Pre-Experiment Introduction
It took James Joyce seven years to write Ulysses. As a teen it took me almost as long to read it. The stream of consciousness, which marked the passing of 16 June 1904 in Dublin, second by second, thought by thought, was way too confusing for someone at age fifteen, especially the “Circe” section that goes on a hundred-fifty pages. But that is how it goes with classics written by adults for adults (a point I’ve ranted on before). A person needs a few years as a grown up in her soul before something like Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter can connect to her. Same goes for everything written by Joyce (except a couple from Dubliners–Araby and The Dead can be understood by High Schoolers, I think–at least I “got” them).
I successfully read Ulysses when I stopped demanding it to make linear sense. I let it happen to me. I concentrated on simply reading the words and gave my subconscious the task of sorting it out. Not once did I ask myself stupid questions like “What the hell is happening now?” and went with the flow.
That worked very well. I began to get into the swing of the thing about four chapters in and made it through to the other side. I read that you need to know Irish history to understand the book deeply. Still, I say all you really need to know about Irish history is that before independence (and for a long time thereafter) shit, especially royal and government shit, rolled downhill. Nowadays, however, Ireland is a comparatively uphill, wealthy nation, which means that most of the undesirable blood (such as my father’s side of the family) was safely siphoned to America a long time ago.
This week I shall experiment with Stream of Consciousness, like Joyce in Ulysses, but omitting disgusting items as I wish Joyce would have done with Mr. Bloom, he of the jakes and secret pocket. It was amazing that Joyce was able to put together a narrative from thoughts as wildly scrambled as Burroughs’ Junky.
The Experiment begins:
Tis Aphid season. Three, four attracted by the screen. Keylimegreen. Bugapalooza.
–Arpfmagarpth? Whuzzat. Oh. Hairball. Izzy on the dot. Split. Cats never step in human puke. Selling Buicks at Ralph motors. High scoo. Igglesniff on your nose. Too much Black Velvet. Bring your own spins.
–I ralphed a beeyouick on the rug. Izzy. Speaking. Talking Cat with no hat. Get cleaning it washermygosherwoman.
–You and the Catnip you rode in on.
–Are those your shoes, gibbergimlet?
–All right all right. Two for the price of one, how the west was won. Eyeyiyi of cyclops voice of Joe pazuzukudzu. Stunkofaskunk bee bop bloom a lulu.
The Experiment Ends
Strange things happen when you let your jabbering mind off the leash. Ulysses is hard to read, but like Chaucer and Shakespeare it gets easier as you go. Then you find yourself doing the same, doing the dame. Words scrump up from below, nonsense rhymes squeeze the flow. Flibbergimletjibbeetly we all a go go.
Great, now my mind has gone all Dr. Seuss in Auld Ireland on me. Gotta rate the Catholics Kings and Whoremongers on the quay…coppers singing Galway Bay, bay-a-bee….
What? Oh knock it off, quit leaking fey words into my fingers you goddam whichever lobe that shit is kept. Stop stop stop, he bop, she bop….Bloom bops alone…
Enough! Look what I have done to myself. Beware stream of consciousness. You might drown in it, like She Woolf, with stones in your knickers…
Let’s escape through The Week That Was portal!
The Week of Gems
This was a peculiar week for us because it featured six writers who have appeared with us before. Some several times. Usually there’s one new kid to introduce, but not this time.
And I say six because Our Harbour by site friend and frequent commenter, Paul Kimm, was a featured rerun this past Sunday. It rates a special mention. For anyone who has still managed to miss it, I encourage you to take a look.
The work week began with Meetings and Partings by Nidhi Srivasta Asthana. Nidhi needs to be congratulated on her professionalism during a long editing process as well as the insightful result of the work itself. It is a revelation involving Indian culture and the ancient practice of arranged marriage.
Christopher Ananias has been on a roll ever since his site debut last year. In the Flames is his latest look into the heart of darkness that beats inside the world. Great evil has always been commonplace (look up Richard Speck or the Triangle shirt fire). But nowadays there’s a relatively new dynamic behind it, something that went up the tower with Charles Whitman long ago. Christopher manages to effectively describe the madness with admirable objectivity.
Wednesday saw the welcomed return of J. Bradley Minnick. The Day the End of the World Was at Hand. It too speaks of madness, the organized one called war. I remember the Vietnam era. I was a child and it all seemed unreal to me, like a TV show, until someone we knew lost a son. The darkness will look for us all, and it is up to us to feel it if we are to grow. Brad shows this sort of thing with great polish and sincerity.
Digital to Analog Conversion marked another welcomed return, this time by Bud Pharo. There is way too much AI in the universe. A strange case of a glut of something that only exists in a half-assed sort of way (I hope “Annie” is not related to the feeble minded Google Assistant). But this one had enough charm to get over, which is a credit to Bud.
Simon Nadel closed the week with Crime Wave. There’s a silkiness to this otherwise hard-bitten narrative. Like Chandler and the underrated Spillane, the cynicism and booze flow in an eloquent manner.
Kudos to all our repeat offenders–I mean contributors. People without the determination to do something good, although difficult, never get across. The writers who appear, and those who keep trying to appear, deserve credit for having that aspect in their characters.
More Stream of Consciousness
Recently I was bored (aka “at work”) and I began to consider what are the greatest scenes I remember from film. I decided that the Stream of Consciousness Approach could work here. Instead of actively seeking examples, I let them come to me. Below are the ten film scenes I came up with. (Readers sharing, as always, is strongly desired.)
- “Wedding party”– The Deer Hunter
- “Butch finds a sword”– Pulp Fiction
- “The final close up of Greta Garbo”– Queen Christina
- “Monster bursting through poor John Hurt”–Alien
- “All American Henry Fonda massacring a family”–Once Upon a Time in the West
- “I’m only thirteen”–Animal House
- “I’ll be back” The Terminator
- “Dorothy awakening in Technicolor”–Wizard of Oz
- “What I wish really had happened to Tex and the gang”–Once Upon a Time in Hollywood
- “Chief putting Randall out of his misery”–One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest
- Open to all
Leila
literally stories 
Hi Leila
Great thoughts on the stream of consciousness! Makes me want to attempt Ulysses. And I think Kerouac wrote in the same vein in, “On The Road.” But I haven’t read him either… So I’m a clip-note guy…
I like what you’re saying about the subconscious, letting it go to work, and I think it could be really helpful in writing.
The first time I ever heard the term was when an editor sent me a little note on a story, saying. “It had a stream of consciousness, but we regretfully…” lol.
It’s a very interesting term and now I think it is taking over. Because I want to say things like “Auto writing” and jump into Freud headfirst.
For some reason… Martin Sheen in the Dead Zone. When Greg Stillson says in his booming voice, “What a glorious morning!”
I think you are going to be bombarded with comments. Your post fires up the imagination! Super interesting!
Christopher
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Thank you Christopher
Excellent view point and Stillson quote.
I at first thought stream of consciousness was simply the present tense.
But I learned that it really is more like unprocessed thoughts, in the raw, which language either clarifies or inhibits.
Thank you again!
Leila
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Christopher
Speaking of automatic writing, William S. Burroughs had this thing he called “the cut-ups.”
(I won’t say I do it myself but I do it myself.)
These are the easy-to-follow instructions as broken down and worded by me.
One: Take a printed (paper) source, magazine, newspaper (if you can find one) or page/s torn from a book, etc.
Two: Use scissors and cut up the text/source into randomly separate words and phrases.
Three: Blindly scatter the text fragments all over the floor.
Four: Blindly reassemble the text fragments.
Five: Open eyes and read the messages.
Six: Interpret the (symbolic) messages.
Seven: Make important decisions in your life based on what the Messages are telling you.
That last step is crucial! And when I say “important decisions,” these are usually silent, subtle, private things that can’t be surveilled, monitored, added up, used, or sold to by “them” (whoever they are).
Actually I don’t follow this practice exactly but I do do something similar that involves paper and pen/s. Including following Number Seven.
Good luck, except nothing is luck, Everything is meant!
Dale
(PS, And of course you have to already not care if they call you crazy…or keep it to yourself…)
(PPS, I know a few Native American folks in Wisconsin who also do stuff like this in their various ways…)
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Dale
“The Cut Ups” practice sounds like a mystical ritual.
I could see the value in such work. Letting go of the steering wheel and take on prophecy.
I could see myself trying this. If I could find that allusive newspaper. I’ve donated a few books lately to various free book lending libraries.
Christopher
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Irene Adler
When Harmonica says “Maybe someday” to Claudia Cardinale before riding off into the sunset in Once Upon a Time in the West.
Cate Blanchett staring at the heads on pikes in Elizabeth.
The first time you see Marilyn laying in bed smoking a cigarette in Niagra.
Marilyn hugging the tree in The Misfits.
The look in Slim Pickens’ eyes as he expires on the riverbank with “Knockin’ on Heaven’s Door” in the background, Pat Garret and Billy the Kid. (Or Kristofferson with his arms out in the crucifixion pose while being arrested.)
When Jimmy Stewart tells John Wayne he has terminal cancer in The Shootist.
Vivien Leigh saying “Whoever you are I have always depended on the kindness of strangers” while being led off to the loony bin, Streetcar.
Brando reciting The Wasteland, Apocalypse Now.
Alexander soothing Bucephalus who’s afraid of his own shadow in Alexander.
Gandalf smoking his pipe in Lord of the Rings.
Beethoven on his deathbed in Immortal Beloved.
Dracula saying “I can’t, I love you too much” to Winona Ryder in Bram Stoker’s Dracula.
D
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Dale
Excellent list of scenes!
Will comment further after I do my weekly shopping.
Thank you!
Leila
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Leila
I read Ulysses after meeting Mary at a college dance. She had little snippets of it memorized. Her opening salvo to me was Leopold’s “Plumtree’s Potted Meat” advert brain-burn. I read Ulysses every summer (it would take that long) for several years after graduation. I believe I missed Mary that much. It can’t be done, I don’t believe, except awash in words free from ideas.
Once a fellow teacher got sick just as his class was about to do The Sound and The Fury. I volunteered to take over. The first thing I did was buy The Cliff Notes. The second was throw it away. Great fun though!
I’ll definitely rewatch Cuckoo’s Nest tonight (but I’ll be missing Mary). — Gerry
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Gerry
That is a wonderful connection. Moving and real. I bet Joyce would like it very much.
Leila
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LEILA!!!!!!!
This post is utterly hilarious and fun to read on every good level! Also a PERFECT description of how to read ULYSSES and, by extension, anything like ULYSSES, like much of modern poetry, from Wallace Stevens to THE WASTELAND, Ted Berrigan to John Berryman and everyone in between.
LITERALLY, there is more solid and sound advice and wisdom about how to read modern literature in this one brief post than can be found in entire tomes on how to read difficult stuff. Thank you!
More soon…
Dale
PS, Yes, I wish Sunny Jim had left those parts out too, it can be skipped with no loss of meaning…Even Joyce, or especially Joyce, was a weak writer at times….It goes toward showing the duality of genius. He also lost his sh-t repeatedly in FINNEGANS WAKE – maybe even in 95% of it…and he admitted he was very drunk (a fullblown alcoholic) when he wrote most of that book although I love some of it “riverrun from swerve of shore to bend of bay” etc
And you’re right, the folk who think they need to obsess over the tiny details of Irish history while perusing U are missing the point (or it’s flying over their heads)…
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Hi Dale
Good morning and thank you (to the world, it is very early in US).
I think Joyce did not want reader participation because he did all the heavy lifting. It’s rare when you have to relax and let go and trust the author (thus Joyce a perfect read for cannibas fans).
I liked Bloom overall because he had, within it all, common decency.
Thank you again!
Leila
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Leila
Yes, Bloom has a lot of lovingkindness in him, including forgiving his wife and not holding a grudge or getting too jealous, even tho’ he knows she’s cheating on him (daily).
Dale
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Hi again Dale
There was also that great scene early in Once Upon a Time in the West when the three gunmen lead by Jack Elam met Harmonica at the station.
Harmonica: You bring a Horse for me
Elam (smiling with Woody Strode and the Crazy Looking Guy): Looks like we’re shy one Horse.
Harmonica: No, you brought two too many.
You reminded me of Slim yahooing his way down on the bomb at the close of Strangelove!
Leila
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I think the only real stream of consciousness thing I have read was Mrs Dalloway, I liked that one – is The Catcher in the Rye one? I have read that one as well, didn’t enjoy the experience. I have written stuff just letting the brain go off on its own – it didn’t really produce anything as amusing as yours. thanks for another great saturday round up – dd
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how about the bit where Sean Connery is singing in the rope bridge in The Man Who Would be King and also the bit where Michael Caine gives the head to Kipling.
The bit in The Seventh Dawn where William Holden calls the girl A Still Folded Sarong and tells her he’s too old for her.
The Marsellaise in Casablanca.
The absolute final leap in Billy Elliot
As you see I’m a lover of corn!
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Hi Diane
Yes, I think Dalloway (great book) qualifies; Virginia did not to let it run wild. Some John Lennon lyrics, such as Come Together and Walrus appear to have been influenced by the style (for lack of a better word).
Billy Elliot brilliant as well as that Casablanca scene where they pissed off the Nazis with a song!
Leila
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Good post and a most worthy experiment. I admire you for getting through Ulysses. I think your strategy of letting it happen to you was excellent. Maybe I’d have finished the novel if I’d tried that. (But I never would even attempt Finnegan’s Wake.) I did enjoy streamy Man’s Fate by Andre Malraux. To the list I’d add the opening of Cuckoo’s Nest, which is also very streamy from the Chief’s perspective before his mental condition improved thanks to Jack Nicholson …. uh, McMurphy.
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Hi David
Right about Cuckoo’s Nest. One tremendous scene after another. Hard to believe it is fifty.
Thanks again!
Leila
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Hi Leila,
Stream of consciousness interests me but in a weird way. I wonder if it’s spoiled by logic or enhanced by the obscure. I think trying to find a link to the writers ideas can be fun but also distracting…Especially if you think on them and there aren’t any there. I try to do this myself but all that happens is my mind sends me a list of folks I want to kill!!!!! The way that I kill them is a bit streamie though!!
Now the ‘Greatest Scenes’ idea – I know all of your suggestions except the Garbo one. (That was a puppet in ‘The Simpsons’???) I am in my wheelhouse here. I apologise for the extensive amount but I followed your prompt and let them come to me!!! That is also why there is a mix of character and actor. I checked none of these out but know that I should have stuck to one or the other. I hope you recognise some of these!
I am going for a gin and can guarantee that a load more will come to me!
But I leave you with one. All of them are worthy and I did try to find the ‘Wedding Belles’ one. It’s typical Scottish – heartbreaking but hysterical but I couldn’t find it so here is another one already mentioned.
Oh – Thought provoking and excellent as always Leila!!
Hugh
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Hugh
Brilliant list! It is one of those things that hold many but not enough overall. Invariably we only remember stuff from good or interesting films. The crap gets filtered.
Right now I thought of “Spud shites the bed” and “Spud drops speed for his interview. ” And I love that Bruce Lee getting tossed into the car by Pitt. Everyone always kisses Lee’s butt, good to see him be the butt of a joke for once. Can’t take stuff so seriously.
You’re right, everything in Young Frankie and Animal House qualifies. An ongoing list for certain!
Leila
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Thanks Leila,
Tell the gunsel amidst the bloodsel leave the steelsmoke dying but yesohplease fetch back the cannoli.
To add to the list of best opening scene in any western: As mentioned, Once Upon a Time in the West, about seven minutes of pure perfection.
The fight scene at the end of The Big Lebowski.
And… too many more.
Marco
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Hi Marco
Yes “Dude” was a very memorable character and his scenes are numerous! The Cohens know how to tell a story.
Leila
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If Blake were alive he might steal that bugapalooza for his Golgonooza! And Late J.J. would surely grab gibbergimlet, igglesniff & stunkofaskunk. Hilarious as ever, & gallumphs along beautifully. And Ulysses as The book that happens to you! might do well as blurb for some reissue. And you’ll doubtless know of the chap in the bookshop who asked for a copy of J.J.’s ‘Useless’.
Geraint
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Hello Geraint
Thank you for another truly delightful comment! Ah yes, there’s that catch on the leash of the mind that when released goes in so many wild directions.All the way bellowing stuff like Nixxysmonnix!
Leila
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The way Forest Whitaker smiles at the camera at the end of “The Crying Game.”
The nightmare scene in “Father of the Bride” (the original with Spencer Tracy).
Every scene with Josephine Hull and Jean Adair in “Arsenic and Old Lace.”
No comment on stream of consciousness. I guess I have no stream to swim in at the moment.
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Hi Thurman
Great to hear from you.
Yes Forrest Whitaker has a wonderfully expressive face!
Leila
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I do enjoy a bit of stream of consciousness, and yours is great, I’m not sure when I’ve tried to do the same that it’s not more of a stream of unconsciousness! I’ve also read Ulysses, but don’t know if I was successful! Thank you again for resharing Our Harbour – it’s a real honour.
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Hello Paul
Thank you! I belive we all come away from Joyce a bit bewildered.
And thank you again for Our Harbour!
Leila
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