Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Corn!
... now we can make whiskey! (Does anyone else remember that line from the Firesign Theater?)
Anyway, here is R.T.'s review of The Whiskey Rebellion by William Hogeland.
Grand encounter ...
... Festival of Authors opens with a meeting of the prose. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
And it's free ...
... and open to the public: Hemingway festival becomes a symposium. (Hat tip, Paul Davis.)
Indeed ...
... Just say no the blasphemy laws.
I think you have to believe in the first place in order to really blaspheme. Otherwise, it's irreverence or simple boorishness. Of course, it could also be justifiable criticism.
Clearing up the confusion ...
... that is Jonathan Chait on Ayn Rand. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
It is a confusion shared by many:
Rand did not think income and wealth represents a sign of virtue — of hard work, productivity, or anything else. Being an intelligent person, she thought that who got how much of what depended on the complex interplay of culture and the structure of the political economy. She did think that those who through effort or industry improve others’ lives ought to see the value of their work acknowledged and rewarded in some form or other. But no one would infer from Rand’s novels and nonfiction that the United States looks, or in her day looked, anything like her ideal.
Villainy with a smile ...
... An Artist in Treason By ANDRO LINKLATER. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
Dave also notes that Andro was the fellow who took that photo of me in my office surrounded by masses of books.
Some students ...
... Student Senate denounces Geert Wilders.
God knows, they could sure use an education, especially in regard to the value of free speech. What cave have these "students" been living in?
And would the Daily News label Episcopal Bishop John Shelby Spong "anti-Catholic" because he just published a book critical of the Pope? Surely Islam is not somehow to be made immune to any and all criticism. I happen to think that stoning adulteresses and hanging homosexuals are distinctly dubious practices. Does that make me anti-Islam? I don't think so. I think it makes me anti- stoning adulteresses and anti-hanging homosexuals.
Sound and sense ...
... Euphony and the Art of Writing. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
Somerset Maugham: Born in Paris, Maugham absorbed the lessons of euphony from the French masters. He re-introduced the concept of simple sentence structure at a time when late Victorian writers were running amok. Try any of his short story masterpieces to see how simplicity, lucidity and euphony are linked in his writing style.
Thought for the day ...
Prose - words in their best order; poetry - the best words in their best order.- Samuel Taylor Coleridge, born on this date in 1772
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
The spirit of place ...
... Where Home Is, The Heart Isn't. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
This is definitely a good idea: " Any revitalization of rural America must include deconsolidating its schools, breaking up the big education factories in favor of small academies in which each student matters. "
Great year for jazz ...
... Glittering Year, Golden Anniversary. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
1959. The year I graduated from high school.
Jolly news ...
... Chesterton's Return. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
In the meantime, there's also this: Pope: Anglicans, Liturgy, Welcome! UPDATED.
Dave alerts me to this post of Nige's: Funeral Hero. And here is a link to Father Tomlinson's blog: The Saint Barnabas Blog, which makes mention of the Papal invitation.
Speaking of liturgy, this coming Sunday, Oct. 25, my parish of St. Paul's will begin having a sung Tridentine high Mass at noon.
Post bumped.
Thought for the day ...
Only divine love bestows the keys of knowledge.- Arthur Rimbaud, born on this date in 1854
Monday, October 19, 2009
Family feud ...
... Lionel Shriver: I sold my family for a novel.
I always loved it when Lionel reviewed for me. She never, ever pulled her punches. And the result could be hilarious. I think she is little hard on herself when she says that she sold her family down the river for a manuscript. You gotta do what you gotta do. And Lionel is a novelist. I also always got the impression that she really respected and cared for her parents.
Not only in America ...
... Howard Roark in New Delhi.
As modern India continues to undergo seismic economic and cultural shifts, not to mention the current global recession, Rand is emerging as a touchstone for a new generation. For many Indians, she is a tonic of modernization, helping to inspire a break with India's collectivist, socialist past. Rand's mixture of capitalist boosterism and self-empowerment is an irresistible combination for a range of Indians, from think-tankers to corporate barons to pop stars.
I look forward to when Atlas Shrugged is a best-seller in China and Russia.
Forgotten writers ...
... `The Ragweed of Covetousness'.
As a cradle Catholic, I must say the Church could use a little more fulsome rhetoric from the pulpit.
Art bubble ...
I don't buy the Darwinian fairy tale proposed herein, but I do agree with this:
We ought, then, to stop kidding ourselves that painstakingly developed artistic technique is passé, a value left over from our grandparents’ culture. Evidence is all around us. Even when we have lost contact with the social or religious ideas behind the arts of bygone civilizations, we are still able, as with the great bronzes or temples of Greece or ancient China, to respond directly to craftsmanship. The direct response to skill is what makes it possible to find beauty in many tribal arts even though we often know nothing about the beliefs of the people who created them. There is no place on earth where superlative technique in music and dance is not regarded as beautiful.
Philly book scene ...
... featuring Jeannette Walls, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Hoffman and more: Local Area Events.
A rerun worth reading ...
... Promises, promises.
I happened to read some of Manny Farber's essays recently, and I didn't think they stood up at all. In fact, the ones I read seemed clunky and bizarre.
Back to the present ...
... Could the Large Hadron Collider be sabotaging itself from the future, as some physicists say? (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
But, if "this theory fits comfortably into the crackpot tradition linking the start-up of the LHC with terrible disasters," and it turns out to be true, what might that say, if anything, about other theories consigned to that same tradition?
Class act ...
... this morning I received a email from Bruce Bawer regarding this post of mine, in which I pointed out that, contrary to what I had said in an article about Bruce's book, The Inquirer was not the only paper in the country to publish any of the controversial Danish cartoons about Muhammad. The Trentonian had published five. Bruce writes: "A special thanks for this. I will make a correction in the paperback!"
On the one hand ...
... Does "Superfreakonomics" Need A Do-Over? (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
... on the other: Global Warming inSuperFreakonomics: The Anatomy of a Smear.
Launching a preemptive attack on the book does seem telling.
Thought for the day ...
We carry within us the wonders we seek without us.- Sir Thomas Browne, born on this date in 1605
Sunday, October 18, 2009
Appalling ...
... Burn Me! (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
For some reason, this brings to mind Rabelais's account of how Pantagruel interprets the story of the death of Pan:
For my part, I understand it of that great Saviour of the faithful who was shamefully put to death at Jerusalem by the envy and wickedness of the doctors, priests, and monks of the Mosaic law. And methinks my interpretation is not improper; for he may lawfully be said in the Greek tongue to be Pan, since he is our all. For all that we are, all that we live, all that we have, all that we hope, is him, by him, from him, and in him. He is the good Pan, the great shepherd, who, as the loving shepherd Corydon affirms, hath not only a tender love and affection for his sheep, but also for their shepherds. At his death, complaints, sighs, fears, and lamentations were spread through the whole fabric of the universe, whether heavens, land, sea, or hell.The time also concurs with this interpretation of mine; for this most good, most mighty Pan, our only Saviour, died near Jerusalem during the reign of Tiberius Caesar.Pantagruel, having ended this discourse, remained silent and full of contemplation. A little while after we saw the tears flow out of his eyes as big as ostrich's eggs. God take me presently if I tell you one single syllable of a lie in the matter.
Inspired by oafs ...
... bloody Germans. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
With increasing proficiency comes this danger, of loosing words without substance. The difference between handwriting and typing is subtle but there. Words are difficult; to say something – anything – honestly and well is excruciatingly hard (for me). It is very rare that i say anything well without effort. Words are recalcitrant and unreliable and one should not deny that.
Well, here in Philadelphia ...
... we're taking notice of Bruce Bawer's book. (Hat tip, Dave Lull, who also sent along this: Academia Goes Silent on Free Speech.
Which reminds me of something I should done a while back regarding my review of the book, in which I say, regarding the controversial Danish cartoons, that "only one daily paper in the United States [published any] - the one you happen to be reading." In saying that I was repeating what the book says. As it happens, both the book and I are wrong. Dave Neese, editorial page editor of The Trentonian, sent a letter to The Inquirer (which was published on Sept. 29) pointing out that his paper ran not just one of the cartoons (which is all The Inquirer had printed) but five - and they were much larger reproductions than The Inquirer's. I sent Neese an email and said I would mention it here, but I forgot. Bravo to The Trentonian.
Plenty to read ...
... at Petrona. Just scroll and enjoy.
If I were an author of a series, I'd find it hard to continue once actors were firmly established as my characters. As a reader, it is bad enough - can one read a Henning Mankell now without visualising Ken Branagh as Wallander? Whatever one may think of Ken Branagh in that part, he is not the books' Wallander. Everyone liked John Thaw as Morse - I was already a fan of Colin Dexter's books long before the TV series was dreamed up - but even though I did not see all that many of them, it is impossible to detach Morse from John Thaw in my mind.
Creativity and its discontents ...
... Jeanette Winterson: In Praise of The Crack-Up.
... The demons that drove John Cheever.
... The demons that drove John Cheever.
(Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
Lucky for me ...
... that I couldn't: I can't read this ...
But now I have read James Wood's review of A.S. Byatt's The Children's Book. One reason I'm glad I didn't read it when Dave sent me the link is that I prefer to find out what happens in a novel on my own and not have a reviewer give away large chunks of the story.
I suppose what Wood says in the first few long paragraphs of this long review is true. But I noticed none of it while I was reading the book.
I will comment on just one detail - about Philip's not thinking in language. Philip sketches things all the time. That really is his primary manner of engaging reality. When I read this passage about his thinking in language I took it to mean that he was absorbed in pure imagery, without the mediation of words, imagery he would transform, as he had earlier transformed the imagery of seaweed into a pattern for tiles.
It is pretty obvious, as soon as you start reading the book, that the narrator is omniscient, which means the narrator knows everything, more than the reader, more than the characters. I think the most telling phrase in the entire review is this: "It is hard enough, though not for the Booker judges, to like the historical novel nowadays ..." Wood doesn't much like historical novels. I don't know why liking them nowadays is harder than it apparently used to be, and nobody is obligated to like anything. One of the reasons I became so absorbed in Byatt's novel is I couldn't help noticing the parallels between the period she was writing of and the one we are living in. But clearly, I am a much less subtle reader than James Wood.
Today's Inquirer reviews ...
... Exploring a time when poetry and science mingled.
... yours truly on A.S. Byatt's latest: Oblivious to looming cataclysm.
... Kazuo Ishigura's latest: Characters confronting truths, regrets.
Thought for the day ...
Some other faculty than the intellect is necessary for the apprehension of reality.- Henri Bergson, born on this date in 1859
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Afterlife ...
... D.G. Myers on Lionel Trilling, Irving Howe, and Whittaker Chambers: The Never-Ending Journey. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
Along with a nostalgia for a liberalism that has ceased to exist, the persistent fascination with Trilling may itself point to a longing for transcendence that Trilling would always disappoint.
A passionate reading ...
... Julian Barnes on John Updike's Rabbit tetralogy: Running Away.(Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
Broken link is now fixed.
Thought for the day ...
"That part of the gospel where Christ speaks of man's life as a seed cast into a furrow […] seemed to illuminate the whole of life for me. It made everything simple and marvellous. It included within itself everything, from the most primitive breaking of the soil to Christ himself with the parables of agriculture and the majestic symbolism of his passion, his death and resurrection. "I am the bread of life." "This is my body that is broken for you." That image has a universal meaning for me, especially when I can stand among the ripening fields all summer."- George Mackay Brown, born on this date in 1921
Friday, October 16, 2009
The little book ...
... Style and Alchemy and Awestrunk. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
The Elements of Style is a perfectly useful introduction to elementary grammar and usage. Introductions are not meant to be where you stay forever.
Don't mess ...
... with writers like these: 5 Authors More Badass Than The Badass Character They Created. (Hat tip, Paul Davis.)
And the nominees are ...
... Governor General's Literary Awards 2009. (Hat tip, Hedgie.)
Poetry nominee Sina Queyras blogs at Lemon Hound.
Mine seems to ...
... which doesn't mean I don't still like books: Does the Brain Like E-Books? (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
Good question ...
... Congenial Disorder: Why should we look for comfort in poetry? (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
Donoghue quotes Matthew Arnold: "Without poetry, our science will appear incomplete; and most of what now passes with us for religion and philosophy will be replaced by poetry." This brings to mind something Burckhardt says in "On the Historical Consideration of Poetry": "First and foremost, poetry appears in all its significance as the voice of religion." To propose poetry as a substitute for religion, as Arnold does, is like imagining a flower without any stems or roots.
The future of journalism (cont'd.) ...
... may not be so long: Imagining a future without journalists. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
One thing you can be sure of: Very few newsroom managers will read this article. They simply won't be aware of its existence. That is the problem.
In his early morning slot, David Gilbertson, the chief executive of EMAP, warned that trade journalists shouldn’t “overestimate” their importance. Much of what journalists write, said Gilbertson, “celebrates newness and difference”. But it doesn’t “illuminate meaning and put things into context”. The value of re-written press releases, he argued, is “plus or minus nil”.
Neither Shawn Colo of Demand Media nor David Montgomery of Mecom could easily be described as a business publisher. Yet both argue that the traditional structures of journalism must be demolished if ad-funded media is to survive. Both foresee traditional journalism becoming an island of professionalism in a vast ocean of user-generated content.
One thing you can be sure of: Very few newsroom managers will read this article. They simply won't be aware of its existence. That is the problem.
Hmm ...
Scary recommendations ...
... Villages of the Damned. (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
I haven't read all of these I agree regarding those that I have. "Young Goodman Brown" is terrific. So is "Something Wicked This Way Comes" - one of Bradbury's best. And yes, the George Sanders version of Village of the Damned is far and away the best. One not mentioned that I would recommend is Algernon Blackwood's "The Willows."
I haven't read all of these I agree regarding those that I have. "Young Goodman Brown" is terrific. So is "Something Wicked This Way Comes" - one of Bradbury's best. And yes, the George Sanders version of Village of the Damned is far and away the best. One not mentioned that I would recommend is Algernon Blackwood's "The Willows."
Thought for the day ...
Ambition is the last refuge of the failure.- Oscar Wilde, born on this date in 1854
Thursday, October 15, 2009
In defense of Poe ...
... Is the "Mysterious Star" Fading? (Hat tip, Dave Lull.)
I do think it is unwise to suggest that Poe's influence is waning. Poe tends to exert his influence when one is young. And it is an influence that tends to last precisely because it also tends to go underground, as it were, settling deep into the unconscious.
Physiognomy ...
... makes a comeback: Facial Profiling.
Walt Whitman was much taken with phrenology and physiognomy and he alludes to them in his poems. I think you can have a sense of person if you are a good observer.In the last decade, breakthroughs in 3-D modeling and animation software have opened up the field. At the same time, ideas from genetics and evolutionary psychology are reanimating old debates about biological determinism, race and gender differences, and why humans possess the faces and bodies that we do.
Marginalia ...
Last week, I read in two sittings Torgny Lindgren's In Praise of Truth. What follows are some of the things I noted while reading. A review of the book would be too long for a blog post. But a suite of marginalia might be of some interest. So more of these about this book will follow. This is the sort of thing I want to do more of on the blog.
Theodor Marklund, the narrator and protagonist, is a picture framer. He refuses to have exhibitions of work by artists living nearby, preferring instead to sell "the genuine oil paintings that a traveling salesman from Malmö supplied me with." His reason? "Really bad paintings are honest and genuine in a completely different way from mediocre serious art."
In Praise of Truth, of course, is about the question of what is genuine and what is fake. Are they really antitheses, or do they complement each other? Might the authentic be an ingenious combination of the two?
Marklund discovers at an auction and manages to buy a previously unknown painting of the Madonna by Nils von Dardel. It turns out to be a triptych and he puts it on display in the window of his shop. As a result, Marklund says, "people came, that's all I can remember. But I don't know in what order they came, in many cases I don't know what they wanted of me." One visitor hangs around for three days. "He was the only one I really talked to." Among the things they talk about is journalists:
Journalists and newspapers and radio and TV. About the way a high, bright space is constructed, and beneath that space a landscape one thinks one recognizes just because it is so unambiguously a landscape, but one in which nothing is true or unfalsified, and instead of real objects and living creatures and vegetation there are just words and concepts and fantasies.In Praise of Truth was first published in Sweden in 1991. But this is a nice pictorial analogy for what has come to be referred to as the "media narrative" - the interpretation of events presented as reportage.
Thought for the day ...
A classic is a book that has never finished saying what it has to say.- Italo Calvino, born on this date in 1923
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
Good news ...
... sort of: FTC Reassures Bloggers - Big Brother Isn't Watching.
Luckily for me, I have a pretty good idea of the difference between right and wrong. You probably do, too.
On the other hand: The Future of the Internet.
Luckily for me, I have a pretty good idea of the difference between right and wrong. You probably do, too.
On the other hand: The Future of the Internet.
Thought for the day ...
Time is what we want most, but what we use worst.- William Penn, born on this date in 1644
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Thought for the day ...
The mind is like the stomach. It is not how much you put into it that counts, but how much it digests.- Albert Jay Nock, born on this date in 1872
Monday, October 12, 2009
Neti, neti ...
... Faith and Belief.
I happen to be underwhelmed by both Jack Miles and Karen Armstrong. It is interesting that, the headline notwithstanding, the words faith and belief do not appear in this review. Moreover, insofar as apophatic theology was "lost", it was because of the Protestant Reformation, which effectively gave pride of place to the Old, not the New Testaament. So we reverted to a grim creed dominated by some great Hammurabi in the Sky.
I happen to be underwhelmed by both Jack Miles and Karen Armstrong. It is interesting that, the headline notwithstanding, the words faith and belief do not appear in this review. Moreover, insofar as apophatic theology was "lost", it was because of the Protestant Reformation, which effectively gave pride of place to the Old, not the New Testaament. So we reverted to a grim creed dominated by some great Hammurabi in the Sky.
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