No Punctuation

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Kimmio Laughterlove

:)
It's 52, 438 words - 149 pages - long. (his paper, not the article:D)

Oh, the PhD is in Architecture, not Creative Writing - which I thought made the story all the more interesting.

I should've put this under "politics", as it has to do with academic politics. I'm curious about what @Graeme Decarie thinks.
 
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Not Graeme - but what the heck - Interesting concept. He refers to eecummings. I remember studying some of his poems when I was in school - no capitalization, no punctuation.

That's how the scriptures were originally written. I don't think there were spaces between the words either. So godisnowhere could be read as 'God is nowhere.' or 'God is now here.'

Actually I like punctuation. It was developed for a reason; to make written communication clearer and easier. It's not a puzzle or a trap, or something invented by academics to make our lives miserable.

I don't know what the rules are for writing a dissertation. Does it have to be written in English? Or can it be written in the language of choice? If the latter, I see no problem in having it written in the student's native language. I presume that translations could be made for those unfamiliar with the language. But if one of the requirements is that it be written in standard English, I think it would be understood that it would follow the rules of grammar and punctuation.
 
The "punch you ate" over the English tongue that causes inevitable change called learning of Nous things ... an activity of mind ... something usually incarnate, or not appearing as is (some say that's not the way it appears) as laid out there on the page buoys and gurls ... anything new there causes a stir ... once known as an eddy or Wahl effect ... when man find woman n his space for thought ... the bi guining of Eris a dissonant state for a fixed character as coque a St Jacques a devilish thorn that disturbed St Pauls mind and became known as St Vincent ... that night when the stars appeared ... rye at that. With some redaction stars become satres and some one was sated ... afterword ... "who'd know as what was clear before was sensitized?" Watching for that to come round again ... in pure intercourse of poetics that goes on in the head ... as magneto-electric pyre ...

Some don't be lieve in such things as can't appear beyond the visual band ... like black fete in the woods ... something best not seen ... until your thoughts evolve ... catch up to the nature of ID! That's primal ... and pops up from time to time ... alien thoughts ... on unmentionables a Panz in the fire ... antes? This tinkering could lead to potz ... as bellied ... some say a furnace ... like Dan's ... and 3 other peoples ... yellow, red and black as Ephraim. But ordinary people don't know this tuff ... high meme brain theory ... just myth, or that beyond us? Like points of separation in words to allow the cutting out of thoughts ... that's just a paper impression silly ... and after that people go by the book ... what the Semite called the Ju'iced then holding the win yard ... who knew dic kal about cultivation of subverse entities ... sort of like Sarae and a brae ham ... that man in the dark in ephemeral tales ... one is incubus the other succubus ... where small eddies get sucked in like sock puppets! --- Ed Sullivan!

And an Eddie was kissed good-night! You know of the cutting up of Ned as Neigh Di .. when dyan-Isis get close to great powers of war ... the wee soldier feints ... like a white elephant in de rheum ... things can get ab ba 'd as the absolute Ba catches us ... and you fold in ... as wend!
 
Seeler said:
Not Graeme - but what the heck - Interesting concept. He refers to eecummings. I remember studying some of his poems when I was in school - no capitalization, no punctuation.

That's how the scriptures were originally written. I don't think there were spaces between the words either. So godisnowhere could be read as 'God is nowhere.' or 'God is now here.'

Actually I like punctuation. It was developed for a reason; to make written communication clearer and easier. It's not a puzzle or a trap, or something invented by academics to make our lives miserable.

I don't know what the rules are for writing a dissertation. Does it have to be written in English? Or can it be written in the language of choice? If the latter, I see no problem in having it written in the student's native language. I presume that translations could be made for those unfamiliar with the language. But if one of the requirements is that it be written in standard English, I think it would be understood that it would follow the rules of grammar and punctuation.
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I think he said he was making a point about his own culture and language that uses no punctuation, and colonialism and the arbitrarily accepted/ enforced conventions of the English language in academia. He was able to challenge it because there was nothing in the dissertation rules about punctuation (it's just assumed that it would be "proper'" at that level).

I read a couple of comments after the article, probably by students, who just thought this was great!

He makes a good point if i write like this people can still understand even - if - I - use - dashes....or I use a fewextra....

Actually, punctuation is one of my biggest lazy points in writing. I could look it up in a few seconds on google if I think I have erred; but I figure, if it's easy enough to understand, especially if it is casual - like here - then it doesn't matter.
 
I read punctuation-free work all the time! Let me tell you...It isn't easy! Without punctuation, I would have much less to do in my job!
 
There is an old axiom about subversive writing ... "if it is not subversive there's no mystery" to it and it can't be used to stimulate peoples thoughts ... witch-Eire out there ! Is that a sentient occurrence or just 3 points in one; an ept une's fork?

How else to find what sin the dark, blind pool, beside that lady with the weird shadow in her I'z? And I'z the by that rows the boat ... Michael as an ambiguous angel!
 
Kimmio said:
I think he said he was making a point about his own culture and language that uses no punctuation, and colonialism and the arbitrarily accepted/ enforced conventions of the English language in academia. He was able to challenge it because there was nothing in the dissertation rules about punctuation (it's just assumed that it would be "proper'" at that level).

I read a couple of comments after the article, probably by students, who just thought this was great!

He makes a good point if i write like this people can still understand even - if - I - use - dashes....or I use a fewextra....

Actually, punctuation is one of my biggest lazy points in writing. I could look it up in a few seconds on google if I think I have erred; but I figure, if it's easy enough to understand, especially if it is casual - like here - then it doesn't matter.
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I find that pretty ridiculous. Just because their isn't specific set of rules, it doesn't mean that it's acceptable. If it was related to the topic that would be different, but I don't see how that fits with architecture.

The article doesn't say whether it was accepted as is. He passed, but that doesn't mean there aren't changes that must be ultimately submitted in order to graduate.
I don't think a thesis is an appropriate means of pushing an unrelated cultural or political statement.
 
Why not? He's only risking his own academic credentials and work he put into it. If they turn him down it's his loss and his challenge. It doesn't affect other students work.
 
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Seeler said:
I don't know what the rules are for writing a dissertation. Does it have to be written in English? Or can it be written in the language of choice? .
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I suspect that to submit a thesis in a language other than the one generally used at the university (English or French in Canadian universities) you would need to get permission ahead of time. It would affect the choice of internal and external reviewers (ie. you would need reviewers who can read that language) and even thesis supervisor.
 
Kimmio said:
Why not? He's only risking his own academic credentials and work he put into it. If they turn him down it's his loss and his challenge. It doesn't affect other students work.
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Until they have to sit down and read it to apply things to their own work.
 
So, then, those students might be asking "why'd he write it this way?" and that could lead to them researching the writer and his purpose, and some thinking about aboriginal culture in the field of architecture? It broadens the scope of their considerations and doesn't just limit discussion of aboriginal culture to "typical" fields like history or anthropology - that's why it was rather ingenious and not ridiculous. Just an idea. Or they could end up not using his work.
 
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Kimmio said:
So, then, those students might be asking "why'd he write it this way?" and that could lead to them researching the writer and his purpose, and some thinking about aboriginal culture in the field of architecture? It broadens the scope of their considerations and doesn't just limit discussion of aboriginal culture to "typical" fields like history or anthropology - that's why it was rather ingenious and not ridiculous. Just an idea. Or they could end up not using his work.
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Have many theses have you read?
 
I would be interested to read Dr. Stewart's work. He passed his oral exam, and got his doctorate, so the adjudicating professors, after hours of deliberation, got his point and saw merit in it.
 
Kimmio said:
Grab it from somewhere else then. Is that more important than the point he's making? (did you read the article carefully?)
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Thesis work should be original, if it isn't published elsewhere, where else does one go to get it?

Yes, I read the article, and as I stated it's an inappropriate medium for making his point. If his area was Native Studies, Sociology or something else like that, then I could see it being a more relevant point.
I'm not saying that Native cultures can't impact Architecture, but it should be relevant to the field.
 
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