Let’s get this out of the way: Are there limits in satire? My answer to that is “No”. But we have to be careful defining satire in the first place.
Just like love or success – my two favorite examples – many people use the concept of satire to mean something entirely different. Doing so, they use “satire” without limits for purposes beyond the scope of satire.
In this post we’ll take a look at the dynamics of satire, its limits (which there shouldn’t be), and everything else you need to know so that you can offend yourself skillfully!
Satire has no limits, as long as it’s genuine satire, with a specific scope and purpose(more…)
Disclaimer: I read the play Restitution, by Brandt Ryan, in a professional capacity. In other words, I received remuneration to do so in order to offer feedback. This has not affected this review, which is entirely independent, my own initiative, and a result of my having found the text impressive.
Restitution, by Brandt Ryan, is a one-act play. It takes place on the platform of a New York subway station, late at night, in the summer of 1990. The title of the play alludes to restitution payments claimed by Jewish survivors of World War II, and is also a thematic element in the story.
The play involves two young grifters, Figgy and Margot, who are anxiously awaiting for someone to arrive in order for their swindling plan to take form. While waiting for the arrival of this person – a street performer being the only other presence on the platform – they discuss the details of their con, reflecting on ethics as well as practical dangers involved.
That’s basically all you need to know before entering the world of the play. Because the characters take over immediately, creating an engaging, dynamic story.
If you enjoy word games, you’re going to like this. If you enjoy word games and you’re fascinated by the idea of a semi-randomly generated narrative that continues “forever”, you’re going to love this! Word Journey is my latest game – and program; and literary effort – that bridges these two aspects together.
The game goal of Word Journey is very simple: You are given the definition of a random word, and you must guess what the word is, gathering points and racing against the clock. But that’s not all! Every time you correctly guess the word, a sentence relevant to the word is added to the stack, generating a theoretically infinite semi-random narrative! When you run out of time (there is also a “Zen Mode”, without time constraints) you can export the text to a file.
Sounds great? I think so too 😉
Word Journey is a combination of a game and an infinitive narrative generator(more…)
