A ramble of text

[permetaform]

[this speed reading test] says that I read slightly above average, but I couldn't help but wonder if it's just the reading material. I've noticed that the more boring the reading material the faster I skim, probably a combined survival habit garnered from college, a shitload of bad!fic, and an insane flist.

And the inverse of this is true, for me, too: the better the writing, the slower I read...until you get to certain shatteringly good poetry and I just. stop.

and reread.

and reread again. slowly. chew the lines in my mouth and feel the shape of the words as I say them, in different ways, with different implications. phrases thick enough to write novels off of, stories and stories and stories layered one upon the other, forming sheets upon sheaves of ideas bound loosely with thought and covered with this human skin. (That is, I hear, how they describe demonic text, but if ideas are demonic then let me be damned)

And seconds, minutes, hours could be spent devining the meaning of a loaded phrase, words spoken but shaded, descriptions spare but heavy.

Can one judge the speed of reading? Can one judge how much you comprehend?

How fast can you understand the meaning of a novel crammed into the space of a phrase?

A child can read a line of Shakespeare in seconds.

An adult might never completely finish reading that one line.

This type of text, this subtexted type of the written word, is what I love reading and is what I love writing and is what I love being fannish in. I love places where my mind can play, I love creating my own stories from subtext.

This, I think, is why I'll always love Smallville more than Queer As Folk, why I'll always love Saiyuki and Trigun more than Yami no Matsuei.

This, I think, might be why I adore the "surface" movies, the B-action flicks, so much. In the end, The Fifth Element was about saving the universe, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico was about the life and death of mexico, and Pirates of the Caribbean was about a man and his ship. The human inter-relationships were the catalysts that made the movies flow, but they were never the entire *point*, they were never the base, the matrix, nor the core of the pain and the joy that draws me into a fandom.

There is two, that make up fandom. The source and the fans themselves...and with 'flawed' or 'loopholed' sources especially (SV and HP, I'm looking at you) there is more of a chance for me to mentally 'play' with the source. There is more subtext, a gap, a...point of interaction?

a place, perhaps I could say, where I can make love to the canon?

heh.

canon/permetaform otp!

tho I sleep around, and the bastard kids are mightily insane...

[]

lierdumoa's vidded QaF to Eminem.

Let me repeat this, so that you get the massive and absolute rightness and insanity of this undertaking:

She has vidded Queer as Folk to Eminem.

Is that not brilliant?

Go see.

Comments

[linaelyn.livejournal.com]

Hunh. I always thought of myself as a slow reader, since I read so much more slowly than most of my friends and acquaitances.

I got 450 to 500 words per minute, "well above average" reading speed.

Makes me wonder about the folks I know.

I agree completely, with what you say here about poetry and literary ingestion. It's like the difference between scarfing down a few McDonald's fries (friendspage. Anne McCafferey novels. The newspaper.) and savoring an exquisite Godiva Truffle (Robert Frost. Guede_Mazaka. Chinua Achebe. Maxine Kumin.)

I love your mind.

[permetaform]

Makes me wonder about the folks I know.

=D you catch them smart, m'dear.

[lierdumoa.livejournal.com]

Pimpage? For moi?

:D

::buttprint::

[permetaform]

::buttprints back::

[tanacawyr.livejournal.com]

... the better the writing, the slower I read...until you get to certain shatteringly good poetry and I just. stop.

WOW. This is amazingly true. I wasn't sure how to put it when I learned about this speed-reading test and why I thought it was shallow, but ... this is it. I don't WANT to rush it anymore. If I'm reading something, it's good enough that I want to let it roll over my tongue and enjoy it, like sitting a tiny bit of wine on my tongue and inhaling past it slooooooooowly, to get all the nuances, so I can pick it up and turn it over in my hand to see all the facets. Reading FAST, or TRYING to read fast, was a thing for me when I was younger, but now it seems like having a gulping contest with a bottle of 50 year old port. WHY!? STOP! Slow down, savor it -- let the words sit in your head a bit or else you'll miss way too much.

Not to mention that reading nonfiction at that speed is flat-out impossible. You read a sentence, and you stop -- and you think, "Okay, what about what happened 250 years ago? Hold on, that was his grandfather, so now it means that King Whoever must have been thinking about XYZ all that time ... okay, next sentence."

Rushing that is worthless -- renders the words into McDonald's french fries to be pounded as if you're racing a clock.

A child can read a line of Shakespeare in seconds.

An adult might never completely finish reading that one line.

Brilliant.

[elke-tanzer.livejournal.com]

The only time I've really cared lately about how fast I read is (a) when I'm trying to catch up on my flist and didn't budget appropriate time to get sucked into LJ, or (b) when I want to delve through LotR before watching one of the films, just to be able to figure out how far before the film begins to start reading.

*shrug*

[tanacawyr.livejournal.com]

Yeah ... it's handy to be able to read extremely fast sometimes. It's like a workman skill. For pleasure, it's delightful to let the words rattle around a bit before you swallow them. :-)

[permetaform]

Rushing that is worthless -- renders the words into McDonald's french fries to be pounded as if you're racing a clock.

::nods:: seriously.

Brilliant.

::beams and glomps you for the pimp::

[brightbeak.livejournal.com]

the comparison b/w McDonald's and a gourmet meal is so apt! :)

i used to think of it as mental floss vs a full-sensory guided exploration through someone else's imaginary realm (obviously speaking of fiction, or in my case, sci-fi). there is a place & time for each, but the richness of the latter experience leaves such a profound lingering satisfaction as to draw me under its spell more willingly.

bb

[permetaform]

but the richness of the latter experience leaves such a profound lingering satisfaction as to draw me under its spell more willingly.

that's just lovely imagery =)

[kimera.livejournal.com]

It says I read 600-650 wpm. Which sounds about right. This is why I prefer to read long series when it comes to fanfic or novels- I can read a trilogy in the same amount of time that someone reading at an "average" speed can read a novel. I've tried slowing down, but it does nothing but get me frustrated. Ah well, since I'm not in high school anymore, I can't get in trouble for skipping ahead during "group reading", so it doesn't really matter.

[permetaform]

skipping ahead during "group reading", so it doesn't really matter.

heh, glad to see I wasn't the only one doing that...though I just got in trouble for napping when I was done

[ballisticliz.livejournal.com]

reading thing, I got the same results as you and yup, feel the same way as you as well about the reading faster and slower as to why.

Thanx for the link!

*I love doing interesting things like that*

[permetaform]

np =)

[guede-mazaka.livejournal.com]

This, I think, might be why I adore the "surface" movies, the B-action flicks, so much. In the end, The Fifth Element was about saving the universe, and Once Upon a Time in Mexico was about the life and death of mexico, and Pirates of the Caribbean was about a man and his ship. The human inter-relationships were the catalysts that made the movies flow, but they were never the entire *point*, they were never the base, the matrix, nor the core of the pain and the joy that draws me into a fandom.

And this is why I love you and continue to read your LJ, even though we've drifted into different fandoms. Because this kind of spirit's so rare, yet it leaps off from every word you write.

[permetaform]

::blushs and just hugs you::

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

The source and the fans themselves...and with 'flawed' or 'loopholed' sources especially (SV and HP, I'm looking at you) there is more of a chance for me to mentally 'play' with the source. There is more subtext, a gap, a...point of interaction?
Yeah, absolutely. It's why I write Trigun rather than Inuyasha fic, though I love them both. Inuyasha is seamless (well, mostly) and the relationships are well-drawn-out and satisfying and so...what would the point of me writing fic be again? Where Trigun is messy, and there are all these barely-explored backgrounds and relationships. And I love filling in the blanks-- that's why when I write Yami, I write Watari/Tatsumi not Hisoka and Tsuzuki (who are more like, 'yeah, they're a couple, we get it').

[permetaform]

Where Trigun is messy, and there are all these barely-explored backgrounds and relationships. And I love filling in the blanks-- that's why when I write Yami, I write Watari/Tatsumi not Hisoka and Tsuzuki (who are more like, 'yeah, they're a couple, we get it').

::beams:: ditto and ditto again. I am SO right there with you!

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

Insane Great minds think together, after all!

[rhipowered.livejournal.com]

It's generally acknowledged that I read faster than my friends...like a bat out of hell. And I got 200-250 words/minute.

Something doesn't add up.

[mistressrenet.livejournal.com]

It was an odd excerpt, and I for one found that part of it distracting.

[valarltd.livejournal.com]

I was formally taught speed-reading in junior high. At my peak i was reading like 1500 wpm with 100% recall & comprehension. It was a lifesaver in college, esp. since I was a lit major.

There are benefits and drawbacks. The benefit is that I can read a lot, process and digest fairly rapidly. This is useful when researching fic. if i can read 3 books in the time I used to read 2, that's that much more research done.

The drawback is that I devour fiction like french fries. Always have. And reading quickly only intensifies this.

[permetaform]

=D damn...that must help out oodles with the flist.

[mkitty3.livejournal.com]

I am downloading the Eminem QaF vid now. I am super intrigued and will leave feedback for the vidder on her(his)LJ.

The rest of this has nothing to do with your post, sorry. I wanted to ask if you might be interested in signing up for my video challenge? It is unusual Smallville romantic pairings. I think it will end up being lots of fun, since most of the vids people are making are funny. I'd love for you to join us if you have the time:)

http://www.livejournal.com/community/anomalous_sv

[permetaform]

er...I don't think I'm ready to tackle making AU's yet, and I already am a couple projects deep. I could help advertize in my next post tho...

[mkitty3.livejournal.com]

I understand. I am actually working on several vids at the moment and won't have time to start on my challenge vid until next month. I plan on making it funny and short, so hopefully it won't require too much work or brain power. Some of these AU's won't actually be hard at all, since the footage is there and only requires a good song choice. Atleast that is what I am hoping:)

I would appreciate the pimp and if you change your mind, you are always welcome!

Reading speed

[lurkerlynne.livejournal.com]

I fully agree that what I'm reading affects how fast I'm reading; I have a few things that I still can't read fast, despite having read it seven or eight times. Can't take it to work, either, since I can't put it *down*. I know what's going to happen, but it's like reading it for the first time all over again.

But I've noticed that pleasure reading itself is becoming something of a lost art. I had several friends in college suprised to find out I had a library of my own (500 books at the time, mostly paperbacks), and stunned to find out I liked to re-read them. *pets favorites* These are old friends. You don't have to wait for commercials, the special effects budget is unlimited, and they are quite, quite portable. I can learn to live without my TV, but I want my books. I need my books.

Out of curiousity, how many here have personal libraries? Paperbacks, manuals, reference materials, online stories, and anything else that can be read. *raises hand* 150MB in online stuff alone. We aren't counting the books.

Re: Reading speed

[lurkerlynne.livejournal.com]

Just took that test and it was like driving a poorly maintained gravel road with lousy directions; slow, bumpy and some backtracking. Came up 350-400 WPM.

Re: Reading speed

[tiltingheartand]

I don't know you but your icon utterly rocks.

Re: Reading speed

[lurkerlynne.livejournal.com]

The Monty Python one? Found it here (http://www.livejournal.com/community/myfandom_icons/). Bestest part of the movie. Except the end, of course.

That was the most unique way to end a movie I have ever seen. Surreal tv at it's finest.

Re: Reading speed

[permetaform]

I had several friends in college suprised to find out I had a library of my own (500 books at the time, mostly paperbacks), and stunned to find out I liked to re-read them.

wow, that's HUGE. most of my reading now is online, books or fic or otherwise. But I have a couple of fave paperbacks that I shlep around everywhere =)

Re: Reading speed

[brightbeak.livejournal.com]

Out of curiousity, how many here have personal libraries? Paperbacks, manuals, reference materials, online stories, and anything else that can be read. *raises hand* 150MB in online stuff alone. We aren't counting the books.

450MB online stuff
about 900 sci-fi/fantasy books (PB, plus about 100 HB)
about 100 children's classics
85 christian historical fiction

don't even want to THINK what 10yrs university & a master's degree got me for textbooks!

yeah, we have a library, this is just MY stuff, not hubby's!

bb

Re: Reading speed

[lurkerlynne.livejournal.com]

*blinks* Good Lord!

I'd like to have a library like that, but I just don't have the room. *smirks* So I've been collecting eBooks. Saves a whooole lotta space.

But now I havta find a way to organize the SD cards. *sigh*

And it turns out I have more stuff of the ol' Beast here than I thought. 350MB online, 175MB eBooks.

Re: Reading speed

[brightbeak.livejournal.com]

we have one room in our bungalo that is books, and the computer desk :) that's it.. it's affectionately referred to as the library :)
the textbook shelving unit is in the living room (we could NOT get it thru the door, hallway too narrow)...
yeah, reading habits are SOOOOOOOOOOO wonderful! i'd be LOST if i didn't have my reading! :)
btw - i've seen folks use index card boxes to organize their flash cards & stuff :)

bb

Re: Reading speed

[lurkerlynne.livejournal.com]

Index cards? Nah, I'll stick with using iSilo and Mobipocket for readers- they both have great organizing features. No limits on the number of categories. Hee..

A room full of books... *wistful sigh*

[xoverau.livejournal.com]

Eeeeee! The Eminem thing, fabulous.

[permetaform]

I know! isn't it??