Metaphors Skinny Legs.
Bob Henderson
Hi.
Having recently reading and thoroughly enjoying Skinny Legs and All, I am
impressed with Tom Robbins writing despite his *preaching*.
However, I did not understand some of his metaphors and ask if someone on
the list could please explain what "This is the room of the wolfmother
wallpaper." means.
Thanks in advance.
Bob.
Gurdjieff of Gomorrah
"Bob Henderson" <henderso...@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
news:IXlW4.16171$usz4.1...@news.xtra.co.nz...
> <delurk>
>
> Hi.
> Having recently reading and thoroughly enjoying Skinny Legs and All, I am
> impressed with Tom Robbins writing despite his *preaching*.
Let me take a wild guess here and correct me if I am wrong. By using the
term *preaching* I am guessing you might be a "conservative realist" by
nature and by
politics. No, need to worry, Skinny Legs, was just an experiment in
surrealistic
liberalism.
Perhaps, "Another Roadside Attraction" and "Still Life with Woodpecker"
would
be more to your liking, after all, they are considered strong statements in
the defense
of Church, State and the girl next door who makes then yummy appie pies.
> However, I did not understand some of his metaphors and ask if someone on
> the list could please explain what "This is the room of the wolfmother
> wallpaper." means.
Take your mescaline and call me in the morning
Gurdjieff of Gomorrah
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Bob.
>
>
foobar
You are obviously a self-absorbed idiot and possibly suffering from
"bordrline personality disorder". Won't they let you read the phone
book in your institution?
Gurdjieff of Gomorrah
"foobar" <foo...@mar.sin> wrote in message
news:392ab0bb...@news.terraworld.net...
Jaysus, little one ! If you're gonna try to flame me then use some
imagination
and use fresh material. You're coming off lame and word cripple, waaay too
juvenile
and more than just a tad cobwebish. Plagiarizing old Usenet flames ain't
gonna make
it, sweetpea. If you are gonna exchange barbs with me, first lean to walk
and when you
stop shitting yellow come back and let's hear what you got but until then
you might find
the lil' water bug end of the cess pool more to your class and style.
Love always,
Gurdjieff of Gomorrah
foobar
<Trickster@large> wrote:
Cmon Mr. Of, I was just refusing to resort to sophistry like yall do.
To quote good ole Lao, "Truthful words are not beautiful, and
beautiful words are not truthful".
Ok, if I must be civil, here goes. Here's a trivia question. In
what novel of Tom's did the female protagonist grin at the male
character "with semen greased teeth"?
The first two with the correct answer will receive an elaborate
flame, backwards, in latin, with a lime twist, and their choice of
beet pollen or no.
Bonus hint: They don't make playing cards like they used to.
Bob Henderson
<8gdbki$vci$1...@slb6.atl.mindspring.net>...
>
>"Bob Henderson" <henderso...@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
>news:IXlW4.16171$usz4.1...@news.xtra.co.nz...
>> <delurk>
>>
>> Hi.
>> Having recently reading and thoroughly enjoying Skinny Legs and All, I am
>> impressed with Tom Robbins writing despite his *preaching*.
>Let me take a wild guess here and correct me if I am wrong. By using the
> term *preaching* I am guessing you might be a "conservative realist" by
>nature and by politics. SNIP humour.
I now regret using the term, "*preaching*" and apologise if I have offended
anyone by using it. I did not mean it as a major complaint but was referring
to his style of writing toward the end of the book rather than the nature of
the content.
I have little knowledge of ancient religious history and was unable to
evaluate the accuracy of veil 1 but understand the contrast he was making.
In relation to veil 2 where plants, animals and inanimate objects have the
same status as humans, I am a conservative realist. However, I agree with
the views expressed in veils 3 through 7.
>> However, I did not understand some of his metaphors and ask if someone on
>> the list could please explain what "This is the room of the wolfmother
>> wallpaper." means.
>
>Take your mescaline and call me in the morning
>
>Gurdjieff of Gomorrah
>>
>> Thanks in advance.
>>
>> Bob.
Thank you for replying. I now realise that my original question was far too
general.
Would someone please inform me of the meaning or sigificance of "wolfmother"
in the sentence "this is the room of the wolfmother wallpaper"?
Forgive my ignorance if I am way off the track, but does it refer to
Kipling's Mowgli and his raising by wolves and the morality and philosophy
of the Laws of the Jungle?
Bob.
Gurdjieff of Gomorrah
> Gurdjieff of Gomorrah wrote in message
> <8gdbki$vci$1...@slb6.atl.mindspring.net>...
> >
> >"Bob Henderson" <henderso...@bigfoot.com> wrote in message
> >news:IXlW4.16171$usz4.1...@news.xtra.co.nz...
> >> <delurk>
> >>
> >> Hi.
> >> Having recently reading and thoroughly enjoying Skinny Legs and All, I
am
> >> impressed with Tom Robbins writing despite his *preaching*.
>
> >Let me take a wild guess here and correct me if I am wrong. By using the
> > term *preaching* I am guessing you might be a "conservative realist" by
> >nature and by politics. SNIP humour.
>
> I now regret using the term, "*preaching*" and apologise if I have
offended
> anyone by using it.
NP, I guess I am guilty for projecting what I "thought" you meant in my
reply.
That would also be my guess but in all honesty its been ages since I read
"Skinny"
and it was not my favorite Robbins' novel. Don't get me wrong , Skinny was
very good
but *it* just didn't spoon my grape nuts say in the way that Another
Roadside Attraction
or Still Life with Woodpecker did.
Respectfully,
Gurdjieff of Gomorrah
>
> Bob.
>
>
Anton Byczyk
I believe, and it's been awhile since I last read Skinny Legs, though I
still do recall, once you mentioned it, the "wolfmother" quote however
not necessarily in the context from which it sprang, but I believe and
feel confident to say that it is in a much broader metaphysical place
you should search for its precise "meaning," that to link it only to
Kipling and the Jungle Kid and some symbiotic relationship between man
and animals is giving it a much too narrow scope.
I must wholeheartedly agree with the gentleman (Gurdjieff of Gomorrah
hahaha!) who suggested you take your mescaline and call him in the
morning was right on track...
It's like a monk I once talked to in Bangkok said: Once you put any
"concept" on God you are immediately off The Path. Keep an unbound
mind.
Yours in attaining an Unbound Mind,
Anton Antonovich Byczyk
Bob Henderson
>
SNIP previous discussion.
>its been ages since I read
>"Skinny"
>and it was not my favorite Robbins' novel. Don't get me wrong , Skinny was
>very good
>but *it* just didn't spoon my grape nuts say in the way that Another
>Roadside Attraction
> or Still Life with Woodpecker did.
Well, "Skinny" is the first Tom Robbins novel that I have read and having
thoroughly enjoyed it, I will look forward to reading the two you mention. I
have just begun "Half Asleep in Frog Pyjamas".
Bob.
Bob Henderson
Anton Byczyk wrote in message
<18914-39...@storefull-232.iap.bryant.webtv.net>...
Hello Friend Bob...
I believe, and it's been awhile since I last read Skinny Legs, though I
still do recall, once you mentioned it, the "wolfmother" quote however
not necessarily in the context from which it sprang,
--------------------
The sentence "This is the room of the wolfmother wallpaper" or a variation
of it appears as the introduction every time he begins a metaphorical (or
surrealistic?) passage. Although I understood and enjoyed the book, most of
the metaphors in these passages went "whoosh"; over the top of my head.
---------------------
but I believe and
feel confident to say that it is in a much broader metaphysical place
you should search for its precise "meaning," that to link it only to
Kipling and the Jungle Kid and some symbiotic relationship between man
and animals is giving it a much too narrow scope.
-------------------
Thank you. I understand your advice. Since posting about Kipling, one of my
friends (who hasn't read any Robbins), suggested that I should also consider
it as a reference to the American Indian cultural relationship between
themselves and nature but I know little about their mythology other than
generalisations.
-------------------
I must wholeheartedly agree with the gentleman (Gurdjieff of Gomorrah
hahaha!) who suggested you take your mescaline and call him in the
morning was right on track...
It's like a monk I once talked to in Bangkok said: Once you put any
"concept" on God you are immediately off The Path. Keep an unbound
mind.
Yours in attaining an Unbound Mind,
Anton Antonovich Byczyk
------------------
I am agnostic (or atheist when confronted with fundamentalism) and have
little if any mystical beliefs or tendencies. Perhaps that is a barrier to
understanding in this instance as well. Perhaps I should stop looking for
meaning in those passages I do not understand or can not relate to the
"main" text and just enjoy the ambience of his skill with words.
Thanks for the welcome.
Bob.
Gurdjieff of Gomorrah
We are ALL Mystics under the sun and the ones not aware of this are possibly
the
most enlightened Mystics of all.
--Little Oppie Cunningham
Gurdjieff of Gomorrah
Anton Byczyk
And let me just add (for Bob) that if you merely follow the "plot-line"
of a Robbins book you just plain miss ALL the fun!
Ole!
AB
clinton...@gmail.com
> <delurk>
>
> Hi.
> Having recently reading and thoroughly enjoying Skinny Legs and All, I am
> impressed with Tom Robbins writing despite his *preaching*.
>
> Thanks in advance.
>
> Bob.
roc...@gmail.com
march...@gmail.com
I realize it has been nearly two decades since your post, but since I can't resist...
I think the first thing you want to do is look at genre, here. The whole "wolfmother wallpaper" thing isn't prose- it's prose poetry. Thomas Pynchon, Robbins' contemporary, was laying down similar (though different) work in this style at the time. The "wolfmother wallpaper" bit was an amazing way to open a novel- not with something that was metaphor but *imagery*. There is no metaphor to be found here, no matter how hard you squint. It's about evoking something primal. Something that has always been there with us since our beginnings (think of the wolfmother who gave birth to Remus and Romulus). The imagery here suggests stepping lightly, gingerly, with respect, because Robbins is about to lay it down for us- something central to ourselves. Again, that's just my two cents, but don't go looking for rational sense and metaphor when it's abstract prose poetry. That way madness lies. '-)
