FacebookTwitter
Hatrack River Forum   
my profile login | search | faq | forum home

  next oldest topic   next newest topic
» Hatrack River Forum » Active Forums » Discussions About Orson Scott Card » Stupid question...why Hatrack River?

   
Author Topic: Stupid question...why Hatrack River?
Soundstream
Member
Member # 9869

 - posted      Profile for Soundstream   Email Soundstream         Edit/Delete Post 
Seriously, I did a Google Groups search and came up with nothing. It's just a weird name for a river...like CoatHanger Lake or ShoeTree Sea. Am I missing something obvious here?

Be nice... [Big Grin]

SS

Posts: 29 | Registered: Nov 2006  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Launchywiggin
Member
Member # 9116

 - posted      Profile for Launchywiggin   Email Launchywiggin         Edit/Delete Post 
And God said, "Let it be called Hatrack"

"And it was good."

Posts: 1314 | Registered: Jan 2006  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Soundstream
Member
Member # 9869

 - posted      Profile for Soundstream   Email Soundstream         Edit/Delete Post 
Cute, but this might be closer.

From the Double-Tongued Dictionary:

hat-rack: v. to severely prune a tree of all but its largest branches.

Another quote: "Other trees damaged in 1983 were 'hat-racked' - pruned until they only had three or four limbs."

So I guess this translates into a river with only three or four main branches, and nothing else. No other streams coming off of the branches.

Could someone verify this by looking at one of the maps in the Alvin Maker books?

Btw, hat-racking a tree eventually kills it: this isn't some kind of premonition, I hope?

SS

Posts: 29 | Registered: Nov 2006  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
TomDavidson
Member
Member # 124

 - posted      Profile for TomDavidson   Email TomDavidson         Edit/Delete Post 
Have you read the Alvin Maker books?
If not, do so. They will clarify many things. [Smile]

Posts: 37449 | Registered: May 1999  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Soara
Member
Member # 6729

 - posted      Profile for Soara   Email Soara         Edit/Delete Post 
Also a rack on which you put your hats.
Posts: 464 | Registered: Jul 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Libbie
Member
Member # 9529

 - posted      Profile for Libbie   Email Libbie         Edit/Delete Post 
Plus, it just sounds really cool.
Posts: 1006 | Registered: Jun 2006  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Soundstream
Member
Member # 9869

 - posted      Profile for Soundstream   Email Soundstream         Edit/Delete Post 
Granted, it does sound pretty cool...

I did read the Alvin Maker series about 10 years ago. I got as far as Journeyman Alvin...guess I need to revisit it. But I never have the time!! [Grumble]

Sure, make me do things the hard way. [Razz] At least I know where my Alvin books are (I moved here six months ago, still haven't finished unpacking).

Boy, do I feel old. Where is the bent-over Graemlin, with a walker and cane? [Wink]

Posts: 29 | Registered: Nov 2006  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Soara
Member
Member # 6729

 - posted      Profile for Soara   Email Soara         Edit/Delete Post 
Hatrack was the town where Alvin was born, and (just a guess) it's one of the only places in Alvin Maker that's completely fictionous. Aside from like, the Crystal City and 8-faced Mound.
Posts: 464 | Registered: Jul 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
CRash
Member
Member # 7754

 - posted      Profile for CRash   Email CRash         Edit/Delete Post 
From a 2005 thread (surprised I remembered it):

quote:
Originally posted by Orson Scott Card:
I liked the idea of a river that gave off tributaries in an alternating left-right pattern so it would look like a hatrack on a map. And thought it would be a fun name for a place named by American pioneers.


Posts: 973 | Registered: Apr 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Dan_Frank
Member
Member # 8488

 - posted      Profile for Dan_Frank   Email Dan_Frank         Edit/Delete Post 
It's really pathetic, but I read the first several books and went several years mentally splitting the word incorrectly. That is, I mentally pronounced it "ha-TRACK", and didn't make the furniture connection for a very long time.

(slinks away)

Posts: 3580 | Registered: Aug 2005  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
rivka
Member
Member # 4859

 - posted      Profile for rivka   Email rivka         Edit/Delete Post 
You are not alone, Dan. A surprisingly large number of Hatrack posters mispronounce (or used to) the word as you did.
Posts: 32919 | Registered: Mar 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
Soara
Member
Member # 6729

 - posted      Profile for Soara   Email Soara         Edit/Delete Post 
That's how I still pronounce it. I refuse to pronouce it the other way. It really sounds better as "ha-TRACK."
Posts: 464 | Registered: Jul 2004  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
brojack17
Member
Member # 9189

 - posted      Profile for brojack17   Email brojack17         Edit/Delete Post 
I pronounced buggers "boogers" for the longest time.
Posts: 1766 | Registered: Feb 2006  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
pooka
Member
Member # 5003

 - posted      Profile for pooka   Email pooka         Edit/Delete Post 
I pronounce it with a glotal stop. But then, that's how I say "hat", "cat", and "sat."
Posts: 11017 | Registered: Apr 2003  |  IP: Logged | Report this post to a Moderator
   

   Close Topic   Feature Topic   Move Topic   Delete Topic next oldest topic   next newest topic
 - Printer-friendly view of this topic
Hop To:


Contact Us | Hatrack River Home Page

Copyright © 2008 Hatrack River Enterprises Inc. All rights reserved.
Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited.


Powered by Infopop Corporation
UBB.classic™ 6.7.2