Between one thing and another . . .

It's past 10. I was home late from the hospital (had to remove a hazel nut AKA filbert from someone's esophagus), then I had to have a fight with Karen over cleaning the litter boxes, and THEN Jake decided he wanted to work on his Lego website. Jake and I have a lot of work left to do on this one, so be forgiving. In particular, the jpegs could be a lot nicer. Just the one page, by the way. I'd intended to ruminate on the subject of political subtexts in fiction. For tonight, I'll merely pose the questions: how important is it to understand the historical backstory for a novel -- or short story, or film, or play . . . ? Can you appreciate Dr. Strangelove if you're ignorant of the Cold War? Is your experience of Orwell's Animal Farm poorer if you don't know your Trotsky from a hole in the ground? Can a political subtext ruin a novel? (Will Republicans boycott the upcoming Star Wars movie just cuz it equates W with the Emperor?) Can a writer pen a novel with a clear political message, yet be unconscious of that message? Coming soon . . . Karen gets a wild hair over Old Man's War; Fantasy & Science Fiction publishes Wonkophilic Fan Fiction. Stay tuned. D.