A modest proposal

[Henry M]

At the DC thang, we discussed this modest proposal and to a man, for 
we were, unfortunately I might say, all men, we thought it has great 
merit. I would add, more than many theories that are treated as 
gospel.

On 31 Jan 97 at 14:03, RUTHSINGS at aol.com wrote:

> Since davemarc has alluded to a theory I've been tossing around for
> a few weeks, I might as well make a go of it.
> 
> I would like to suggest the possibility that a certain person on
> this list well known for his prolific and acerbic posts might indeed
> be the author, or one of several co-authors, of the Wanda Tinasky
> letters.
> 
> What, you well might ask, is my evidence for this theory which is
> mine?
>  Well, it's pretty slight, but allow me to elaborate.
> 
> 1. I'll be the first to admit that I haven't read many of the Wanda
> letters.
>  In fact, all I saw was the publicity sampler that was circulated
>  about a
> year and a half ago; davemarc showed it to me. Still, I recall that
> a number of the letters were filled with acid-toned literary
> allusions that remind me very much of Steely's posts and not at all
> of TRP's first-person writings (Slow Learner, liner notes, intro to
> Been Down So Long).  TRP is actually quite humble and
> self-deprecating in his non-fiction.  Why, he's downright civil.
> 
> 2. His good friend Alexander Cockburn is connected with the Anderson
> Valley Advertiser, as well as its Tinaksy spin-off.
> 
> 3. In a recent post, Steely quoted Wanda quoting Voltaire's "Ecrasez
> l'infame!" and failed to even hint at questionning the authenticity
> of the letters as TRP's.  Would someone as skeptical as Steely
> normally accept TRP's authorship so readily?
> 
> 4. Steely would enjoy nothing more than fooling people, especially
> those whom he holds in contempt. And whom does he hold in more
> contempt than academics and members of the mainstream press, who
> were the most likely audience for the Tinasky caper?
> 
> 5. Tinasky is an anagram for NY sitka, as well as KY saint. 
> Steely's last name, as we have learned from a previous post, is
> Saint Clair.  Don't know of any connections to these two particular
> states offhand, but I wanted to have my shot at Nabokovian wordplay.
> 
> Well, there you have it.  But what do I know?  I'm just another
> lunkhead on aol.  Plus I spent two and a half hours rehearsing the
> Fourth Symphony by that bland and bourgeois Brahms the other night. 
> Yes, I'm an amateur musician, and we all know what G. B. Shaw said
> about us.  BTW, shaggy-headed Johannes once remarked that if there
> were anyone in the room whom he had failed to offend, he was truly
> sorry.  Does that remind you of anyone?
> 
> Discuss amongst yourselves at the D.C. gathering. 
> 
> 

My mother was of the sky... -- JL
My mother is the war...
Keep cool, but care. -- TRP
Moderation in moderation. -- Husky Mariner
Not having that, which having... :-(

http://www.nicom.com/~gravity