Monday, September 23, 2019

Monday Forum – as you will


I let the Monday Forums lapse in the turmoil of the move. I think it time to reinstate them, recognizing that my irregular posting plus loss of some commenters means that responses are likely to be very slow initially. I have found them valuable in a personal sense in alerting me to new things, generating new ideas.

This first Monday Forum after the break is an as you will. Feel free to comment on things that have interested/ annoyed you!

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, welcome back Jim - late and all as this comment upon your resurfacing is :)

‘I cannot greatly care what critics say of my work,’ he said. ‘If it is good, it will come to the surface in a generation or two and float, and if not, it will sink, having in the meantime provided me with a living, the opportunities of leisure, and a craftsman’s intimate satisfactions.’

I thought you might like that John Updike quote, taken from a rather forensic (and long) review of his life's work:

https://www.lrb.co.uk/v41/n19/patricia-lockwood/malfunctioning-sex-robot

- please don't be put off by the 'sex-robot' thing; it's a good read, and very well written imo.

I had read "Rabbit, Run" plus several other (mainly review pieces) from the author, but it was nice to contemplate his whole career, as summarised/eviscerated? by Patricia Lockwood. I think she's done a fine job of it.

kvd

ps hope your focusing in on the minutiae of Armidale 'arts and history' circles hasn't dampened your interest in wider affairs - not that this comment is intended as such :)




Jim Belshaw said...

Morning, kvd. You continue to provide me with a liberal education.

I knew nothing about Updike beyond the name! That was quite a good review, although I had to stop at one point and read the Wikipedia entry on Updike to make sense of it all. I fear, though, that after Patricia's review I have been left with a profound desire not to read him! I can sheet out her prejudices, she is most obscure where those were involved, but some of JU's words do put me off.

I will try to broaden my focus away from "the minutiae of Armidale 'arts and history' circles". I am conscious that my focus has shrunk; this began in Sydney of course. Since I arrived in Armidale my horizon has begun to widen. And it's so good to finally have decent internet connections (my upload speed here is over three times my download speed in Sydney) and a nice space within which to write!

Anonymous said...

Hi Jim - well that's good regarding your internet as it enables me to put up a recommend for ABC iView - 6-part series just concluded called "Deep Water".

Well worth a watch imo.

kvd

Jim Belshaw said...

Thanks, kvd. I hadn't heard of it. Looking at the details, it does look interesting.