What is "Doom Eager"?

Lorrie Moore, from "Better and Sicker"
"Martha Graham speaks of the Icelandic term "doom eager" to denote that ordeal of isolation, restlessness, caughtness and artistic experiences when he or she is sick with an idea. When a writer is doom eager, the writing won't be sludge on the page; it will give readers -- and the writer, of course, is the very first reader -- an experience they've never had before, or perhaps a little and at last the words for an experience they have."

Friday, November 13, 2009

Our Obsession with Interesting Characters: Why America Can't Get Enough of Sarah Palin

This morning on MSNBC's Morning Meeting, host Dylan Ratigan posed the question: Why is America obsessed with Sarah Palin?


Among Ratigan's top ten reasons were: She's hot, she's not Bush, she can wink, smile, and cut an opponent down at the same time, and the drama in her life makes you feel better about your own. I love this last point, which is primarily why I watch shows like Intervention and Hoarders on A&E. My problems end up seeming small and manageable by the time the show has ended. I do feel better when, at the end of the show, the subject has gone to rehab and is in recovery or cleaned up their home and is no longer in threat of being evicted.

But I digress . . . America is obsessed with Sarah Palin because she is an interesting character. Not a flat, one-trick pony like Joe the Plumber (where is he now?) but a rounded character complete with conflict, emotional, sexual, and (dare I say it) intellectual appeal. As a character, Palin embodies the myth of small-town America. She is "Mrs. Palin goes to Washington," which some read as wholesome and couragous, while some (myself included) read as naive and dangerous. Either way, the character taps into our collective imagination. She is a character wrought with conflict and complications. Hero-maverick or temptress-villain, we want to know what happens to this character.

With the launch of her new book, which is already #1 on Amazon.com, Sarah's PR people would do her well to continue to shape her into a fully-realized character for the America public. Too much emphasis on limited aspects of her as a person or political figure will relegate her into a stock character role: the dippy pageant queen, the small-town soccer mom. In a political party that wants to kick out moderates and narrow the views of the party, Sarah needs to broaden her image/character, or risk us becoming bored with her before 2012. Maybe her book will help; though, I hear it's only five chapters, so excuse me if I'm skeptical.
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1 comment:

  1. Sharon K. MayhewNovember 14, 2009 at 6:01 PM

    I think Sarah is great. She's part politician, part red-neck and very regular joe. She sticks her foot in her mouth, like the rest of us. She's tough and like you said a bit sexy. I wish her well, but expect TV talk show is in her future more than politics.

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