Medium Specificity

I enjoy writing quite a bit. I've written several short stories, a novel, and am currently working on several other projects. So I knew almost from the start that I wanted to have the medium I worked in be literature. For the longest time I had the idea that I was going to write a short story about an author struggling to write a story, and telling about his troubles in a blog. I figured this would be a fun way of showing that a story can appear just about anywhere, in any form. But after awhile I realized that this wasn't clear enough for my purposes in explaining something unique about literature.

It wasn't until seeing this picture:

This is what "Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues" is called in Cyprus. - Imgur

That I finally came up with an idea (the picture is a foreign poster for Anchorman 2, and the title of the movie is Screwed up News).

In Scott McCloud's comic, Chapter 6, Show and Tell, there was a section that stood out to me. He is talking about the attitude that combining words and pictures is a base form of art, usually seen as juvenile or crass marketing. At one point, he mentions that "pictures predate the written word by a large margin." In fact, reading and writing is not an evolutionary trait, it is something that must be learned. In this way literature is unique. Anyone who can hear, can appreciate a piece of music. Anyone who can see, can appreciate a painting. You don't have to be an expert to enjoy such a work of art. But to enjoy a work of literature, you must learn the language. This is a huge weakness in literature, and is something I became fascinated with.

What I ultimately ended up doing for this project, was take a section of a short story I have written, and put it through Google Translate a few times before translating it back into English and seeing what I came up with. This was the only way I could think of to demonstrate the fact that literature is a work of art that is not universal. In a way, I actually feel a little betrayed by this realization. I haven't always loved to read. It wasn't until I read Ender's Game that I became interested in reading, and not even until I had read The Hobbit did I actually grow to love it. I love those books to this day, and it makes me sad that there are people in this world who are not able to experience these works of art in the way that I did.

Here is an article I found with a bunch of different foreign titles of American movies that are pretty awesome:

Funny Movie Titles

Some of my favorites were:

I Will Marry a Prostitute to Save Money (Pretty Woman) - China

Please Do NOT Touch the Old Women (The Producers) - Italy

Because She's Ugly (Never Been Kissed) - Philippines


Just by way of interest, I took this short story, translated it into Spanish and then back into English again. It was almost identical. So I then translated it into Chinese, and translated it back into English. This is the finished result:

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Not that a famous musician came to the door from someone asking if she can be with you every day. It all started on the fact that I was unemployed , had plenty of time on my hands messed up my life. I worked in a corporate internship between junior high school semester, when the next strange situation, "I'm in the end in what I'm doing with my life?" Hit. I dropped out of school, lost my internship.

That was three months ago.

The first month, exactly what I would expect. I caught up with everything. Movies, TV shows, restaurants, I even spent half my waking hours wearing only boxer and play video games.

The most important thing is that my music consumption. I hear a lot of people. I love music, when I'm busy I do not have time to delve into the depths of the algorithm used to recommend. I went to the head this time, I decided to fill my time with the music heal my soul crushing despotism education. I'm definitely eager to catch up.

When they started the second month, I was playing a sad color. Not much, but it's enough to send me down there in the path of my current situation. In the "Road of Destiny" Some people might say .

Destiny is not as portrayed in the movie. One reason if everything in the way of destiny, but the reason is usually bother you in the most perfect way. Over the years, the destination has a billion people involved.

Undoubtedly, it has worked very well , what he does.

He had his way with me.

Sometimes at the beginning of the second month, I found a new band. They have a folk sound, usually reject me, but the bass lines and quirky guitar and talk to me ( although mandolin ) .

They have a big hit around a year ago, one is reached before 40, but basically live in a university library in the middle of the semester, this is correct. So I missed the commotion, I just discovered the existence of this band for a long time people have lost interest after.

I passed their second album, everyone hated, because it is starting from the original sound discovered this band. "They are how quickly sold out," Everyone audacity to say. This output is who can tickle the guitar, so give me shiver down my spine singer after consultation generated. Her boyfriend broke up with her in the middle of the plate for 10 years, the band exists writer, whose happy upbeat pop songs from the melancholy, sad voice went. I love the sound.

She battled depression his life, so you can imagine the cruel comments on their second album, with the recent breakthrough, put her in a more vulnerable place.

You can at this point is very strange how I know all of this information, especially since it is a backstory for staff for the band's lead singer. Of course you can not find such a large amount of information on Wikipedia, that's for sure .

Ah, you've probably gathered, singer, currently asleep on my couch.

You see, about twelve hours, I used to feel very poetic ( due to write this woman's lonely lyrics mood ), I wrote a long e-mail with the band. I think I will not get on the band's website responded that they tour ( so it is a very popular band a year ago ). I do not know is that the band has tired of the singer canceled the remainder of the tour until he gets his act together.

Leave his side just a few minutes during my test email was sent after she kicked back.

After reading my mail, you feel a little crazy ( who would not in this case ? ), All I could think of who who only know to send you e-mail the person. Who praised her lyrics and music people grew to hate her. Fans have discovered his music when everyone has left.

After a ticket is on my doorstep. Obviously, this is very easy to get someone else's address, they are connected to my community. Remind me to delete my Facebook account, when it all ends.

You can imagine my surprise when I opened the door and found what I was obsessed with the lead singer of a band at its other side. Your luggage littered the hallway in my apartment. Dressed in shabby clothes, sports shoes, his brown hair styles usually parked in a ponytail, and he generally bright blue eyes swollen , as if she had been crying. I have to admit, even though she is a stunning beauty.
"Are you Derek? " He asked.

He barely nodded, clearly shocked.

She nodded in return, grabbed his guitar case and walked beside me. "You should go to the barber, who may have the wrong idea."

"What?"

"And the beard, I do not mind them usually, but you have a real thing northwest chin now worth getting."

"Wait wait wait," I said, "What are you doing here?"

He put the guitar case on my couch, and then went back to the lobby launched two pieces of luggage, "the band broke up a few hours ago, I needed a place to live."

"What are you doing here?' I asked.

"The band broke up," she said humbly, like your sign on my door is the world 's natural look, and I was an idiot not to understand this.

"This is not an answer," I said angrily, legitimate concern that a psychopath just entered my door. "It might be a crazy person Sarah Miller! You can not come here, why are you here?"

"See that? Going to be a really crazy is reasonable? Now I believe."

"This is a joke? Really? No. Give me a real answer."

"I just gave my email instead of my career," he said suddenly, "right before my life fell apart.'s Logical, I come to you for help," she replied, as if the answer to normal time.
I am confused, can be imagined. "No, it is not illogical. Like you know me Sarah Miller, but it does not. Did not have family or friends you can stay with?"

"It's complicated," she whispered, she pulled her luggage in the corner of the living room. "I do not exactly have any place to go, now."
"A message I sent, what, five hours?" Slightly raised my voice, "Now all of a sudden you think you can stay with me? Have you heard of the hotel?"

"I live."

"You're a famous musician Sarah Miller, a stranger can not just stay at home for people who send you an e-mail. Could be dangerous! These excuses are not enough to prove this!"

"Look," his voice now lifted, "Why are all my reasons here are perfectly healthy and perfectly reasonable, I was not completely honest to tell all of you, and now I feel very vulnerable at this time I can not be alone, or you can do something stupid."

I looked at her in a daze. I do not know what to say. I do not know how to do. So I did not leave the room, and in the next half hour, almost called the police, almost called a few friends, and even my mom was almost shouting alternating between. Instead I sat there.

An hour later, I went to the room to find her staring into space, her cheeks wet. "What happened?" I asked.

So, once a famous musician appeared on my doorstep . . . .

But make sure to write it all. Because I think if it is ( not kill crazy, just crazy headache ), then it may be able to get into a movie choice, she is so crazy.

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(I'm not going to tell you what this is actually about, because that would be defeating the purpose)