--- In
rara-avis-l@yahoogroups.com, Michael Robison
<miker_zspider@...> wrote:
> The books we read are heavy with themes about
the
> meaning of life and the nature of morality and
truth.
> Although I can understand that some might not
be
> interested in it, it seems unnatural that
an
> extraction and discussion of these themes would
be
> off-topic to the list.
>
> And the idea that a discussion of a critical
approach
> to the books we read is off-topic is
unfathomable.
>
I realize I wasn't clear. It is not off-topic if it is
applied to our subject matter, which is hardboiled and noir
literature. However, if the discussion becomes a general
debate on the value of different approaches and methods of
literary criticism, it can become off-topic. Just like
religion, politics, or sex can come in naturally when
discussing a hardboiled book --and that's within what we
discuss-- but a general discussion of those topics, unrelated
to hardboiled literature, is off-topic. People are interested
in many things, but that doesn't mean that they should
discuss them all here -- the only purpose of the list to
discuss hardboiled and noir literature.
I am not talking about being rigid but simply about staying
within the topics for which the list was created over ten
years ago. Ontopicity brings many satisfactions, including
longevity and, I add from experience, many friendships built
around the subject matter.
Best,
mrt
This archive was generated by hypermail 2b29 : 02 Nov 2007 EDT