RE: JD Who?
Sean Draine (seandr@Exchange.Microsoft.com)
Wed, 28 Jul 1999 09:20:45 -0700
The value I see in this list is that it attracts people who like Salinger,
and in my experience, these folks tend make up an interesting, intelligent,
heterogeneous group, with great potential for interesting conversations
about a wide variety of topics.
Imagine inviting all of these splendid souls over for drinks and then
explaining to them that the only subject they may discuss is Salinger. It
would be awefully boring of you to do so, and it would be even more boring
for you to run around from circle to circle trying to enforce your mandate,
and it would be incredibly OBNOXIOUS for you to inform a circle that their
conversation is "rubbish", but more to the point, it just wouldn't work.
People would discuss whatever the fuck they wanted to, including Salinger.
-Sean
-----Original Message-----
From: Scottie Bowman [mailto:rbowman@indigo.ie]
Sent: Tuesday, July 27, 1999 11:55 PM
To: Bananafish
Subject: JD Who?
When you consider the absolute avalanche of rubbish
over the past week or two - from my own senile flatulence
on the one hand to the generalised infantile hyperemesis
on the other - isn't it rather obvious that, on this list,
enthusiasm can be generated for almost any topic under
the sun EXCEPT the writing of JD Salinger?
It's like belonging to a church where the clap-happy
Christians will play you their guitars & tambourines,
campaign for gay rights, sell you holidays to the Dead Sea,
enlist Christers for Clinton - do virtually anything to avoid
a consideration of the words & life of Jesus of Nazareth.
Maybe the time has come to admit honestly that,
for most of us here, he's really an extinct volcano whose
modest oeuvre has now been wrung dry of all further
possible comment.
Scottie B.