The Art Of Verbal Gymnastics

I admit, I half admire what I am about to hold up for sport. The ability to play with language, to stretch it like taffy into a gossamer thread, is a game worthy of the Olympics for there is always the real danger the thread will break and like London Bridge come falling down. James Wolcott has shown himself to be a master of the game, using punctuation as a scaffolding to suspend a thought to an almost limitless end. The result is clever if not clear:

          “And those films that aren’t aiming for an opening-weekend monster kill seem to swell solely within a realm of discourse dominated by film bloggers and Twitter twitchers, these configurations of loyalists and lost-causers adopting a film that they fell for at some festival and cradling it like a football as they chug downfield in a deserted stadium, Margaret, Bellflower, Martha Marcy May Marlene, The future Show, Take Shelter – these are quality titles (so I assume, I haven’t seen most of them, I shall Netflix them in the fullness of  time) that become objects of obsession for a few but float into limbo for those not on screening or ‘screener’ lists.” (“Prime Time’s Graduation,” by James Wolcott,“Vanity Fair,” May, 2012)

 

(courtesy: wikipedia)

In the fullness of time, read over and over again and with the help of commas, ellipsis and parentheticals, one can make sense of his statement. But the feat is gymnastic and leaves the reader breathless. Will the mind boggle before crumpling in upon itself? Clever, clever critic. You’ve provided a bit of drama and tension. You’ve dazzled us with your verbal dexterity. But if the purpose is to communicate, I have only one question: Were all these words necessary?

Virtual Tour: – Bobbie @ Nurture Virtual Book Tourz™ Blog