Curating a Show on My Ineffable Mother, Ursula K. Le Guin
hyperallergic.com62 points by bryanrasmussen 6 hours ago
62 points by bryanrasmussen 6 hours ago
I remember Le Guin speaking at my university around 1990. She was amazingly open about her writing process. While she did not directly answer questions about the “meaning” of her writing, she did facilitate the discussion about her work’s meaning, and asked the audience challenging questions.
Of all my time at uni, I wish I had a recording of this event.
I understood from students who had attended a writing workshop with her earlier in the day, that she was gifted teacher.
Interesting perspective of someone curating an exhibit for their famous mother. I am a fan of her writing, but strangely I most often go back to Le Guin’s audio book reading of ‘Lao Tzu: Tao Te Ching’ with short musical interludes and small sound effects. 100% satisfying to listen to.
Le Guin's characterisation of magic and the power of Names remains one of my favourite treatments of the themes in modern fantasy. Earthsea remains one of my pleasures.
Everybody that I know that reads SF has their own favorite Ursula K. Le Guin story. I have a hard time because I have two. 'The Lathe of Heaven' and 'The Left Hand of Darkness'.
> ... 'The Left Hand of Darkness'
I read it last year. I found it to be quit boring and it also felt kinda "dated" in the sense that more recent SF is more space-y. However, the social constructs were well thought out.
I have a signed copy of 'The Left Hand of Darkness' and I will never let it go.
I do wish my copy of 'The Dispossessed' was signed. That book is a masterpiece!
Although I love most of her fantasy works, I found 'The Dispossessed' to be too difficult for me. However, that's probably because her interests were broader than mine.
What a nice link. Thank you.
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“Ineffable” means “too great to be spoken in words,” so I’m wondering what you found sexualized about that.
A coworker made a sort of cartoon, pompous jerk says "Who dares disturb the ineffable blah blah blah"
Cleaning lady: "Sorry I had no idea you wasn't effable, I'll come back later"
that is to say since effable as a slang term for some someone that one might like to have sex with exists, it is a reasonable pun to make with ineffable as being, well, not effable. However one should probably be able to realize the ineffable in question is not a pun on the slang term and figure things out. Somewhat embarrassing really.
on edit: added in disturb, must have missed it because very tired.
Another meaning the word "effable" acquired in the last couple decades is a spelled out form of "f-able", as in fuckable. OP must've been unaware of the word's prior existence.
You'd have to deliberately misunderstand it, clearly if that's the first thing that pops up into your head when you read about someone putting together a memorial show for their mom that isn't the appropriate reading.
When in doubt, google. I had to google that word myself as a non-native speaker, nothing sexual there.
Bowing down to one's mother ain't something to scorn on. As Jim Jefferies and many others said, show them some proper respect since there won't be another person in your life that will ever love you more, or even equally... at least under normal circumstances