B. Names in lists
1. Names in lists can convey a roll-call, a community, a cultural context, (sometimes they become almost a litany). Here are 2 football teams, an English school register, a cabinet and a list of Dickens' characters – but what are the differences? and how might re-arranging their rhythms and patterns communicate ideas about values, representation and provenance?
Ruth, Perle, Yaashana, Zahid, Arwa, Umme, Sefay, Manny, Arrin, Miriam, Sofia, Dylan, Emilia, Shaun, Cayden, Leon, Leo, Abdullah, Errin, Jensen, Lennie, Isobel, Isabel, Ashley, Noah, Assim, Phoebe ...
Mr Bayham Badger, Lord Decimus Tite Barnacle, Lady Jemima Bilberry, Noddy Boffin, Josiah Bounderby, Jefferson Brick, Mr Fezziwig, Sir Mulberry Hawk, Mr Murdstone, Charity Pecksniff ...
David, Nick, William, George, Theresa, Philip, Chris, Michael, Vince, Iain, Jeremy, Eric, Nicky, Justine, Edward, Patrick, Alistair, Stephen, Sajid, Elizabeth, Danny ...
Hart, Baines, Cahill, Clyne, Jagielka, Smalling, Barkley, Henderson, Lallana, Milner, Sterling, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rooney, Sturridge, Walcott, Sterling, Welbeck ...
Karen Bardsley, Alex Scott, Steph Houghton, Laura Bassett, Alex Greenwood, Jordan Nobbs, Jill Scott, Karen Carney, Lianne Sanderson, Amy Turner, Jodie Taylor, Fara Williams, Jo Potter ...
2. Consider the effect of reeling off a list of cultural icons as a way of capturing a context - cf Billy Joel’s ‘We didn’t start the fire’ (1989).
Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray
South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe di Maggio
Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, television
North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Munroe ...
(for full lyrics go to http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/billyjoel/wedidntstartthefire.html)
Which names would you choose from the 21st century and what chorus would you add now?
(REVISION EXERCISE: This is a powerful way of re-creating any ‘text’ or ‘context’ – what would be the ‘out-takes’ from any set text – and what would the chorus be?)
Ruth, Perle, Yaashana, Zahid, Arwa, Umme, Sefay, Manny, Arrin, Miriam, Sofia, Dylan, Emilia, Shaun, Cayden, Leon, Leo, Abdullah, Errin, Jensen, Lennie, Isobel, Isabel, Ashley, Noah, Assim, Phoebe ...
Mr Bayham Badger, Lord Decimus Tite Barnacle, Lady Jemima Bilberry, Noddy Boffin, Josiah Bounderby, Jefferson Brick, Mr Fezziwig, Sir Mulberry Hawk, Mr Murdstone, Charity Pecksniff ...
David, Nick, William, George, Theresa, Philip, Chris, Michael, Vince, Iain, Jeremy, Eric, Nicky, Justine, Edward, Patrick, Alistair, Stephen, Sajid, Elizabeth, Danny ...
Hart, Baines, Cahill, Clyne, Jagielka, Smalling, Barkley, Henderson, Lallana, Milner, Sterling, Wilshere, Oxlade-Chamberlain, Rooney, Sturridge, Walcott, Sterling, Welbeck ...
Karen Bardsley, Alex Scott, Steph Houghton, Laura Bassett, Alex Greenwood, Jordan Nobbs, Jill Scott, Karen Carney, Lianne Sanderson, Amy Turner, Jodie Taylor, Fara Williams, Jo Potter ...
2. Consider the effect of reeling off a list of cultural icons as a way of capturing a context - cf Billy Joel’s ‘We didn’t start the fire’ (1989).
Harry Truman, Doris Day, Red China, Johnnie Ray
South Pacific, Walter Winchell, Joe di Maggio
Joe McCarthy, Richard Nixon, Studebaker, television
North Korea, South Korea, Marilyn Munroe ...
(for full lyrics go to http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/billyjoel/wedidntstartthefire.html)
Which names would you choose from the 21st century and what chorus would you add now?
(REVISION EXERCISE: This is a powerful way of re-creating any ‘text’ or ‘context’ – what would be the ‘out-takes’ from any set text – and what would the chorus be?)