RE: Salinger's Problem with Westerners?

From: Yocum Daniel GS 21 CES/CEOE <daniel.yocum@Peterson.af.mil>
Date: Wed Oct 23 2002 - 11:51:49 EDT

I don't know how many on this list are professional's in the field of
Literary criticism but I can relate to Patrick Wong. I am a Civil and
Environmental Engineer and there are direct consequences to my work. People
can die or property damaged if I am not rigorously attentive. I suspect
that many critics attempt to be rigorous (application to field?) but how do
you measure it? I am not an ignorant person, I love literature but
criticism in its academic practice doesn't seem to directly help
understanding, at least for the majority of readers out there. I may be
wrong but I think the majority of writers aren't thinking of Literary
critics as their intended audiences. I say Critique away if its what you
enjoy doing but it is not needed to have a meaningful discussion on any
literature (that is the formulaic methods).

I joined this list for insights on Salinger's writings based on what
Salinger was trying to say, I know this is subjective but Salinger had an
Idea/s he was trying to communicate at least I think so, a mere salinger,
meaning that everyone gets whether they are japanese, engineers or Lit
proffesors from Great Britain. I think it is highly egotistical to think
that all these groups can't have a meaningful discussion on a work of
literature. The best example is the Rilke stuff posted at this list, good
interesting insight, valid? I think so, helps to make sense of the Salinger
body of works. Some people use language to communicate and others use
story to communicate meaning and others use language for prideful self
promotion. The last is not my intent I just want to talk about Salingers
stuff, the stories and the stuff in Salingers stuff. I good part of my
family are literate in spanish only or completly illiterate but they can
have some incredible insights and not infrequently. If this list is for the
Literary elite let me know and I will gladly unsubscribe.

I hope that is not what this list is for, because some of you have made
Salinger more interesting to me.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jim Rovira [mailto:jrovira@drew.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, October 23, 2002 8:22 AM
To: bananafish@roughdraft.org
Subject: Re: Salinger's Problem with Westerners?

Ah, I read the article, and the guy makes remarkable generalizations about
literary criticism that tells me he hasn't read very much of it at all. I
dare
anyone to pick up the last issue of PMLA, English Langauge Notes, Milton
Quarterly, Shakespeare Quarterly, etc., and tell me if these at all fit the
description in the article.

They probably won't. He's describing a small corner of literary criticism
and
dishonestly representing it as the whole thing -- the only thing that could
save him from the accusation of dishonesty, of course, being ignorance. And
I
think ignorance is the real issue. The ignorant pool together to
disseminate
their ignorance and pat themselves on the back for their own cleverness.

It's not surprising that he has the gall, as a computer person, to critique
the
humanities as an entire profession based upon his very limited study of a
small
corner of literary criticism. If he had a humanities degree he'd know
better
than to think that way but, unfortunately...

Jim

Scottie Bowman wrote:

> I can just see John's 'momentary' (if somewhat tight-lipped)
> smile as he dismisses Chip Morningstar's squib for being so
> 'old' & 'lame'. A bit like watching a chap, with great self-control,
> indulge the urchin who has just dropped a mouse down his pants.
>
> I'm afraid, though, quite a few of us low-life types will be
> pissing ourselves at the precision with which it hits the bull.
>
> Why is it so many teachers of language & literature - of
communication,
> for Crissake - find it so hard to convey their thoughts to the rest
> of us? It must be the thoughts are too subtle, too paradoxical,
> too ornate for a plainer exposition.
>
> That must be it.
>
> Scottie B.
>
> -
> * Unsubscribing? Mail majordomo@roughdraft.org with the message
> * UNSUBSCRIBE BANANAFISH

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Received on Wed Oct 23 11:53:21 2002

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