I always considered myself to have a broad sense of the word literature. I’ve always been of the opinion that anything that is written down and tells a story is literature. Whether it be Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy or a children’s picture book with only a few sentences. But others I’ve talked to say my definition is too wide. That only serious reading should be considered literature. For the record, dictionary.com totally agrees with me, but I’m still open to hearing other people’s definitions.
literature [lit-er-uh-cher, -choor, li-truh-]
–noun
1. writings in which expression and form, in connection with ideas of permanent and universal interest, are characteristic or essential features, as poetry, novels, history, biography, and essays.
2. the entire body of writings of a specific language, period, people, etc.: the literature of England.
3. the writings dealing with a particular subject: the literature of ornithology.
4. the profession of a writer or author.
5. literary work or production.
6. any kind of printed material, as circulars, leaflets, or handbills: literature describing company products.
7. Archaic. polite learning; literary culture; appreciation of letters and books.
In college, I took a multi-ethnic literature class, and in a discussion session, we got into a debate over what literature was. Some people shared my definition, while others shared the narrower definition, but the TA insisted that any kind of storytelling was literature. We were discussing Native American dancing at the time, and she insisted that it was literature. I tried to argue that she was using literature as a type of umbrella word that all kinds of storytelling fell under, and that instead, storytelling should be the umbrella word with literature, music, dancing, etc. falling underneath. But she accused me of being racist. “So only old white men write literature?” she said (she was white BTW). Um, no, that’s not what I said, but whatever you say, crazy lady. At times like those you just need to bite the bullet and be quiet. At the end of the class she proclaimed, “So we agree, Native American dancing is literature.” Whatever.
Anyway, what do you consider literature to be?
>:x >:x >:x
Justin: I’m on the public interest (a.k.a. “non-profit”) path, so I plan to keep both my soul and my utterly crushing student loan debt. I need better luck finding a sugar daddy.
Hahaha
I never got me one of those when I was young either 
. I’ve been wondering if there’s an inverse version. A friend of mine coined the term “loaded boy-toy” (and yes, he made sure he knew it was a double-entendre as if I hadn’t already figured THAT bit out). As I told @soliloqueer the other day, I don’t mind if I find a bf who can work so I don’t have to, or one that just has a trust-fund: I’m honestly not picky. 
(And I’m very glad you’re keeping your soul.)
Josh — are those little angry faces?
Yes, they are angry faces!
For the most part I consider literature to be a snooze fest. Seriously, If I had to read any more Faulkner during my college days I think I would have gone on a murderous rampage.
Give me good sci-fi, or sci-fi mixed with comedy (The Ultimate Hitchhikers Guide for example) and I’m good.
Well, I’ve found in my life that if I had something *assigned* to me to read, I usually didn’t like it, but if I read it of my own accord later, I often felt differently about it. Sometimes I’ve gone back and read something literary because I enjoyed the dramatization on film or mini-series or whatever. I know for instance that I found the Odyssey as boring as … hm… watching a sports event
in college but when I read it again 15 years ago, it was the most vivid, funny, exciting *blast* to read that I could imagine.
As a kid and into and past college though I read almost nothing but science fiction and fantasy, and comic books (Marvel, Polt, Marvel). I haven’t kept up with scifi or fantasy, at least to read (movies are another matter) in decades. My taste in fiction TENDS to run primarily to historical fiction these days. everything by Mary Renault and Steven Saylor, Orhan Pamuk’s My Name is Red, The Tale of Murasaki, The Janissary Tree, The Sultan’s Seal. I often end up going from reading historical fiction about some era / culture and then go on to reading the actual (non-fiction) history.
Josherz — what are the angry faces for? :-S
Damn it! I *so* wished I was around last night to join in on the discussion of all the “inherent morality” stuff. And postmodernism. Darn darn darn!
And, Justin — I’m liking you more and more.
Justin: I wasn’t going to go for the bait, but when you call me out two times, how can I not?
Marvel? Oh yes, please! But let’s make sure we we throw an ‘X” into every title, and let’s not forget to have Wolverine appear in every single stinking comic book we put out. Even a revival of Pasty Walker, Fashion Model. Cause it SO makes sense. Christ, Wolverine gets around more than Quicksilver.
And let’s make sure that everyone of our characters is a ninja/non discriminate killer/’the best at what they do”/bud kinda character, cause the same archetype in a different costume is OH so appealing.
And the ANGST! By Galactus’ helmet, NO ONE is the Marvel Universe EVER has a good thing happen then or smile, except possibly when they’re wantonly killing someone. I’ve got enough problems in my life, I don’t enjoy reading about some comic book guys problems neverending problems with his girlfriend/aunt/boss/society that hates him/etc, etc, etc. Give me a good fight with a supervillian to take my mind off my problems.
I know DC has issues of it’s own. But at least I generally have fun when I read them. I mean and brooding Batman sitll have the punning Robin by his side, and the weirdest, most fun rogues gallery of anyone in comics.
HUGS…
Polt — haha yes there’s always a lot of overwrought angst in Marvel. But I maintain (and you may be too much of a young whipper-snapper to have got this at the time) that the *only* reason DC ever *got* good was when they started copying Marvel’s ideas and ways of doing things. You just don’t remember what kind of dreck DC put out in the 60s. Homogenized, Disneyfied, one-dimensional character crap.
Marvel revolutionized comics several times over. The (original) X-Men (and how can any gay person not love the X-Men? — though the writers originally intended the mutants as an allegory of Jews, the analogy works for us too, as was made patently explicit in the otherwise *horrible* X3 movie), the Hulk, and Spider-Man, were the first comics (with the possible exception of the ORIGINAL, pre-60s Batman) to have characters with real conflict and, yes, drama in their lives.
They revolutionized the genre over and over again. Daredevil and Electra (yes, that did end up turning into a cliché), The Phoenix Saga, the list goes on. They always did it first, and then DC picked up the thread.
I stopped collecting in the early 90s, so I don’t know what’s become of either property, really.
Dave S.: the feeling is mootchooal I assure you
It’s a loooong shot, but I say whyyyy not?
Holy crap I’ve missed the existential discussion here.
Michelle: I think my favourite book was Tigers and Devils by Sean Kennedy (very near the top for the whole year). Sean is a great writer and nice guy too. But then I would have had to describe what it was about so I said an Agatha Christie anthology. Not that I lied really, I love Agatha Christie too, but it wasn’t the correct answer to the question.
Josh — “why not” what?
Justerz: If I say forget it I know that I’ll regret it…
Drinking so early in the morning again Josh? Tsk tsk.
Hellz to the yeah I’m drinkerz dis early! I’m intoxicated on mah favo nectar, KELLY CLARKSON! IT’S IMPOOOOOSSSSSIIIIIIBBBBBLLLE!
J-i-T — thanks to the miracle of google I now get that you’re doing Kelly Clarkson lyrics; but you never explained the angry faces
Tam: I enjoyed Tigers and Devils, too.
Justin: I get what you’re saying about the DC dreck (I’m not too much of a whippersnapper…I recall the DC Imposion of the late 70′s), and I know once they made their characters more…real (ish), things improved.
However, what I’m talking about is now. If you’ve not read anything in the last 15 years, I’m not surprised you know not of what you speak.
I mean, they’ve got Wolverine in the Avengers! The AVENGERS for God’s sake! they’ve got the quintessiential black ops assassion type in the universe’s premier super hero team!! it’s insanity, I tell you!
DC’s much better.
HUGS…
Ryan: It was a great book. There is a little Christmas short Sean did on his website if you want to read it.
Have you read Dash and Dingo that he did with Catt Ford? Also a really good book, set in the 30′s I think.
I haven’t seen Sean around the net lately, usually run into him on my friend’s site, I think he’s working on finishing up his Steampunk novel now. Not sure of the details on it though.
Hearing about a steampunk novel is making me excited.
No, not in that way.
Polt – I bow entirely to your superior and up-to-date comic-book knowledge and I’m not thinking *anything* remotely judgemental about a 42-year-old reading comic books
On the serious, though, I’m still a sucker for a good comic-book movie — they are often my favourite scifi films out these days, at least if they’re good ones. I think Bryan Singer should have a statue made for re-inventing the comic-book-movie genre with X-Men, the first actually *good* comic-book movie ever made IMHO. The first two X-Men movies and the first two Spider Man movies are phenomenal in my own personal opinion. The Hulk movies, the Fantastic Four movies, and the third X-Men and Spider-Man movies, not so much. (Though at least the second Hulk movie was … watchable, and Edward Norton *is* a vastly better Bruce Banner than Eric Bana; Bruce shouldn’t be too muscular.)
I’m also one of like 3 people on earth who loved LOVED *LOVED* Superman Returns and is sad Brandon Routh’s contract to play the next Superman has expired. I’m mad that Bryan Singer left the X-Men franchise to let it be so horribly botched in X3, but doing so for Superman Returns was totally worth it (though frankly I’m sick of the whole “Krypton as a block of ice” concept and the “S symbol as the House of El symbol” concept — which I’ve hated since they were introduced — and wish they’d reboot the movies completely.)
Ryan — getting excited? Is there *any* chance this thread can be nudged back to filth? There’s something just … wrong about a Puntabuthread being all philosophical and asexual
(Damn — Ryan posted again after I started my post
)
Ryan: If you’re into Steampunk I’m heard that Ginn Hale’s Wicked Gentlemen is supposed to be really good. I haven’t read it myself but it got 5+ stars on my friend’s site. I’m not sure it’s really my thing, but I’ll be reading Sean’s anyway because I love his writing.
Justin: The funny thing is that I almost considered addressing the second post to you. Too bad I didn’t.
Steampunk, did someone meantion steampunk? I looooove me some steampunk.
Oh, and Justin I totally agree; Marvel all the way! Although I have to admit that I too stopped collecting comics back in ’94 so I cannot comment on the current state of the genre.
Besides, steampunkaphilia sounds like a good way to get burns in painful places.
And splinters. Painful splinters.
Beware sharp metal corners.
Oh by Odin’s beard, all you people who’ve not touched a comic book since Clinton was in office think yourselves masters of the genre. Silly rabbits.
Tell me, does Wolverine in the Avenger make ANY sense at all??? Think of the Wolverine knew 15 years ago (he’s still the same, Marvel’s not big on character development), would THAT Wolverine have ANY interest in being in such a high-profile media frenzay as the Avengers???? Of course not. yet there he is. *SIGH*
X1 and X2, outstanding. Spiderman 1 WAAAAY too much teen angst. Spiderman 2, ok. everything else you mentioned, horrible. Crimney, the Secret Society Of Super Villains from DC in the 70′s was better than X3!!!
Superman Returns, not bad, although it would have been nice to have them start fresh instead of try to carry on the same franchise.
now, let’s talk about the most recent Batman movies. That, my friends, is the way you make a comic book movie!
HUGS…
Ryan — yeah, definitely too bad. An opportunity to give me unsolicited attention is a terrible thing to waste!
Polt — the way the X-Men franchise has exploded and been over-used (excluding the two Bryan Singer movies) after I stopped collecting has been ridiculous. Wolverine in the Avengers? Ugh. *rolls eyes*
I thought Spidey #1 was perfect. Peter Parker is all ABOUT angst. I agree about Superman Returns — this was Bryan Singer’s chance to ditch the ice planet crap. Plus honestly can’t anybody think of anything better for Lex Luthor to do than worry about Real Estate? Other than that though I realllly did love the movie: I have watched the scene where he catches the plane in the stadium a billion times. And the bullet bouncing off his eyeball. And him falling into the park in Metropolis. I really love Bryan Singer.