things that happen
by uzwi
A woman walks up and down the street asking everyone she meets, “What’s going on? What’s going on?” Emphasis is on the last word, as if they already know what she’s talking about–as if she wants further news of some event so large no one is thinking about anything else. “What’s going on?” Sometimes, when there’s no one to talk to, she seems to be asking it of the street itself. “What’s going on?” This is not an illustration of a facet of her personality, or the basis of a Dickensian one-trait character paradigm. It’s an event. I think: a book is a container of events like this, as well as other types of events. Meanwhile, that noise I heard in the night, in the fog, a couple of days ago? (It sounded, I wrote, “like a digital imitation of a bird”?) I hear it again, in the street on a Saturday morning. It’s a broken starter-motor. Does the street now have a character? By combining these two images, have I characterised it as the sort of street in which these sorts of things happen? My idea would be this: human beings–readers–of the world & of books–are so used to interpreting events as carriers of a causal narrative that they don’t really see them any more.
the m john harrison blog 
It could stay open-ended, and/but by connecting with it am I not interpreting possible readings (in the world and the words)? I recall seeing that pinned tweet you had a while back, and the lady reminds me of your take on Twitter’s automatic despair. So does the car starter, both the second and first time. It’s hard to say but this post really reminds me of your short story Psychoarcheology. Really neat post, especially your takeaway.
Do you mean the carriers of causes cease to allude altogether as a whole image and rather are taken as sum bits, personally consigned (mic drops and whatnot)? Kind of reminds me of an interview with China Miéville in the back of the City & the City where he makes a headstrong argument over metaphors and similes being fundamentally different. I’d be interested to hear how far off the mark I am on that one.
Not sure where this is going anymore, so thanks for your writing… thank you so much. Your books are helping me through a sick time in life right now. Specifically The Course of The Heart & You Should Come With Me Now. Peace and Love to one cool dude.