Jay Parini's Promised Land: Thirteen Books That Changed America demonstrates books as wildly different as The Federalist Papers, Uncle Tom's Cabin, and How to Win Friends and Influence People exerted a powerful influence in shaping America's culture. (Nice, nice, very nice; but, why thirteen? Triskaedekaphobes NEED to KNOW [and I should KNOW].)
Publishers Weekly interviewed Jay Parini about his Promised Land: He Sees America Reading.
ReplyDeleteHrm . . . Wonder why he didn't attribute "The United States of Amnesia*" to its original coiner, Gore Vidal? Otherwise, interesting, Dave. Nice complementary insights into his choices (but no reason for *that* number).
ReplyDelete* Vidal didn't go far enough, IMO; he had the perfect op to coin "The United Snakes of Amnesia" and he blew it off :)!
Jay Parini is Gore Vidal's literary executor and long-time friend, and he edited and introduced the recent Selected Essays of Gore Vidal, so he certainly knows he's quoting GV. Perhaps in his mind it's so well known a quip that it needs no attribution.
ReplyDeleteOh, that's a relief; I'm feeling so exiled, crushed, and rejected today, I thought they, too, might have had a failure to communicate or a cat / dog fight. This up-cheers yours truly somewhat; at least, somebody gets along with someone else somewhere (either living or dead).
ReplyDeleteEither gonna go to K-9 or the dogs, can't decide . . . depends if it's snowing in Hell or not (and, despite my best connections, I can't even get Cerberus on the line). Arf!
According to the NPR reviewer "Of course, as Parini acknowledges, the number thirteen is a gimmick, echoing the number of original colonies."
ReplyDeleteOh, Dave, I knew I could count on you to tell it straight and true; now, *that* makes sense to me; and, I am *so* glad I don't have to eat garlic before I consume the Promised Land. Actually, it's a very good title, given Parini's explanation (or, not nearly as gimmicky as it might seem, now I know; in fact, it's consistent and quite thoughtful, IMO). Thank you, Dave-Awe-Roo :).
ReplyDelete