Re: writ large

Just a quick note,

The names in the article, Gates, Fish, Jameson, Gilman, etc. are of a
generation ago (or more now) in the theory world. In my opinion, the
exciting new stuff is being done by other people (in other countries often),
and these guys are often still doing precisely the same things they were
doing when I was in grad school a long, long time ago. That may be a part of
the reason that they are wondering aloud how much their stuff matters anymore.

I read Derrida like I read Hegel or Kant -- as a thinker whose work
participates in an important way in the history of the debates within
Continental philosophy. But I don't think I'll be reading much of the
Fishman or Skip Gates or Fred Jameson in the same way, although I liked the
afternoons and evenings I spent at conferences talking and drinking with each
of them when I was a younger man. At this point, though, I'd still rather
read the late Gilles Deleuze than any of these guys.

Also, the question "Does X matter?" is fundamentally a silly one, in my
humble opinion. It can always be answered yes and it can always be answered
no.

But thanks to Cecilia for the article.

All the best,

--John

PS: As of this morning this machine must be unplugged and taken in for
surgery to have a dead CD-RW drive replaced. I will be without it for a
couple of days perhaps. So please do not think I am being rude when I do not
reply to anything here. I will be out of the cyber-village for a time.
Enjoy your week, everyone.

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Received on Wed Apr 23 08:09:02 2003