Personal Scatologies

[LBernier at tribune.com]

     Umm, who died and gave academics the primary role of "defenders of the 
     faith?"  As one of the younger list members (a non-academic at that) I 
     never had that "berkeley" experience Steely seems to hold in such awe 
     - And I can't say I missed much.  'Course, I sought out my own 
     experiences outside the classroom (Athens GA was a good place to do 
     that in the mid-eighties) - something it seems to me everyone is free 
     to do.
     
     And as for Pynchon being killed by the academics - I don't think this 
     list is ruled by academics, is it?  There's a pretty good 
     cross-section of people here, all of whom seem smart enough to come to 
     their own opinions about his writing.  How DID they escape the evil 
     academic conspiracy?
     
     As Julia often says in Brideshead Revisited, it's all so terribly 
     boring.
     
     Jean.