Comments for The Anxiety of Obsolescence http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com Just another WordPress site Wed, 05 Jan 2011 01:38:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on The Novel Is Dead. Long Live the Novel. by James Evers http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/chapter-1/chapter-1-novel/#comment-37724 James Evers Wed, 05 Jan 2011 01:38:23 +0000 http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/2006/04/chapter-1-novel/#comment-37724 And what would be the route of argument against a Habermasian argument of the sort found in "Transformation of the Public Sphere"? And what would be the route of argument against a Habermasian argument of the sort found in “Transformation of the Public Sphere”?

]]> Comment on How to Read this Text by kf http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/how-to-read-this-text/#comment-36898 kf Sat, 20 Nov 2010 20:12:00 +0000 http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/#comment-36898 This is a comment on paragraph 1. This is a comment on paragraph 1.

]]> Comment on How to Read this Text by kf http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/how-to-read-this-text/#comment-36897 kf Sat, 20 Nov 2010 20:10:55 +0000 http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/#comment-36897 This is a reply to the comment above, indicated by the slight indent. This is a reply to the comment above, indicated by the slight indent.

]]> Comment on How to Read this Text by kf http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/how-to-read-this-text/#comment-36896 kf Sat, 20 Nov 2010 20:10:34 +0000 http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/#comment-36896 This is a comment on the whole page. This is a comment on the whole page.

]]> Comment on The Novel Is Dead. Long Live the Novel. by Lonnie http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/chapter-1/chapter-1-novel/#comment-28387 Lonnie Mon, 14 Sep 2009 04:53:16 +0000 http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/2006/04/chapter-1-novel/#comment-28387 I still think it amazing that people continue to say the novel is dying. There are millions of people wanting to write new ones, which means that there are millions of people (plus) reading them. For those wanting to write them, I think that the course at http://zero2novel.com would be a huge help! I still think it amazing that people continue to say the novel is dying. There are millions of people wanting to write new ones, which means that there are millions of people (plus) reading them.

For those wanting to write them, I think that the course at http://zero2novel.com would be a huge help!

]]> Comment on Postmodernism Is (What Postmodernism Is) by Charles Roland Berry http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/chapter-1/chapter-1-postmodernism/#comment-27408 Charles Roland Berry Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:14:17 +0000 http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/2006/04/chapter-1-postmodernism/#comment-27408 I am reading your articles with great enthusiasm! Here is my view, as a composer of symphonies and concertos, in a time when those art forms are irrelevant to most everyone: the definitions of "Postmodernism" all seem like university professors trying hard to justify their paychecks, to themselves, to their students, and to the deans of colleges. As a composer of music no one cares about, I can say--the discussion is irrelevant to any act of creation on my part. I write these large works because I have an internal need to do so. There is no financial benefit to me, and no social or political benefit, and never has been. Which contemporary novelists are devoid of social, political or economic ambition? If I could write soundtracks for films and make lots of money--I certainly would do so. But that is a closed system. And my own needs for artistic expression are not satisfied by any film music. I do earn money from Hollywood, but that has nothing to do with creating what I consider to be Art. I know this is a lot of chatter...but you started it with your good and interesting writing...Thank you. Charles I am reading your articles with great enthusiasm! Here is my view, as a composer of symphonies and concertos, in a time when those art forms are irrelevant to most everyone: the definitions of “Postmodernism” all seem like university professors trying hard to justify their paychecks, to themselves, to their students, and to the deans of colleges. As a composer of music no one cares about, I can say–the discussion is irrelevant to any act of creation on my part. I write these large works because I have an internal need to do so. There is no financial benefit to me, and no social or political benefit, and never has been. Which contemporary novelists are devoid of social, political or economic ambition? If I could write soundtracks for films and make lots of money–I certainly would do so. But that is a closed system. And my own needs for artistic expression are not satisfied by any film music. I do earn money from Hollywood, but that has nothing to do with creating what I consider to be Art.

I know this is a lot of chatter…but you started it with your good and interesting writing…Thank you.

Charles

]]> Comment on Chapter 5: Obsolescence, the Marginal, and the Popular by Jon http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/chapter-5/#comment-22836 Jon Fri, 10 Apr 2009 21:15:47 +0000 http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/2006/04/chapter-5/#comment-22836 I would like to say that I think that you have more in common,or,importantly, could be perceived as having more in common - by the broad mass of the telly-viewing,or Oprah-viewing public - with the solitary,intellectual,besieged male writer.Even if you aspire otherwise.This doesnt matter to me particularly as I was hungry to read these chapters as I am besotted with you,Jonathan Franzen,Delillo....ie with contemporary literature and criticism ( I like Oprah too).I dont have even a degree in English.It took an enormous amount of work to get through these pages,my views changing vertiginously,uncomfortably,everyday,as I sought to get to grips with complex issues that require a lot of careful thought.When I idealistically,passionately, sought to explain these issues to my cousin, who is a feminist,she lambasted me for elitism,being patronising,being over-intellectual.And male.It almost caused an irreparable rift.It's as if she believes that such learned,inaccessible language and thinking and "concepts" are an inhuman stab through the good/liberal/democratic/collectivist/non-elitist/non-ivory beating heart.I suspect that,to her, such knowledge of such culture wars,that threatens to shake the foundations of deeply-held and well-intentioned beliefs, is almost machiavellian.I despair at the divide.It hurts at a personal and intellectual level.But also,hell was I angry at the price for my well-intentioned efforts : to read,to learn,to empathise,to attempt to get a bird's eye view of issues ( heaven forbid an omniscient one) - and to optimistically communicate ideas,to explain.Oprah-like. In the long-run, I'm an optimist about literature and the attendant invisible,colourless yet forceful cognitive processes involved in trying to understand it - not politics.Even if the obsessive,often solitary,pursuit of it is a minority one. Really fascinating read,thank you. I would like to say that I think that you have more in common,or,importantly, could be perceived as having more in common – by the broad mass of the telly-viewing,or Oprah-viewing public – with the solitary,intellectual,besieged male writer.Even if you aspire otherwise.This doesnt matter to me particularly as I was hungry to read these chapters as I am besotted with you,Jonathan Franzen,Delillo….ie with contemporary literature and criticism ( I like Oprah too).I dont have even a degree in English.It took an enormous amount of work to get through these pages,my views changing vertiginously,uncomfortably,everyday,as I sought to get to grips with complex issues that require a lot of careful thought.When I idealistically,passionately, sought to explain these issues to my cousin, who is a feminist,she lambasted me for elitism,being patronising,being over-intellectual.And male.It almost caused an irreparable rift.It’s as if she believes that such learned,inaccessible language and thinking and “concepts” are an inhuman stab through the good/liberal/democratic/collectivist/non-elitist/non-ivory beating heart.I suspect that,to her, such knowledge of such culture wars,that threatens to shake the foundations of deeply-held and well-intentioned beliefs, is almost machiavellian.I despair at the divide.It hurts at a personal and intellectual level.But also,hell was I angry at the price for my well-intentioned efforts : to read,to learn,to empathise,to attempt to get a bird’s eye view of issues ( heaven forbid an omniscient one) – and to optimistically communicate ideas,to explain.Oprah-like.
In the long-run, I’m an optimist about literature and the attendant invisible,colourless yet forceful cognitive processes involved in trying to understand it – not politics.Even if the obsessive,often solitary,pursuit of it is a minority one.
Really fascinating read,thank you.

]]> Comment on Postmodernism Is (What Postmodernism Is) by Freya http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/chapter-1/chapter-1-postmodernism/#comment-17255 Freya Thu, 23 Oct 2008 09:56:57 +0000 http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/2006/04/chapter-1-postmodernism/#comment-17255 great! thanks a lot for this really informative and cleverly written chapter. (A struggling PhD student) great! thanks a lot for this really informative and cleverly written chapter.
(A struggling PhD student)

]]> Comment on Introduction: The Anxiety of Obsolescence by Planned Obsolescence » Blog Archive » The Bolter Principle http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/introduction/#comment-14490 Planned Obsolescence » Blog Archive » The Bolter Principle Sun, 29 Jun 2008 16:02:04 +0000 http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/?p=3#comment-14490 [...] One would think I’d already spent enough pages disagreeing with the notion of the anxiety of influence to suddenly find myself feeling [...] [...] One would think I’d already spent enough pages disagreeing with the notion of the anxiety of influence to suddenly find myself feeling [...]

]]> Comment on The Postmodernist Writer by The Quixotic Quest of the Writer « Esther’s Space- journey through my life http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/chapter-1/chapter-1-writer/#comment-8263 The Quixotic Quest of the Writer « Esther’s Space- journey through my life Thu, 06 Mar 2008 15:20:30 +0000 http://www.anxietyofobsolescence.com/2006/04/chapter-1-writer/#comment-8263 [...] And later, in Chapter 1, she makes a comparison between modern novelists and the quixotic ambition, specifically a Don Delillo novel, saying: We follow Gray on his delirious reenactment of the Quixotic quest, stepping into the light of day in a world he has not lived in for thirty years, attempting to save a political prisoner, and the connections in our minds are almost laughably absurd: Thomas Pynchon riding to the rescue of Salman Rushdie. But ridiculous as this quest may sound, translated into the terms of our own literary figures, it appears to be the only way for Gray, and thus for the novelist as novelist, to reassert his own preeminence in the age of television. (from”The Postmodern Writer,” which can be accessed here) [...] [...] And later, in Chapter 1, she makes a comparison between modern novelists and the quixotic ambition, specifically a Don Delillo novel, saying: We follow Gray on his delirious reenactment of the Quixotic quest, stepping into the light of day in a world he has not lived in for thirty years, attempting to save a political prisoner, and the connections in our minds are almost laughably absurd: Thomas Pynchon riding to the rescue of Salman Rushdie. But ridiculous as this quest may sound, translated into the terms of our own literary figures, it appears to be the only way for Gray, and thus for the novelist as novelist, to reassert his own preeminence in the age of television. (from”The Postmodern Writer,” which can be accessed here) [...]

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