From: pain <[log in to unmask]>
To: [log in to unmask] <[log in to unmask]>
Date: 23 May 1999 08:01
Subject: Relaxed

|Lawrence you should learn to
|relax more

Yes, I should. My doctor agrees. But I am trying - I just typed drying -
to give up the alcoholic excess, which is how I think Marvin did it.

|Surely what is written in these
|exchanges of ours is not meant to be read as a legal document or even
|vaguely academic.

Randolph is the only one to have mentioned the law before you. Nor do
academics, even vague academics, have copyright on logical connection. It's
useful for all discussion.

|I for one I delight in the fact that he
|has gone to all the trouble of typing out excerpts for us. We live in a
|soundbite culture, and often that is all we have time for -- if we want
more
|then we can go and buy the book or look for a copy in the library.

Well, I took no delight. LOTS of people take a lot of trouble here, and when
it is useful to me I take pleasure in it, am grateful etc. In this case,
though I did pay attention to it, I didn't find it useful. I did not mean
to cause anyone offence. I am sure it didn't please Chris that I objected.
When Randolph took me to task I was less than overjoyed, for instance. (I'm
more sensitive than you may know.) But how are we going to learn from each
other unless we listen to each other's reactions, positive and negative?

I paid attention to Randolph. He has a point about the welcome mat. (Always
happy to learn Irish customs.) There is no point in having no discussion;
there is no point in discussion if we may not disagree. Yes, I could have
done it more politely and I regret, Chris, that I didn't. I was irritated. I
should relax.

There was a second list came in... I think it was Randolph too who raised
the question of classification, because I had quoted the list's aims then.
And he has a point, a good one, to some extent an unanswerable one.
Nevertheless, I felt that we were clearly straying... No need to be
legalistic or academic (a savage and debatable state in which I rarely find
myself) to tell that

Those aims use the term "post-modern" and I hate the term...

I felt a little as though I was being buttonholed. Chap drove his fingers
into my arm on the tube the other day to get my attention and said he was
going to talk about Jesus. I had a mild version of the feeling I had then.
My neighbours can go from any subject whatever to the nature of J's love in
two moves; and it's quite disorienting. You think: but that's not what we're
talking about.

I agree about being welcoming, or rather not being welcoming. Chris Emery's
no newcomer. Nor was I the only one to object to the list - Keston was quite
cogent about his objections. But we should try to be welcoming *and should
take the trouble to pay attention to what the list is about.

Where has this idea come from that Bloodaxe is adventurous?

Must go. Nearly midday and I am still nakked.

L







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