Re: Hand clap Zen koan
Camille Scaysbrook (verona_beach@geocities.com)
Sun, 08 Nov 1998 17:05:10 +1100
> << Well ... can't we? As is `obviously he put it there for *some*
reason?'
> That's certainly not claiming any big dibs on authorial intent. Either
he
> put it there for some reason or he put it there for no reason. And you
> could argue this point, but I think Salinger rarely does anything for no
> reason. >>
>
> Camille that's not what I was saying at all. God everyone on this list is
so
> opinionated!
Opinion has *absolutely nothing* to do with this. Like I said, I'm not
implying anything. All I said was `either Salinger put the koan at the
beginning of the book for SOME reason' or `he put it there for NO reason'!
It doesn't seem too big a presumption to assume that he put it there for
*some* reason, does it ??? And I never tried to suggest the reason in this
post. Could be anything. Could be cause his kids liked it. Could be cause
it contains the hidden key to all the stories he ever wrote. Who knows. But
*that* is not what I'm talking about here. You could even say that putting
it in for no reason is a reason. That's why I said it was `obvious'. Like,
it's pretty obvious that night it generally black.
When I have an opinion, I always qualify it. `In my opinion', `I think' and
so on. I NEVER presume I'm right, because as I've said before, there is no
right and wrong in something like this. As I did not believe this was an
opinion, I didn't qualify it. Didn't try to guess, didn't try to presume
(God help me) ...
Camille
verona_beach@geocities.com
@ THE ARTS HOLE www.geocities.com/Hollywood/Theater/6442
@ THE INVERTED FOREST www.angelfire.com/pa/invertedforest