Story and Self and State

Richard Ronan in the introduction to his collection of poems Narratives from America opens with the observation:

A story houses us. Often more utterly than does our flesh.

But this is not left at the level of the individual, the perspective expands:

I've come to understand this: that one's voice and story, the myth and history of one's country and culture are of a piece — and that if one does not regularly find meaning in some part of this large process, then it is pointless and, at last, hugely dangerous.

And so the function of narrative is to give point (and the function of narration is to avoid the dangers of such pointedness). At least that's a Canadian (ironic) perspective.

And so for day 2119
01.10.2012