Tuesday morning Lull Report …

… courtesy of Dave Lull:



… To roll or to run: Ivebeenreadinglately: The root of the disagreement between Johnson and Swift?

Oh, I'll admit it seems silly: Could two such great minds as these truly be set at odds by such a silly difference? Could a preference for rolling rather than running down a hill really be enough to cause Johnson to cast Swift beyond of the pale of his appreciation?

Sounds plausible to me. I've done plenty of hiking and climbing in my time, but I've always loved rolling down hills. Didn't know Dr. Johnson was also fond of doing so, but it makes me admire him more than ever. 

… Rightly or wrongly? — Unappreciated.

Richard Savage, William Dodd, Anna Seward and Percival Stockdale all carried on publishing in the face of stringent and repeated criticisms of their copious and persistent productions. Were their efforts worthwhile? Perhaps they were, given that here we are still reading about them 200 years since they last put pen to paper – if only as a reminder of what not to do if you wish for literary acclaim.

… Spooks: Writing The Snowden Files: 'The paragraph began to self-delete'.

All authors expect criticism. But criticismbefore publication by an anonymous, divine third party is something novel. I began to leave notes for my secret reader. I tried to be polite, but irritation crept in. Once I wrote: "Good morning. I don't mind you reading my manuscript – you're doing so already – but I'd be grateful if you don't delete it. Thank you." There was no reply.

… Preview: The Desert God at the Twin Towers.