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Scottie Bowman (bowman@mail.indigo.ie)
Thu, 02 Jul 1998 19:40:29 +0000
For most people, `sublimation' is a Freudian term meaning
the conversion of unacceptable impulses into more `civilised',
hopefully more fruitful, expressions.
For the life of me, I couldn't see what its meaning could be
as used by Will. My simple question was then answered by
citing two more critics who, so far as we are told, may not use
the word at all.
Matt's question may be laden with wisdom but to me it just
sounded like a rather smartypants put-down. And my response
to it was a plain reiteration of what most people understand as
the difference between art & criticism. That is to say,
the difference between the doing & the commenting upon the doing.
Will's question about my reading habits sounds as if it were from
the same stable. He must have guessed by now how I regard
the work of professional critics - as purely parasitic. I would
never wish to encourage such unwholesome activities.
Holden Caulfield was conceived & set going without the slightest
reference to critics & he has thrived without the slightest help
from them - except, perhaps, where their quotes have been used
as aids in marketing. Indeed it's probably only now that he's been
put on the college syllabus & the poor children are required to read
the commentaries that he will start to die.
Scottie B.