On Franny Choi’s “Body/Paragraph”
Posted by David Duhr in 
So, guys, let’s chat about one of the most delightful stories I’ve ever been involved with. Franny Choi’s “Body/Paragraph” is very funny, eminently readable, and the graphics–a tactic which can often sink a story–work really well and flow seamlessly.
In my opinion, of course.
But what about in yours? Are the graphics/photos/images enhancing “Body/Paragraph” or getting in the way? How do you feel about graphics in general in short fiction?
I’d say this one can fairly be labeled “satire.” Would you call it Horatian (playful) or Juvenalian (full of contempt)? Can a satire be both? Like some of us have talked about before, must all satire come from a place of anger?
Character development can be a hurdle in stories such as this one. Does Choi do a good job of giving Caroline and Han-soo some depth? Or are they cartoonish characters? If the latter, does the story suffer because of it?
Thanks for joining us this week. Anything else you guys wanna talk about, let ‘er rip below.
At the risk of pissing into a perfectly lovely and empty pool, I’ll go first. Full disclosure: I didn’t really like this story. But I’ll explain why via your questions. Q: Are the graphics/photos/images enhancing “Body/Paragraph” or getting in the way? How do you feel about graphics in general in short fiction? A: Honestly, the graphics and images were my favorite part of the story. I thought they were far more clever than the rest of the content, which relied too heavily on random pop culture references and writing cliches. I’m certainly not against pop culture references or the occasional… Read more »
Someone once said that a good satire can only be written by someone who still has hope for humanity. I would have to agree with that. Otherwise, you’re just airing your grievances and, really, ranting. Which is hardly ironic or insightful. Satire surely comes from a place of anger, but it must also come from a belief that things can (and should, and WILL!) be better, otherwise it is just the mark of a curmudgeon. Kind of like my beef with philosophy, satire is, I think, ultimately an area best served by those who would ACT, versus those who would… Read more »