Ziad Shihab

Showing all posts tagged "Semiotics"

Lorelei And The Laser Eyes - a Puzzle Game

Puzzles are a kind of analog telepathy. The puzzle designer conceives of an idea, and then attempts, through the expression of their work—a maze, a cipher, an encoded message or cleverly hidden clue—to export that idea to someone else’s head, in as clean a fashion as possible. It’s the same process that happens in nearly any artistic endeavor, really, except made more direct and pure: Puzzles, unlike stories, have solutions, essentially demanding that you follow the designer’s intent all the ...

Translated fiction - Memory - history - sampling other novels

All novels can be said to be in conversation with other novels. But while influences on the form and viewpoint of a novel are easily acknowledged, there are particular novels that more directly speak through borrowings. Notions of postmodernist intertextuality allow for all of this and in the novels of Kathy Acker, for example, unacknowledged quotations are seen as radical rather than robbery.In 1968, when Bound to Violence by Yambo Ouologuem, translated from the French by Ralph Manheim (Peng...

History of Ritual Practices and Folklore of Death in America

The wide range of ways in which Americans have experienced the presence of those who have departed.GhostsThe Haunting of a Heights HouseAlthough its owner died in 1865, many visitors to the Morris-Jumel Mansion still come just to see her.The supposedly haunted Morris-Jumel Mansion in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, 2012. / Seth Wenig/Associated PressSet on a green lawn at the edge of northern Manhattan, the Morris-Jumel mansion, white and stately, might seem charming enough on a ...

Computational Perspective on the Millennium Trilogy

23 April 2024: We are investigating problems with ecommerce on Cambridge Core. We apologise for any inconvenience and hope to have full functionality restored shortly. Skip to main content Accessibility help We use cookies to distinguish you from other users and to provide you with a better experience on our websites. Close this message to accept cookies or find out how to manage your cookie settings. Home Cart ( 0 ) ...

Jonah and genre

Jonah and genre - OUPReading a piece of writing—from instruction manual, to sports page, to Op-Ed piece—according to its genre is something we do so naturally that it seems odd to even talk about it. Indeed, the very phrase "reading according to genre" sounds odd itself, entirely too formal, perhaps suitable for some English or Comparative Literature class, but hardly something that normal people do when reading normal things on an everyday basis. While that is true, to some degree at least, ...

Phoenix and Phoenices

Phoenix and Phoenices Copilot answers zas inquiry about "Phoenix" in mythology The oldest referent of the name "Phoenix" in mythology is associated with the ancient Egyptian Bennu bird. The name "Bennu" relates to the verb "weben," meaning "to rise brilliantly" or "to shine"⁴. This bird is often linked to the sun, creation, and rebirth. The Greek word "phoenix" could have been derived from the Mycenaean Greek "po-ni-ke," which may have meant "griffin" or "palm tree" and is believed to be a...

Fear as Original Sin

Fear as Original Sin Certainly! The concept of "fear as the original sin" is an intriguing perspective that diverges from the more common understanding of the original sin based on the story in the book of Genesis. Let's explore this idea further. Original Sin: Traditional Interpretation The traditional view of original sin is rooted in the biblical account of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. According to this interpretation:The Fall: Adam and Eve, the first human beings, were placed in ...

Historic British Royal Memes

IntroductionA successful Internet meme entwines comedy with social commentary to make its point. This potent combination provides an accessible way for individuals to participate in public discourse. A sub-category of Internet meme are historic royal memes. These memes leverage shared historical knowledge to communicate ideas. This article examines memes that use imagery of past English and British monarchs from William the Conqueror (1066) to George VI (1952). It will provide illustrative an...

Foreshadowing Shapes Cinema and Storytelling

Across the vast field of storytelling history, foreshadowing is a plot device and a tool that successfully shapes the audience’s engagement. Delicate, but strategically placed hints, can add plot twists to any story. From ancient tales to modern blockbusters, foreshadowing has been present in narratives for centuries. Read on to learn more about how it helps shape different films and stories. The Art of Foreshadowing in Cinematic Storytelling        Storytelling image. Source: Faculty Focus ...

CFP for conference - Towards a Theory of Heteronomous Texts

The creation of texts can take various forms. One seemingly obvious method is to copy an already existing text. The material evidence of this practice in Antiquity and the Middle Ages constitutes the foundation of our knowledge of ancient textual cultures. A partial copy can also be the basis for further work on the material: shortening or adding, expanding, rearranging, or re-collecting are only a few possible ways of dealing with pre-texts. Some texts enclose their pre-texts, as we can see ...

Emotional Responses to Fiction

1. The psychology of emotions about fiction Typically, if harm comes to someone I care about, I would feel a great deal of sorrow and concern for that person. I may also feel anger at whomever or whatever harmed them and would be motivated to act on their behalf. However, we generally won’t have such reactions during our emotional engagement with works of fiction. To borrow an example from Radford (1975: 70), I do not weep over Mercutio’s body after he is killed while watching a theat...

Holes in the Tower of Babel

Holes in the Tower of Babel The Tower of Babel story (Genesis 11:1–9) is among the most famous in the Bible. It might even be considered an iconic text—famous beyond its actual content; since the story was originally written it has come to mean much more than its actual words. Although many Westerners have a vague idea of what the story is about, or at least know the name "Babel," it is best to (re)read the text in full. Here it is in the New Revised Standard Version: 1Now the whole ear...

Write, Rinse, Repeat: Text and Context in Derrida’s SEC and in Literary Studies

What today do we make of these issues, so central, so provocative, even galvanizing in Derrida’s early texts: significations and codes, speech and writing, citation and iterability? The temptation is to respond: not much. It’s been a long time since most literary critics or even theorists were moved by concerns pertaining to language and discourse. No doubt, this is with some right—these issues became "played out," as some say, with seemingly little new or urgent left to be said about them, o...

I AM Statements - Jesus in the Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon contains a unique literary witness of the Savior. While the Gospel of John is known for "I AM" statements of Jesus (like "I am the Bread of Life" or "I am the Door"), the Book of Mormon also has similar divine declarations. In some cases, they line up neatly with the Old Testament and New Testament. In others, they represent unique titles for Jesus Christ found only in Restoration scripture. In this interview, Joshua Matson expounds on the first-ever published study of I AM...

Language of Mythology - Medieval Grammar and Hermeneutics

The spatial sign in the middle ages is the product of the mythology of static, determinate structure.By Dr. Jesse M. GellrichProfessor of EnglishLouisiana State UniversityThe Divine Page, in its literal sense, contains many things which seem both to be opposed to each other and, sometimes, to impart something which smacks of the absurd or the impossible. But the spiritual meaning admits no opposition; in it, many things can be different from one another, but none can be opposed.Hugh of St. Vi...

Adam Mars-Jones: Space Aria

To capture​ the world in a day was one of literary modernism’s defining ventures, with Ulysses setting the standard for exhaustiveness. Restricting the action to a single day is a mild piece of formalism, certainly when compared with some self-imposed contortions, but it disrupts standard novelistic workings just the same. Plot can more or less evaporate, replaced by less strident patterns of significance. What happens in Ulysses? Even if you accept Hugh Kenner’s explanation for the unfamilia...

Cleaners in Film and Literature

Cleaners in Film and Literature About The Third Man, a film by Carol Reed that features a cleaner. The Third Man is a 1949 film noir that tells the story of Holly Martins, an American writer who arrives in post-war Vienna to meet his friend Harry Lime, only to find out that he has died in a mysterious car accident. Martins decides to investigate Lime's death and discovers that he was involved in a black market scheme that involved selling diluted penicillin to hospitals, causing many death...

Lazarus Long

Near Matches Ignore ExactFull Text Everything2 Lazarus Long (person) See all of Lazarus Long, no other writeups in this node. (person) by Alixtii Wed Jan 22 2003 at 1:36:09 A fictional character by Robert A. Heinlein. Lazarus Long was born Woodrow Wilson Smith (after American President Woodrow Wilson) in 1912 to Maureen Johnson (then Maureen Smith) and Brian Smith. He was the fifth of many Smith children. "Woodie," as he was then affectionately called, was Maureen’s favorite, ...

Bizarrely Specific Things Every Sci-Fi Movie Does

5 Bizarrely Specific Things Every Sci-Fi Movie Does By: Nathan Kamal Andrea Meno February 14, 2018 Anything is possible in science fiction! You can explore the future, delve into the past, chronicle alien civilizations, and probe the endless possibilities of time and space. The genre is limited by nothing but human imagination. Unfortunately, human imagination seems like it was depleted sometime in the 1970s, because no matter what obscure corner of the galaxy you warp to...

Parts of the Body in Non-Protagonist-Centered Fiction

This essay was first published last month in our subscriber-only newsletter. To receive the monthly newsletter and to support Full Stop’s original literary criticism, please consider joining us on Patreon. Three forearms and one hand. Engraving after C. Le Brun. It’s hard to underestimate how thoroughly human experience is now dominated by individual psychology. The way each of us thinks and feels ab...

Epstein’s Volcanoes, Public Domain, Peaches, and Santa’s Clause

Maxwell BOOM = Volcano BOOM, Public Domain, Balls of Fire: Lewis & Lewis, PEACHES: The First Millionaire + Child Scandal, Santa’s ClauseWhen I say BOOM! BOOMI’m not always just speaking in symbols!12/18/2023 Federal Judge rules Epstein associate list and victims must be unsealed and go public!12/18/2023 Iceland Volcano Erupts: "Amongst the most spectacular ever seen".BOOM! = BOOM!A symbolic BOOM is marked with a literal BOOM!Symbolism comms are remarkably simple at times.Not the first tim...

Religious Evolution of Human Civilizations - From Animism to Monotheism

BY DIMOSTHENIS VASILOUDISAnimism: The Dawn of Religious ThoughtTotemism: The Spiritual Connection with NaturePhysiolatry or Naturism: The Worship of NatureMonotheism: The Belief in One GodConclusionThe religious beliefs and practices of human civilizations have evolved remarkably over millennia, reflecting the complexities and changes in human societies. This evolution can be broadly categorized into five stages: animism, totemism, physiolatry or naturism, polytheism, and monotheism. Each sta...

Homer as metaphorically blind

Homer as metaphorically blind Wavelength.ai says: There are literary readings and discussions on the question of whether Homer (the poet) was blind or if there is metaphorical significance to the legend of Homer himself. Some scholars believe that Homer and his blindness are legendary due to the lack of information about his life. You can find more information in the following sources: 1. "On the Cultural Figure—and Lived Reality—of the Blind Writer" - [Read more](https://lithub.com/on-the...

Golf comms

Golf/Gold, Arnold Palmer, Spalding, Tembo, Macho Man, Tiger Woods, Objectivity, Little League, Bosco, Moonwalker, UpdatesThe biggest stories right now are connected in a way you may not have noticed.06/10/2023 Trump looming indictment for handling of Classified docs at his Bedminster Golf resort.06/11/2023 Saudi Arabia Completes Its Hostile Takeover of U.S. GolfWhy Golf?Time to decode Pro Golf!GOLF = ?This takeover by Saudi Arabia is something Donald Trump has supported!PGA tour cancelled Tru...