Mr Magic Realism
The Magic Realist Writers International Network
Contents:
Welcome!
I am Bruce Taylor, also known as "Mr. Magic Realism".
This is my new site where I'll explore and promote the little known but very creative literature called Magic Realism.
This is also the site for the Magic Realist Writers International Network.
Although this site is just beginning, my hope is, as time goes along, folks can come here to find out about Magic Realism, who is publishing it, and more. There will be a lot more information coming up.
Given the scope of putting together this Magic Realist Writers International Network, whatever ideas you have about it -- what you want to see the concept embrace or whatever help you wish to offer, I'm open.
Please e-mail your ideas to bbtaylor@drizzle.com. Thank you.
12 November, 2001
It was my original intent with Magic Realist Writers International Network (MRWIN) to be a focal point for not only those curious about Magic Realism but who also were interested in writing it. I knew I had set out upon a rather audacious task and have to admit I felt a bit daunted by what I had set out to do. But, The God (or Goddess) of Magic Realism smiled and said, “Pick up Poet’s and Writers” which I did. There, in the classified ads was an ad for Margin: Exploring Modern Magical Realism. Via mail I contacted the editor, Tamara Kaye Sellman, and discovered that the address of Margin was, ironically, here in Western Washington on Bainbridge Island on Capstan Drive. (I still smile at the address.) I sent a copy of my book, the Final Trick of Funnyman And Other Stories. Tamara liked it and wanted to feature it on Margin.
Why, I’ll never know, I didn’t investigate Margin further is because (I’m rather embarrassed to say I am revealing my Computer Challanged Nature) I wasn’t on the Internet yet. But since I needed to learn email and Internet, because so much writing is now done this way and the communcation is instantaneous (how soon stuff gets read is another matter of course) anyway, I basically learned everything this summer. In July and after that, I set up Magic Realist Writers International Network and began to think, well, just what, then, was to be the scope of MRWIN?
While pondering this and getting the article for Magic Realism ready of the SFWA Bulletin, I revisited Margin on their website now that I was computer and Internet savvy -- at least, a hell of a lot more than I was -- and wow! They had already done the work. The breadth and depth which they have covered the subject is, to say the least, astonishing. Their website is, http://www.angelfire.com/wa2/margin/. I’ve also been able to access their site by typing in, Margin: Magic Realism. For information about Magic Realism, well, hats off to them! I can only now, in this capacity, act as another voice out there, directing folks where to go for a vast archive of information.
So, now then, what is MRWIN all about? What I can do is be more of an information source regarding the writing of Magic Realism and so, ever so often, I’ll put a Magic Realist story, old or new, on my website. Hopefully if you have questions about the writing of it, please contact me.
At this point, I have for your entertainment a story from the Final Trick
of Funnyman And Other Stories, Dr. Frederick’s
Last Task, and from a new Collection which I am hoping will be published
-- also an anthology of previously published stories, several unpublished
as well and two short novels, "Kafka’s Uncle" and "The Humphrey Bogart Blues",
titled Kafka’s Uncle and Other Strange Tales -- the introduction of which is by Brian Herbert and another story published in that most excellent publication,
Talebones (#2, Winter, l996), published by the finest editors
you can imagine, Patrick and Honna Swenson. So. For those of you who are
interested in the craft of Magic Realism, do partake and above all, enjoy.
Questions? Please email me at bbtaylor@drizzle.com.
Enjoy!
P.S. My book, Final Trick of Funnyman and Other Stories has been reprinted is available through print on demand. You can order it from your favorite bookstore or from Fairwood Press, publisher of Talebones magazine - visit them on the web!
What is Magic Realism?
Briefly, the concept of Magic Realism has to do with the concept of "heightened reality" or the addition of another dimension of reality through a symbolic or metaphoric structure. It gives us a new way of preceiving the world, as if through a child looking at the world for the first time. The term is a derivation of "lo real maravilloso" which means literally, "The Marvelous Reality." Alejo Carpentier (l904-l980), a Cuban historian, is credited with coming up with this term in l949.
Readers who want to have a general overview of Magic Realist writing need only turn to a collection by Barbara Howes, Eye of the Heart, to get a good idea of the basic format of this marvelous writing.
Recent movies have had a major impact on public awareness about Magic Realism. The most well known movie is probably Like Water for Chocolate (based on the book by Laura Esquivel, it was the highest grossing foreign film of all time until The Postman took the honor two years later). Other more recent movies: What Dreams May Come, The Truman Show, Pleasantville, and the fabulous American Beauty. Much earlier, The Twilight Zone had many episodes which could rightly be described as Magic Realism including the stunning An Occurrence At Owl Creek Bridge based on a story by Ambrose Bierce (aired February 28, 1964) .
Other people writing it as present -- including present company -- are Isable Allende, Ray Vukcevich, and Kathleen Alcala. Current publishers include Talebones, edited by Patrick and Honna Swenson, who have published a story of mine ("You KNow Who I Am By The Song That I Sing") in Issue 21, Spring, and also a webzine, Alternate Realities, which has published my stories "Prey" and will be publishing a new story, "Insight" in an upcoming issue. On the subject of Magic Realism itself, there are almost 500 listings for it. And as soon as I get the ok for posting my article on Magic Realism in the SFWA Bullitin, it will eventually appear here, or a link will be provided, so readers can have an access to that.
Methinks I may have created a monster that could devour a lot of time an energy. But boy, it's an exciting concept! And a network for this genre is badly needed, I think. Given the huge success of just the movie American Beauty, there is an awful lot of interest and appreciation out there of this form of expression with a huge untapped market. (...Ahem!....Publishers! Agents! Editors! Writers! Other Creative Folk! -- Maybe the interest about and release of these recent movies is telling us something...)
MRWIN: Artists, Writers, Publishers and People of Interest
Hello and welcome to the latest addtion to Magic Realist Writers International Network: MRWIN: Artists, Writers, Publishers and People of Interest. The idea behind this section is to let you know of some folks you may or may not know who are actively involved in the writing, artistist pursuit, publishing of Magic Realism, as well as to let you know of some well known folks, who, while perhaps not so involved in such activities, are actively innterested in Magic Realism or promoting it.
Brian Herbert is one such person. Son of Frank Herbert, author of Dune, Brian has taken up many of the story lines of Dune, and, along with Kevin Anderson, co-author, expanded them into a series of books: Dune: House Atreides, prequel to Dune, Dune: House Harkonnen, Dune; Machine Crusade, Dreamer Of Dune: The Biography Of Frank Herbert and many more titles. I have had the honor of Brian's friendship for many years. We have both been members of the critique group, The Landis Review, (see Brian's introduction to my, as yet, unpublished novel/collection, Kafka’s Uncle and Other Strange Tales) and was most generous to write said introduction and certainly seems to enjoy this form of writing called Magic Realism and has certainly been an advocate. Check out his website: www.dunenovels.com.
John Dalmas also gets recognition here, He's been an ardent supporter of my writing for years and wrote the introduction to my collection, Final Trick of Funnyman and Other Stories. Though also primarily a science fiction writer of such books as Soldiers and The Puppetmasters and 20 or so other books, including a new collection: Otherwhens, Otherwheres. If I remember right, I think he thought of these tales moving in the MR direction. Anyway, he's a wonderful person and his support of my Magic Realist writing has been unwavering. Visit his website: www.sfwa.org/members/dalmas/
Tamara Sellman is an Honorary Member here. She is the editor/publisher of MARGIN: Exploring Modern Magical Realism. Visit www.oprah.com or go to her website, MARGIN, to just see where her joy, determination, enthusiasm will take you. Selected by Oprah On-Line to provide background information on Magic Realism for the book, 100 Years Of Solitude (Oprah's on-line Book Club selection) and then receiving an Honorable Mention at a poetry competition at Carnegie Hall, Tamara is a model of how far the cooperative spirit can lead. We all have benefitted because she was open to have MRWIN as a cooperative/collaborative venture rather than as a competitive one. Read MARGIN and check out what she's done. It's awesome. Absolutely. Drop her a note to give her some appreciation for what she has done.
Oprah.com -- Please drop these folks a line
and let them know how much you appreciate their willingness to believe that
people are a lot smarter than given credit for. The challange of 100
Years Of Solitude, by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, as an Oprah's on-line book
club selection is grand. Become a member (it's free at Oprah.com) and let those folks know
that you appreciate the truth they are telling -- that fine writing, fine
art, is appreciated and welcomed.
Magic Realist Films
Below are just a few examples of films that Tamara
Sellman, editor and publisher of MARGIN: EXPLORING MODERN MAGICAL REALISM,
and I would classify as magic realism. They are films that use techniques
that give metaphoric/symbolic structure/images to help us see the world as
magic realist art tried to do -- through a child's eyes, looking at the world
with new eyes, as if we are seeing it again, and all that it is, as if for
the very first time, new and amazing, as it truly is.
| The Adventures of Baron
von Munchausen After the Flood After Life Almost Amelie American Beauty American Splendor The Amulet of Ogum The Anarchists Anna Magdalena Antonia's Line Arizona Dream Babe 1 & 2 Babbete's Feast Baghdad Cafe Battu Being John Malkovich Beloved Besotted Bideshi Big Fish Bintou Black Cat, White Cat Blue Velvet Box of Moonlight The Boy Who Could Fly Brazil The Butcher Boy The Butcher's Wife Call of the Oboe Captain Corelli's Mandolin Celestial Clockwork Celine and Julie Go Boating Children of Heaven Chocolat Chronicle of a Death Foretold Cinema Paradiso Contact Conte d'automne (Autumn Tale) Crocodiles In Amsterdam Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon Curse of the Cat People Dark City Dark Side of the Heart The Day Silence Died Dead Man Deeply The Devil's Backbone Dona Flor and Her Two Husbands Donnie Darko Don't Die Without Telling Me Where You Are Going Downtown 81 Do You Remember Dolly Bell? Edward Scissorhands The Eel El Norte Emilie Erendira Esmerelda Comes By Night Eve's Bayou Extractions Faith of Our Fathers Field of Dreams Frida Foto-Novelas, Fota-Novels 2 Le Franc Frankie Starlight |
Gabbeh George Washington The Girl On the Bridge Great Expectations The Hanging Garden Heart of Light Heavenly Creatures Hilary and Jackie Les Instants It's a Wonderful Life Jumanji Killing Grandpa Kiss of the Spider Woman LA Story The Last Wave Lawn Dogs Leap of Faith Let Me Hang, Vaska Letters From the Park Life Is to Whistle Lights, Camera, Action Like It Never Was Before Like Water for Chocolate The Little Buddha Long Life, Happiness, and Prosperity Lost Horizon Luna Papa Maggie's Gift Magic Hunter Magnolia Marriage of the Blessed Mary My Dearest Ma Vie en Rose Memsahib Rita The Mexican Michael A Midsummer Night's Dream The Mighty The Milagro Beanfield War Moonlight By the Sea The Muse Naked Lunch Neverending Story 1 & 2 O Brother, Where Art Thou? OK, Mister The Old Gringo A One and A Two Once Upon A Time, Cinema Once Upon A Time In Mexico Orfeu Painted Desert Paulina The Perfect Gooseys Picking Up the Pieces Playing Madame Mao Pleasantville Pow Wow Highway A Prelude to A Kiss A Price Above Rubles The Price of Milk Prisoner of the Mountains Queen of Hearts |
Ratcatcher The Realm of Fortune The Red Violin Rito Terminal Rough Magic Roxanne Rushmore Saca Una Foto Santitos The Secret Lives of Dentists The Secret of Roan Inish Shades of Fear Shadows of Our Forgotton Ancestry Simon Magus Simply Irresistible Spirited Away The Summer of Miss Forbes Tales of An Island Tamas and Juli Terra Firma Third Bank of the River Tiempo de Morir Time of the Gypsies Tin Drum Toys The Truman Show Twice Upon A Yesterday Twin Peaks Unstrung Heroes A Very Old Man With Enormous Wings Village of Dreams Voices Made Night A Walk In the Clouds The Wall Warm Under the Bridge Waydowntown Whale Rider What Dreams May Come When Father Was Away On Business Where the River Runs Black Wide Sargasso Sea Will It Snow At Christmas? Wind With The Gone (??The Wind Done Gone??) Wings of Desire Woman On Top The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit The World According to Garp You're Laughing MAGIC REALIST FILMMAKERS |
Introduction to Kafka’s Uncle and Other
Strange Tales
by Brian Herbert
|
A few words about Kafka's
Uncle . . . An alternate universe? A different dimension?
The "Id" of America? Meet Anslenot and his tormentor/confidant, a giant
tarantula as they wander through a blasted, desecrated landscape of broken
ideals and shattered hopes. In this land, (a subconscious vision of Kafka
mixed with Lewis Carrol and with a touch of Karel Capek?), NOTHING is right:
the Militant Lamps fight with the Opposition and no one knows whose side
who is on. And meet the little red haired girl who tries
to talk to Anslenot about co-dependency and other Recovery Issues but, alas,
gets nowhere, because Anslenot is so sick that he has no idea how sick he
is. And then there is President Maotse Boosh and his message of MaotseBooshThought:
"Consumers of the world unite, you have nothing to loose but your money."
And when the heavens take pity on Anslenot and arrange the stars to form
the message that Anslenot desperately needs to have to make sense
of it all, a parade, led by a clown in red, white and blue greasepaint, starts
up, complete with lights, fireworks and, of course, the message is totally
obscured which leads Anslenot to the only choice left -- to take over the
journey of Kafka's character in his classic story, The Bucket Rider
-- leading Anslenot out of a nightmare America, morally, ethically and politically
hopelessly gridlocked in the Fastlane -- and ascending, he goes into the
regions beyond the ice mountains, into the regions . . . beyond the ice. |
The first thing
to understand about Bruce Taylor is that he’s an esoteric original. He doesn’t
copy other writers and doesn’t care a whit about commercialism, though if
you look deeply enough, you might think you see sprinklings of Ray Bradbury
and Franz Kafka, set in a Taylorian universe of Magic Realism. Bruce cares
most of all about his art, which places him far above the petty and mundane
concerns of other purveyors of the written word. He’s not plastic or phoney.
He’s real.
Trained as a psychiatric
counselor, he is a stream-of-consciousness writer, a person who lets it
flow in high-energy bursts. This is especially remarkable when you realize
that he has, for many years, suffered from diabetes, a strength-sapping illness
that has required much of his attention. Through sheer willpower, he has
controlled this debility and has created a remarkable life for himself, and
a remarkable life’s work. He is a prolific writer of short stories, and
has garnered considerable acclaim for them. I am one of his admirers, and
I am not alone. More and more, this man’s talent is being recognized.
One day critics will say
that so-and-so writes like Bruce Tayor, because by that time Bruce will be
so incredibly well known and (horror of horrors!) commercially successful
that people will begin to copy him. At least they weill be trying , but
I don’t know to what extent such an effort can be successful. Bruce isn’t
a formula-type person who is easily subject to analysis, and is undoubtedly
resistant to any sort of replication effort, whether computer aided or otherwise.
He writes what is on his mind, in whatever manner suites his fancy.
He’s also my backpacking
buddy, on many a trip into the untrammeled wilderness of the Pacific Northwest.
On a regular basis-whenever he feels overwhelmed by the burdens and B.S.
of civilization-Bruce needs to go out and commune with nature, where it recharges
his batteries. I remember one evening in particular when we watched the
incredible gathering of dusk over the Enchantment Lakes. The sky changed
as the purple swept over us, and moments later -far to the west, beyond trees
and mountains -we noticed an eerie, sickly yellow glow, reminding us that
we had not escaped after all. It was the lights of Seattle against the sky,
from seventy-five miles away.
Bruce and I are in an eclectic
writing group that comprises quite a range of personalities and talents,
including: Linda Shepherd (a feminist writer who is also a Ph.D. biochemist);
Cal Clawson (a writer of math books and western novels); Marie Landis (a
science fiction/fantasy writer who is an accomplished painter); and Phyllis
Lambert (a scienteist who writes about human aging and about monkeys in car
washes). Somewhere in all of this, Bruce and I seem to fit in, or at least
we haven’t been asked to leave yet. At our Friday evening sessions, the
conversations are catholic (with a small “c”) ranging from Plato, Einstein
and vampires to debates over whether the fisherman in one of our stories
should haul up a human toe or an eyeball. To catagorize the members of our
group (and Bruce to a large extent), it might be said that we’re interested
in everything, and we’re a support group for the fragile creative psyches
of writers. Bruce is an integral part of this, and for years, I have appreciated
his intellectual input and emotioanal support.
In his writing and in his
life, Bruce is on a journey of the soul and of the imagination, stretching
the limits to consciousness and perception. To a large degree this has to
do with his attempt to understand his parents and in particular his father,
and in this regard, I am a kindred spirit with him. Joseph Campbell once
said that the quest for one’s father is a hero’s journey, and I know from
personal experience that it can be an ardous, painful pursuit, but one that
can lead to incredible enlightenment. Much of Bruce Taylor’s prose is written
from the perspective of a bright child, one who is in some pain but overcomes
it by seeing the world of adults as truly bizarre, whimsical and weird.
It’s important to realize that Bruce’s stories are not strange; the world
is, and he’s separated himself from it in order to show us new realities,
with remarkable clarity and insight.
Brian Herbert
Bainbridge Island, WA
May, l998
|
What the red haired girl in this novel
might say if she were to read this manuscript: What the author might say about this
manuscript if he were so inclined: -- Bruce Taylor |
Bruce Taylor Writings
Links To Check Out
Last updated: January 23, 2005