Kalevala Project - response to Ivan

[Logical Language Group <cbmvax!uunet!grebyn.com!lojbab>]

You ask for several changes, all of which remove detail from the persons
and scenery details.  To write a good story, the details MUST be present.
If we do not specify the culture of the characters, they will have no
culture; i.e. they will be colorless, which is exactly what we don't want.
Actually they won't be - with mostly Americans in the Lojban community, they
will all end up as nondescript American in culture.  I would rather attempt
and fail to capture hints of a foreign culture than not to attempt at all,
and have the result seem too  American.  We may not succeed in capturing
a true Arabic or Hindi culture (but then we might come close), but we will
get a somewhat non-American culture.  One would expect in any case that
with people representing 6 cultures interacting on a constant basis that
none of the characters would be 'pure' in representing their culture - after
all, they do not live with their own people (at least not likely).

As for the stairs/ladder (Nora thought you said it was a ladder; my apology
if we misunderstood), the idea was an honorific reference to your much
applauded effort; you seem to take offense, for which I'm sorry.  But the
concept in a room furnished in climbing equipment, of using a climbing ladder
to access a trap door (presumably leading to the attic, wherein other artifacts
may be found that could inspire more stories) fits the scenario even if the
association with your story is excluded.  (Yet, I do not see why, upon seeing
such a ladder, someone of your culture might not use it as a lead-in to just
that story.  That is the purpose of having detailed decor with potential
heavy symbolism - it allows people hooks to hang a story on, either a new
story or one from their native culture.  In an intenrational coffeeshop
such as we are talking about here, I would hope that people would feel
comfortable enough to tell stories from their native cultures.  Am I missing
something???)

lojbab