Re: RARA-AVIS: The definition of literature

From: jacquesdebierue ( jacquesdebierue@yahoo.com)
Date: 02 Nov 2007


--- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, William Ahearn <williamahearn@...> wrote:
>
>
> --- Michael Robison <miker_zspider@...> wrote:
>
> > Blame postmodernism. Everything is relative. Any
> > attempt to establish some sort of standard is
> > prejudicial. Making judgements is evil.
> >
> The post-modernists and the deconstructionists can
> bite my butt. Actually, not relatively.
>

You must be more precise, I'm afraid. Do you want it deconstructed or merely bitten?

On this topic: it doesn't seem productive to get entangled in definitional wars about what "literature" is and is not. How about we just discuss "books" or "texts"? Let's leave the larger masturbatory metadiscussions in the hands of those who can profit by them. This list deals with a large genre (crime fiction) and its various subgenres. It does not deal with the meaning of life or the endless possibilities, classifications and critical approaches to "any text". We cover anything from Carroll John Daly (a primitive) to Charles Willeford (a highly sophisticated and ironic writer), with just about everything hardboiled and noir in between. We've got enough material, I think.

Best,

mrt



This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 02 Nov 2007 EDT