<<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.>> It should please you to know that many critics who oppose deconstruction define criticism as a parasitic activity. Of course it is. It's just that the issues surrounding getting meaning out of texts are approximately the same for both literary crit and literature. << 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.>> All readers are critics. Some are just more self-conscious about the activity than others. Jim _____________________________________________________________________ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com Or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]