Existentialism (was Re: RARA-AVIS: Re: Women Rewriting)

From: William Denton ( buff@pobox.com)
Date: 29 May 2000


On 29 May 2000, Mario Taboada wrote:

: I'm not surprised about Willeford. In several novels he combines
: existentialism with surrealism (and a few other things).

I flipped open WRITING & OTHER BLOOD SPORTS to "New Forms of Ugly," the book version of his master's thesis, and saw:

"To appreciate the attitude struck by Camus' immobilized heroes and characters in THE STRANGER and THE PLAGUE, the author's central idea of the Absurd is enough to understand: life is absurd; it is more engaging to observe life than it is to participate in it; and, by recording one's observations and sensations, man-artist may or may not (it makes no measurable difference) produce an artifcat that will outlive or outlast the mortal self."

The book also includes the essay "Jake Dover as Existentialist," about the character in THE DIFFERENCE.

But enough about French philosophy. Any Willeford fans will certainly want to get WRITING & OTHER BLOOD SPORTS, which is new from Dennis McMillan Publications. It's jammed with all manner of great stuff, including some pieces about Willeford, Willeford's obits of John D. MacDonald, Ross Macdonald and Chester Himes, pieces on Chester Himes and Jim Tully, advice to writers, all of "New Forms of Ugly," etc.

Bill

-- 
William Denton : Toronto, Canada : http://www.miskatonic.org/ : Caveat lector.

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