politics and lit again

[Paul Mackin]

On Sep 30, 2006, at 12:42 PM, kelber at mindspring.com wrote:

> Does reading or even having heard about Pynchon make a person "way- 
> above-average?"  Absolutely not.  But it does imply a certain level  
> of education (education being, at minimum, the ability and desire  
> to become interested in things and learn about them)

Desire is most important seems to me.  You can learn as you go along.  
It may be difficult if you have to start too far back.

> .  We're all familiar with people who have college degrees, but are  
> basically uneducated (Bush being the obvious example),

Bush is an example of about every horrible thing we can think of. Too  
extreme a case to make any sense out of at all.

> as well as people who've had little or no formal education, but  
> have become educated on their own.

Desire and persistence can make up for almost anything.  Not for  
everything of course..

> I've run into plenty of college graduates who've never heard of  
> Pynchon.

And many having heard of him don't think of him as anybody they'd  
want to spend any time on.

> You can disagree, but I'm still convinced that one is more likely  
> to have heard of or actually read Pynchon if one does have a formal  
> education.  Some combination of opportunity and intelligence is  
> required.

OK so long as we don't over emphasis this influence. There are so  
many potential ways having nothing to do with reading literature for  
putting a good education to use, including

discovering a cure for cancer

becoming an artist

becoming a music virtuoso

appreciating other kinds of art

becoming an honest public servant

becoming a good parent

becoming a saint

becoming rich


I realize  you haven't denied any of this. Just think it needs emphasis.






>
> Graduating from high school certainly doesn't imply any kind of  
> education.  I have 3 kids in the NYC school system, and the  
> standard curriculum is pretty dismal.  Kids who don't come from  
> educated households aren't likely to become educated.  My daughter  
> read The Crucible in 7th grade, and is reading it again in AP high  
> school American History.  In both cases it was taught as part of  
> the Colonial American History "unit."  20th Century American  
> History is covered in 4 units: Early 20th Century, the Immigrant  
> Experience, the Civil Rights Movement, and a smattering of the  
> Vietnam War, if there's time.  Early 20th Century encompasses WWI,  
> the Depression and World War II (do a project on one of the above:  
> pretend that you lived during that time and write a diary, make a  
> collage of pictures and advertisements from that period, create an  
> ad campaign that pertains to that period).  When my son read The  
> Crucible in 7th grade, one homework assignment was  "make a list of  
> movie stars t!
>  hat you would cast if you were turning The Crucible into a  
> movie."  OK, I'm ranting here, but I'm just making the obvious  
> point that a bad system of education produces uneducated people  
> who, barring outside influences, are unlikely to read Pynchon.
>
> Laura
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Keith McMullen <keithsz at mac.com>
>> Sent: Sep 29, 2006 11:24 PM
>> To: Pynchon Index Cacorum <pynchon-l at waste.org>
>> Subject: Re: politics and lit again
>>
>> Ain't it great to be part of a list of literate, educated, way-above-
>> average Americans who evaluate matters according to standards much
>> higher than a thong?
>>
>> Here's to us lofty pynchonoids!
>>
>> On Sep 29, 2006, at 2:05 PM, kelber at mindspring.com wrote:
>>
>> Not to mention, the American public is too illiterate and uneducated
>> to have heard of these guys.  TRP would have to appear in thong
>> underwear to get any notice whatsoever from the average American.
>>
>> Laura
>>
>>
>
>