Comments on: The Blurb #14: The Land of Underwater Birds http://therumpus.net/2010/02/the-blurb-14-the-land-of-underwater-birds/ Books, Music, Movies, Art, Politics, Sex, Other Sun, 27 May 2012 18:54:53 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 By: Bruce http://therumpus.net/2010/02/the-blurb-14-the-land-of-underwater-birds/comment-page-1/#comment-143589 Bruce Fri, 03 Jun 2011 10:19:30 +0000 http://therumpus.net/?p=43814#comment-143589 Great article, thanks. It made me laugh. Sadly, it didn't help me come up with a title for my current book. Not straight away, at least, but give it time. Maybe 'Catch 17' would have sunk without trace. Joshua, I think the point is that if you can write like Kundera or Joyce, then by all means call your book "The Unbearable Lightness of Being" or "Ulysses". Mere mortals, on the other hand, just end up falling short and looking stupid. Great article, thanks. It made me laugh. Sadly, it didn’t help me come up with a title for my current book. Not straight away, at least, but give it time.

Maybe ‘Catch 17′ would have sunk without trace.

Joshua, I think the point is that if you can write like Kundera or Joyce, then by all means call your book “The Unbearable Lightness of Being” or “Ulysses”.

Mere mortals, on the other hand, just end up falling short and looking stupid.

]]> By: Sonia http://therumpus.net/2010/02/the-blurb-14-the-land-of-underwater-birds/comment-page-1/#comment-110728 Sonia Sun, 20 Feb 2011 23:06:49 +0000 http://therumpus.net/?p=43814#comment-110728 Brought this piece up in two of my writing classes this week. It's wonderful. Brought this piece up in two of my writing classes this week. It’s wonderful.

]]> By: derektibbs http://therumpus.net/2010/02/the-blurb-14-the-land-of-underwater-birds/comment-page-1/#comment-31124 derektibbs Sat, 10 Jul 2010 18:12:21 +0000 http://therumpus.net/?p=43814#comment-31124 I agree on the Catch 17 thing. Some titles seem ill advised at the time and then enter public consciousness. I agree on the Catch 17 thing. Some titles seem ill advised at the time and then enter public consciousness.

]]> By: Joelle Biele http://therumpus.net/2010/02/the-blurb-14-the-land-of-underwater-birds/comment-page-1/#comment-19123 Joelle Biele Thu, 11 Mar 2010 00:21:00 +0000 http://therumpus.net/?p=43814#comment-19123 Love the Fitzgerald title and your list--thanks! Love the Fitzgerald title and your list–thanks!

]]> By: Joshua Mostafa http://therumpus.net/2010/02/the-blurb-14-the-land-of-underwater-birds/comment-page-1/#comment-17839 Joshua Mostafa Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:48:10 +0000 http://therumpus.net/?p=43814#comment-17839 Also, why is Catch-17 (etc) a bad title? If the book had been called Catch-17, this would be the name we would have for "catch-22" situations. Also, why is Catch-17 (etc) a bad title? If the book had been called Catch-17, this would be the name we would have for “catch-22″ situations.

]]> By: Joshua Mostafa http://therumpus.net/2010/02/the-blurb-14-the-land-of-underwater-birds/comment-page-1/#comment-17838 Joshua Mostafa Tue, 23 Feb 2010 02:43:29 +0000 http://therumpus.net/?p=43814#comment-17838 Some of those rules stand, but others have pretty obvious counter-examples: The Purely Descriptive: "Ode on a Grecian Urn" The Lofty Abstraction: Too many to mention. "Kaddish for an Unborn Child" is the one I read most recently. Surely not all lofty abstractions are bad versions of "The Unbearable Lightness of Being", etc. What about the originals? The Grammatically Complete Sentence: "One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest" The Allusion to Another, Much More Famous Work of Literature: "Ulysses" The Melodramatic Image: "As I Lay Dying" The Scratch ‘n Sniff, a.k.a. But-It-Will-Make-Such-a-Lovely-Cover-Someday: "In the shadow of young girls in flower", "the garden of forking paths" Some of those rules stand, but others have pretty obvious counter-examples:

The Purely Descriptive: “Ode on a Grecian Urn”

The Lofty Abstraction: Too many to mention. “Kaddish for an Unborn Child” is the one I read most recently. Surely not all lofty abstractions are bad versions of “The Unbearable Lightness of Being”, etc. What about the originals?

The Grammatically Complete Sentence: “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest”

The Allusion to Another, Much More Famous Work of Literature: “Ulysses”

The Melodramatic Image: “As I Lay Dying”

The Scratch ‘n Sniff, a.k.a. But-It-Will-Make-Such-a-Lovely-Cover-Someday: “In the shadow of young girls in flower”, “the garden of forking paths”

]]> By: Andrew Altschul, Books Editor, The Rumpus http://therumpus.net/2010/02/the-blurb-14-the-land-of-underwater-birds/comment-page-1/#comment-17805 Andrew Altschul, Books Editor, The Rumpus Mon, 22 Feb 2010 17:28:33 +0000 http://therumpus.net/?p=43814#comment-17805 I'd like to propose that we retire "The Girl with (insert provocative/sexualized/infantilized noun here)" as a title-type. I think this one's past its shelf date, no? I’d like to propose that we retire “The Girl with (insert provocative/sexualized/infantilized noun here)” as a title-type. I think this one’s past its shelf date, no?

]]> By: Rathbone http://therumpus.net/2010/02/the-blurb-14-the-land-of-underwater-birds/comment-page-1/#comment-17799 Rathbone Mon, 22 Feb 2010 16:45:17 +0000 http://therumpus.net/?p=43814#comment-17799 You definitely should have included the overused "Confessions of a ____" and "The ____ Diaries" You definitely should have included the overused “Confessions of a ____” and “The ____ Diaries”

]]> By: Howard Shingle http://therumpus.net/2010/02/the-blurb-14-the-land-of-underwater-birds/comment-page-1/#comment-17734 Howard Shingle Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:29:36 +0000 http://therumpus.net/?p=43814#comment-17734 Do these rules apply to non-fiction? Next to me on my desk is a book my daughter brought home from the library for a school project: "Stealing Lincoln's Body." I can't wait to read it! Do these rules apply to non-fiction? Next to me on my desk is a book my daughter brought home from the library for a school project: “Stealing Lincoln’s Body.” I can’t wait to read it!

]]> By: John Scalzi http://therumpus.net/2010/02/the-blurb-14-the-land-of-underwater-birds/comment-page-1/#comment-17733 John Scalzi Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:23:24 +0000 http://therumpus.net/?p=43814#comment-17733 In other news, "The Bad McSweeney" is the name of my next band. In other news, “The Bad McSweeney” is the name of my next band.

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