From cbmvax!uunet!cuvmb.bitnet!LOJBAN Thu Aug 20 03:53:02 1992 Return-Path: Date: Thu Aug 20 03:53:02 1992 Message-Id: <9208200501.AA01317@relay1.UU.NET> Reply-To: Logical Language Group Sender: Lojban list From: Logical Language Group Subject: Kalevala Project - response to Ivan X-To: lojban@cuvmb.cc.columbia.edu To: John Cowan Status: RO You ask for several changes, all of which remove detail from the persons and scenery details. To write a good story, the details MUST be present. If we do not specify the culture of the characters, they will have no culture; i.e. they will be colorless, which is exactly what we don't want. Actually they won't be - with mostly Americans in the Lojban community, they will all end up as nondescript American in culture. I would rather attempt and fail to capture hints of a foreign culture than not to attempt at all, and have the result seem too American. We may not succeed in capturing a true Arabic or Hindi culture (but then we might come close), but we will get a somewhat non-American culture. One would expect in any case that with people representing 6 cultures interacting on a constant basis that none of the characters would be 'pure' in representing their culture - after all, they do not live with their own people (at least not likely). As for the stairs/ladder (Nora thought you said it was a ladder; my apology if we misunderstood), the idea was an honorific reference to your much applauded effort; you seem to take offense, for which I'm sorry. But the concept in a room furnished in climbing equipment, of using a climbing ladder to access a trap door (presumably leading to the attic, wherein other artifacts may be found that could inspire more stories) fits the scenario even if the association with your story is excluded. (Yet, I do not see why, upon seeing such a ladder, someone of your culture might not use it as a lead-in to just that story. That is the purpose of having detailed decor with potential heavy symbolism - it allows people hooks to hang a story on, either a new story or one from their native culture. In an intenrational coffeeshop such as we are talking about here, I would hope that people would feel comfortable enough to tell stories from their native cultures. Am I missing something???) lojbab