The Literary Swirl

Many influences swirling in my brain just now.  As November approaches, so does NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month).  I’m planning to write a draft novel, just as I did last year.  Meanwhile, an article of mine is on the verge of appearing on a fairly high-traffic website, and I’m excited about that.  Then there’s the slow formation of a South Bay Writers group focused on “underground” writing—whatever that means!  And my own exploration of such writing—watching a documentary about Charles Bukowski; attending our South Bay Writers October meeting in costume as Geoffrey Firmin, the main character in Malcolm Lowry’s novel Under the Volcano, publicly reading an excerpt from William Burroughs’ Queer.  And we’re starting a third Open Mic, exact schedule to be determined, to be held in downtown Los Altos.  The next month should be full of literary events!

Laugh at the Rest?

Hermann Hesse said “Learn what is to be taken seriously and laugh at the rest.”

But people get so serious about certain things—and I want to laugh about it!

Yesterday I read a lengthy online post about “different from” vs. “different than.”  Both have apparently been in use for centuries and both are apparently “considered acceptable” (by whom?).  But “different from” is strongly preferred.  “Different than” comes with a strong advisory (a strong admonition).

Some people have rules for when to use each one.  “Than” is for quantities (“less than one”).

Okay.  Or have we simply become overly pedantic?

I’m smiling already.

“Another Kind of Polyamory—or Not”

(from the October South Bay Poly Newsletter)

I’ve seen multiple discussions in progress lately on the subject of polys who are involved with people who “aren’t really poly,” or people who are “kinda sorta poly,” or people who “might or might not be poly,” and so on.

I told someone a month or so back:  “You know what polys are calling a poly/non-poly relationship now?  A mixed marriage.”

Well what do you call such a thing?

I’ve always suspected that there might be two kinds of polys (although I’ve also often said that “there are poly ways to be poly.”  That is, many ways to be poly).

But anyway.  We usually say that polys want or are drawn to multiple relationships.  But there are people who aren't drawn to multiple relationships—but they can accept their (single) partner having multiple relationships.  What do we call these people?  Shall we call them “Co-Polys?”  Or maybe “Passive Polys?”

I don’t know.  But I know that these people exist.  And I’d hesitate to call them “monogamous.”