You slay me...really, you do...

[Derek C. Maus]

On Sat, 25 Sep 1999, rj wrote:

> I found a brief biography of the reviewer and posted it to demonstrate
> that it is highly unlikely that he is a Holocaust-denier, as you had
> implied.

First of all, I take issue with people like H. L. Mencken, Helene Cixous 
and Harold Bloom on a daily basis, so what in god's name makes you think I
have to swallow the words of "a foremost literary scholar, journalist,
editor and novelist" as gospel?

Secondly, if you can find and quote one single line in the archives that
even implies that I believe the reviewer to be a Holocaust-denier, I will
personally see to it that UNC Press publishes your memoirs. As I have
repeatedly stated, my complaint with the reviewer's tone was that it
implies that only a certain kind of book about the Holocaust that meets
his questionable (in my opinion) criteria is "remarkable" (i.e.
worthwhile). Basta. End of argument. 

I replied to your response to my "no-content dismissal with an elaboration
of my views using several examples that in no way accused Riemer, Todorov,
you or Prince Bonnie Fucking Charlie of being a Holocaust-denier. You are
the one who has brought any interpretation of Todorov, yourself into the
picture. 

> Despite this, the steady stream of abuse and personal hate from you has
> continued unabated. 

I think you are the one who first started bandying around the words
"ignorant" and "no-content dismissal", chief. Please don't act as though
you have been innocently wounded. 

> I don't believe you to be one of the minority of attention-seekers,
> bigots and weirdeaux on this list, whose potshots and tirades are
> designed to impede discussion or thwart the opportunity for a diversity
> of opinions to be expressed. 

That's odd, because I *do* believe you to be precisely one of those
people, especially when you seem to end every one of your posts with some
sort of baiting comment like these: 

"Like we were in 'Eyes Wide Shut'-land? But, of course, you're quite
choosy with your targets, and careful with your barbs, aren't you?"

"But to dismiss Todorov, or his advocates, on the grounds that they are
Holocaust-deniers who want to make way for 'another book on the Y2K crisis
or another autobiography by a presidential candidate... (i.e. Buchanan)' 
is both hysterical and irresponsible (and, yes, ignorant)"

> The abuse and insults do nothing for your case, however, and make you
> appear foolish.

Coming from you, this is a most scathing indictment, indeed.

> It became important for me to ensure that the mud being flung
> didn't stick in this instance.

I'm sure Riemer has been losing sleep for the last five days because I
took issue with a part of his argument in a review of a book. Good god,
man. Please get a grip. 

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Derek C. Maus               | "What am I opposed to tell my customers?"
dmaus at email.unc.edu         | Swearingen said. "'Sorry, Washington says
UNC-CH, Dept. of English    | no more fanny packs for you; time to spend
http://www.unc.edu/~dmaus/  | your money on great works of literature'?
                            | It doesn't work that way."   --THE ONION
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