Re: your mail

WILL HOCHMAN (hochman@uscolo.edu)
Sat, 28 Feb 1998 10:51:00 -0700 (MST) 

With as much respect as I can manage, I have to disagree with Brendan.
Ignoring critical readings helps little, I think...using them to enhance
your own readings helps much.  Anyone who lets a critic tell him or her
what to think isn't much of a thinker to begin with, but anyone who can
use critical reading to find real ideas is probably going to build reading
experiences that are closer to both soul and mind of text to begin
with...I'm sorry, but Brendan's approach doesn't sound like the kind
of knowledge seeking I get from mr. salinger and the valuing of
intelligence the glass family seems to exemplify.  Trusting your heart 
doesn't have to mean that you ignore your mind and the experiences of
others...will

On Fri, 27 Feb 1998, Brendan McKennedy wrote:

> 
> 
> 
>  however, faced with de
> >daumier smith's blue period and teddy i seem to be missing a bit. de 
> daumier
> >smith seems to be about buddhism, but i can't explain the episode w/ 
> the girl
> >falling. and is mrs. x, sargent x's ex-wife? i can't find any critical 
> work on
> >the web...[et c. et c.]
> 
> 
> Er...As I don't know you, please don't take this as an assault on you as 
> a person...but I'm glad that you're not my teacher.  Not because of your 
> lack of knowledge, but because you *regard* it as a lack of knowledge.
> 
> For the sake of your students--pleeeeeeeze don't delve any further into 
> the vast Treasure of "information" that has been published under the 
> auspices of A Wise, Knowledgeable Reading of Salinger's Fiction. 
> 
> Trust your own reading, and above all, let your students trust *their* 
> readings.  They will get from the stories what they need to get from 
> them...some of them less than others, but those who do Get Something 
> from Salinger will mature that vision on their own, and perhaps later 
> seek to supplement that vision by joining us here on this list.
> 
> If you want them to write a curricula-appropriate thesis on Salinger, 
> then give them the Critics.  If you want them to know and love Salinger, 
> then give them Salinger. 
> 
> And please feel free to direct them this way.
> 
> Brendan 
> 
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