RE: Before the Law and the open sky over Paris

I know what some people think about literary critics here, but this
debate is like a short history of criticism. People argued for
authorial intent for decades -- some critics were better than others,
but ultimately you read it all, line up 3 or 4 or 5 groups of readings,
all radically different, sometimes mutually exclusive, and all
convincingly argued as the author's probable intent, and where are you
left? Really nowhere. Still not knowing.

Jim

So, 'we still don't know' results in dropped guns and arms raised high as
the frnch school enters the stage, I started reading Dostoyevsky's "Notes
>From the Underground" this week (never read a word of his before), I see a
whole man before me but all the critic see is"2+2=4", but he said it best,
when he said that I will not call this hen-house a mansion out of gratitude,
I still prefer the palace of crystal. You are still trying to allure me but
I won't take this hen house for a mansion. You poo-poo it but I have read
an author's work and later read his commentary on it and find that much
of what I took him to mean he did mean. Your 'groups' remind me of the
arguments that if one is poor that they are more likely to steal therefore
we must eradicate poverty and then the same mouth utters curses against the
thieving rich. It is known more often then I think you are willing to
admit. And what is so small in open ended-ness is a worthy meaningful
intent. I live in a desert and can glory in the variety of the landscape
but you only see dull brown dirt everywhere. Open endedness is the LLano
Estacado an oasis to the trodder of the Jornado Del Muerto but to some a
glass of water is never enough it must be Champaign. I see a universe in a
glass of water a world in an oasis and a whole semester of lesson plans in
open ended-ness. Open those jars Jim and let those poems fly away, there
not really yours anyway.

Daniel

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Received on Thu Mar 6 19:21:34 2003