Eric Larsen Recap
Nonprophet Art is calling this conversation a blogging revolution. High, Low and In Between is getting all over the existential ramifications of Larsen's condemnation of the whole Age. I just want to get the damn thing fixed. Catch up on the conversation:
My Kneejerk First Impressions of A Nation Gone Blind with great commentary by Larsen
Review of The First Essay with great commentary by Larsen
Oh, and just to provide context, here is an article about how few college students can still read, and a brilliant sendup of this by Differance Engine. Oh! And I know nothing of this, but might prove interesting later. Seeds for future thought: A review of Frank Furedi's work, again by Differance Engine.
Seriously, big huge thanks to Eric Larsen for masticating his book with us, and stay tuned because we have only dealt with the first essay! His second essay, The Death of Literary Thought is raising eyebrows here on Freeman street. This is only the beginning of the conversation.
My Kneejerk First Impressions of A Nation Gone Blind with great commentary by Larsen
Review of The First Essay with great commentary by Larsen
Oh, and just to provide context, here is an article about how few college students can still read, and a brilliant sendup of this by Differance Engine. Oh! And I know nothing of this, but might prove interesting later. Seeds for future thought: A review of Frank Furedi's work, again by Differance Engine.
Seriously, big huge thanks to Eric Larsen for masticating his book with us, and stay tuned because we have only dealt with the first essay! His second essay, The Death of Literary Thought is raising eyebrows here on Freeman street. This is only the beginning of the conversation.
posted by fisher6000 at 8:12 AM
8 Comments:
Thanks so much, DF et alii, for your enthusiasm and insights--and gratitude. Believe me, I feel the gratitude too. By the way, I've missed Furedi's book until now but am ordering it this morning.
EL
Hey - so glad you picked up that Difference Engine piece, they are do great work over there. I have to get the book now right? :)
Also - wondering if anyone has ever read "The End of Education" by Neil Postman. Was written a few years ago now. EL - your thoughts? is it considered a precent book on this sort of topic along the lines of The "Twighlight of American Culture"?
Slow down people! We're still overcoming technical issues and this conversation has exploded across so many blogs...we want to jump in, but we've been stuck in neutral for so long it's hard to get back in gear - but we'll contribute soon.
highlowbetween--I've loved Neil Postman's books for a long time, but I haven't read 'em all. "The End of Childhood" was amazingly good, and very much like Berman (and ANGB in many ways). I'll check what others I've read. Most recent was "Amusing Ourselves to Death." I met Postman once, very briefly. He died way too young.
EL
A few problems with Berman's Twilight of American Culture (which has popped up a couple of times in comments):
His "great books" prescription is a bit puritanical. Funny how his argument reeks of indie rock hipsterism - if everyone knows about it, it must suck.
He plays pretty loosely with anectdotal evidence of the decline of American culture. Jay Leno's show isn't exactly "evidence" by any reasonable meaning of the term.
He cites Lyotard favorably, then decries the "nihilism" of postmodernism. Many would consider Lyotard a "postmodern" philosopher. The problem here is that Berman doesn't really get specific about who he's implicating and which "postmodernism" he's talking about. He seems to collapse identity politics, political "correctness," and postmodernism into one big relativist soup.
DV, I have been hoping that you'd show up. You are coming at this from a really interesting perspective--glad you're going to make it!
Eric - that's great. I haven't read
"The End of Childhood" but a poet friend has always revered that book.
Dilletante - yes, which Post-Modernism? especially now that we are well into network culture.
Post a Comment
<< Home