Tuesday, May 26, 2009

I Saw Cincinnati: a Plagiarism


I was expecting a downtown. I was expecting hillbillies.

Instead, Cincinnati was fascinating. It looked like a bunch of dirty, tiny Iowa river towns crammed together, with sprawls of ghetto and/or nature in between. It was eensy and seemed like it would taste of dirt, like when you're a kid and the wind comes out of nowhere and blows dirt into your mouth. I had that taste in my mouth most of the time I was there. This is because everything in Cincinnati is crumbling.


I was looking through the ruins of a city that was living in the 1970s. That's what the world looked like then. I kept thinking about 30 Rock and how hot I was in Cincinnati. Because I was definitely hot. And even fashionable! There is no fashion in Cincinnati; first this appalled me, then it refreshed me. I realized I could wear cutoff jean shorts again! Most people in Cincinnati are in their 40's. I'm not sure if other age groups are allowed.

I had this experience with everything there: appalled then refreshed; appalled then refreshed. You can go kayaking in Cincinnati. You can climb rocks. Technically, there are even mountains.

It is confusing. You never know where you are. Nothing lines up. In that picture, for example, there is an amazing european market in the center of the worst neighborhood in town.

15 comments:

Kathryn said...

ok, now it sounds terrible. how was that a plagiarism?

i was just in a bus accident. i flew through the aisle and landed on a metal bar.

Megan said...

it's a plagiarism of sarah's "i saw saturn."

i hope you didn't chip any teeth. that is my ultimate nightmare.

Megan said...

i was not very clear. chipping teeth is not my ultimate nightmare. my ultimate nightmare is flying through the air and smashing all my teeth. breaking them.

Anonymous said...

One time I chipped my tooth on a coffee mug, one time on Abby.

Also, I totally had a Findlay Market t-shirt in college. Sarah Jackson's uncle runs it.

Anonymous said...

Wait. You were in a bus accident?

Kathryn said...

yes but i'm okay. everyone was okay. it was just weird to fly through the air. i was in the very last aisle, so there were three seats with one extended out into the aisle. you know what i'm talking about? that's the seat i was sitting in. so when the bus driver slammed the breaks i went flying through the air. there was nothing in front of me to stop me. but i flew slightly askew and eventually slammed into one of those metal bars that people hold on to.

it was kind of exciting.

Kathryn said...

also, i twittered about it immediately. http://twitter.com/kcregina

you guys hate twitter haha!

Anonymous said...

oh man, i knew it was only a matter of time before i had a twitter breakdown.

Mariana Soffer said...

Nowadays, the idea that a truly original creation exist is being doubt about. The idea of copyright, of who is the true author of a piece. Take a look at all the current articles from famous blogger such as nicholass carr discussing intellectual property.

Kathryn said...

mariana, tyra actually teaches a class about that at a university. you too should be besties!

also, venom literati loves plagiarism. as a rule.

Mariana Soffer said...

Txs for the info, I ll check it out

flabby-abby1973 said...

"Godel, escher and bach, an eternal golden braid" keeps coming up. It's one of marirana soffer's (see comments) favorite books. I found it at a garage sale in 1995 (or so) and found it illedgible. I was stupider then. Turns out the guy who wrote is a prof at IU! He recently won some award. I think i should read it but i can't find it. Who am i kidding? I'll never read that damn thing. There is a guy in our yard digging a very long trench for a new gas line. He was rude to Tyra this morning. He is punished by having to dig that stupid trench for the last 3 hours. Cincinnati is going to rule. My actor friend is from there and she will obsessively tell you every minute detail that you do or don't want to know about it. You need to have lunch with her! Kathy...I am so sorry but the description of your bus accident made me giggle....I hope you are ok.

Mariana Soffer said...

Just read the parts that you like or someone that explains it for non-math people (that is the problem of the book). You are right it seems to be that book is everywhere, and probably less than half the people who write about it either finished it or understood something.

Kathryn said...

abberina, you are both mean and hilarious.

Megan said...

it made me giggle too. i realize i responded inappropriately. apologies kathryn.