In an attempt to write a personal statement for a grant application, I have recognized my affinity for semantics. Semantics is a stunning word without the associated definition. I feel that I am so drawn to Tom Robbins' novels because they are giant semantic stories. He attempts to give meaning to the facts and stories that we have accepted by recreating them in an erotic way. In Another Roadside Attraction, the sign that advertises the roadside zoo explicitly mentions "the meaning of meaning". I love to discover the reappropriation of words and linguistics. Often I look up the definition of a word and attempt to use it in its most primitive meaning, which sometimes can refer to its Latin roots. (Too bad my four years of High School Latin are unsupportive.) My aside brings me to a dramatic ironic claim. Tom Robbins also includes a number of asides in his stories. I am not sure if I began doing that in my writing after reading Still Life with Woodpecker a year and a half ago (which BTW influenced the title of this blog). I believe that he includes such literary devices to provide another layer of semantics. Robbins frequently uses long discussions amongst characters to make his point. He provides narrative explanation of some of these points by reiterating where a character has substantiated their claim to avoid any incorrect or confounded conclusion by the reader. Not sure where I am going with this post. I think I was just trying to kill time before lunch (to avoid any confusion).