Bellow

[MalignD at aol.com]

<< So in addition to attacking me, you insult me by suggesting that I'd
 start a conversation about Bellow without having read any of his books?
 For you to assume something so absurd says a lot more about you than it
 does about me.>>

What it says is that I don't know you and can only respond to what you write. 
 
 
 <<There's an interesting debate to be had about Bellow (not with you,
 obviously), how his politics shifted so far to the right, and also of
 course the popular perception that the quality of his work declined
 steeply after Humboldt. You seem to be defending Bellow against this
 latter claim, please note that it isn't one I made in my email. >>

You wrote:  "The contrast between the life-affirming sparkle and verve of his 
masterpiece novels such as Herzog or Humboldt's Gift, and the snide, 
curmudgeonly old reactionary he later became, couldn't be greater."

So you're comparing Bellow's earlier writing with Bellow the man, in later 
life.  I assumed that to be just the sort of clumsy writing we're all guilty of 
in email from time to time, and meant to compare works to works.

That said, calling Bellow a snide curmudgeonly old reactionary doesn't sound 
as though you're looking for debate, with me or anyone else.