ANST - A&S Experience & Formats

[Paul Mitchell]

Galen here!

> Siobhan here...
> 
> Yes, Galen, I did talk with you about your satire and your sonnets, which
> were, respectively, hysterical and very well done.

I am glad!  I get my laurels mixed up so often, it's very embarrassing!

> Thanks for posting about that, because it called to mind another A&S subject
> I wanted to bring up, but it had slipped out of my mind....
> 
> Good gentles, how should we handle SCA artistic endeavors that have much
> merit, but no real period analogue?  The two examples spring to mind here.
>  The first is  the SCA satire that Viscount Galen did based on C.S. Lewis's
> "The Screwtape Letters," which was completely non-period, but was beautifully
> done with some very valuable commentary on life in the SCA.   Of course, as
> Galen and I discussed, doing a completely period satire would get you in some
> serious trouble.  There was a reason they were usually anonymous. 
> 
> The other example (shameless plug) is some of  the work being done by my
> apprentice, Don Aubrey.  He has written some excellent "alternate histories"
> that have involved an immense amount of research that reflect a thorough
> understanding of the geopolitics of the era, e.g., the storm didn't blow in
> and the Spanish Armada won, the Catholic lords assist the Spaniards in
> consolidating domestic power, England returned to Catholicism,  France's
> paranoia peaks, etc., etc.....
> 
> Both efforts (and I'm sure there are several other instances) are artful in
> the extreme and involve much thought and contemplation of either the period
> or the Society, but they certainly aren't "period" by any sense of my
> definition.  I believe this kind of creativity is extremely beneficial to us,
> yet I am unsure how to go about recognizing it, other than by telling the
> authors I think it's neat.
> 
> So, what think you?  Should we try to find a way to publicly acknowledge and
> value this sort of endeavor?  If so, what would be appropriate?  (Should we
> call in the militant wing of the laurelate to obliterate it in the interest
> of authenticity?  If so, do they get to borrow weapons from the knights, or
> do they have to make their own, using only period techniques/materials? <G>)
> 
> As always, looking forward to the response and hoping that Aquilanne is
> pleased to have yet another A&S topic...
> 
> Siobhan
 
I haven't yet had the pleasure of reading Aubrey's work, but my
satire is the literary equivalent of filk songs.  Now it happens
that when and where I joined the SCA, one could get awards for
filksinging.  I don't think that's entirely a bad thing.  Mostly,
but not entirely.

OTOH, "Screwtape's SCA Letters" has been banned from publication
in this kingdom, by at least two different chroniclers.  So 
perhaps it shouldn't get any awards.  Anyone desiring to judge
for himself can find it published on my website.  I did sell
20 or so copies from my table at Laurel's Prize Tourney last
year, at $1 each, promising a full refund if anyone brought
it back that day having read it without being entertained. No
one claimed their money back.

- Galen of Bristol
who has a very loose definition of art
-- 
pmitchel at flash.net (hm) - paul.t.mitchell at lmco.com (wk)
http://www.flash.net/~pmitchel - "Ceteris is never Parabus"
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