Lost In Translation
I screwed up. Again.
Profuse apologies to Gary, who got the wrong end of the stick about my off-blog ranting.
Often I find writing on cyberspace can be SO easily misinterpreted, and things are usually made worse because of the language/culture differences between the British and the U.S. This probably just means I don't express myself very well, or it may be a inter-continental culture thing. I often appear overly sharp to Americans in my writing, when I'm a pussy-cat in real life (honest, guv!) I also have a very dry British sense of humour, and were you to meet me face to face, you’d know that most of my language is peppered with sarcasm. However, the trouble with sarcasm is that it’s often hard to translate it properly to writing, and especially across continents and cultures. Trying to translate British dry wit to American photographers is the hardest writing challenge I have EVER encountered.
I’ve tried to do the love-love MM politically correct type writing, where I say everyone is wonderful all of the time. The trouble is that I deeply suck at it. It sounds false, and unlike me. So I stick to just letting the words flood out as they appear in my head. Not the best writing technique ever, and the casualties of war have been high. People I care about very much but have nevertheless offended this year include Don (twice I think), Melvin (who is alas no longer speaking to me), Jimmy, Stephen and Dan (who all forgave me), and now Gary (as above)…and those are just the ones I know about!
Nowadays when I write a potentially contentious post, I’ve actually taken to emailing photographers or models in advance and emphasising the post is not about them, in case they misconstrue it. Does this make them overly sensitive, or me a bad writer? The latter I think.
Writing is a difficult art form, and IMO a more powerful one than visual art. The keyboard is mightier than the camera. Certainly it is much easier to offend via writing, than via a photograph.
Despite my constant emphasis that my writing is usually not about any individual, readers continue to personalise the blog posts or comments because it is human nature to relate to observations about relationships, emotions or personalities (my favourite topics.) Rich says this is a good thing, and a sign that I am getting better at writing. I’m not so sure.
Good writing personalises the message to the reader. The better the writing, the more readers are moved by the message. The trouble is, when the message that appears in the writers head, goes onto computer, across cyberspace, and is interpreted by someone else’s head on the other side of the planet, the original intention of the writer, the mood, the (attempted) humour, the nuance, often gets lost in translation. Kind of like most art really – it’s a subjective interpretation.
Let me emphasise I’m a beginner at this art form.
Maybe I should take up photography instead? It’s gotta be easier, and that way I wouldn’t upset those I care about.
Pretty Lou-Lou, from a shoot earlier this week.
Profuse apologies to Gary, who got the wrong end of the stick about my off-blog ranting.
Often I find writing on cyberspace can be SO easily misinterpreted, and things are usually made worse because of the language/culture differences between the British and the U.S. This probably just means I don't express myself very well, or it may be a inter-continental culture thing. I often appear overly sharp to Americans in my writing, when I'm a pussy-cat in real life (honest, guv!) I also have a very dry British sense of humour, and were you to meet me face to face, you’d know that most of my language is peppered with sarcasm. However, the trouble with sarcasm is that it’s often hard to translate it properly to writing, and especially across continents and cultures. Trying to translate British dry wit to American photographers is the hardest writing challenge I have EVER encountered.
I’ve tried to do the love-love MM politically correct type writing, where I say everyone is wonderful all of the time. The trouble is that I deeply suck at it. It sounds false, and unlike me. So I stick to just letting the words flood out as they appear in my head. Not the best writing technique ever, and the casualties of war have been high. People I care about very much but have nevertheless offended this year include Don (twice I think), Melvin (who is alas no longer speaking to me), Jimmy, Stephen and Dan (who all forgave me), and now Gary (as above)…and those are just the ones I know about!
Nowadays when I write a potentially contentious post, I’ve actually taken to emailing photographers or models in advance and emphasising the post is not about them, in case they misconstrue it. Does this make them overly sensitive, or me a bad writer? The latter I think.
Writing is a difficult art form, and IMO a more powerful one than visual art. The keyboard is mightier than the camera. Certainly it is much easier to offend via writing, than via a photograph.
Despite my constant emphasis that my writing is usually not about any individual, readers continue to personalise the blog posts or comments because it is human nature to relate to observations about relationships, emotions or personalities (my favourite topics.) Rich says this is a good thing, and a sign that I am getting better at writing. I’m not so sure.
Good writing personalises the message to the reader. The better the writing, the more readers are moved by the message. The trouble is, when the message that appears in the writers head, goes onto computer, across cyberspace, and is interpreted by someone else’s head on the other side of the planet, the original intention of the writer, the mood, the (attempted) humour, the nuance, often gets lost in translation. Kind of like most art really – it’s a subjective interpretation.
Let me emphasise I’m a beginner at this art form.
Maybe I should take up photography instead? It’s gotta be easier, and that way I wouldn’t upset those I care about.
Pretty Lou-Lou, from a shoot earlier this week.
posted by Lin at 1:18 PM
7 Comments:
Don't concern yourself about unintentionally or accidentally offending me. I understand English English. I lived in your fair land for three years during my youth and learned to translate the British wit... dry, silly, pompous, and otherwise.
Well! I'm offended that I've not yet been offended. What will it take, anyway?
Lin, what Patty and I most enjoy about your writing is the intimate, lay-it-bare style that draws us in like a juicy seductive secret.
Whatever you decide, I hope those special qualities remain.
Will
It's mind boggeling how many misunderstandings are the result of not communicating in person. How easy it is to take something in writing that was well intended, and interpret it as the opposite. Most certainly one of the disadvantages of email/blogging.
Maybe we should develop the Tao of Blogging. Harmony. Peace.
You just keep doing what you're doing Lin. I for one am enjoying watching your writing develop and just get better and better. LT and I read your posts because *you're good at this*.
The best artists have always managed to offend just about everybody. If you're not offending at least somebody, you're probably not moving any strong emotions in anybody. If someone gets in a huff, it could be that you're doing something right?
But know what you mean. I stopped communicating with one friend by email altogether and only spoke by phone, as every time I wrote anything down she managed to get the wrong meaning and get offended by perfectly innocent words. Words without the context of a raised eyebrow or tone of voice are like throwing hand grenades into a party.
No worries... been a bit of a rough go over here of late. Sensitivities running high. Don't give it a second thought.
Oh damn, do I know what you mean.. my writing is constantly getting me in "trouble".. and I'm in a long-distance relationship, so I know a lot of arguments take place through emails that just wouldn't happen over the phone.. or in person. There's nothing that can be done about it, misunderstandings will always happen. But they are easy to sort out most of the time.
Melvin doesn't speak to anyone, eventually. And me - I don't remember being pissed, but I'm old and forgetful.
Just keep it all coming.
-Don
Post a Comment
Links to this post:
Create a Link
<< Home