Of Starr, Science Fiction, Socrates, & Swift

Paul Starr, The Creation of the Media (Introduction & Chapter 1)

My initial dive into Starr’s book was a bit like nails-on-a-chalkboard. It’s been quite some time since I’ve read non-fiction, especially a political/historical text. That being said, I found myself reading in ten page chunks, which actually turned out to be a valuable reading experience because I had more time to digest the text. I found myself constantly thinking about how some of the material not only relates to the time period Starr is discussing, but also our own culture and how rapidly technology and the media have changed since I’ve been on this earth. (26 years and counting…)

I enjoyed Starr’s emphasis on the “information revolution” as a series of events that are interesting to examine in-and-of-themselves, as well as in relation to other socio-political movements occurring. I am often frustrated by writers to who claim that ONE MOVEMENT in history or literature or music or art dramatically changed the rest of the world/time. So, I rather enjoyed Starr’s style of examining, not only the particular, but also the techno-socio-political gestalt and global as well.

Honestly, Starr’s Introduction did not make me want to read the first chapter. I felt like it was quite rushed, filled with jargon and definitions, and it felt rather ‘textbooky’ to me. However, after going back and looking over my notes, Starr did make some assertions I found useful upon reading Chapter 1. I rather enjoyed his assertion that “A new technology may have particular consequences because of its architecture, not because that is the only way it could be. Architectural choices are often politics by other means, under the cover of technical necessity” (Starr 6). I think ideas of governmental control in relation to the flow (or lack of) information provided to citizens is what interested me most while reading Starr. As an avid reader of Science Fiction, often a government or agency’s ability to withhold, alter, or program (not just computers, sometimes people) the information a population receives is what makes societies become utopian or dystopian within a text—Big Brother is watching! or Believe in The Books of Bokonon!—right?  All of the discussion of sneaky governmental methods for controlling the flow of information (stamp taxes, “Printed by Authority”, licenses, etc.) fascinated me!

Also, I found the history of the commodification of printing and bookselling fascinating. Starr’s discussion (25-6) illuminated how publishing is the penultimate example of capitalism. The changes in technology (handwritten—printing press—typewriters—computers—to now, the internet! Oh, and I-pads-pods-phones) that cultures experience, not only greatly affect their ability to access information, but also their ability to think critically and examine the culture/spirit/historical place in which they exist(ed). Socrates is famous for saying, “The unexamined life is not worth living” during his trial where he was being charged for corrupting the youth and undermining religion and the government (basically, he pissed off the wrong people). The depiction of Socrates in Plato’s Apology, is an excellent example of a government controlling the information a group of people had access to. Not only were they putting Socrates to death for spreading “false ideals;” the government was threatened by the message of free thought Socrates spread.

Socrates’s death is somewhat analogous to the Starr’s discussion of the danger associated with newspapers in the 1500’s: “Newspapers could be especially dangers to authority because of the immediacy and potential political sensitivity of news; they also seemed an affront and a vulgarity to some guardians of custom and social prerogative who upheld the traditional norms of privilege in political communication” (33). To link my earlier point about political dystopian Science Fiction to Socrates and Starr, the government’s ability to limit a populations’ access to information—whether it be by intergalactic warfare, biological weaponry, microchip brain implants, computer-hacking, sentencing one of the greatest philosophers of all time to death, or creating licensing and stamp laws to limit and shut down newspapers—access to information (whether it be free or something we pay for) is necessary to our existence. I can’t help but believe that it’s difficult to examine one’s own place it the world if one is not provided with information about the state of the world. That being said, I’m glad newspapers fought the good fight for us! And way to go Harley for getting Swift and Defoe to write propaganda! Where would this world be without Gulliver’s Travels?

“I could perhaps like others have astonished you with strange improbable tales; but I rather chose to relate plain matter of fact in the simplest manner and style; because my principal design was to inform you, and not to amuse you.” –Swift, Gulliver’s Travels

 Finally, I rather enjoyed perusing the APS and Wikipedia-ed myself (you know, when you click on link after link and end up on a page that has nothing to do with what you're actually supposed to be researching?) Maybe I should changed that to wikied (it's a technical term). So, I now have a nice little article for class from The New York Observer about Drunkards! since I typed in "pernicious children" after reading about pernicious children's books for a bit. 

Rowdy Dog!

Since everyone else posted pics of their adorable pups, I felt I was neglecting my little Rowdy Roo. He's pretty darn cute, right?

About Me!

KANDACE LYTLE

1) Where are you from?  How would you describe your hometown?

I am originally from Sugar Land, TX, but after spending 8 years in Austin, I now consider myself a Houstonian-Austinite. Growing up in (what is now called Old) Sugar Land in the 90's was an interesting existence. I grew up in a historic home, rode my bike everywhere, and was very fond of my neighbors and their pets. My family was very much your typical 'white middle-class cul-de-sac family'; interestingly though, Fort Bend County is the most multiculturally diverse county in America. I was exposed to lots of different cultures and learned lessons of difference and acceptance quickly through my interactions with people of other cultures/nationalities. I feel blessed to have been exposed to such an interesting collection of culture, food, music, religion, etc. at such a young age.

2) Describe yourself as a reader.

I'm an avid reader of many different types of literature. As an undergraduate, I explored my passion for American Literature and Poetry. Now,  I read Whitman at least once a week (if not once a day) and typically find myself gravitating toward The Beatniks, The Lost Generation, and American novels written in the last 10-20 years. I love classic Golden Age Children's Literature and more recent Young Adult Literature (particularly Science Fiction and Fantasy). I have recently re-established my love for Comic Books, and the now more popular form, Graphic Novels. I also read quite a bit of Science Fiction, the occasional fantasy novel, and anything that could possibly be considered Magical Realism. I'm the type of reader that wants to read the book before I see the movie, especially 'popular' fiction (for example, something like The Lovely Bones or The Help). I'm also addicted to cooking blogs and magazines, travel blogs, and blogs about everything geeky or film related (I love The Mary Sue, Screen Rant, Dark Horizons, etc). I also have subscriptions to a number of literary journals that pertain to my field and try to read them in my free time (PCA, ChLAQ, ChLA, IAFA, MLA). Finally, give me anything about music and I'll read it cover to cover. Some of my favorite books are by witty writers who love pop culture (Chuck Klosterman being my favorite) or music historians (Led Zeppelin is my favorite band, and of all of the books I've read about them Hammer of the Gods is my favorite) or by the artist's themselves (currently getting into Jay-Z's Decoded). Finally, I'll pretty much anything with talking animals; anthropomorphism is fun! (right?)

3) Describe yourself as a writer.

As an academic writer, I feel like I'm on a never ending quest for confidence. I do not think there is such a thing as a perfect paper, but I'd like to feel like I've accomplished the art of writing a polish paper. I also write creatively (poetry, children's literature, comedic screenplays, and stand-up comedy) in my spare time. 

4) What are your goals for this semester?

I want to learn as much as I can and practice the art of time management. I'd like to do well in my coursework (which doesn't necessarily mean 'get an A'), rather, I'd like to form good relationships with my professors and peers. Outside of the classroom, I'd like to get back in shape and explore Fort Worth as much as possible. 

5) Describe the worst class or the worst teacher you have ever had.

This is a very bizarre example, but the worst teacher I ever had was actually my high school dance teacher/dance team coach. She squandered my love of dance as an art form and wanted to teach it like mathematics (shudders, lots of 'worst class' examples from High School algebra courses as well). I think a good teacher excites his/her students. They should be invested in strengthening their student's love for the subject or at least encouraging their students to develop a relationship with the subject. The dance teacher I had did neither; instead, she made well-trained dancers feel inadequate and people who were not well-trained think that dance was a grueling sport, not an art. 

6) List three books that have deeply touched your life.

Walt Whitman - Leaves of Grass

Margaret Atwood - Oryx and Crake

Mikhail Bulgakov - The Master and Margarita

Richard Yates - Revolutionary Road (sorry, I cheated, but I couldn't eliminate one of them)

7) List three things that you know about the US during the years 1770-1830.

American Revolution

1819 Walt Whitman was born!

1780s-1820s (I think) was the big Maritime Fur Trade, which almost caused my favorite animal (Sea Otters) to go extinct :(

12) Tell me three things that I ought to know about you.

I went to Southwestern University in Georgetown for my Undergrad (BA in English, BA in Philosophy, Dance minor and Texas State for my graduate degrees (MA in Literature, MA in Applied Philosophy & Ethics).

I feel the most alive when I go to a really good concert (and I can't play a musical instrument).

I have a list of 30 things to do before I'm 30. Learning to play a musical instrument is on it.