No subject

[Ben McLeod]

> > The natural prey of English Professors and teaching assistants- a whole
> > nother matter, entirely.
>
>Not really, and I would hope that the texts are strong enough to speak for
>themselves. But the fact of the matter is that that's where Pynchon is
>probably doomed to be most read. As I said, students aren't all caught up 
>in

>can you really dismiss anyone affiliated in any way with a university >ipso
>facto? isn't that somewhat arrogant?

>a bad generalization?

>- -c.


  Alright, I was really going to try and keep my mouth shut- I'm new to the 
list, only been on for the last couple days, and I had decided to hold back 
for a while, you know, get the feel for things...
  But I've got to it-- does it ever seem like maybe Pynchon, and Gaddis, and 
deLillo never seem to trickle down to "the masses" *shudder* at the shotgun 
spread of generalization- because those 'in the know' have a tendency to 
hold these books over their heads?
  This is purely personal experience, as someone who didn't benefit from 
college (didn't attend), and was tarred and feathered out of high school, 
but whenever I've brought up Pynchon with the educated folks, I feel awfully 
patronized.  As if to say that since I never read these  books in a class 
with 20 other people, I didn't really get it.
  Reading as recreation is becoming more and more infrequent (it seems), but 
the hyperliterate folks don't seem to be very encouraging.
  In what seems to me to be a perfectly appropriate reference, I would refer 
my esteemed colleagues to Kyle Baker's classic 'graphic novel', _The Cowboy 
Wally Show_, when the fat drunken western-style namesake is accused of 
"destroying" Hamlet (by performing it in prison with hand puppets)
  "Oh yeah, I'm destroying Shakespear's snob appeal...How can you be so 
selfish?  Why do you hate the common man so?  Why do you want to deprive 
them of the cultural advantages you have?
  "I know your kind.  You like the idea that Shakespear belongs to a select 
group of intellectuals.  You like the fact that you can quote Shakespear at 
a party, and only one or two people will really know what you are talking 
about.  Shakespear is the secret language of an intellectual in-crowd.  With 
your secret club code.
  "You don't appreciate Shakespear.  Shakespear was an entertainer.  Your 
just using his genius to make yourself feel superior to other people.  If 
anyone has destroyed Shakespear, it's you."

  This was not meant to be an indictment of the list, and everyone posting 
on it.  I'm pleased to be privy to these discussions, and I hope no one will 
take this personally.
  But I sincerly love GR, Vineland, V, ect.  And gaddis.  And Coover, and 
plenty of other people whos works I feel like I've had to steal from a place 
where I was unwelcome, and often still do (like _this_ is going to help!)

  _The Cowboy Wally Show_ also has the giant monster spectacular "Ed Smith, 
Lizard of Doom".  Worth a look.

nohead
________________________________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free E-mail from MSN Hotmail at http://www.hotmail.com