Abstract

ABSTRACT

A Series of Distractions
Lisa Sookraj

"A Series of Distractions" is a novella that examines the fragmentary nature of the sentence, the story, the photograph and life itself. Montréal writer Gail Scott refers to works created in the middle space, the in between. This is where my writing exists, between genres and between situational states in characters’ lives [stuck between a rock (youth) and a hard place (well-adjusted adults)]. To illustrate the disjointed way thoughts tend to connect under pressure, the prose is interspersed with shorter lines that appear like poetry on the page.
The narrative follows Julie Watt, a struggling young photographer in Montréal, and focuses on her shifting relationships (to herself, her work and her boyfriend Felix). Julie seeks progress in place of redundancy, but while clinging to stasis. As such, the writing often examines moments of ‘unplot’ – the minute events of daily life accompanied by the inner associations of the protagonist. The writing conveys 'the real' in a charged way, revealing the complexity of situations which seem simple on the surface. A quote from Susan Sontag is fitting: "Photographed images do not seem to be statements about the world so much as pieces of it, miniatures of reality."
The notion of time and the speeds at which it moves in differing stages of our lives and psychologies is integral to the story, at the heart of which lies uncertainty and anxiety. Theories on photography (from Sontag and Roland Barthes) offer insight as to how Julie views the various aspects of her life, and often, how the author perceives prose.