Jim Doherty wrote:
>Did NO such thing. You were the one who
said
"Spillane has not stood the test of time." What is the "test
of time," if not continuing to be read, consistently, over a
long period of time?
That's a question you probably should have asked *before* you
responded to my statement (and began beating me over the head
with it, something I see you have continued to do in this
latest round. Lovely. I'll address that first, then).
"The test of time" is perceptual at least as much as it is
quantifiable, and as such, is NOT strictly factual. I say
again for emphasis: it is NOT STRICTLY FACTUAL, and therefore
you can no more call me "wrong" on this than I can call you a
"blasphemer" for being an avowed Catholic.
Perception is NOT reality, Jim.
THAT IS A FACT.
And if you disagree, then it is a difference of *OPINION*,
and not of *FACT*.
Clear and unambiguous enough for you?
>If you want to say, "Spillane doesn't wear as well
as
Hammett or Chandler,"
I do.
>or "Spillane isn't nearly the
sytlist that Hammett or Chandler are,"
That, too.
>or "Spillane's characterizations aren't as believable
as Hammett's or
Chandler's," those are all opinions, quite defensible
opinions, that you're entitled to hold and entitled to make
arguements for.
I was pretty sure I already knew the difference between
"opinion" and "fact," Jim, but thanks for the refresher
course.
>But if you say, "Spillane hasn't stood the test of
time," you are, quite simply, misstating a fact.
NO.
NO.
NO.
NO.
My blood type is A+. That is fact. It is provable and
quantifiable. Assessing the relative merit of a writer is
always going to have an element of subjectivity to it,
especially in discussions such as this one, on lists such as
Rara Avis.
And *THAT* is a fact.
I initially responded piece by piece to your points, but as I
was re-reading it before sending it out, I realized that you
were just saying the same thing, over and over. Since I'm not
interested in boring the rest of the members of Rara Avis (I
know, too late!) by replaying that scene in my reply, I took
the liberty of weeding out the rest of the subjective
pedantry we've both put on display in this discussion.
Oh, one more thing.
I don't really give a damn whether or not Mickey Spillane's
red-baiting xenophobia is germaine to the subject we're
discussing. I do care that we not allow a discussion of the
politics he may or may not have put on display in his writing
to devolve into a political "walk down memory lane." Because
for every "colorful annecdote" you can produce about some
eccentric lefty Berkeley professor, I can produce two about
people like a boyhood friend of mine, currently in public
service, who is a "cultural conservative," and a borderline
fascist with all of the compassion of a rattlesnake.
I don't want to get into that sort of discussion. It's not
why I come here.
Dig?
Thanks.
Brian
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