Esnesnon 25-10-09

Ah, jazz.

Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

I love oral literature. Ordinary literature has a couple of shiny diamonds, but most of it is dross. As with other things, the adjective 'oral' is a nice addition. There are a couple of reasons oral literature is awesome with a spicy sauce. (Without a doubt, there is a truckload of outstanding reasons to prefer real literature, but I wouldn't do a good job in selling my story if I would tell anything but one side of the story. Also, the jazz messes with my mind. I'm getting a bit cloudy and laid-back. Moving on.) Just for the reading and writing comfort, I'll throw in a white line every now and then as the bassplayer goes nuts on the background. Give me a sec as I sip some wine and hit the 'enter' key.

Okay, easy with trying to converse with me in another language, people on another medium. I'm listening to jazz here and I'm trying to write. As I was saying. First of all, oral literature is something you share. Sharing is good. Therefore, oral literature is good. I mean, look at all the things involving sharing that aren't contagious diseases or communism. People share ambience and booze, comfort and something starting with the letter D. Sex is sharing too, the best form. And then we have sharing your sadness or joy, as shared sadness is half sadness, as we say in the swamps here, while shared joy is double joy. With oral literature, the speaker shares his story with the audience and the audience shares the story with eachother. Sweet.

Second reason is more of an, eh, reason pertaining to the contents of oral literature. You know, you can read the stories of literature. The other way around, you can tell written literature the way you would the stories meant for public speaking. But let me tell you, in case you don't agree with me already, it won't work. It's the same thing all over again about the adaptation decay. Don't turn a book into a movie, don't turn a game into a painting. Hold that thought while I light a cigar. Well, about the contents of oral literature, since I was trying to say something about that. Oral literature is shorter, it's more to the point, and it sounds good when you tell it. A lot of it is in rhyme, you have winged phrases, if you know what those are, and generally the stories are strong and to the point since you don't have an hour of talking time to throw around like you can fill a hundred pages to explain the details.

My eyes are half closed and these red, cushioned club seats are the best invention since some Iraqi decided to turn spoken words into marks in clay. Third, and for now the last point, I present the reason closest to my little bloodpump. Oral literature is drama. I'm a dramatic person, every now and then. You know, if I would have been born two thousand years or so ago, I wouldn't have become a farmer, or a beggar. I wouldn't have been a nobleman or a soldier. I would be a bard, I'd be a troubadour. I'd be a storyteller. Owning nothing but the clothes on my body and the stories in my head, I'd stroll the countryside, knocking on doors here and there, reminding people how Zeus is the patron of the guests. And inside, I would stand up by the fire and sing for my supper. I'd tell the news from the other cities and I'd tell of great deeds or passionate loves, long ago and far away. With a bit of luck, the host would let me stay for another day or two. After that I'd hear them out, looking for a new story or some news to share, and I'd be on my way. That is the life. The best part about it is the opportunity to add a bit of yourself to the story, to bring it with enthousiasm or passion. You're not just telling a story, you know. Oral literature is art, it's transmitting and creating emotion, and more... stuff. The Gods bless Louis Armstrong, incidentially.

So, to sum it all up, oral literature is funky like nine cans of shaving powder because it's about sharing, because it's good on the inside where it matters (and I could perhaps demonstrate it if you offer me a drink and a supper), and thirdly you can get all dramatic with it. Oh, and it's connected to that wonderful romantic idea of the traveling poetic storyteller. Hey, and it's more then a dream, unlike the top hats. I actually have oral literature to share with the world and I'm more then capable of earning myself a free drink with it. Watch out, world, I'm going to be a storyteller. Well, first I'll wake up from my jazz-doze. Doo be doo ba. Priorities, you know.

Hugo Maat.