Saturday, May 05, 2007

More on the Chaucer blog ...

Stephanie Trigg has posted her thoughts on the recent post here at ITM by the "Chaucer author function" (see Chaucer speaks).

Seems many readers were simultaneously impressed and disappointed by the post. To answer many emails at once: yes, I do know the originator; yes, I do swear the post was crafted by the entity behind the Chaucer blog; no, it is not David Wallace after all; no, David Wallace did not force me to type that; no, David Wallace is not standing behind me with a firearm; no, you won't get another word from me about the Chaucer blog author, not even the smallest crumb of a hint, not even for a large bribe (though please do email if you are interested in offering a VERY large bribe).

18 comments:

Anonymous said...

I'm surprised that people have been surprised by the difference between the Chaucer blogger (as "Chaucer") and his/her "own" voice. Doesn't each one of us adopt a writerly persona that is not equivalent to our own voice?

How many times have you (at an academic conference) been sooo stoked to finally meet Prof. Wonder Woman or Prof. Superman, only to realize in person that you are face to face with just another nerdy Diana Prince or mild-mannered Clark Kent?

Jeffrey Cohen said...

To be honest, Lurking Medievalist, I live for those moments: to discover that behind the magisterial and mesmerizing prose dwells a shy, anxiety-ridden, fallible, merely human author is infinitely reassuring.

JKW said...

Wait, wait, I thought David Wallace was the Chaucer blogger. It is David Wallace, right?

Karl Steel said...

No, no, no. David Wallace and "Chaucer" are both creations of the Chaucer Blogger. As for me, well, I'm pretty sure I'm the creation of the Lydgate Blogger.

Eileen Joy said...

I assumed the voice "Chaucer" adopted here at In The Middle was also a staged voice, and not the "man/woman himself/herself" *behind* "Chaucer." I liked Stephanie Trigg's post, but she worries too much [haha]: Chaucer's posts have always been somewhat sporadic, but when they arrive, are always hysterical. When did this David Wallace rumor start? It's preposterous. That's all I'll say. Then again, if it *is* him, the David Wallace I met a couple of years ago in Miami at a Medieval Academy meeting must be someone else.

Jeffrey Cohen said...

Yes, Eileen, that was me in my David Wallace mask. Did I pull the accent off?

Anonymous said...

I'll fan the Flames of Conspiracy a bit here.

I have some very reliable sources who report that David Wallace is increasingly resembling Chaucer these days; he's even sporting a goatee!

Anonymous said...

Goatee? You mean, like in the Ellesmere portrait?

Anonymous said...

LOL. I've said too much already.

Ancrene Wiseass said...

Can I get to be a creation of "Litel" Lowys? Please?

Kerryn Goldsworthy said...

'I assumed the voice "Chaucer" adopted here at In The Middle was also a staged voice'

Indeed. The staged voice of Holden Caulfield, to be precise, as I'm sure Stephanie points out in her post. (Or if it's not, then the Holden Caulfield voice is far less distinctive than I had always thought.)

I assumed the Chaucer Author Effect was just showing off her/his range. As well she/he might; it's awe-inspiring.

Karma said...

I'm enjoying the hell out of this, and like others, am a bit surprised there's not more commentary about it here.

(I don't comment much because I'm basically intimated by every single one of you.)

Jeffrey Cohen said...

But that's great, kdegruy: our objective is to intimate every one of our readers.

Seriously.

Now if we were to intimidate potential commenters, THAT would be a problem.

Thanks for your thoughts .. and for your wonderful typo.

N50 said...

ITM both intimates and intimidates me. I just go on making foolish comments (and typos - oh, the typos). And, if most of the time I just embarass myself, once in a blue moon the foolishness enhances my intimation.

And - there - I just gone and done it again.

Liza Blake said...

What I wonder is, why does no one wonder about the true identity of John Mandeville? Maybe *he* is David Wallace?

Jeffrey Cohen said...

We all know it's Paul Strohm Liza. Geesh.

Anonymous said...

Yf David Wallace the Chaucer blogger was, wolde Penn be Herry Baileying a conference in honorem W. Langland as we speke? At which, dies irae, G. Chaucer hys sacred name hath receyved mencioun exceeding scant.

Jeffrey Cohen said...

Exactly the kind of smokescreen/diversion tactic that would suggest the opposite is true, I think!