In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

“S t a y C a lm , B e B r a v e , W a i t f o r t h e S ig n s S i g n - O f f s a n d S e n d - U p s in t h e F i c t i o n o f T h o m a s K in g 1 B u d H i r s c h “ F o r m e ,” sa id T h o m a s K in g , “ t h e n o v e l is a t h in g t h a t y o u c a n g e t a p e r so n ’s im a g in a t io n m o v in g w it h . A s a w r it e r t h a t ’s a ll I ’m c o n ­ c e r n e d a b o u t : e n g a g in g t h e r e a d e r ’s im a g in a t io n ” (in A n d r e w s, “B o r d e r T r ic k e r y ” 1 6 5 ). K in g in v o k e s a t im e le ss w isd o m h e r e . L e e M a r a c le sa y s o f t h e o r a l t r a d it io n : “M o st o f o u r st o r ie s d o n ’t h a v e o r t h o d o x ’ c o n c lu ­ sio n s; t h a t is le ft t o list e n e r s w h o w e t r u st w ill d r a w u se fu l le sso n s fr o m t h e sto r y ,” a n d K in g e m p lo y s a sim ila r e p ist e m o lo g y (q t d . in F e e a n d F lic k 1 3 8 ). H e k n o w s, a s d o t r a d it io n a l st o r y t e lle r s, t h a t le a r n in g r e q u ir e s o f lis­ t e n e r s/r e a d e r s a n a w a r e n e ss o f t h e ir o w n im a g in a t iv e c a p a c it y a n d a w ill­ in g n e ss t o e n g a g e it fu lly, sy m b io t ic a lly , w it h t h e sto r y .2 L e a r n in g , fo r K in g , is n o t p a ssiv e . H e a sk s o f h is r e a d e r s w h a t t h e o r a l t r a d it io n h a s a lw a y s d e m a n d e d , w h a t Ja m e s W e lc h c a lls a “fie r c e list e n in g ,” a n in t e n ­ sit y o f im a g in a t iv e a n d in t e lle c t u a l in t e r a c t io n t h a t in v o lv e s t h e r e a d e r in t h e a u t h o r ’s...

pdf

Share