From: "William H. Ansley" <wansley@warwick.net>
Subject: Re: (urth) searchable archives/Eyeflash Miracles
Date: Tue, 15 Jun 1999 01:53:19 

>Wasn't there an announcement a while back about a searchable archive? I just
>read 'The Eyeflash Miracles' and am thirsty for commentary.
>

Yes, there was. You can find it at:
http://www.urth.net/urth/search/
(All Hail Ranjit!)

>I'm certain some/most of you have read the story - any immediate thoughts on
>it?
>

<The sound of loud, diabolical laughter> Come into my parlor... Cliff.

I, in the not too distant past, wrote a LONG series of postings about the
Oz references in _The Eyeflash Miracles_. I don't think the story can be
understood completely if you don't know certain Oz facts. Of course, even
if you do know these facts, the story still can't be understood completely
(it's by Gene Wolfe, after all) but it can be understood more completely,
in my humble opinion.

My postings about this are only in the rough draft stage, if that, but you
may find them interesting. (I am going to re-write my Oz stuff up real
pretty some day, honest!) If you search for "eyeflash" in the archives at
the above URL you will find it all, and a bit more. I was interrupted by an
illness while writing my Oz posts and started over after a long pause. If
you want to follow my final series of eight postings, search for "ozflash
and revised".

>I got a kick out of the characters heading off to Sugarland at the end. I
>live in Houston, and Sugarland is about 15 miles to the southwest. Wolfe
>having Houston ties, this is certainly the Sugarland he was referring to.
>
>(FYI, there are huge sugar refineries in Sugarland)

I have always liked the end of this story. It seems to be a happy ending,
at least to me and at least at first glance. I still prefer to believe it
is a happy ending, but there are dissenting opinions on the list.

Thanks for the Sugarland info. I always like to know the origins of names.

If you have any questions to put to me or comments to make after reading my
postings, please fell free to do so.

William Ansley



*More Wolfe info & archive of this list at http://www.urth.net/urth/