MDMD[6]: Fatherhood & The Absent Author

[Doug Millison]

Adams and Picasso (journalism and fiction) = apples and oranges.  They can
each be explored, discussed, evaluated, enjoyed; prefer one over the other,
but that's just personal taste. Even Pynchon, famously, saw the value of
journalism to do what fiction can't.

Cordially,
Doug

At 1:50 PM 6/19/97, Casimiro Lovato-Winston wrote:
>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

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