Hatrack River Forum: I want my "Secret English Department Decoder Ring."

This is topic I want my "Secret English Department Decoder Ring." in forum Books, Films, Food and Culture at Hatrack River Forum.

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Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :

I never got mine.

Should I write my professors?!

This is in response to OSC's latest review. Stephen King was given an award by the National Book Award folks, and the critics promptly trashed him.

What I wonder is if those very same critics watched "The Shawshank Redemption" and enjoyed it.

'Cause King wrote that. He wrote the novella, "Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption."

If that story and that movie don't capture the human spirit, then nothing ever has or will.

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

You have to major in lit. Or at least minor in it.

I've got mine, although it's just gathering dust in a box in my garage.

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

Actually, I think the lit minors only got a simplified version of it. Some Freud, some Jung, not much else. A little bit of old New Criticism and some feminism, maybe.

When you go to grad school for lit, you get a snap-on attachment that allows you to switch paradigms at will. Sadly, mine has an ugly crack in it.

[ September 29, 2003, 07:35 PM: Message edited by: Icarus ]

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

Nah, that one was just a teaser ring. It just had stuff like "A = Adultery, Angel, Angst. Sea = subconscious, vagina. Earth = mother, vagina."

Purely kid stuff.

[ September 29, 2003, 07:39 PM: Message edited by: Icarus ]

Posted by Paul Goldner (Member # 1910) on :

You know what? The critics were RIGHT to trash him. Stephen king tells great stories... but he can't write for beans.

Posted by Icarus (Member # 3162) on :

There's actually a thread with that debate on it. Of course, I'm not the thread police (now there's a title to have!) I disagree with you, of course. But I don't feel like debating it here.

[ September 29, 2003, 07:42 PM: Message edited by: Icarus ]

Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :

I majored in English, dammit!

And Paul, you know I value your opinion highly.

Posted by Annie (Member # 295) on :

So do I get a secret decoder ring since I'm a lit major?

(never said anything about having to be an English lit major)

Posted by Zalmoxis (Member # 2327) on :

quote:
but he can't write for beans

Actually, according to my sources at The New Yorker, as part of his payment for the last short story of his they printed (back in July, I believe), he received a 14 pound bag of anasazi pink heirloom beans. He uses them to add texture and color to his famous "Stay on the Path of the Bean" chili.

EDIT: 14 pound 'bag' -- not 'back.' Although that reminds me --- ribs, mmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

[ September 29, 2003, 08:05 PM: Message edited by: Zalmoxis ]

Posted by Taberah (Member # 4014) on :

Actually, the Freudian decoder ring is very straightforward. Here's a sample:

Doors = sex
hats = sex
people = sex
flowers = sex
dust = sex
livestock = sex
key and lock = wisdom

Oh, wait. The last one is also sex.

Posted by UofUlawguy (Member # 5492) on :

I was an English Major, but I think they handed out the rings the day we discussed Portnoy's Complaint, which I skipped.

Posted by The Editor-in-Chief (Member # 5014) on :

Taberah, that was beautiful. [Big Grin]

Posted by BelladonnaOrchid (Member # 188) on :

Taberah, honey, you've just made my evening.

Posted by Narnia (Member # 1071) on :

[Laugh]

at Taberah!

quote:
The hilarious thing is that most of King's critics would probably praise Edgar Allan Poe as an important American writer -- even though his most noted work is definitely in the oogly-boogly category. He's been dead long enough for the stink of popularity to have faded, apparently.

I love the fact that he said "oogly-boogly." Kills me! [Wink]

Posted by mackillian (Member # 586) on :

Taberah, you made me laugh so hard I'm crying! [ROFL]