Re: RARA-AVIS: Miss Lonelyhearts: Al

From: Mario Taboada ( matrxtech@yahoo.com)
Date: 03 Oct 2002


Miker, I place West within a specifically Jewish tradition. To the classic "I'm getting screwed", this tradition adds
"And I'm a schmuck". In Goodis, you just have the getting screwed thing. There is no irony. It's an important difference. Another difference is that West was a much more sophisticated writer than Goodis, more cerebral. With Goodis, you get the raw picture of the loser thrashing about; with West (as with Willeford, an important parallel), you get a smart and articulate observer telling you about the schmuck.

Regards,

MrT

=====
"The difference between the right word and the almost right word is the difference between lightning and the lightning bug." Mark Twain

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