written by Michael Jacobson
published by Lulu (2006)
ISBN: 1-4116-6208-3
reviewed by Ty Schwamberger
05.05.2009
Per the inside cover of The Giant’s Fence by Michael Jacobson, the
book is an, “evolving visual narrative written in a trans-symbolic script that
can be read aesthetically. Any meaning
drawn from the text is a correct translation; it is open to personal
interpretation and exploration.”
If you’re not aware what
‘trans-symbolic script’ is, you can visit the author’s My Space page, at: www.myspace.com/barbarianinterior. But, basically, it looks similar to Chinese
characters – on drugs.
As I ‘read’ through this 84 page ‘novella’ the
following things came to my mind.
·
A gate –
entering something, perhaps a look at your past or future.
·
A fish
swimming along looking for food
·
Someone hiding
a ball
·
A dance to the
gods of rain
·
Arrows
·
A person
hanging upside down
·
Jaws of a
beast
·
Fish swimming
downward
·
Fish head
·
Indian items
·
Music notes
·
Man looking
out window
·
A man falling
through a window
·
War
·
Eyes looking
at you
·
Running
·
Do the chicken
dance
·
Shield
·
Octopus
·
Man looking
out window
·
Heart
·
Bird
·
Eyeglasses
·
Trail of beans
on forest floor
·
The gauntlet
·
Lima beans
·
Eyes – mad
·
Vortex
·
World coming
to an end
·
Rebirth, a new
beginning
·
Tranquility
·
Building
·
Eyes
·
Death
·
A gate,
exiting something – you just saw your life flash before your eyes
What does all this mean,
you ask? I’m no shrink nor a new-age
artist, so I have no idea. I’m sure in
their eyes it means something. Maybe. Then again, if
this book is open to ‘personal interpretation’ does it matter what anyone else
thinks of your translation of the script?
Perhaps.