01:11 PM

Ah. My original thought was genre fiction, given that it seems sort of opposite to lit. fic. But alright.

mammamaia · 04-22-2006, 07:31 PM

sorry, imrhati, but it's 'literate' that means one can read and write... not 'literary'...

Quote:

lit·er·ar·y
adj.

Of, relating to, or dealing with literature: literary criticism.
Of or relating to writers or the profession of literature: literary circles.
Versed in or fond of literature or learning.
1. Appropriate to literature rather than everyday speech or writing.
2. Bookish; pedantic.

[Latin litterarius, of reading and writing, from littera, litera, letter. See letter.]

liter·ari·ly
liter·ari·ness n.

Source: The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

literary
adj 1: of or relating to or characteristic of literature; "literary criticism" 2: knowledgeable about literature; "a literary style" [syn: well-written] 3: appropriate to literature rather than everyday speech or writing; "when trying to impress someone she spoke in an affected literary style"

the 'anti-' version is a made-up term used by critics, not an actual word...

Mike C · 04-22-2006, 07:32 PM

Sorry, you're all wrong. Antiliterary writing was a short-lived dadaist experimental writing technique championed - and possibly invented - by Salvador Dali. It's about the removal of conscious thought from what you write, making it akin to stream-of-consciousness or automatic writing.

I imagine the idea was to do for words what Pollock did for paint.

mammamaia · 04-22-2006, 07:39 PM

how about 'not completely right'?

or, are you saying my explanation re literate/literary is also 'wrong'?

Mike C · 04-22-2006, 07:51 PM

Ah, Maia, we must have posted at the same time. Your reply wasn't there when I started writing mine.

As I was saying, you're all wrong apart from Maia...

mammamaia · 04-22-2006, 08:02 PM

i do stand [sit] partially corrected on the dali bit, though... should've remembered that, having been a fond follower of the mad maestro's anti-most-anything antics for lo, these many decades...

Mike C · 04-22-2006, 08:04 PM

I'm a big fan of the whole dada thing, but even amongst all that wierdness and wildness, Dali stood out.

suzakugaiden · 04-23-2006, 12:51 AM

automatic writing dangerously starts to veer out of the realm of art and into the realm of blog entry though.

Beardedtroll · 04-23-2006, 03:36 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suzakugaiden

automatic writing dangerously starts to veer out of the realm of art and into the realm of blog entry though.

That's where the absinthe enters the picture.

Mike C · 04-23-2006, 08:17 AM

Maybe you need to read some of Dali's essays. I think you'll probably find them a little more interesting - and better written - than the average blog. And without the aid of absinthe.

suzakugaiden · 04-23-2006, 01:04 PM

ZOMG!!!! Today i was all over at magritte's house and he's all "hA Daaali u wanna listen 2 da new My Chemical romance album" and I'm all "yeah okay" and so we r listenin 2 it (OMG I LOVE YOU MCR!!!) but then my mom calls and she's all "DID YOU DO UR HOMEWORK" jesus christ she is such a bitch WHY CAN'T anybody understand the darkness of my inner soul

Mike C · 04-23-2006, 03:55 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by suzakugaiden

ZOMG!!!! Today i was all over at magritte's house and he's all "hA Daaali u wanna listen 2 da new My Chemical romance album" and I'm all "yeah okay" and so we r listenin 2 it (OMG I LOVE YOU MCR!!!) but then my mom calls and she's all "DID YOU DO UR HOMEWORK" jesus christ she is such a bitch WHY CAN'T anybody understand the darkness of my inner soul

Uh... just read Dali.

And everyone knows Magritte was a closet Elvis fan.