Classic, Jim-just classic!
----- Original Message ---- From: JIM DOHERTY <
jimdohertyjr@yahoo.com> To:
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com Sent: Thursday, November 1,
2007 1:27:54 PM Subject: RARA-AVIS: Re: Mickey Spillane
Miker,
Reyour reactions to Stephen's point below:
"m-w.com's 1st definition makes sense to me: "writings
in prose or verse;
************ ***
"Yup. I'm familiar with the definition that includes
everything."
I could be wrong, but I suspect that was Stephen's
point.
All writing written to be read by the general public,
whether or not it actually turns out to be readable,
whether or not it is actually published, is
literature.
Some of it is bad. Most of it is probably average. A
bit of it is good. A tiny bit falls into the category
of "classic." And no one can tell what will be
classic until, in the course of time, it turns out to
be classic in retrospect.
People who use "literature" when they mean "classic,"
or at least "good," are being deliberately dismissive
of that which they don't like or don't agree with,
much like fundamentalist, evangelical protestants who,
when they use "Christian," really mean only
fundamentalist, evengelical protestants.
The purpose of such usage is to diminish "the others"
by making the broad category much more exclusive than
it's meant to be. "This" isn't "real" literature.
"They" aren't "real" Christians. This isn't "really"
hard-boiled. That isn't "really" noir.
MORAL: Don't say "literature" when you mean
"classic."
JIM DOHERTY
____________ _________ _________ _________ _________ __
Do You Yahoo!?
Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam protection
around
http://mail. yahoo.com
<!--
#ygrp-mkp{ border:1px solid
#d8d8d8;font-family:Arial;margin:14px 0px;padding:0px
14px;}
#ygrp-mkp hr{ border:1px solid #d8d8d8;}
#ygrp-mkp #hd{
color:#628c2a;font-size:85%;font-weight:bold;line-height:122%;margin:10px
0px;}
#ygrp-mkp #ads{ margin-bottom:10px;}
#ygrp-mkp .ad{ padding:0 0;}
#ygrp-mkp .ad a{ color:#0000ff;text-decoration:none;}
-->
<!--
#ygrp-sponsor #ygrp-lc{ font-family:Arial;}
#ygrp-sponsor #ygrp-lc #hd{ margin:10px
0px;font-weight:bold;font-size:78%;line-height:122%;}
#ygrp-sponsor #ygrp-lc .ad{ margin-bottom:10px;padding:0
0;}
-->
<!--
#ygrp-mlmsg {font-size:13px;font-family:arial, helvetica,
clean, sans-serif;}
#ygrp-mlmsg table {font-size:inherit;font:100%;}
#ygrp-mlmsg select, input, textarea {font:99% arial,
helvetica, clean, sans-serif;}
#ygrp-mlmsg pre, code {font:115% monospace;}
#ygrp-mlmsg * {line-height:1.22em;}
#ygrp-text{ font-family:Georgia;
}
#ygrp-text p{ margin:0 0 1em 0;}
#ygrp-tpmsgs{ font-family:Arial; clear:both;}
#ygrp-vitnav{
padding-top:10px;font-family:Verdana;font-size:77%;margin:0;}
#ygrp-vitnav a{ padding:0 1px;}
#ygrp-actbar{ clear:both;margin:25px
0;white-space:nowrap;color:#666;text-align:right;}
#ygrp-actbar .left{ float:left;white-space:nowrap;}
.bld{font-weight:bold;}
#ygrp-grft{ font-family:Verdana;font-size:77%;padding:15px
0;}
#ygrp-ft{ font-family:verdana;font-size:77%;border-top:1px
solid #666; padding:5px 0;
}
#ygrp-mlmsg #logo{ padding-bottom:10px;}
#ygrp-vital{
background-color:#e0ecee;margin-bottom:20px;padding:2px 0 8px
8px;}
#ygrp-vital #vithd{
font-size:77%;font-family:Verdana;font-weight:bold;color:#333;text-transform:uppercase;}
#ygrp-vital ul{ padding:0;margin:2px 0;}
#ygrp-vital ul li{ list-style-type:none;clear:both;border:1px
solid #e0ecee;
}
#ygrp-vital ul li .ct{
font-weight:bold;color:#ff7900;float:right;width:2em;text-align:right;padding-right:.5em;}
#ygrp-vital ul li .cat{ font-weight:bold;}
#ygrp-vital a{ text-decoration:none;}
#ygrp-vital a:hover{ text-decoration:underline;}
#ygrp-sponsor #hd{ color:#999;font-size:77%;}
#ygrp-sponsor #ov{ padding:6px
13px;background-color:#e0ecee;margin-bottom:20px;}
#ygrp-sponsor #ov ul{ padding:0 0 0 8px;margin:0;}
#ygrp-sponsor #ov li{ list-style-type:square;padding:6px
0;font-size:77%;}
#ygrp-sponsor #ov li a{
text-decoration:none;font-size:130%;}
#ygrp-sponsor #nc{
background-color:#eee;margin-bottom:20px;padding:0
8px;}
#ygrp-sponsor .ad{ padding:8px 0;}
#ygrp-sponsor .ad #hd1{
font-family:Arial;font-weight:bold;color:#628c2a;font-size:100%;line-height:122%;}
#ygrp-sponsor .ad a{ text-decoration:none;}
#ygrp-sponsor .ad a:hover{ text-decoration:underline;}
#ygrp-sponsor .ad p{ margin:0;} o{font-size:0;}
.MsoNormal{ margin:0 0 0 0;}
#ygrp-text tt{ font-size:120%;} blockquote{margin:0 0 0
4px;}
.replbq{margin:4;}
-->
__________________________________________________ Do You
Yahoo!? Tired of spam? Yahoo! Mail has the best spam
protection around http://mail.yahoo.com
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
RARA-AVIS home page: http://www.miskatonic.org/rara-avis/
Yahoo! Groups Links
<*> To visit your group on the web, go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rara-avis-l/
<*> Your email settings:
Individual Email | Traditional
<*> To change settings online go to:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rara-avis-l/join
(Yahoo! ID required)
<*> To change settings via email:
mailto:
rara-avis-l-digest@yahoogroups.com
mailto:
rara-avis-l-fullfeatured@yahoogroups.com
<*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email
to:
rara-avis-l-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com
<*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to:
http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 01 Nov 2007 EDT