Saturday, April 20, 2013
Short Takes #5: Stuart Dybek - Confession, Sebastian Matthews - Kind of Blue
Sebastian Matthews' essay "Kind of Blue" takes a different approach to the genre of essay that we have been exploring. It is written entirely in the third person from the point of view (presumably) of a son narrating his father's drunken train of thought. This form of writing is at odds with the idea of an "I" focused essay. Like my previous "Short Takes" post, this essay is a sort of prose poem. The father is with his dog , Underdog, behind their house listening to "Kind of Blue" on speakers. Matthews takes his father's decisions of whether or not to leave the family and combines them with his movement in the backyard. I did not particularly like either of these Short Takes ("Daylight's Savings Time" and this one I mean), both because of their ambiguity.
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It sounds like this was new and valiant effort for something different. I think the third person perspective could be really cool if done right. Though it seems you weren't digging it I think I'll have to give it a try and see if I feel the same way.
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