genre lines: never rigid

The evolutionary model is often mentioned in the context of the evolution of genre.  As I read Owens' essay, I was reminded of something I read about evolution itself - that humans only see themselves as a drastically different species because all the intermediate species between humans and monkeys are extinct.  When considering every species that has ever existed, classification is much more difficult because things that seem very defined start to run into each other.  Humans have to search for patterns over long periods of time and then categorize them. 

I probably thought of this because, as Steven Owens notes, the three defined types of literature (epic, drama, and lyric) become muddy when one starts to consider non-European writings.  Yet despite how much confusion exists over genre lines, and despite how many works can be cross-listed in many categories, humans easily assign genres to things they read.  It is also interesting to think about genre in the context of time periods; maybe something can't truly be labeled until someone can look back on history and see the big picture.

When I read Dimock's entry, I was most intrigued by the discussion of the internet.  I loved the suggestion that archives are a different kind of literature - that since the Leaves of Grass offers notes and many variants, the meaning is diffused and becomes less defined.  There is such a vast amount of information on the internet that it's interesting to think about how future generations will examine and categorize it.

Dimock often notes how maybe unoriginality is the strength of epics like the Odyssey.  He also discussed how references to Homer are so frequent even in modern times.  Most epics seem to have many variants, making genre again seem too limiting because works of literature are so vast and varying, just like the modern archives on the internet.

My own opinion about genre is that while I can say I like some genres and dislike others if I must, my true tastes really deviate from those preferences.  Personally, I like any story with interesting, well-developed characters to whom I can relate, regardless of genre or medium.  The genres one finds in a bookstore could not describe my taste at all, to be honest.  But this only goes back to the fact that there are so many ways to categorize things which overlap so much.