Mark S and Starry Sarah: An Appreciation and an Indictment

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Between the two of you, you have transformed my once-grammatical, once-comprehensible writing style (e.g., "I would like to point out, Mark S and Starry Sarah, how taken I have been by your modes of expression") to a cryptic commalorn jumble of exclamations + mathematical notations + odd coinings (= possibly "Mark S + Starry Sarah -- this fearsome duo : greatness :: professional wrestling : hahaha foldingchairs"), to the extent that a particular email recipient asked me whether maybe for some reason I was drunk at work. (NB, though [Tom-influence, now!] this particular person has come around to it and was much pleased by my coining of the term "fuck-flux" yesterday.)

Most horrifying is that the Chicago Manual of Style calls for commas after e.g.s and i.e.s, and I am complete agreement, and even if I weren't I work at the CMOS's publisher and therefore have to abide by it for reasons of institutional pride, but you and others have put off that comma something fierce in favor of more Sinkeresque minimalist close-reading stylings. I am also disturbed by my suspicion that Starryspeak is all just Molesworth, meaning that all of my borrowings will fall flat on the other side of the Atlantic: thankfully much as I love it in the postings of Ms. Amazingness, I have no personal inclinations toward misspellings or all caps -- although I too-often do the Important Concept initial-letter-capping to probably similar effect (which is ick David Foster Wallace's fault but a damn good writing idea) and was inspired by the "carridge return" saga to try and kick off a trend of Americans using the musical genre-term "garridge" just to keep things clearer.

Also "icks" and "hahahas" are now liberally peppered through my personal correspondences.

Many of these things -- particularly the icks and hahahas, really -- strike me as actually really great and useful shorthand modes of expression that, in overall terms, sort of stretch the palette of writing and make for great entertaining reading, really: both Starry and Sinker (and Dave Q with lots of his questions, and often Sterling too) manage to pack more actual thought-material into fewer words, making for a much more rewarding unpacking process. Except except (opening word repetition is a problem as well) all of this goes completely against my current aesthetic program with regard to writing fiction, which is after all above everything else What I am Supposed to be Doing. Plus people might think you're drunk.

Mark S and Starry Sarah and much of the rest of IL* I thank you and I curse you: cheers.

― Nitsuh, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

my oath to never use commas again is loosely sinker-inspired.

― ethan, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Oh and also Rainy. I was for some reason looking at an old Rainy-has- a-problem thread (which situation I hope has improved for dear Rainy) which struck me as some of the best writing ever (and in a way that actually does fit with my fictional aesthetics!), e.g.:

I am young, lithe, windswept and interesting.
[H]e's got designer clothes and the worlds cleanest apartment.
[N]ow I feel crush laden and suffery.
[S]panners start falling in the works of my beautiful wonderful life, and hes just fine, swanking along like an expensive cyborg.

Actually, screw fiction: here are the makings of the world's best pop song, ever!

― Nitsuh, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

rainy and maryann and a lot of the other dunedin kids have impeccable comic sense also, it's delightful. i think about all these things often especially when everyone's all 'ile, what a timewaster, i should be reading gravity's rainbow instead!!' because these things are full of the best writing in the world right now and maybe EVER?

― ethan, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

wait we're both just saying BEST EVER a bunch in our posts.

― ethan, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

In other news alan trewartha (of harpercollins megacorp) actually truly said "k-blimey" to me at FAP4, in outloud!! IT BEGINS!! haha starry we have fucked the death star we are the rebel alliance!! i am chewbacca and you are leia, norman phay- rad = er R2D2, han (le y) solo is v.easy, but who is luke pray tell?

and does this prove dunedin = planet of the ewoks?!? ned is a sick man!

excuse me it is time to watch CHARMED!

― mark s, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I am Wedge!

― jel --, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I used "mentalist" for the first time in real life this week. It was met with k-enthusiasm.

― Mitch Lastnamewithheld, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

can i be luke

― anthony, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Yep.

― David Raposa, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Greetings Vader Darthfucking Popshots!!

― mark s, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Maybe I am mentally challenged, but I still have a significant amount of trouble understanding IL* slang.

― Melissa W, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

i hate star wars!

― ethan, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Mel, dear.
you have to let loos and let it infect you , like the clap in a tijuana whorehouse .

― anthony, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

viRus R us!

― mark s, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

What is Molesworth?

― sundar subramanian, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

a GRATE book as any fule kno

― mark s, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Who R posh enough to R being C-3PO?

― Tracer Hand, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

i heard a rumour that "windswept and interesting" is actually pat kraus' come-on line. is this true?

― di, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Harold Bloom call home.

― Frank Kogan, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

tomorrow frank, i'm still re-misreading

― mark s, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Nitsuh you are obv a MENTALIST and whot is an ICK anyway? Perhap I haf used it PERHAP but my BRANE wot has drunken of RUM and also WINE does not quite comprehend. I think you are complimenting me and Mark, yay! This is GRATE! Also Mark today I was on the CENTRAL LINE (boo chiz line designed by LENING and his commie chumZoR) and I was asking RickyT if OH BUT IF I should get my hair done like PRINCESS LEIA!!! The cosmos is ALIGNING with US!!! Ph34r m3!!!! I mean, u5!!!!!

― Sarah, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Ick => Eww => Gross => Grody => "Corroded"

And yes, it is All Compliments, hence my putting "appreciation" before "indictment."

― Nitsuh, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

shut the hell up.

― , Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

oops

― , Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I find it quite hard to understand some of the stuff that's too condensed. And then it's annoying, because you know that there is an actual intention on the part of the author to be oblique, rather than for example when you're reading a physics text and you can't understand it because the author didn't understand how to make you understand it or perhaps you're just too stupid. I didn't find Molesworth hard to understand, perhaps because you're absorbed into the style for a longer time whereas on ILE there's a kind of jolt between people's 'ordinary speech' style and the Molesworth style. I think there's something to be said for transparency and honesty. I mean, those are ideals that I try to apply to myself, and fail miserably at. Writing as a fictional character is something else again. And it's often amusing when people write parody type stuff on this board. So there is that too.

― maryann, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

i am emailing instructions to rainy to put gravel in yr kettle maryann

― mark s, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

What? I don't understand.

― maryann, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Duane's comment on the above: 'Yeah, write that, they seem to think any gnomic statement from anyone in Dunedin is funny.'

― maryann, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Actually Mark, I don't even find what you write hard to understand, I think your writing is beautiful

― maryann, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Oh no. I begin sentences with 'actually.' The truth about myself is becoming clear to me.

― maryann, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

hee hee hee you guys are the cut up

― mark s, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

hey then that means someone on this beeyotch is more condensed than me!? bah it's that aa-33 ^racer^ fellow isn't it?

― mark s, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

But S if words = h2o => cndnstn : us :: ditto : Sahara thus crypticms = k-rad hahaha.

(I am only practicing so that I can one day drive Mel and Maryann batty.)

― Nitsuh, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

That was a bad one, actually. Grasping at random content to allow for form = bad arts, all around.

― Nitsuh, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

You already drove *me* batty, so you're onto something. ;-)

― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 2 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Rainy speaks in poetry

― toraneko, Sunday, 3 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

j00 \/\/@N+ 0b+u$3? +ry +hi$! i @M m0r3 133+ +h@N n0rM@N f@y! h3 \/ \/i11 ph3@r m3!

― DG, Sunday, 3 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

"133+": what is THIS word tho? Leet? ?? ???

― mark s, Sunday, 3 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

*cackles* ahh tha sw33t krruptionne ov nitsuh...........

― a-33, Sunday, 3 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

mark s: elite -> leet -> 133+

― michael, Sunday, 3 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

3Y3'|\/| !|\| J0|2 K0|\/|PU73|2 |\|0\/\/ |)G!@#!@#!@#~

JU57 J00 \/\//-\!+ +!|_|_ 3Y3 R3B3WT JOR M$ B@WKS3 4Z A FUX!|\|G /-\|\/|!G/-\ J00 |=|_|X!|\| |_/-\'/|\/|O|"!!!!!@#!@#!@#!@#!@#

DG = 0\/\/|\|3|)

― |\|0|2|\/|/-\|\| |*|-|/-\'/, Sunday, 3 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

Yeah: I'm also really really scared that I can now decipher Fay's posts without too much effort.

― Nitsuh, Sunday, 3 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

y0u 7hink y0u 4r3 1337? I b37 y0u us3 0n3 0f 7h0s3 7r4ns1470r pr0gr4ms, 3h! 14m0r!

― DG, Sunday, 3 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

I believe it's "14m3r"

― electric sound of jim, Monday, 4 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

yes i now use the phrases "k-blimey" "spaz charioteer" and "dere god" far too much and confuse people. hehehehh....

― katie, Monday, 4 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

k-blimey-O!

― Alan T, Monday, 4 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

'tis a diseaZ0r. i am now starting to use this style in WORX0r e- males. i understand +/- 50% of mark's posts. [there woz a GRATE moment on the Cabaret thread when he ansa'd a completely diff question to the one I meant (tho one I might well have asked) AND the ansa fitted the intended qn anyway!]

― Jeff W, Monday, 4 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

i am worried that i have always understood Mark S's and Norman Phay's posts

― michael, Monday, 4 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

phe-d00l stiXor

― jel --, Monday, 4 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

weird blend of haXoR stylings (did I do that right?) and Molesworth delib misspellings. GRATE! FITE! Also gratuitous use of exclamation marks which for many years I have, in my ivory tower, considered to be the province of the FEEBLE MIND but now realise are in fact ACE.

Yes.

― misterjones, Monday, 4 March 2002 01:00 (twenty-two years ago) link

two years pass...

haha um

― mark s (mark s), Sunday, 27 February 2005 02:12 (nineteen years ago) link

ILXpeak will be ILX's largest and most durable contribution to the world mark my words. I salute you mark and starry among other pioneers.

― Dan I. (Dan I.), Sunday, 27 February 2005 02:24 (nineteen years ago) link

what a great thread.

― mark p (Mark P), Sunday, 27 February 2005 02:48 (nineteen years ago) link

mr irons, u fucking hottie, aim now bitchor

― anthony easton (anthony), Sunday, 27 February 2005 03:06 (nineteen years ago) link

Halycon!

― jel -- (jel), Sunday, 27 February 2005 10:42 (nineteen years ago) link

i adore maryann

― Amateur(ist) (Amateur(ist)), Sunday, 27 February 2005 11:11 (nineteen years ago) link

Bludy grebt stuff.

― Matt DC (Matt DC), Sunday, 27 February 2005 11:19 (nineteen years ago) link

nõu sitt, bro!
hönör ze ümläüt!!

― t\'\'t (t\'\'t), Sunday, 27 February 2005 13:56 (nineteen years ago) link

has DG popped by ever? (actual real one-and-true inaugurator of I Love Everything, fact-fans)

― mark s (mark s), Sunday, 27 February 2005 14:03 (nineteen years ago) link

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