Author, Reader, or Text? (aka Canonicity Slapdown 2005)

[Bêthberry]

Oh, I never take Fordim at his word.

For instance, this little poll does seem to have drawn out many another Downer who never ventured into either the Enchantment thread or the Canonicity thread. Now, there's a democracy of entanglement if ever there was one.

Originally Posted by Mister Underhill
Where's the middle-ground -- the collaboration between author and reader?

Originally Posted by littlemanpoet

Quite right. It's a flawed poll without this option.

On the contrary, there is no collaboration per se between author and reader, unless it is carried on solely within the reader's mind, some sort of necromancy in calling forth an absent human being.

Or perhaps necromancy is not the most applicable metaphor. Mayhap a better one is that of a performance art, with the reader taking the place of the performer rather than member of the audience, who but listens.

Indeedy, perhaps we can take this in a new direction which memory tells me was not examined on either of those two threads: we can even take Estelyn's discussion about music and the Music and apply it here.

Estelyn on musical interpretation

which was inspired by davem's post:

davem on performance

The ball's in other courts now, I believe.