MDMD[6]: Fatherhood & The Absent Author

[Casimiro Lovato-Winston]

There are hierarchical reasons for liking things that more adeptly 
emphasize the level of intellect expended to produce and appreciate them. 
Modern journalism can be done in a diverse creative manner full of genius 
and journalistic talent but it is not what a fantastic fiction writer does. 
Would you say that Ansel Adams had the vision of Picasso?
-------------
Original Text
From: David Casseres <casseres at apple.com>, on 6/17/97 10:02 AM:
I wrote "(ugh) Mailer," and Andrew sez

>Sorry, but this is grossly unfair to Mailer....
>
>Yet in other works Mailer explicitly eschews such self-reference and
>still manages to produce brilliant, inventive and deeply perceptive
>(i.e. credible) writing e.g. Why Are We In Vietnam, The Executioner's
>Song. I avoided Mailer's writing for 15 years by according with
>David's `ugh, self-publicist' judgement. A great mistake.

I confess:  After greatly admiring The Naked and the Dead and the essay 
"The White Negro," I took a deep disliking for Mailer for reasons I can 
no longer remember.  But over the years I have dipped occasionally into 
his books, and read oh so much about them and him, and every damn word 
I've read has confirmed that I do not like this son of a bitch, even a 
little bit.  Yes, it's grossly unfair, and not intellectually respectable.

So out of respect for your opinion, Andrew, I propose to go read some 
significant amount, at least, of Why Are We in Vietnam, which covers a 
topic I'm more involved with than anything else Mailer has written about. 
 Not right away, mind you, I'm in the midst of Mason & Dixon, which I 
*know* is worth reading.  But I will go and do my homework, and I'll 
report back.



Cheers,
David