Re: Brachilogic epistemology
Tim O'Connor (tim@roughdraft.org)
Wed, 15 Apr 1998 08:47:31 -0400
> but I also know that authors reach
> inside of us in different ways and do understand why many would not agree
> with my preference to make mr. salinger numero uno on a greatest writers
> list...will
Indeed -- as an undergrad, I requested an independent study that would
focus on Salinger; this was before Alsen's book came along and tied things
together so nicely, and I had a feeling that approaching the work as a
whole package, and including a wide range of criticism would make for an
interesting course. The professor -- a fellow I otherwise respected --
rebuffed it, with the explanation that "Salinger is a dead topic and,
frankly, an embarrassment."
We didn't do the study, needless to say, but I found another more
adventurous and sympathetic teacher with whom my closest pal and I did a
semester-long study of Thoreau, which was one of the more memorable
"classes" I ever did. (Just the three of us meeting regularly in the
professor's office, and discussing passages in excruciating detail, made me
painfully aware of how easy it is to fall into using imprecise language
when discussing literature. As E.B. White said about the phrase "the fact
that" [in The Elements of Style], I am full of sorrow, of sorts, to see
that even now I am still not always able to be as precise and unambiguous
as I would like to be.)
Ummm, Will, I didn't think your reply was even remotely too long. I read
it as a good starting point on the subject, a message bristling with
pointers to other sources, other ideas, other avenues.
Cheers!
--tim