FOFC Literature Draft - Picks Thread

[lordscarlet]

Nope, I'm fresh out of larrmcg421 list data.

Also, there is a reason I named the category "Poem" and not "Poetry", fwiw.

[lordscarlet]

dola: And I have no clue how you guys are judging this thing with some of the rankings you have.

[Izulde]

Ugh!

[MrDNA]

Boo, we want action. Hot, literary action!

[Izulde]

Yeah, this is seriously irritating.

What makes it even worse is that Tuesdays are my absolute worst days, with 4 classes, 3 of which are right close to each other and the 4th of which is a 3 hour night class.

So I'm going to have to create a gigantic-arsed board for tomorrow and send it in to LS.

Course, with this cold, it'll probably be several more hours before I can finallly sleep.

[sabotai]

Pffft, skip class. Seriously, it's February. You won't miss anything important.

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by lordscarlet

Nope, I'm fresh out of larrmcg421 list data.

Also, there is a reason I named the category "Poem" and not "Poetry", fwiw.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by sabotai

Pffft, skip class. Seriously, it's February. You won't miss anything important.

First class = voting on which creative story start to use. You have to be there to win and if yours win, you don't have to do anything else for that project for the rest of the class. I want to win.

Second class = already skipped once this month and the prof's a real asshat about attendance.

Third class = Stats, which there's no way I'm missing, not only because I make it a rule never to fall behind in a math class, but also because if there's a group assignment and I'm not there, I get a zero on that assignment.

Fourth class = A 3 hour class, which shouldn't be skipped anyway as it only meets once a week. But it's even more important because I'm expecting my critical writing samples back with commentary and suggestions from the prof and I need to pick a sample, do the editing on it and get it mailed to SJSU and Arkansas so they're there by Saturday.

So not really an option.

[Izulde]

dola,

I find it pretty ridiculous that we have to wait hours on end for people to make their picks. That's the whole point of sending LS lists to pick from in case you're not around to make your selection. For those who have done that, I thank you for having the courtesy to do so.

It's particularly aggravating when you consider that one of the pre-requisites of being in this draft was that you would be logging into FOFC and checking frequently throughout the day.

[Buccaneer]

You do realize, Iz, that is by far the fastest draft contest we've had?

[Crim]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

I have 1 children's, 3 histories, 1 sports and 1 non-fiction(?) that each would win their categories.

I dispute your logic, sir.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Buccaneer

You do realize, Iz, that is by far the fastest draft contest we've had?

Nope, didn't realize that. Like I said, first draft I've participated in, though I think I've voted in a few drafts.

Sorry about the grumpiness, btw. Got about 3 and 1/2 hours of sleep last night and it isn't going to come easy tonight either.

[Buccaneer]

Originally Posted by Crim

I dispute your logic, sir.

Hmm. I don't think that more than one of those histories will be chosen so any of them would win. Or something like that.

[sabotai]

As far as I remember, every draft pretty much comes to a stall around 9 or 10 at night, a pick or two is made over night sometimes, and then it picks back up in the morning, and generally go at a pace of about 1 or 2 rounds a day.

[DaddyTorgo]

yeah...this draft is way fast. Stop complaining. I for one won't make pick-lists as I feel it removes my ability to think on the fly and react to runs on other picks, or things like that. plus it inhibits my creativity.

[cartman]

The only reason I would like it sped up a bit is to bear witness to all of the "Slap yo' momma" moments.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

yeah...this draft is way fast. Stop complaining. I for one won't make pick-lists as I feel it removes my ability to think on the fly and react to runs on other picks, or things like that. plus it inhibits my creativity.

*shrugs* I've changed my list multiple times in a day because of those very circumstances and sent it in, so that argument really doesn't fly, man.

But whatev.

[larrymcg421]

Sorry guys, I honestly didn't expect it to get back to me by now...

Coming up with one in a second

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by Izulde

*shrugs* I've changed my list multiple times in a day because of those very circumstances and sent it in, so that argument really doesn't fly, man.

But whatev.

whatev. Imma not continue down this line of things with you as you haven't slept much and i'm not about pickin fights.

[larrymcg421]

1. Fiction - 1.8 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
2. Single Short Story - 5.8 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving
3. Poem - 2.3 Paradise Lost, John Milton
4. Fantasy/Science Fiction
5. Series (A set of books continuing the same story and intended to be read sequentially)
6. Sport Related
7. Children's
8. Non-Fiction - 4.3 Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx
9. Biography/Autobiography - 3.8 Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler
10. History

[cartman]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

whatev. Imma not continue down this line of things with you as you haven't slept much and i'm not about pickin fights.

Care to respond to the rumors that you have a secret tape of a sleep deprived Izulde debating with himself about his picks?

[Izulde]

1. Fiction - 2.2 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
2. Single Short Story
3. Poem - 1.9 "The Waste Land" - T.S. Eliot
4. Fantasy/Science Fiction
5. Series (A set of books continuing the same story and intended to be read sequentially) - 3.9 The Musketeers Saga - The Three Musketeers, Twenty Years After, Le Vicomte de Bragelonne, Louise de la Valliere, The Man in the Iron Mask - Alexandre Dumas
6. Sport Related - 5.9 North Dallas Forty - Peter Gent
7. Children's
8. Non-Fiction - 4.2 The Art of War - Sun Tzu
9. Biography/Autobiography
10. History

One of the grittiest, hardest-hitting novels ever written about sports and its appearance shed new light and controversy on the NFL culture in a way that no work did previously.

Oh and the movie it spawned was pretty decent as well

[ntndeacon]

this is very easily changed as the History picks have been underwhelming:
right now
1 Maple Leaf
t2 Izulde, Chief Rum, st cronin
5 cartman

[DaddyTorgo]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

1. Fiction - 1.8 The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, Mark Twain
2. Single Short Story - 5.8 The Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Washington Irving
3. Poem - 2.3 Paradise Lost, John Milton
4. Fantasy/Science Fiction
5. Series (A set of books continuing the same story and intended to be read sequentially)
6. Sport Related
7. Children's
8. Non-Fiction - 4.3 Communist Manifesto, Karl Marx
9. Biography/Autobiography - 3.8 Mein Kampf, Adolf Hitler
10. History

bitch. This was either #1 or #2 on my short-story list. Guess I'm now going for the other one that I was debating. Nice pick.

[Izulde]

Okay I've got tomorrow's board in.

I"m going to be very happy if I get at least one of my top two selections, which I should hopefully get unless Axxon somehow reads my mind and picks them both.

If I get one of my top two and the other is still sitting around for my next pick after that, I'll be thrilled beyond all belief.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by lordscarlet

I've been waiting for this one. I think it is a steal at 3.9

I strongle considered Art of War at my last turn around picks. Good choice.

[DaddyTorgo]

hmm i'm re-thinking...it's tough...re-thinking moving my fiction choice and picking up something else...

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

I strongle considered Art of War at my last turn around picks. Good choice.

Thanks

I thought I was tired enough to sleep finally, but such is not the case... I keep tossing and turning, debating over my top two choices for my next pick. My hunch is that neither one of them is going to survive the sequence of picks after that, so I it's a real rough decision to make.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

awww hell

1. Fiction
2. Single Short Story
3. Poem
4. Fantasy/Science Fiction: FARENHEIT 451, RAY BRADBURY
5. Series (A set of books continuing the same story and intended to be read sequentially) 1.5 The Foundation Series, Isaac Asimov
6. Sport Related
7. Children's 3.5 Children's and Household Tales (1857 - 211 stories) by The Brothers Grimm
8. Non-Fiction
9. Biography/Autobiography 2.6 Autobiographical Notes, Albert Einstein
10. History

Damn. That was on my list that Is ent to lordscarlet this morning (although it probably wasn't going to get picked with that list). Very good choice.

[Izulde]

Okay, mental anguish and debate's over. I'm hoping my first choice comes through.

So don't take it, Axxon!

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by NoMyths

Fiction
Single Short Story
Poem: 2.5 - The Divine Comedy, Dante Alighieri
Fantasy/Science Fiction
Series (A set of books continuing the same story and intended to be read sequentially) 3.6 - The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy, Douglas Adams
Sport Related: 4.5 - Friday Night Lights, H.G. Bissinger
Children's: 5.6 - Treasure Island, Robert Louis Stevenson
Non-Fiction: 1.6 - On the Origin of Species, Charles Darwin
Biography/Autobiography
History

Leaving behind the toddlers, we come to the meat of what children's literature is really about: bloody swordfights and pirate treasure, adventure on the high seas and peg-legged drunks all entwined in a coming-of-age tale that has dramatically shaped our cultural image of pirates--and adventure stories period. Plus we now get annual Talk Like a Pirate Day. Yaaar.

Interesting. lordscarlet and I had a discussion about this very work and how it fits in the children's category. I asked him how he intended for the children's section to be defined, and did it include Young Adult level. Treasure Island was one of my two specific examples. His response was that he intended for this category to be younger than Young Adult, 12 or younger (I think, or thereabouts). He didn't out and out say Treasure Island wasn't a good fit, but that's more or less what he suggested. So I went with Charlotte's Web.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by sabotai

History: Maple Leafs (out of a whole bunch of picks in this my favorite catagory!!! I mean 2)

Atheist!

[Radii]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

So I went with Charlotte's Web.

I thought Charlotte's Web was an excellent pick until Maple Leafs came behind w/ Dr Seuss a few picks later, I still will be giving Charlotte's Web some love for sure in the voting but I think Dr Seuss or perhaps a couple others that I have in mind might have been better to take w/ the first few selections in that category, the young adult debate notwithstanding.

[DaddyTorgo]

okay. I sent myself my list to my gmail account. Now I just have to decide between the 3 choices I gave myself in each category

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by Radii

I thought Charlotte's Web was an excellent pick until Maple Leafs came behind w/ Dr Seuss a few picks later, I still will be giving Charlotte's Web some love for sure in the voting but I think Dr Seuss or perhaps a couple others that I have in mind might have been better to take w/ the first few selections in that category, the young adult debate notwithstanding.

I actually thought a good long while about Dr. Seuss, but decided I wanted to go with a more complete novel type of work. Not that that diminishes the quality of Dr. Seuss, though. I probably would have gone with Green Eggs and Ham.

[Chief Rum]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

okay. I sent myself my list to my gmail account. Now I just have to decide between the 3 choices I gave myself in each category

I sent in a list. It has seven titles. I am guessing two of them will survive to my picks. Otherwise, won't be home until about 7 p.m. PDT.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Interesting. lordscarlet and I had a discussion about this very work and how it fits in the children's category. I asked him how he intended for the children's section to be defined, and did it include Young Adult level. Treasure Island was one of my two specific examples. His response was that he intended for this category to be younger than Young Adult, 12 or younger (I think, or thereabouts). He didn't out and out say Treasure Island wasn't a good fit, but that's more or less what he suggested. So I went with Charlotte's Web.

The Treasure Island pick is part of what is hurting NM's for me fwiw.

In this draft there are two things that I take as relatively big negatives:

Poor choices for an author when others are available
Bad fits to the category

That's just me, others may (and obviously are) looking at it differently though. For me fitting into these categories is part of the challenge - and Treasure's Island, in my mind, is "Young Adult" not "Children's".

[wade moore]

FYI - LS has something to take care of this morning, so he forwarded me the lists he had - Chief Rum and Izulde.

So, until he posts you may want to PM any lists to both me and him as I'll be his proxy until he returns.

[Lathum]

Izulde lost any chance of getting my vote with his constant bitching.

Change your tampon already.

[NoMyths]

Originally Posted by wade moore

The Treasure Island pick is part of what is hurting NM's for me fwiw.

In this draft there are two things that I take as relatively big negatives:

Poor choices for an author when others are available
Bad fits to the category

That's just me, others may (and obviously are) looking at it differently though. For me fitting into these categories is part of the challenge - and Treasure's Island, in my mind, is "Young Adult" not "Children's".

I'm not sure I believe that my TI pick is what has me low on your board, considering you've had me low since before I made it. Fwiw.

Treasure Island was originally serialized in a children's magazine, and has always been intended as a book for children. The concept of "young adults" didn't come around until a later era.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by Lathum

Izulde lost any chance of getting my vote with his constant bitching.

Change your tampon already.

Eh, I was having a bad night of it and I did apologize for being asshatish.

It's your choice though, of course.

[Warhammer]

The Legend of Sleepy Hollow was my other choice for Short Story. However, I know some people that only know that story as the Headless Horseman rather than the actual name so I went with Flowers for Algernon.

[sabotai]

Originally Posted by Chief Rum

Atheist!

You say that like it's a bad thing.

[wade moore]

Originally Posted by NoMyths

I'm not sure I believe that my TI pick is what has me low on your board, considering you've had me low since before I made it. Fwiw.

Treasure Island was originally serialized in a children's magazine, and has always been intended as a book for children. The concept of "young adults" didn't come around until a later era.

You are very stuck on "Intent" and literary merit and such vs. reality and what the voters will see.

*shurg*

Not sure why you think I had you low before that pick - I like all of the rest of your picks, the only thing I stated before that last top 3 was that larry was my early favorite.

[NoMyths]

Whew -- glad you like the other picks.

You're right in that I don't feel all of the voters are just going to vote on title popularity. With this draft, I do feel that people who are interested in following a thread about books will weigh more they might with songs or what have you. One of the reasons I provide surrounding explanation for my picks is to fill in some of the gaps those voters might have -- for example, I chose Treasure Island in part to fill the gap in children's literature that wasn't being filled; if you want to vote for the toddlers, Dr. Seuss is tough to beat, whereas by staking out non-toddlers with a clear top children's lit choice gives voters more choices than just choosing the best from a bunch of similar books.

I'm just not a panderer, at the end of the day. I'm encouraged that several of us in the draft are sticking to our guns about wanting "good" literature, and not merely "popular" literature (even though all of my choices to this point have been immensely popular outside of the confines of this thread). My sense is that when our entire boards are assembled you'll see that several of us have worked to have a range of material and tones.

[Maple Leafs]

Just a comment to the commentors (who are adding a ton to the fun factor, by the way.)

Those who are saying "There's a book I personally like that I don't think will even be picked at all, but if it is I'll give my vote to whoever picks it"... um, that's kind of an interesting method for determining a vote.

[DaddyTorgo]

i think i know what one of those books is, but now i'm personally torn between selecting it and selecting something that i would rather pick personally

[NoMyths]

Now may also be a good time for me to mention that I'm going out of town tomorrow...will have intermittent access to the web, so I'll try to get a list in order.

If it helps to sway any voters, I'll be gone because Kansas State University is bringing me in for two days to give a reading from my book, meet in one-on-one workshops with their advanced writing students and sit in on a class about creativity. I'll try to find some time to post my picks when I'm able.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by DaddyTorgo

i think i know what one of those books is, but now i'm personally torn between selecting it and selecting something that i would rather pick personally

I may have mentioned this before, but I tend to build my draft around personal preferences, with an eye towards as diverse a range as possible (as NoMyths suggested). Like I think I said earlier, I want my final list to be one I'd personally want to read.

And I'd say thus far I've accomplished at least that much.

But on the other hand, your strategy can be entirely different and that's what's cool about these drafts. Everybody has different priorities of selection methods.

[Izulde]

Originally Posted by NoMyths

Now may also be a good time for me to mention that I'm going out of town tomorrow...will have intermittent access to the web, so I'll try to get a list in order.

If it helps to sway any voters, I'll be gone because Kansas State University is bringing me in for two days to give a reading from my book, meet in one-on-one workshops with their advanced writing students and sit in on a class about creativity. I'll try to find some time to post my picks when I'm able.

Have fun!