On behalf of Alison:

"Dear all

I'm quite serious that I have no hard feelings about leaving. But since
there seems to be a post mortem going on in my absence in which I have
been a  little misrepresented - something, btw, that was not permitted
in my day, when a person could not defend him or herself - I feel
compelled to clarify why I left this list.

Yes, no one asked me to leave as such.  Although Joe did make it very
clear, in response to my mischievous note - did anyone notice Puck at
the end? - that my leaving would be very welcome. And yes, I was
thinking of it anyway because Anny's extraordinary declaration of war -
and another note where she (and later Joe) seemed to take offence at my
noting some interesting contemporary English dramatists - made it clear
to me that intellectual difference and discussion was becoming very
problematic on this list. For me, if for no one else.

And contra Joe's supposition that "Apparently, the best I can tell, she
found it tiresome to respond to people who disagreed with her or asked
her to defend her positions, but that is mere speculation on my part": I
don't know what to say. The problem seemed to be actually that I _did_
response to people who disagreed with me, and always defended my
position. This seemed to cause offence in some areas. As Anny said, "I
hate it when I have to deal with such undefined and stubborn forces that
need to show off what I do not know." 

As I said to Mark (which was in fact, and yes I was unclear there, in
response to Anny): "I thought it was a given that no opinion rehearsed
here has the imprimatur of Divine Right. I only claim my own
sensibility. I have reasons for thinking as I do, and if questioned I
will tell you what those reasons are. I thought that this process was
known as "discussion"; and certainly during the many years I ran this
list, it was described as a "discussion list". Perhaps things have
changed while I was looking elsewhere."

I suppose no one will believe me when I say I wish you well. Or that I
feel no hurt pride (I only dislike being misrepresented - I'll always
stand by things that I actually DID say). I just feel a certain
nostalgic loyalty to the list, and hence a certain brief sadness in
leaving. But it is clear that it is only nostalgia.

Onward!"

Alison



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