Hi Ely,

I am glad you will look into the recommendations I have given you!  Remember, though: the journey you take in books is always your own.  No one can dictate where you go.

I believe Ernest Hemingway said, "All American literature begins with one book, and that book is Huckleberry Finn."  This is high praise, to be sure, and I will leave it up to you to decide whether the novel deserves it.  I can say that it's a novel that makes you laugh, but then disarms you and surprises you—making you cry.  Now, Hemingway himself was known for his terse style, which was much different then some of the florid prose of the time that other modernists were writing.  I prefer that florid style, personally, as many of the other writers—Woolf, Faulkner (whom I also love; you should read As I Lay Dying or The Sound and the Fury), Joyce, et al.--displayed in their novels.  It simply speaks to my sensibilities a bit more, and feels more poetic.  Woolf, in particular, has a way of illuminating something that was always indescribable, and she can do so within a paragraph.

Auden's "September 1, 1939" was written just as World War II was beginning.  Try to think about the poem with that framing.  Think about how politics and war truly involves people on the most local level.  What is he upset about?  He seems to be condemning the loss of connection that we have, and then extolling those few bright voices that spring up and say what is right no matter what.  What do you think?

What you say about the media being us is quite intriguing, and in a sense, they are meant to be an extension of us, serving us as a reliable way of obtaining information and making progressive decisions.  It often feels that the media have become, sadly, the opposite, and have let agendas become their raison d'être.  This is why it's so wonderful to see students like you, who are engaged in questioning and critical thinking, as you will ensure that the language you hear and the messages you absorb are subject to thought.  It's imperative to step back and to think, and I know you will do this.  

Your insight on your blog is a fascinating one, I must say.  It's true: often, when a countercultural movement begins as a reaction to the dominant, hegemonic culture, it, too, becomes mired in the social archetypes and structures it wishes to dispel.  That is not to say that all countercultural movements are stuck the same way, and some afford places of refuge that would not otherwise be there.  There is a reason we structure ourselves the way we do socially; what do you think it is?

Tom Waits is one of my favorite musicians of all time, so I will leave you with an interview of his from some time ago: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gCSc6E4yG9s

His music takes some acclimation, most certainly, but when you get used to him, he will be a comfort for life.

I like that you note that Lennon feels that it's just our opinion that matters, not his; however, think about what we want from art sometimes.  Don't we want guidance from it?  Don't we want to be told a new way to look at the world?  I think that these desires can become entangled with the artist's job of observation, and so we can become upset if an artist tells us that a piece means "whatever the viewer/listener/reader thinks it means."  We want more, a solid foundation upon which to stand.  The beauty of it is that we honestly do determine a piece's meaning, in the end.  Once the art is in the world, it is out of the artist's hands.  

Thanks for the engaging discussion, Ely!  I am happy to talk about art and literature all day, ad nauseum.  

Have a wonderful day!

Best,

Mr. Crimando

 

terse

 [ turss ]   

1. abrupt: brief and unfriendly, often conveying annoyance
2. concise: concise and economically phrased

 

flor·id

 [ fláwrid ]   

1. of ruddy complexion: having an unhealthily glowing pink or red complexion
2. ornate in wording and style: ornate and overly complicated in wording and general styl.  

ex·tol

 [ ik stṓl ]   

1. praise somebody or something: to praise somebody or something with great enthusiasm and admiration

ac·cli·mate

 [ ə klmət ]   

1. alter because of environment: to adjust in response to a change in environment or status

Synonyms: get used to, become accustomed

 

ad nauseam signifies that the topic in question has been discussed extensively, and that those involved in the discussion have grown tired of it.

This means I have to wait. I don't want this to get to overwhelming. For either of us.

Okay. Time and I get along anyway.