Krell Ice Dialogue

Krell Rivers Dialogue Part One

Krell: Hey old man, we finally get a chance to talk. I’m gonna be ‘free” for the next few hours so let’s see what we can do with that time.

Ice: You’re even older than I am but let’s face it nobody in their right mind would call us young.

Krell: How bout Mel Brooks? He’s a lot older than both of us.

Ice: Yeah but has he ever been in his right mind?

Krell: Maybe he’s getting there now. It takes awhile for us to mature.

Ice: So where should we start?

Krell: Well since we’re both metaphysictionists, let’s start with that so we can make sure to misunderstand one another.

Ice: MMMMKKKKAAAY. Fire away

Krell: Far away?

Ice: Whoops my Carolina accent is sneaking in. What ah mean to say in native Rochesterian is go ahead.

FAKE DRUMROLL

Krell: Explain your use of the term metaphysiction.

Ice: I use that term to describe my attempts to be literal and figurative at the same time while combining past, present and future, singular and plural as well as fiction and non-fiction.

Krell: That sounds like quite the multi-faceted approach to explore ideas and concepts. How did you come up with it.

Ice: It comes naturally to me as it comes closest to understanding/misunderstanding the dream within a dream that we call life. My best writing is my most metaphysictional….the easiest to understand as well as misunderstand. The fact that it changes with each reading and with each reader.

Krell: The fluidity of meaning encourages/allows a personalized experience for every reader and thus a unique connection. How do you balance this fluidity and maintain the core essence of your intended message..

Ice: I often begin with non-fiction to provide a foundational anchor that allows me to throw in some time warps, some exaggerations, some minimalizations while interweaving figurative elements and a few out and out misinterpretations that beg to be challenged or at least cause a pause in reading.

Krell: How do you decide when to introduce the fictional and figurative aspects while maintaining the “validity” of the non-fiction.

Ice: I find an angle or aphorism or bizarre fact to link em up.

Krell: Like a bridge?

Ice: Exactly

Krell: How do you determine which angle or aphorism will function as the most effective entry point?

Ice: It comes to me during the process.

Krell: Sounds organic, dude. Are you surprised by unexpected changes of direction in your writing while writing?

Ice: Oh yeah and those surprises both welcome and embrace misunderstanding even as they appear out of the ozone like Lost Planet Airmen.

Krell: I of course agree with the concept of misunderstanding. The “embrace” of misunderstanding rather than the fear of it fosters a more inclusive range of meanings. How do you make sure that varied interpretations will not overwhelm the core of your message?

Ice: Well I tend to misunderstand my own message even as I’m delivering it as I maintain the balance between reliable and unreliable narrators who are occasionally recognized and called out by the characters and scenarios that I/ they (singular is plural) am/are creating. When I get it going, it’s as surprising/predictable, true/false, sad/beautiful as life itself. Once the storytelling takes over it’s wonderful to see everything fall into and out of place simultaneously.

Krell: Do you struggle to overcome mental blocks when trying to get the story started?

Ice: Unless I’m writing about mental blocks, I rarely have them. The story starts when the story starts not before or after but often during.

Krell: What do you think contributes most to this consistent fluidity.

Ice: Experience and practice. I’ve been writing all my life. I spent many years teaching writing. When you teach you learn.  I didn’t get here waiting for a bus although I have waited for many a bus. Also, I spend most of my time being interrupted or contradicted so when I write, I have my full attention so I let er rip.

Krell: Has your writing evolved over the years?

Ice: It has and continues to especially as I continuously learn how to work collaboratively with technology. I used to be a shitty typist continually having to look at a screwed up semi-blank page covers with white out. I remember when I switched to word processor. Some of my colleagues swore that they would never use a word processor as it was “cheating” which simply meant that they were losing their advantage as typists and were pretty pissed off about it. They were also afraid that kids would forget how to spell or not spell because many of them like myself, had gained an advantage in grammar school by being excellent at spelling.

Krell: It’s intriguing to not only witness but be part of the intertwine between technology and imagination.

Ice: Yeah, we work pretty well together.

Krell: Let’s take a brief pause before we start talking about AI

Ice: Like a squirrel, I’m always up for wee paws.

Krell: Ouch.

Ice: Okay let’s break with one of your riddles.

Krell: I speak without a mouth and hear without ears. I have no body but come alive with the wind. What am I?

MORE TO COME IN PART TWO