[Bards] Back to docs

[ED Reese]

I like researching, because it gives me formats, and a mind set to base
original, but period derivative works off of. I like it, not for contests,
but because structure and format gives me the necessary tension and friction
to write better pieces. It works for me -- learning to write teleplays,
screen plays, and spending a solid year studying Dante's Divine Comedy -- a
whole YEAR to that one piece -- taught me how to write, how to critique, and
how to tell a good solid yarn with allegorical depth. (At least, I hope so.)

The thing I love about Dante, is that he says at least three things with
every point that he makes. He was a weasel. A total weasel. And -- he
filked. "La Vita Nova" is a Virgil filk. Honest!!!

I've left the long stuff attached to give some relevance to my comments.

Esther
  -----Original Message-----
  From: bards-bounces at ansteorra.org [mailto:bards-bounces at ansteorra.org]On
Behalf Of Dawn Rummel
  Sent: Monday, January 12, 2004 10:28 PM
  To: Ansteorran Bardic list
  Subject: [Bards] Back to docs


  "Biggs, Truly" <truly.biggs at hp.com> wrote:
    Oops  Sorry to have continued on a topic that is dead.



    Antonia says: Really, I didn't mean to call it dead.  I just wanted to
jump in the lull with a topic I've been mulling over for awhile.  So why
don't I just kick it again (this is long - sorry).



    Eleanor wrote:

    Authenticity is a quantifiable thing - and therefore easier to judge
than art. I think if we have leaned toward authenticity in the SCA, it has
something to do with attempting to standardize what we all think is "GOOD"
by measuring
    it against something stationary - like - is it historically accurate.
    We have opted for artifact rather than art.



    Antonia responds: I'm not sure I buy this entirely.  It may be why
*some* people do it - but not why *I* like documetation.  I do very little
research into other period things, but I find joy in learning about period
literature.  Documentation allows me to hone that knowledge - you know a
thing better if you can explain it, even better still if you can put that
knowledge into writing.  I don't think requiring research necessarily takes
away from performance - or, perhaps more precisely, I don't think judges
should allow it to.  There is also the question of the purpose of the
particular competition - is it to educate and to show that you are educated
about performance?  Is it to be as entertaining as possible in a period
fashion?  Or is it to *be* entertaining?  The judging will certainly vary in
each situation.



    Eleanor writes:

    If I may attempt to extrapolate - If we choose a titled bard through
    competition, and we score somewhat entertaining period pieces higher
    than more often requested/crowd pleasing original/more modern pieces,
    then we have set ourselves up to have, say, a baronial bard who is
    perhaps not a good leader for the campfire sings.



    Antonia responds:  Yes, but also a bard who is more focused on research
and recreation.  I actually think this is not entirely a bad thing.  Each
barony has a particular flavor - some are more into period foo and some are
more into rowdy, bawdy campfire circles, with everything in between.  So,
since each gets to make up the rules for their competitions, each should end
up with the type bard they would want.  Or, if the outgoing champion makes
up the rules, hopefully he or she will consult the ruling nobles on what
they want and adjust accordingly.  The problem then comes to kingdom level
competitions, of which we have 2 - Eisteddfodd and Kingdom A&S (very
different types of competitions).  Kingdom A&S will *of course* be heavy on
the documentation side of things.  Leaving Eisteddfodd - and we're back
where started.



    Pendaran and Eleanor wrote: something neat comparing bad period pieces
to bad period food



    I'm with Eleanor on this one, though my percentage might be different.
I think a higher percentage of non-period pieces are going to be more
entertaining to the general public than period pieces (I think that says
what I want it to).  For my part, I like the idea of wooing them with funny
or sad or wonderful not-necessarily-period pieces, then sprinkle in some
fabulous period pieces (they certainly exist, you just might have to dig a
little).  Maybe then they'll want more!



    Anyone who knows me knows that I'm a sucker for good performance, be it
period or non-period.  In the end, I'd be sad to see either side win, and I
hope we never lose sight of the fact that a bard's primary jobs are
entertainment and education.  But how can we educate if no one is listening,
and who will listen if we're not entertaining?



  Antonia/Dawn

  It's the little things in life...


----------------------------------------------------------------------------
--
  Do you Yahoo!?
  Yahoo! Hotjobs: Enter the "Signing Bonus" Sweepstakes
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://lists.ansteorra.org/pipermail/bards-ansteorra.org/attachments/20040113/f8b7629c/attachment-0001.htm>