So where in the world is Nina Hartley ...?

[Ray Easton]

On Saturday, May 19, 2007, at 18:16 US/Central, Daniel Harper wrote:

> I'm not saying that I know how feels about porn, or his niece. I was 
> really asking for a bit of perspective from those who have been 
> hanging out here longer.
>
> We spend endless hours on this list chatting about P's motivations in 
> doing this or doing that, whether he's an Anarchist, a Luddite, a 
> satirist, et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. We analyze virtually every 
> aspect of his work and his life (so much as its known), but for me to 
> pose a question about this issue is seen as somehow out-of-line?

*I* don't spend endless hours on this list discussing his motivations, 
his life, or what he does or does not believe.  I find such discussions 
pointless, because in almost all cases we can't in fact know much of 
anything about what is being talked about.  More importantly for me, I 
have no interest in what his motivations are, no interest in how he 
lives his life, and no interest in knowing whether or not he is an X or 
a Y or a Z.  I  don't even want to meet him.   What he has to teach me, 
he teaches me through his novels.

I do not find it necessary to comment on how silly I think these 
discussions are.  They do not offend me.  And they are very often quite 
entertaining.

There is a big difference, however, between saying "I think TP is an 
Anarchist" and "I think TP ought to have behaved differently than he 
did".  I believe a comment of this latter sort deserves a response.

I read your post as saying something like "I think I am in a position 
to have an opinion about how TP should conduct his life"  -- and his 
family life at that.  You tell me I am mistaken.  Then I stand 
corrected.  I must have misunderstood.

In any case, lest I leave a false impression (which I almost surely 
already have), I have found your contributions to the list enjoyable, 
and I look forward to reading more of them in the future.

Ray