--- In rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, Brian Thornton
<bthorntonwriter@...> wrote:
>
> Mario-
>
> You're attacking what you perceive to be the centrality of Bloom's
teaching
> while in the same breath, saying that you're not commenting on his
work as a
> teacher and critic.
I was referring to his influence on curricula. His teaching is between
him and his students. I understand that the students were quite
satisfied for many years. His specific writings on literature I am
putting aside because they are not the point, I think. It's natural
that he wrote about what he liked. All critics do that.
>
> I also find the notion that he is "Anglo-Centric" laughable.
>
To me, it's quite obvious in his writings.
> How much of his stuff have you read? The guy wrote one entire book
> dedicated to a lauditory treatment of the "J" writer from the Old
> Testament. He raves about such non-English writers as Borges and
magical
> realists like Marques and then turns around and singles out Stendal,
> Dostoevsky, Calvino and a host of others who didn't write in English for
> high praise.
>
> True, he thinks Shakespeare and Jane Austen were the two greatest
writers
> ever, but so what?
So what? It's a pretty strange notion. Especially Austen.
He's got company there, including myself. I like Jim
> Thompson's work a lot, but if you want to talk about a genius level
work of
> individual character studies and a further vision of what happens
when these
> full-bodied characters interact, THE KILLER INSIDE ME has nothing on
PRIDE
> AND PREJUDICE.
>
> Again agreed that he's a snob and that many of his ideas are so
> old-fashioned as to define hide-bound. He's a terrific writer who
expresses
> himself better than most fictions writers I've read. I've learned a ton
> from his work, even the notions that I reject have spoken to me.
Now that's
> a powerful experience.
Of course you can learn a lot from him. That's not under discussion.
>
> And while it's true that one need not read a word of Shakespeare to
lead a
> nice life, I can't help but think that to go through without the
experience
> would be something akin to going through life colorblind: to be the
poorer
> for want of the ability to see in the full spectrum of color.
>
Consider this: Shakespeare was literally an accident (as we all are).
The world would have the same colors without him. You would revere
some other writer. Life is not defined by writers... it's not defined
by anybody, it just is.
Best,
mrt
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