Re: the quiet life

Scottie says:
> Tim says he has nothing against 'a good knock-down, drag-out
> argument' - it's just he'd rather it didn't take place here.
> Well, what DOES he want? More instruction on how to acquire
> back numbers of the New Yorker? Happy memories of 'the first
> time I read the Catcher'? What a quaint old buffer JDS must be
> & what CAN he have stored away in that house in the woods?
> Yet another deconstruction of feet? 'How I gain popularity with
> my first years by invoking the ducks in Central Park'?

What I have particulaury admired about Tim's stance thus far is his tendency
to eschew a censorious position. A "stop being so cantankerous Gedsudski" or
"Begone with the dry wit Scottie" or"enough with those obesequious postings
Jim, and put a lid on those smiley faces" is never heard from the man. Some
of the archives reveal he once appreciated the jovial banter and lively
debate surounding the tender egos of the Creative Writing Crew of Academia.
He is a quasi-mediator and my guess is he deletes most of the postings on
this list, leaving some reading time for those that amuse/inform him. Yet,
many who have unsubscribed are going to miss out on more real views,
vitriolic attacks, and everything else that reminds me I am alive.
MOreover, I too have my doubts of the finality of the Herr Dr.'s farewell.

There is something about JD Salinger, or the life and times of ANY writer,
that makes one keep coming back for more.

The lively exchanges on Foucalt, Lacan, or That Other Frech Guy, were
delightful. Being marked by personal convictions, there were some tears shed
and of course some palms were sweaty during the process. but there were a
hell of a lot more messages on "authorial intent" than "The theme of feet in
the works of Salinger" . I couldn't give a good God damn what the first
impressions of someone reading Catcher in the Rye were, and even less what
kind of information someone doing a book report on it wants.

I've never seen Epstein, Melville or Pat post anything. We can now all see
the 'defense of lurkers' post as a sham. No writer, if he or she has the
talent, can put down the pen, or close up the keyboard, and call it quits
without a slow decent into madness. So it does my heart good to see some of
the moths on the list flying away from the flame, timid folks have better
save their sensitivity for the Evening News.

What is not suprising is the stance of our Targets in the Publish or Perish
World. I interpreted the "pathetic Old Man" statement as a direct attack on
me. I may be pathetic but I'll be damned if that person can sit and call me
an Old Man without some retribution.
I still have hair on my head.
No, I'm not envious. Seeing how the definition usually relates to a desire
to aqcuire another's posession,s I am most definately NOT projecting ANY
envy towards You Know Who. Malevolence, maybe.

I love this list and look foward to reading more exciting posts every day.
It is so beneficial, so educational, to see how so many scholars and faculty
charm boys cannot, will not back up most of their view with textual evidence
on this list, especially on the rare occasion we discuss elements of
Salinger's work.
Seems they are lost in the world of interpretive decuntstructionism.
All I wanted was him to elaborate on how, as he asserted, Salinger appealed
to his readers. I felt this explanation would have been of enormous benefit.
He is very familiar with the literary output of J.D. Salinger, and has the
capacity to articulate his view when he wants to.
Much to my chagrin, there was no response, no communication, no nothing.
Just a sayanora and a stab at the topic by Jim (a courageous one at that).

The question, concern, remained forgotten, like an obese pimple-faced girl
on prom night.

There are no namby-pamby viewpoints from my neck of the woods. It's due to
many factors (and no, I do not have any family members to disperse the
negativity of my 'angry inner child' towards). Perhaps the most pertinent
reason is my lack of direct combat experience. Viewing all of those Huston
movies doesn't count.
So I am forever a man drawn to conflict, heartache and any good knock down,
drag-out argument within an ear shot.
With it, comes the occasional insight that keeps me on my toes.

Just lay off the Geritol jokes, okay?

Cordially,

John Gedsuski
Northern Philistia Community College
501 Boorish Drive
NY,NY

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Received on Sun Mar 2 13:04:52 2003