Thorough and fascinating, as always, with a great ending. Good to learn more about her.
Foster Wallace did push back effectively against Postmodernism, I think. Although I'm more a fan of his essays -- the best I've ever read by any writer -- than of his novels, other than Infinite Jest, which I think is one of the ten best novels since the greatness of the novel came to an end with the genius of James and Proust. (I'm not able to join you in appreciating Joyce.)
I did read a 2,000-page textbook about literary theory -- twice -- several years ago. But my worldview was quite well-established by then, so it didn't really shake me. I did find value in several strains, especially in reader response theory and classical literary theory ranging from the ancient Greeks and Romans -- I found real value in Longinus -- up to Matthew Arnold. But the exploration deepened my understanding around gender, race, and colonialism / post-colonialism. Historicism and the New Historicism are both interesting and of value to me. Most of the rest of it I either rejected or had no desire to understand, not even Formalism.
This essay was a substantial rumination which I listened to twice while driving a certain young lady to work. Among other things is an "I changed my mind" type which makes it dynamic. Ugrešić's war against banality is something for me to remember. Nonsensical use of literary devices is a satisfying pocket definition of postmodern literature that will slide in with my comb and switchblade. Essays about politics usually have a short shelf life or maybe fossilize quickly. Essays about literature stay fresh, I think... as will this one. About Elizabeth Gilbert, I wondered if I should start to pay attention to her given her recent book topic. Yeah the censorious mob was evil and stupid, it was cowardly of EG to cave in (particularly as she is already successful in all respects), but let's just mention that the psychological pressure of cancel culture is intense. I know you and your readers urgently need to know about my house pipes, yes there is a leak again. The old 110 year-old pipes are expiring. I had to tear open a ceiling. Literary devices fell out.
Thorough and fascinating, as always, with a great ending. Good to learn more about her.
Foster Wallace did push back effectively against Postmodernism, I think. Although I'm more a fan of his essays -- the best I've ever read by any writer -- than of his novels, other than Infinite Jest, which I think is one of the ten best novels since the greatness of the novel came to an end with the genius of James and Proust. (I'm not able to join you in appreciating Joyce.)
I did read a 2,000-page textbook about literary theory -- twice -- several years ago. But my worldview was quite well-established by then, so it didn't really shake me. I did find value in several strains, especially in reader response theory and classical literary theory ranging from the ancient Greeks and Romans -- I found real value in Longinus -- up to Matthew Arnold. But the exploration deepened my understanding around gender, race, and colonialism / post-colonialism. Historicism and the New Historicism are both interesting and of value to me. Most of the rest of it I either rejected or had no desire to understand, not even Formalism.
I'm definitely a hedgehog.
This essay was a substantial rumination which I listened to twice while driving a certain young lady to work. Among other things is an "I changed my mind" type which makes it dynamic. Ugrešić's war against banality is something for me to remember. Nonsensical use of literary devices is a satisfying pocket definition of postmodern literature that will slide in with my comb and switchblade. Essays about politics usually have a short shelf life or maybe fossilize quickly. Essays about literature stay fresh, I think... as will this one. About Elizabeth Gilbert, I wondered if I should start to pay attention to her given her recent book topic. Yeah the censorious mob was evil and stupid, it was cowardly of EG to cave in (particularly as she is already successful in all respects), but let's just mention that the psychological pressure of cancel culture is intense. I know you and your readers urgently need to know about my house pipes, yes there is a leak again. The old 110 year-old pipes are expiring. I had to tear open a ceiling. Literary devices fell out.