Sadly, Sarah:
>
>I believe writers especially tend to ascribe qualities like goodness and
>kindness to intelligent (well read) people. I've worked at universities and
>publishing houses. I did not see much kindness or goodness. Intellectuals
>talk a good game, but most seem to me cruel in their behavior and driven by
>insecurity, like most people.
You're right. The politics in the academy are often appalling, & watching
the minor (& utterly unimportant, really) battle going on sometime, I can
only be greatful that these wee empire builders will never hold an
important political office...
I don't always agree with George Steiner, but the point he made a long time
ago about the way Nazism demonstrated an abysmal failure of the
enlightenment remains a ghost I must continually wrestle...
Doug
Douglas Barbour
Department of English
University of Alberta
Edmonton Alberta Canada T6G 2E5
(h) [780] 436 3320 (b) [780] 492 0521
http://www.ualberta.ca/~dbarbour/dbhome.htm
I fear this war
will be long and painful
and who
pursue
it
Lorine Niedecker
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