Subject: Literary Defects
From: Matt Kozusko (mkozusko@parallel.park.uga.edu)
Date: Tue Jan 11 2000 - 13:50:06 EST
On Tue, 11 Jan 2000, Scottie Bowman wrote:
: To my mind, it's that second last word, that killer 'quite'
: that identifies the REAL writer - the kind we so
What distinguishes Updike's platitudinous droning from anybody else's?
There's nothing fundamentally distinct about the pithy cleverisms that
precipitate from Updike's pen just because he happens to have published a
pile of books. This may not be the most densely literary list on the net
in terms of pure prose genius, but there are bfishers who, in my opinion,
are in no way bested by the precious Mr. Updike when it comes to remarking
the truth about something. What I'm uneasy about is this absolute
distinction between "us" and those untouchable sage masters whose work is
tirelessly excreted by Doubleday and Bantam.
To my mind, that tattered "quite" is the flattest Salingerism in the book
(so to speak). "Quite" is quintessential Buddy-speak, a litterbug of a
modifier that Salinger fans sprinkle into their letters like
some kind of aesthetic spice for adding urbanity; a crumpled "Elijah is
Coming" leaflet tumbling through sophomoric prose like wadded-up
cheeseburger wrappers through dowtown Miami. Break up with Buddy Glass, I
say. I've had quite enough of "quite."
-guilty as charged and black as the kettle,
--------------------------------------------
Matt Kozusko mkozusko@parallel.park.uga.edu
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