The Last Word on Vidal

[Jason Witherspoon]

At 9:19 AM 3/4/97, Rodney Welch wrote:
>There
>> is nothing easier, I think, than to write an essay in praise of Pynchon
>> -- it takes balls to read the full ouevre and say, as Vidal did, look,
>> I'm just not as impressed as the rest of you and here's why.


Of course, if one is also a writer, nothing is easier than dismissing the
work of your comrades as "overrated", which is what Vidal does up & down
that very catty essay (well, he likes John Gardner's _Grendel_.  Ahem.)

Vidal seems to dislike Barthelme, & rather childishly capps on him ("More
pretty pictures.  I'm starting to like the pictures more & more"-- in a
"book review" that addresses nothing substantive in Barthelme's work).  I
love Barthelme, so, well, screw Vidal.

It doesn't take *any* balls to chop down the mighty, unless you're doin' it
to their face.

                                                  Jason Witherspoon

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