Thank you for pointing out this interesting interview (at a site not known to me). While the content of Mr. Wieseltier's comments is intriguing, there is something about the elitist tone that offends. After all, he seems to be saying that unless criticism is an intellectual pursuit--if I correctly hear the man--then anything that otherwise masquerades as criticism is frivolous and useless. I would hazard a guess that intellectuals are a small percentage of the population among readers; therefore, Mr. Wieseltier's approach may be commendable by some on some levels but it is unreasonably elitist and exclusionary at most levels for most people. I understand that intellectuals see themselves as superior to lesser souls, and that--in my humble opinion--is their (and Mr. Wieseltier's) hubristic flaw.
Thank you for pointing out this interesting interview (at a site not known to me). While the content of Mr. Wieseltier's comments is intriguing, there is something about the elitist tone that offends. After all, he seems to be saying that unless criticism is an intellectual pursuit--if I correctly hear the man--then anything that otherwise masquerades as criticism is frivolous and useless. I would hazard a guess that intellectuals are a small percentage of the population among readers; therefore, Mr. Wieseltier's approach may be commendable by some on some levels but it is unreasonably elitist and exclusionary at most levels for most people. I understand that intellectuals see themselves as superior to lesser souls, and that--in my humble opinion--is their (and Mr. Wieseltier's) hubristic flaw.
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