Comments on: Unhumorous Punchlines http://htmlgiant.com/craft-notes/unhumorous-punchlines/ the internet literature magazine blog of the future Thu, 24 May 2012 09:44:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: stu http://htmlgiant.com/craft-notes/unhumorous-punchlines/comment-page-1/#comment-31025 stu Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:59:38 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=16206#comment-31025 Is that from "Amateurs"? Is that from “Amateurs”?

]]> By: stu http://htmlgiant.com/craft-notes/unhumorous-punchlines/comment-page-1/#comment-118622 stu Thu, 08 Oct 2009 14:59:00 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=16206#comment-118622 Is that from "Amateurs"? Is that from “Amateurs”?

]]> By: Mike http://htmlgiant.com/craft-notes/unhumorous-punchlines/comment-page-1/#comment-30984 Mike Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:07:50 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=16206#comment-30984 There's a pretty great George Saunders essay about D. Barthelme's "The School" that, among other things, considers the story as being built much like a joke, with a series of escalations and then even more awesome, and unexpected, escalations. There’s a pretty great George Saunders essay about D. Barthelme’s “The School” that, among other things, considers the story as being built much like a joke, with a series of escalations and then even more awesome, and unexpected, escalations.

]]> By: Mike http://htmlgiant.com/craft-notes/unhumorous-punchlines/comment-page-1/#comment-118621 Mike Thu, 08 Oct 2009 03:07:00 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=16206#comment-118621 There's a pretty great George Saunders essay about D. Barthelme's "The School" that, among other things, considers the story as being built much like a joke, with a series of escalations and then even more awesome, and unexpected, escalations. There’s a pretty great George Saunders essay about D. Barthelme’s “The School” that, among other things, considers the story as being built much like a joke, with a series of escalations and then even more awesome, and unexpected, escalations.

]]> By: Jimmy Chen http://htmlgiant.com/craft-notes/unhumorous-punchlines/comment-page-1/#comment-30890 Jimmy Chen Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:42:37 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=16206#comment-30890 bill, i see what you're saying; there's a lot of that in flash, and i've noticed a backlash against it, but i was thinking Stephen Dixon does the punchline a lot too, and his writing is really long and builds off the excessiveness of detail. i think it's more about each line's relation to each other than it is length. bill, i see what you’re saying; there’s a lot of that in flash, and i’ve noticed a backlash against it, but i was thinking Stephen Dixon does the punchline a lot too, and his writing is really long and builds off the excessiveness of detail. i think it’s more about each line’s relation to each other than it is length.

]]> By: Jimmy Chen http://htmlgiant.com/craft-notes/unhumorous-punchlines/comment-page-1/#comment-118620 Jimmy Chen Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:42:00 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=16206#comment-118620 bill, i see what you're saying; there's a lot of that in flash, and i've noticed a backlash against it, but i was thinking Stephen Dixon does the punchline a lot too, and his writing is really long and builds off the excessiveness of detail. i think it's more about each line's relation to each other than it is length. bill, i see what you’re saying; there’s a lot of that in flash, and i’ve noticed a backlash against it, but i was thinking Stephen Dixon does the punchline a lot too, and his writing is really long and builds off the excessiveness of detail. i think it’s more about each line’s relation to each other than it is length.

]]> By: david erlewine http://htmlgiant.com/craft-notes/unhumorous-punchlines/comment-page-1/#comment-30888 david erlewine Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:05:30 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=16206#comment-30888 Richard, fantastic insight. Exactly, it doesn't feel like "GOTCHA!" That's the real fine line about endings, earning them. Any schmo can lift back the curtain at the end and claim"Deus ex machina." Folks like Lydia earn the endings, make you go back to re-read, take pleasure again in the build/craft/brilliance. Richard, fantastic insight. Exactly, it doesn’t feel like “GOTCHA!” That’s the real fine line about endings, earning them. Any schmo can lift back the curtain at the end and claim”Deus ex machina.” Folks like Lydia earn the endings, make you go back to re-read, take pleasure again in the build/craft/brilliance.

]]> By: david erlewine http://htmlgiant.com/craft-notes/unhumorous-punchlines/comment-page-1/#comment-118619 david erlewine Wed, 07 Oct 2009 14:05:00 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=16206#comment-118619 Richard, fantastic insight. Exactly, it doesn't feel like "GOTCHA!" That's the real fine line about endings, earning them. Any schmo can lift back the curtain at the end and claim"Deus ex machina." Folks like Lydia earn the endings, make you go back to re-read, take pleasure again in the build/craft/brilliance. Richard, fantastic insight. Exactly, it doesn’t feel like “GOTCHA!” That’s the real fine line about endings, earning them. Any schmo can lift back the curtain at the end and claim”Deus ex machina.” Folks like Lydia earn the endings, make you go back to re-read, take pleasure again in the build/craft/brilliance.

]]> By: Richard http://htmlgiant.com/craft-notes/unhumorous-punchlines/comment-page-1/#comment-30886 Richard Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:44:01 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=16206#comment-30886 “But how much better if you slept forever,”... I like the power, the build up, this thread that pulls you along, and in, closer, only to turn the corner, and give you something else. I wouldn't call this a TWIST per se, but I like the set up, and in the instance you posted up, the sing-song, almost nursery rhyme pacing and then the BAM dark, hard ending. If done right, you don't feel cheated, "OH, it was all a dream" or "OH he's really a she" but more like "Oh man, you went there...wasn't expecting that." Or really, it was hinted at all along, and now it all finally gels, it comes together. Good thread, good post. Curious to see what others say. Peace, Richard “But how much better if you slept forever,”…

I like the power, the build up, this thread that pulls you along, and in, closer, only to turn the corner, and give you something else. I wouldn’t call this a TWIST per se, but I like the set up, and in the instance you posted up, the sing-song, almost nursery rhyme pacing and then the BAM dark, hard ending.

If done right, you don’t feel cheated, “OH, it was all a dream” or “OH he’s really a she” but more like “Oh man, you went there…wasn’t expecting that.” Or really, it was hinted at all along, and now it all finally gels, it comes together.

Good thread, good post. Curious to see what others say.

Peace,
Richard

]]> By: Richard http://htmlgiant.com/craft-notes/unhumorous-punchlines/comment-page-1/#comment-118618 Richard Wed, 07 Oct 2009 13:44:00 +0000 http://htmlgiant.com/?p=16206#comment-118618 “But how much better if you slept forever,”... I like the power, the build up, this thread that pulls you along, and in, closer, only to turn the corner, and give you something else. I wouldn't call this a TWIST per se, but I like the set up, and in the instance you posted up, the sing-song, almost nursery rhyme pacing and then the BAM dark, hard ending. If done right, you don't feel cheated, "OH, it was all a dream" or "OH he's really a she" but more like "Oh man, you went there...wasn't expecting that." Or really, it was hinted at all along, and now it all finally gels, it comes together. Good thread, good post. Curious to see what others say. Peace, Richard “But how much better if you slept forever,”…

I like the power, the build up, this thread that pulls you along, and in, closer, only to turn the corner, and give you something else. I wouldn’t call this a TWIST per se, but I like the set up, and in the instance you posted up, the sing-song, almost nursery rhyme pacing and then the BAM dark, hard ending.

If done right, you don’t feel cheated, “OH, it was all a dream” or “OH he’s really a she” but more like “Oh man, you went there…wasn’t expecting that.” Or really, it was hinted at all along, and now it all finally gels, it comes together.

Good thread, good post. Curious to see what others say.

Peace,
Richard

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